“Probably not, but neither is going into her house without permission but I can’t imagine this will ever end up in a courtroom.” The camera is already linked to the laptop so once it boots up, I just click on the video capture software and the screen fills with a shot of Jasmine’s face looking into the camera.
“When they leave, I’ll take the camera with me and you can watch on the laptop to make sure we have a good signal.” I turn the laptop so she can see the image. “This screen lets off a lot of light, so wait until she drives away to open it,” I advise, lowering the lid until it is almost closed.
We snuggle close and sit quietly, enjoying the silence of our post-coital intimacy. God, I’ve missed her!
“The garage door is opening,” Jasmine cries, jolting me alert as she points at the white door starting to rise.
“Okay,” I grab the camera from her and open my door. “Keep an eye on the time. We’ll communicate with our phones,” I say, kissing her quickly and ducking around the back of the car. I sprint across the grass and stand with my back to the side of the garage, hopefully out of sight of her headlights.
I hear the garage door start to close, but I wait until she’s in the street and putting the car in drive before I whip around the corner and duck under the garage door just before it closes. The garage is lit from the light of the door opener and I quickly make my way to the inside door while calling Jasmine on my cell.
“Hey,” she answers, whispering like she can be overheard.
“I’m in,” I say as I walk in the house. “It didn’t look like they noticed anything.”
“No, they kept going but I saw you as clear as day. I hope there aren’t any noisy neighbors.”
“Well, just keep an eye out, this won’t take long.” I hold the camera up so Jasmine can see what I’m seeing. “How’s the signal?” I ask.
“Perfect. I can see the kitchen,” she says. “This is weird. Hurry up, okay?”
“I’m going to go upstairs now.” Walking through the kitchen, I notice some half-empty glasses and a bottle of whiskey on the counter. Keeping the camera in front of me, I show Jasmine the direction I’m headed. The stairs are around the corner near the front door. I take them two at a time.
“The light came from the end of the hall,” Jasmine says, her voice startling me in the quiet house.
“Yeah,” I answer, moving quickly. The lights are all off and I’m pondering whether to turn them on when I hear Jasmine’s voice again.
“Three minutes, Mike,” she says, helping me make the decision.
“We won’t know if the camera works unless I turn the light on,” I tell her, reaching for the switch. The bedroom has the same heavy sexual aroma as my car and the sheets are messy with several wet spots.
“This is obviously where we want the camera,” I tell her, looking around for a good spot. “Tell me how much of the room you can see?” I ask placing the camera on the dresser beside the bed, tucking it between a ceramic crock and a small jewelry box.
“I can see part of the door and all of the bed over to the nightstand,” she answers. “Six minutes,” she adds as I crawl onto the bed and look over at the camera. It’s pretty visible. I move it back a little and try again. Perfect! I’m counting on them being too distracted to notice something on the dresser.
“How’s that?” I ask Jasmine.
“Eww, you’re on her bed!” she blurts.
“How’s the viewing angle?” I ask.
“Same as before. You need to get out of there, Mike.”
“Right now,” I answer, grabbing the camera while I take another look around the bedroom. Peeking my head in the bathroom, I see a bunch of towels on the floor. Of course, the men would want to wash off the sex before they go home.
“There’s a car coming,” Jasmine yells. “That was fast!”
“Coming out now!” I take the stairs two at a time. The front door is chained. So is the kitchen door. Damn! She’ll remember chaining them. I head for the garage and plaster myself against the wall just to the left of the overhead door. A few seconds later, the garage door opener jerks to life craning up the large wooden door.
“Mike!” Jasmine yells. I quickly disconnect the call and shove the phone in my pocket. As the SUV pulls in, I crouch below the windows on the passenger side, out of sight of the driver. I hear the driver door open and her heels clicking on the cement floor. A moment later the garage door springs to life again and I wait for the sound of the entry door closing before making my exit.
Ducking under the garage door, I slip into the shadows beside the house to catch my breath before running back to the car.
“Jesus, Mike,” Jasmine greets me. “You cut that awfully close!” She still has the laptop on her lap but the lid is nearly closed. We both look up at the house as the light comes on in the corner bedroom. “Do you think she’ll at least change the sheets?” Jasmine asks disgustedly. I just shrug as I start the car.
“Next Thursday I’ll plant the camera when she goes to get the men and then retrieve it when she takes them back,” I explain to Jasmine who has been silent since we left Stephanie’s house. “You’re still okay with this, right?” I ask, placing my hand on her thigh for reassurance.
“Oh yeah!” she answers. “I’m just thinking about how Aunt Cyn is going to feel when she sees this.”
“We don’t have to go through with it.”
“Yes we do!” she insists. “The alternative is that we can’t be together,” she sighs. “I just wish she hadn’t pushed us to this.”
“Me too!” I respond, feeling as melancholy as Jasmine. I drive to the bookstore where Jasmine and I kiss like long lost lovers before she has to leave.