by Jada Cox
“Hey, new guy, heads up!”
Jimmy waved at me from across the ditch we were digging. I looked up in time to see a serpent coiled just where I was aiming my shovel. I jumped back as it struck out.
“Thanks!”
“You gotta look out, new guy. This desert will chew you up and spit you out.”
I nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate the advice.”
When Daniel had introduced me to Jimmy, the site foreman had shaken my hand and then examined it.
“Soft hands. Can you handle this work? It doesn’t look like you’ve ever done hard work in your life.”
“I am strong and can endure hard work for as long as necessary,” I’d answered.
I’d told the truth. While my hands might not reflect my past, I had done the mandatory time as a foot soldier in my father’s army. I’d dug ditches and struck camps. I’d worked until my hands bled. I’d been fortunate enough to have my mother’s care to repair my hands, so they showed no sign of the damage.
Now, my hands bore several large blisters from today’s work. I hoped they would not burst while I worked. I needed gloves, but there had not been any spares when the regular workers were issued their equipment for the day.
I pushed myself out of the ditch and made my way to the truck where the water jug was secured to the ladder rack. I tilted my head to the side and held my mouth under the spout before pressing the button to start the ice-cold water flowing.
I stood up straight as Jimmy approached.
“Where did you say you were from?” Jimmy asked.
“I didn’t.”
Jimmy caught a glimpse of my hands and grabbed one to examine the blisters.
“Damn it. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I wasn’t concerned. They’ll be fine in the morning.”
“They’re going to get infected and then you’ll try filing a workman’s compensation claim.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“Right.”
Jimmy looked to where Daniel stood, talking on what some men had explained to me was called a cell phone, getting more and more animated as he expressed his displeasure with whoever was on the other end of the line.
“Look, I know you don’t want the bossman to know you’re an illegal. I won’t tell him, but I don’t think the company wants to risk an insurance claim over blistered hands. Go show him your hands and get some gloves.”
“You said there weren’t any.”
“Daniel keeps extras in his truck, but he hates having to give them out because it costs him on his bottom line. Go show him your hands. He’ll get you some plus some bandages to keep these blisters clean.”
I nodded and walked across the field to where Daniel was throwing his phone into the cab of his truck and muttering to himself.
“Boss?”
Daniel spun on his heel to face me.
“What do you want?” he said still in the angry voice that he’d used before, but his eyes softened as he saw me standing there.
“Jimmy says I should show you my hands and get some bandages and gloves to finish out the day.”
I held out my hands, and Daniel cursed.
“Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”
“They aren’t bothering me, but they seem to concern Jimmy.”
Daniel pulled a large metal box out of the cab of his truck, opened it and started working on my hands. When he’d bandaged them to his satisfaction, he handed me a pair of gloves and sent me back to the ditch.
I spent the rest of the day with my head down in that ditch. When Daniel called out that it was time to head back, I gathered with the other workers. We rode back to the company in the several trucks we’d gone out to the site in.
Joseph called to me as I got out of Jimmy’s truck.
“Emiliano, New Guy, hey!”
I walked toward Joseph, apprehension clenching a fist in my gut.
“Yes?”
“Bossman says you need a place to stay. That true?”
“It’s true.”
“Then come with me. I have a bunk for you.”
I followed Joseph to a van where many of the other workers gathered, joking and laughing with each other.
“This is the New Guy. Says his name is Emiliano. He’s staying with us for a while.”
The workers introduced themselves to me, but I forgot their names often as quickly as the men said them. I was preoccupied, thinking about Ella and how I would see her again.
Several of the men held phones to their ears and spoke to whomever they reached.
“How do I get one of those?” I asked Joseph. I pointed to the phone.
“Most of these guys get their phones and minutes at the Mercado close to the house where they stay. They’ll show you.”
I nodded and saw Daniel moving toward the building where Ella’s office was. I chased him, catching up with him just before he opened the door to the building.
“Daniel, how can I reach Ella? I want to thank her for her assistance.”
Daniel looked me over again, much as he had when I said I was looking for work. He fished a card out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“This is the company’s phone number. Just say that you want to speak to her and they’ll put you through.”
“Thank you.” I took the card and put it into my pocket.
“New guy, you wanna get paid or not?” Joseph called out. I nodded and jogged back to where he was distributing pay to the workers. He held out a handful of bills. I took them and put them in my pocket.
I had a plan for the rest of the day now. I’d buy a phone from the place the workers showed me, call Ella, and arrange to meet with her for a meal. Then I’d go out into the desert, let my dragon loose, and hunt.
Chapter 7
I snatched the phone from the cradle on my desk. I’d been about to walk my daily gauntlet through the cubicles before heading home. Home to an empty house without so much as a fish to keep me company.
“Ella Hunt,” I said into the handset.
“Ella, it’s Emiliano.”
I smiled. I just couldn’t help it. He was the sexy man of my daydreams, and I’d spent an awful lot of time that day thinking about him while he worked in the desert.
“How was your first day on the job?”
“It was… hot,” he said. I could hear a smile in his voice.
“Did you find somewhere to sleep?”
“I did, thank you. The men you took me to were all very kind and helpful. In fact, that’s why I called. I’d like to thank you by taking you out for a meal tomorrow. Will you join me?”
“I would love to.”
“Excellent. When I return from the desert tomorrow, where shall I meet you?”
“Do you remember how to get to my office?”
“I do.”
“Then why not come on up and we can leave together.”
“That sounds wonderful. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you, too.”
“Until tomorrow, then. I wish you kind dreams and sweet sleep.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I put the phone back in the cradle with a broad smile on my lips and then practically ran from my office. I didn’t want to get sucked into staying for some work-related issue. I closed the office door behind me and walked toward the elevator bank, past Michael’s open office door. For once, he didn’t immediately spring out of his chair and rush to the door as I walked past. When I peeked into the office, I saw Michael sitting with his back to the door, feet up on the credenza that ran along the wall under the windows. He didn’t notice me at all.
I dashed to the elevator to take advantage of my good luck and get off the floor before Michael noticed me. I heard him call my name as the elevator doors slid closed.
I was completely blown away by Emiliano’s invitation. He was a curious myster
y I looked forward to solving. He seemed intelligent, but then something simple would confound him. He seemed to be searching for something, but I had no idea what it might be. He was incredibly handsome, but there was something frightening about him, too. And then that accent of his that I found so very sexy... Where was he from?
I walked to my car, searching the parking lot for any sight of Emiliano, but he was nowhere to be seen. I tried not to be disappointed, but the wave washed over me no matter what I tried. I’d wanted to see him. I’d have preferred if the invitation had been for tonight rather than tomorrow.
I got into the car, cranked up the AC and hesitated to pull out of the lot to go home. I mean, what was I going home to? I should have just spoken up and asked Emiliano out tonight. I wanted to bask in his presence. If I could roll in the energy he exuded, I would have wrapped myself in it from head to toe.
Home held nothing but empty rooms and boxes I needed to unpack. There wasn’t even anything to eat in the refrigerator. I was probably going to order delivery of something. Maybe Chinese food. I’d turn on the television and let the sounds of the actors replace real people in my life yet again.
Daniel knocked two knuckles on my window, startling a scream out of my throat. I rolled the window down at his request.
“Are you all right, Ella? You’ve been sitting there about ten minutes.”
“I’m fine, just stuff on my mind.”
“You headed home?”
“Yeah.”
“So, I wanted you to know I let that guy know how to reach you. He asked for your phone number. I hope that was all right.”
“Definitely. Thank you. How did he do on the job?”
“He did great. Hard worker. Joseph and the boys took to him right away.”
“Glad to hear it.” I glanced at my watch. “Well, I gotta get going. Thanks for checking on me.”
I rolled my window up and put the car in reverse. I waved to Daniel on my way out and chuckled to myself when I saw Michael step out onto the patio at the front of the building, look for me, and see I was already leaving.
Dodged that bullet today, I thought. Michael had begun finding excuses to walk me to my car about a week ago. I kept telling him I wasn’t interested in him as more than a colleague, but he didn’t seem to care. He wanted to play the gallant courting his would-be lady, but in reality, he was just creeping me out.
I headed for home, cursing when the phone rang about two blocks from the office. I glanced at the caller id and saw it was Michael.
“Damn it,” I cursed under my breath. “This guy doesn’t just refuse to accept hints, he’s straight-up dense.”
I knew from past experience that if I didn’t answer, he’d keep calling until I did. When I stopped at the next red light, I clicked the “I’m driving” auto text message so he’d give me a little time without the phone ringing. It worked, and I was blessed with a peaceful drive the rest of the way home.
I turned on the radio, which I rarely did, and heard two voices discussing paranormal sightings. Interested, I turned up the volume so that I could hear exactly what they were saying. One of the two voices, the male one, was talking about shapeshifters, and how there were different types; wolves, bears, dragons, and so on. I chuckled. Weird that people believed in that kind of stuff. The female voice on the radio seemed to be as skeptical as I was and asked difficult questions, but the man seemed to have an answer ready for all of them. Shifters… Dragon shifters… Somehow, Emiliano’s form swam before my vision. Of course, dragons didn’t exist, they were mythical creatures. But still. It seemed right somehow, to imagine him being a shifter.
I shook my head, trying to get back to my senses; I was almost home now. As soon as I pulled into the driveway, the phone rang again. I snatched it and answered.
“What, Mike? What is so damn important?”
“Well, hello to you, too.”
I got out of the car and stomped up to my front door, unlocked it, and went into the cool, dim cave of my condo.
“I’m not in the mood, Michael. I literally just walked into my house. What do you want?”
“I want to take you to dinner tomorrow night. I made a reservation at that new restaurant downtown everyone is trying to get into.”
Normally I’d be scrambling for a reason I couldn’t go, but this time, thankfully, I had a legitimate reason.
“I’m sorry, Michael, but I already made dinner plans for tomorrow.”
“With whom? I’d bet they don’t have the reservation I do.”
“It’s none of your business, and I don’t care about the latest ‘it’ restaurant.” As an afterthought, I added, “Thanks for thinking of me, though.”
“I think of you all the time.”
I shuddered.
“Well, you shouldn’t. Michael, there’s no chance for you. I’m just not interested in being anything more than co-workers.”
He said nothing for a long stretch and then sighed heavily.
“I guess you’re right,” he said finally. “The invitation for tomorrow night stands if your other plans fall through. Think about it.”
“Thanks for the offer, but no thank you. Enjoy your evening.”
I hung up, an uncomfortable feeling trying to make its presence noticeable. For some reason, this guy just didn’t seem to want to back off, no matter how often I told him to. Was this going to escalate at some point? Were things going to get even more uncomfortable, or even dangerous? I let the feeling roll around for a moment before pushing it away. Michael was creepy, and I didn’t like him, but there was no reason to think that he would ever touch me.
I dug through the pile of take-out menus I kept near the refrigerator, looking for my favorite Chinese take-out place. I was going to eat and then sleep early so that I would feel better again tomorrow.
Chapter 8
The bone-chilling cold of the desert at night surprised me. The little house where all the workers slept was barely big enough for one person, let alone the fifteen who were staying there.
I walked farther into the dark desert, trying to get far enough from the little shack to be able to transform and hunt. My dragon roared and shifted in my soul. He was ready to stretch his wings or make me pay for keeping him penned up.
The land stretched out before me, and I knew I’d found the right place. In just a few moments, I was far enough from the crest of land that stood between me and the shack to remain invisible to any prying eyes while I changed.
I lay down on the still-warm ground, sighing as I soaked in the little bit of heat and the wonderful feeling of being tied to the land that rarely came for me at home any longer. Funny I should feel it here and now when I was far from home, on a planet I wasn’t familiar with. Yet, I felt bound to the land here. I let my mind wander, and Ella came to mind immediately. I would see her tomorrow, and we would share a meal. I wondered if the customs of this place put as much weight and importance on the breaking of bread with one another as we did at home.
I doubted it. These humans seem to be less than courteous toward each other. I was betting that to most humans, a meal shared with a potential companion was simply a meal and carried no further significance.
Near my heart, I felt the tug as my dragon stretched and flexed its muscles. The next moment, I was laying stretched out to my full fifteen feet on the red dirt. I struggled to my feet, stretching and reacquainting myself with the feel of the dragon in my soul. I pulled myself up, took four steps, and flexed my muscles to lift myself from the ground on my wings. They spread out from my back to beat the air and push me through the sky.
I soared over the darkened land, searching for prey. I finally caught sight of a creature of sufficient size to make the hunt worth the work. I circled and then dove for the ground, zigging and zagging to confuse the creature. Its scream when I closed my talons on it was horrible to hear, but the blood that flowed into my mouth was too delicious for me to care how I got it.
I
carried the beast to a low, flat area where I lay down to enjoy it. For a time, I was lost in that flesh and the pleasure it brought me. Later, thoughts of Ella began filtering through the flesh until those thoughts twined pleasantly together. The part of me that was more man than dragon began to notice the presence of those thoughts and images. Ella blended easily with my dragon, something I’d never experienced before. Thoughts of others, even my family, often made my dragon anxious and irritable. But not Ella. Thoughts of her brought my dragon to heel allowing me to finish my meal and then pointing me back toward the shack.
I landed near the spot I’d chosen for the transformation and settled down to return to my other body. My dragon curled itself into a comfortable resting position near my gut. He was ready to rest. Full of meat and things to consider. Why was I so drawn to this woman who had pulled away the copper without a whimper at the violence and damage to my flesh? Why was my dragon drawn to her? Surely there should be nothing to draw in my dragon. She couldn’t have dragon blood in her, not on this rock.
I brushed the desert soil from my knees after I stood up and retrieved my clothing from the bush where I’d left it. I walked back to the shack where several men stood outside, drinking from bottles and speaking in their fast-paced language. They’d told me it was Spanish. I understood some of what they said, but not much. I hadn’t yet wrapped my tongue around their language, but it would come to me. Languages always did.
What I couldn’t get straight in my head was Ella. She was lovely, that was a given. But there was something more to her. I wanted her as I had wanted no other woman in my life. Even my dragon wanted her, but for what, I wasn’t certain.
I wanted to go to her now, but I had to wait until tomorrow. Joseph had promised to come for us in the morning to take us to the lot. When we returned from the day’s work, I would meet with Ella again. We would observe some of the mating rituals of this place and see what happened next. I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t know if it was acceptable on this planet, or if a much longer courtship would be necessary. I hoped not.