Free Fall by Unknown Page A

And was he in love? He thought about Nina waiting at home for him and felt elated. And that’s how it was, wasn’t it? He looked forward to seeing her like a little boy with a crush. He was happy.
     
     
    Nina was in front of the computer in Josephs’ office researching Montana map locations for one of the settings in her book when her cell phone rang. The number showed an LA area code. When she answered she heard a woman speak in a rough smoker’s voice.
    "Is this Neena," the woman inquired in an exaggerated drawl.
    "This is she," Nina said edgily, thinking it was probably a telemarketer. How did these people get her number? On second thought, how do they know her name? She silently prepared her firm refusal of whatever was being peddled.
    "You better get your ass back to Washington."
    "What?" Nina searched her mind trying to make a connection to the voice. Was someone playing a joke on her? Was it someone from the club? She wouldn’t put it past any one of the waitresses to pull this kind of stunt. "Who is this?"
    "This is someone who's been getting it on with your boyfriend," the woman answered harshly.
    "My boyfriend?" Nina repeated.
    "You don’t remember all the guys you’ve slept with?" the woman asked. "You’re so stupid you think he doesn’t have anyone else? What do you think he does all day? You’re not welcome here. Go home." The line went dead and Nina stared apprehensively at the phone with the unfamiliar number staring back at her.
    The front door slammed and she heard footsteps as Joseph searched the house for her. "Here’s that girl again," he said when he found her.
    "That’s right. I’m still here." Nina turned from the computer.
    "Hey!" Joseph saw the word document on the screen. "Can I read it now?"
    Ever since Joseph had found out that Nina was working on a novel he kept hounding her to let him read it and demanding that she make him a character, if not the main character in her book. He believed that they could make it into a screenplay and become some kind of powerhouse couple, she writing the scripts and he acting them out. But Nina guarded it jealously and wouldn’t let him read one word until it was done.
    "No, you may not." Nina got up and gave him a hug. "I just got off the phone with someone who said she’s been getting it on with you and that I should quote, 'get my ass back to Washington'."
    Joseph’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"
    Nina relayed the short conversation and handed him the phone to see if he recognized the number. Joseph saw the same number that had called him just fifteen minutes before.
    "It’s Karen!" he said, "I can tell you now that I’m not sleeping with her. I have everything I want right here," he grabbed her butt for emphasis. "You keep me pretty busy, Nina. Where would I find the energy?" He pushed the call button on the phone. "Let’s call back and see if she answers."
    "No! Joseph, wait!" But Joseph held up his hand and listened as the number rang and rang. Finally he hung up the phone.
    "No answer."
    "What were you going to say if she answered?"
    "I’d tell her to quit harassing us."
    "Us?" Nina said.
    "She’s been harassing me."
    "Harassing you how?"
    "She's been calling me all the time. And she sent me a couple of emails with some naked pictures she took of herself. I deleted them and blocked her email address. I've told her over and over that I don’t want anything to do with her, but Karen is a very stubborn woman. She might stir up trouble."
    "Laura told me that she wants you back. Why didn’t you tell me this before?"
    "Because I like to pretend that she doesn’t exist. I just want her to go away."
    Turning away from him Nina walked several steps across the room, pivoted, and walked back with her eyes on the carpet. She believed him. Things were solid between them and he was right. He couldn’t possibly have the energy for someone else unless he was some kind of superman porn star.
    "You think she did this? How did she get my