by NM Facile
He sauntered out the door as she held her breath watching his great ass walk away. It would have been the perfect exit, too, if he hadn’t tripped over his untied shoelace. She couldn’t help but chuckle. It was something that would have happened to her, but then she didn’t care as much as he must about looking cool.
Dom spun quickly to face her. She gasped, expecting a backlash, but in place of the hardcore gangbanger she saw a slightly self-conscious boy. The giggle loosened Mary’s voice and she was able to say, “That was graceful.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “What can I say? Ya got me trippin’ over myself for ya.”
Rozene’s irritated voice called out from the hall, “Now, Dom!” He winked at Mary and took off after his annoyed little sister.
Mary’s first impression had been wrong; maybe Dom wasn’t so bad. She looked forward to meeting him again. She gathered her things and went to meet Faith. The girls had a busy weekend ahead of them; after a month of training, Mary and Faith were scheduled to handle Safe Works alone for the first time.
Mary was giddy with excitement, but nervous, too. It was silly, but she couldn’t decide what to wear. She stood in front of her closet debating between two different button-up shirts. Finally, disgusted with herself for even worrying about it, she just grabbed a long-sleeved blue t-shirt off the chair beside her bed. It wasn’t like she went to Safe Works to impress anyone.
It was the last Saturday of the month so Jack, Lora, Karen, and Dr. Porter were going out in the mobile unit for the late afternoon and evening. They borrowed a van from the free clinic and took it out once a month to a few different locations. They passed out works and information and Dr. Porter checked people out. The mobile unit allowed them to reach a wider base of people who needed the service but, for whatever reason, couldn’t get to the storefront site.
The girls arrived just as the group was ready to leave. Finally, they got their first glimpse of the amazing Dr. Porter. He was very handsome but Mary wouldn’t have thought he was younger than Karen. His fair hair was combed off to the side of his face, emphasizing his bright aqua-blue eyes. They twinkled with humor and a general happiness with life. His smile was warm as he greeted Faith and Mary with a strong handshake.
“Thanks for joining our little family here at Safe Works. We’re very pleased to have two such obviously caring individuals in our group. Karen has had nothing but glowing praise for the two of you.”
Mary blushed at his compliments, but noticed Faith was more interested in watching Jack carry a box of flyers out to the van. Dr. Porter noticed it as well.
“You’ll never find a better man than Jack. He’s strong willed, but he’s dependable and devoted.” Faith continued to watch Jack with a thoughtful look in her eye. She ignored Dr. Porter as if he hadn’t said anything.
He grinned at Mary before asking if there was anything the girls needed before they all took off. Their numbers were on the desk if the girls needed to get hold of any of them.
Jack popped his head back in the door and told them to expect the mobile team back at around nine or ten, and then he would stay until midnight and close up with them.
The girls spent some time putting together safe kits. Faith did some organizing in the check up room while Mary went through submissions for the newsletter. Jack was more than happy to turn over preparing the newsletter to Mary with her English teaching background. There really wasn’t much to do after that so the girls enjoyed the time they had together. Faith and Mary ended up sitting on the couches just talking to each other. Between volunteering at Safe Works and their jobs, they didn’t often find time just to catch up. Mary saw an opening to ask Faith what was going on with her and Jack.
“What do you mean? There’s nothing going on between us,” Faith answered a little incredulously.
“You like him.” Mary said it more as a statement than a question, and she knew from the shocked look on Faith’s face that she was right.
“I do not. He just gets under my skin. It’s like everything he says just irritates me. He’s always ‘darlin’ this and ‘little lady’ that.” Faith certainly had her feathers ruffled over Jack.
“You like him,” Mary continued to taunt her in a sing song voice. “Faith and Jack sittin’ in the tree…” She knew it was juvenile, but she loved to poke fun at Faith.
“I do not like him, Mary. Stop it.” She exclaimed, but then whispered, “How could I like someone like him?”
Mary instantly stopped the teasing. “What do you mean ‘someone like him’? Jack has never been anything but sweet and helpful.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Faith scrunched up her little face as she tried to find the words she was looking for. Mary didn’t wait for her answer.
“Does this have anything to do with what Nikki told us about him?”
Faith had a pained expression as she answered. “He was a junkie, Mary. Obviously he was majorly messed up with it. How could I allow someone like that into my life?”
Mary knew Faith was just falling back on the judgmental beliefs of her small-town upbringing.
“He’s not now. You could give him a chance to prove himself.”
“Like the chance you’ve given J. P.?”
“That’s not the same and you know it.” Mary was offended that Faith would even see it that way. J. P. caused her mom physical harm, and eventually it will take her life. That wasn’t even a close comparison with Jack’s past heroin use.
The conversation between them was subdued after that; neither wanted to upset the other more so the topics stayed generic. A few clients drifted in and out over the course of their shift, but none stayed for long. Faith ordered a pizza from the local mom-and-pop place, and the young Native American kid who delivered it reminded Mary of Dom, although he wasn’t covered in tattoos—or at least not any visible ones.
It wasn’t long after they ate that Jack and the others returned. Lora’s husband Anthony was with them to help unload the van. He was a tall well built man with dusky skin and a shiny bald head. He reminded Mary of a security guard or a bouncer at a club. He was a little intimidating at first.
Lora introduced them and he shook each of their hands.
“It’s nice to finally meet you two. Lora has mentioned there was some new help here. We were just discussing going out for a drink when we get things put away. Would you like to join us?”
Faith and Mary faced each other questioningly, then agreed.
“Excellent. Jack, you want to come, too?” Anthony called out to him.
Jack stared forlornly at Faith as he answered Anthony. “I’d better stick around here until midnight. Then maybe I could head over.”
“Jack, go ahead. You’re always here. Karen and I can close the place down.” Dr. Porter called over his shoulder as he balanced a box on his knee while opening the door to the exam room.
“I don’t know…” Jack started to say before the doctor cut him off.
“Don’t worry about it. I sleep with the boss, remember? She’ll be fine with it.”
“Fine with what?” asked Karen, coming through the door with the last of the supplies they had taken for the day.
“Letting the kids go have some fun while us old people close up.”
Karen feigned offense at her husband’s comment but gave them the go-ahead to take off.
Lora pleaded, “Come on, Jack. You can give yourself a break every once in a while.”
“All right!” Jack exclaimed. “Where are we going? There’s that place up the street that often has open mic nights; it’s usually not too crowded and the music isn’t too bad.”
They walked the three blocks, which wasn’t far enough for the chill to penetrate Mary’s spring jacket. She could faintly hear music as they approached the old wooden door of the bar. It was located in a two-story brick building that looked like most of the others in the area, in that it didn’t look like much. Faith and Mary had only been out a few times since they had moved to Minneapolis, and that had been in m
ore familiar territory: clubs closer to the university with dance music and lots of flashing lights. This was definitely not familiar.
Jack held the door for them all to enter. Lora and Anthony went right on in as if they’d been there before. Faith and Mary followed a little more slowly. Mary searched out Jack’s face for reassurance but he was gazing at Faith with a grin.
Mary listened to what she thought to be an old blues tune filling the room. It sent goosebumps across her arms and down her back. It felt vaguely like she was stepping back in time, to some old time Southern bar. She couldn’t understand the words the gravelly voice uttered, but she could feel the rhythm of the guitar creeping into her, making her want to rock back and forth along with it.
The music was live, so she looked around to see where it was coming from. She couldn’t see anything more than Anthony’s back as they were bottlenecked in the entryway. Slowly they were able to push forward into the dark, smoky, room.
The room was full of people; she didn’t know how they’d ever find a place to sit. A few older men sat at the long bar to the right, watching Sports Center on the TV. She didn’t pay attention to the captions, having instead been distracted with the change of the music.
It had switched from a down and dirty blues tune to an almost haunting melody. She still couldn’t see the performer, but she could make out the words this time. The guy’s husky voice sang out, asking if he would always feel this empty. She closed her eyes for a second and just listened to the melancholy tune. She was jostled out of the moment when Faith began to pull her toward an empty table.
Mary sat between Lora and Faith. Jack sat down on the other side of Faith after pushing her chair in for her, such a gentleman. Mary shrugged out of her coat and looked around the dark, deeply scarred wooden table. The singer’s voice mumbled something through the speaker.
After a couple of measures Mary recognized the song as “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.” She smiled, remembering how she had sung it in junior high choir. Once again, the voice captured her. Anthony asked her what she wanted to drink.
“I’ll take a Rolling Rock.” Both he and Jack smiled at her girly drink choice, but didn’t say anything. Faith ordered a mixed drink and Mary hoped she wouldn’t have to carry her home. Jack just ordered a Coke and she glanced curiously at him.
“Addict, remember?” He said it simply; as if that was all the explanation he needed to give. So Jack even stayed away from alcohol, too. That had to be tough, sitting here around others who were drinking when it was something you were once a part of.
Mary’s attention was taken from him, though, when the waitress moved and revealed the guy on the stage. They were sitting at a good table, slightly to the left of the stage, with a clear view of the man behind the voice that had entranced her.
He sat alone on the low, small stage, on a wooden stool. One faded denim-clad leg bent to balance his guitar, and his boot rested against the rung of the stool. The other long leg stretched out in front of him. Mary slowly moved her gaze up his frame, past the guitar he strummed with his right hand, up the long, defined arm. She lingered on his broad shoulders and the way his black t-shirt pulled tautly across his chest as he played.
Yet it was his face that held her transfixed. He had a mess of shoulder length black hair that looked as if it had a mind of its own. She caught herself wanting to smooth it out for him. He looked out at the crowd but it was as if he wasn’t really seeing them at all. His eyes were gone, off seeing whatever image from the song played in front of them. Sometimes they would close briefly as he sang. His face shifted along with the lyrics through looks of despair and helplessness. Mary couldn’t help but feel that he felt every word of the song.
Towards the end of the song he started to whistle as he leaned forward. He sat back up with a beer in his right hand as he fiddled with the tuning of the guitar with his left. He strummed a bit, checking the sound as he held the bottle still in his hands. A little smirk appeared as he got a sound he liked. He raised his eyes up to the audience and scanned the crowd, strumming a warm-up tune. When they landed on Mary they stopped, both his eyes and his hands. He stared into her eyes for a few seconds before he took a long pull off his beer and set it down. He picked out a new song.
He met her eyes again as he started singing, calling to her in a soft voice. Mary was ready to get up and follow him anywhere, like a sailor being lured by a siren. She was transfixed as she listened to him beckoning.
She focused on his long, graceful hands as they stroked the song from the guitar. Her chest tightened and her heart sped up. Those fingers were magical, so long and beautiful, coaxing the notes from the instrument. She felt a shiver run through her at just the thought of what those fingers could be capable of. She swallowed and looked into the face of the singer. He was a god. His jawline was squared, with just enough scruff on it to make her want to brush her face against it.
Faith gave her a sharp elbow to the ribs and motioned towards the beer sitting in front of Mary. She picked up the bottle and took a long swig as he switched to a new song. He dropped his voice even lower. It was almost a whisper as he sang. When his eyes caught hers, she was unable to pull away. He didn’t look away either, he was singing it just to her. His eyes were narrowed completely focusing on her lips. He looked her over like he was a man damned and she was his only salvation. When he finally broke the gaze he closed his eyes and licked his lips. His eyes remained heavy, once he opened them again, watching her from under his lashes.
Mary grew warm and it wasn’t from the beer. His voice was silk and pure sex. He was doing things to her body with just his eyes and his voice. She was a mass of tingles and sparks. She could feel the involuntarily clench between her legs as he dropped his voice even lower.
By the end of the song she was breathless and hot. It was the most sexual tension she had ever felt with anyone, let alone a complete stranger.
That was the end of his set. He picked up his bottle and finished it off before sliding off the stool with nothing more than a simple appreciative nod to the applauding audience. She watched him as he made his way off the opposite side of the stage. As he hit the steps, she noticed Jack waiting for him. She hoped she’d get an introduction.
Jack and the singer spoke, occasionally shooting glances towards their table. Faith was trying to say something to her but she didn’t pay attention. She was still too wrapped up in this man that had just seduced her with his voice. Jack gave him a menacing glare and the singer held his hands up and backed away. What was that all about? Jack returned to the table after the mystery man turned the other direction.
“Who is that?” Mary asked.
“Trouble.”
“No, he’s not trouble. He’s troubled.” She didn’t know how to make the distinction any clearer. From the choices of his songs and the conviction in his voice when he sang them she knew he was a man with a sensitive soul. That man that had sung to her needed something. She didn’t know what it was, but she damn sure wanted to find out.
She was leaning across Faith to ask Jack more when her singer approached their table. He smiled sadly at her and her heart broke for a reason she couldn’t explain.
“Jaden,” Jack all but growled it at him.
Mary could see now that his eyes were coal black and endlessly deep. He glanced briefly from her to Jack before stepping closer to her. He leaned in and whispered, “Hello, angel.” The warmth of his breath tickled her neck. She closed her eyes and breathed him in, a mix of cigarette smoke and beer, but there was something more. Some undertone she couldn’t put her finger on, but she liked it.
“The things that could have been.” With that he quickly pulled away. He glanced again at Jack before heading to the door.
She started to jump up and follow him but a hand clamped down on her arm holding her there. She looked up at Jack questioningly.
“He’s trouble, Mary. I promise. Ty Jaden is nothing but trouble.” His voice was low in warning.
Mar
y didn’t answer, just attempted to relax back in her chair and join in the chatter going on around the table. Everyone was having a good time. She occasionally caught Jack glancing at the door and she would look quickly, hoping that her god was there. He never was, though he was never far from her thoughts.
Even after she was home for the night, Mary still heard his voice whispering to her, causing goose bumps and a longing like she had never known. She needed to find Ty Jaden. She needed to see if what she had felt tonight was more than some magical moment or if it had even been real.
Chapter 6 - Dark Knight
Ty had been there to lose himself in the music. He had absentmindedly let his fingers slide over the strings, not really focusing on the faces before him. Through the dim lights and the cloud of smoke he had met her eyes for the first time, and everything had stopped: his breath, his hands, his world. He had only been aware of her eyes and the rush of his heart.
He hadn’t been able to tear his eyes from her, afraid that if he did she would turn out to be nothing more than a sublime trick of the shadows, the haze and his own wishful thinking. He remembered her under the glow of the streetlight that first night; her perfect, angelic face smiling so sweetly before turning his way. He had wanted that moment back. He had wanted her to see him in the light and have that smile be for him.
He had sung to her. Told her how he felt, told her of his regret for never being able to be more for her. He had savored the pleasure of having Mary’s eyes on him as he sang, watching him as he had watched her. He had felt as if he were just a normal guy singing to a normal girl, like nothing else mattered. Like he could approach her and talk to her. Like he could have that smile.
She had called to him in a way she hadn’t before, with a pull that was undeniably sexual. He had wanted her, wanted to feel more than just her eyes on him. He had wanted to feel the heat from the blush that had slowly arisen from under her blue shirt up over her cheeks.
Jack had warned, “She’s not like us. She can’t be dragged down into this life. You can’t take her with you. Trust me. Your life will be worth nothing to you, even less than it’s worth now, if you wind up hurting her.”