Jay stared at himself in the mirror. He turned his head to let the day’s stubble glint in the bathroom light. The man staring back at him looked scared and that made Jay’s stomach drop. He thought back to earlier that day when he had been alone in the house, for the first time in a long time. He had been relaxing at the kitchen table when the phone on the wall next to the fridge rang, startling Jay into dropping one side of the newspaper he was holding. As the pages glided to the floor in a flap of raspy crinkling, he stood and answered the offending appliance.
“Hello?”
“Good morning, is this James?” The man’s voice was silvery.
“No, my pops is out. Leave your name and I’ll let him know you called.” There was a pause and then a faint sound of surprise.
“Oh, no actually, is this James Junior?” The voice was clipped, businesslike and sounded like a man who was not often told no.
“Yes,” Jay waited, his patience wilting with each passing second.
“Ah, yes. Hello, James. I was wondering if I could come see you at work some night while you’re working at the garage?”
“Who’s this?” Jay demanded, a frown cracking his smooth brow into deep ravines.
“I am part of a remarkable team that may be interested in you as a recruit.”
“For what?”
“Work, of course. Paid promptly upon the completion of the job, several times what you’re making now. And there’s perks to the job as well.” The voice sounded rehearsed and genial.
“What kind of work?” Jay felt the frown relax slightly as his interest piqued.
“That’s something we can discuss more if you’d not mind me dropping by the garage?” The voice sounded silky and a soft smile could be heard on the lips of the speaker.
Jay waited a full five seconds before he grunted his agreement and informed the man that he’d be at the garage that night.
“Excellent. See you then, James.” The line went dead and Jay had then spent the rest of his time alone in the house wondering what in the hell someone would want him for.
Jay blinked at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath. He thought, for the millionth time that day, about the man who had called asking for him. The most disgusting and loathsome feeling took root inside his mind. The emotion curled around his heart and bit into him. He couldn’t fight it any longer, and he felt a lightness he’d not felt in months.
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Could this be how he escapes? Could this be his ticket?
That hated feeling fluttered in his chest, shaking off the dust and chains inside his soul. Hope had blossomed in Jay once again.
The night came and Jay sweated in nervousness and anticipation as he worked on a large tractor. He wiped his brow with a greasy cloth, leaving a streak across his forehead and straightened. As he glanced at the dusty clock on the wall, a headlight shined across his eyes and he squinted. A car door opened then shut and a soft step, leather shoes on gravel, slowly made its way closer to the garage.
“James?” The same silky voice came from an equally silky looking face. Jay turned and furrowed his brows, sweat slipping down his neck. An icy chill rode across his back.
“James Junior, sir.” Jay replied, holding out an extremely dirty hand. The man shook it, unconcerned and smiled a brilliantly white smile.
“Wonderful to meet you, James. Wonderful.”
“What can I do for you, mister?” Jay tossed the rag onto the open engine bay beside him and faced the man completely. His eyes took in every detail of the stranger, committing to memory the rich, luxurious fabric of his suit and tie, the way his hair looked professionally sculpted, the way his eyes caught the light and sparkled a sapphire blue that was uncanny and disarming. Jay crossed his arms across his chest and tilted his head back, adopting a stance he took to take up more room when his Pops was threatening violence against his family.
“Oh, nothing that serious, I assure you,” the white-blond man said, gesturing to Jay’s posture. “I’m Mr. Avery. I’m from–” he cut himself off to pull a card out of his inner breast pocket. He handed it to Jay. “The Lux Initiative.”
Jay looked at the card and frowned. The thick card was a creamy white with bright gold script that just said “The Lux Initiative: Unlocking Potential”. It looked both expensive and effeminate, both of which made Jay raise an eyebrow.
“And what’s that?” he asked, pocketing the card. Avery smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting but not reaching his icy eyes.
“We are interested in certain people with…gifts.” The man’s smile became genuine for a moment as he said the final word. “And I’m certain that you’re a perfect fit for one of our programs.”
“Gifts? Like, intelligence?” Jay shifted anxiously on the balls of his feet. His anxiety was making him jittery.
“Yes, actually. You’re well known to us as an incredibly intelligent man, awarded with some kind of recognition from your educational establishment, I believe.”
“Is it like a scholarship kind of deal?” Jay asked suddenly. He had heard of sporting scouts. Why wouldn’t there be scholarly scouts, too? That horrible hopefulness filled him again and he uncrossed his arms.
“Mmm, yes, actually. Yes. Not exactly but much like that. We are offering an opportunity of a lifetime.” Mr. Avery's eyes caught the light and Jay found himself unable to look away as he replied, his voice soft and breathless.
“Tell me more. I’m very interested.”
“Excellent,” Mr. Avery said in a whisper. “Wonderful.” He held out his hand again and waited for Jay to take it. “Then I’ll prepare a Proposition and be in touch. I just needed your consent to move forward.” He pumped Jay’s hand once, hard, and let go. “I’ll be in touch, James. Very soon.”
Jay gasped as the door to the black car slammed, feeling as though he had been underwater for the last few minutes. He felt dizzy and gulped air, cold sweat washing down his back. But that awful hope was still alive inside him and he knew that he was dangerously close to accepting any offer that Mr. Avery sent his way if it gave him the tools to get out from his father’s thumb and to escape the pressure of having to raise his brothers.