by Johanna Bock
Knight
Vision
By
Johanna Bock
Knight Vision
All Rights Reserved © 2012 Johanna Bock
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Although the text has received many layers of editing, typos and/or errors may still exist. Help me rid this book of these annoyances. Send me your "finds". Contact me at: [email protected]
I will be forever grateful, as will the readers of this book.
Johanna Bock
2012
Chapter One
Twenty-three-year old Annie Downs had been looking forward to this night all week. Her best friend, Leah Painter, and she had standing weekly plans to spend Thursday evenings at a local nightspot, which featured live blackjack games. The year was 1981 and it was before Indian gaming became legal on the reservations surrounding Phoenix, AZ. To bypass the non-gambling laws, the club issued tokens for one’s winnings instead of cash, and the tokens could be exchanged for prizes ranging from a deck of playing cards to an inexpensive watch. It reminded her of arcade games. Playing casino-type games was just a way to pass the time while they had drinks. The entire club experience was enjoyable from the employees, to the drinks, to the live music. The blackjack was real, even if the money was not. Leah and she were real gamblers at heart, and anywhere which reminded them of Vegas was something they enjoyed.
They would not spend big bucks because neither of them could afford it. At the time, both were living with their parents. Neither one of their jobs allowed them the luxury to have their own place. Annie was a substitute teacher, and work was hit or miss. She had just recently obtained her teaching certificate and had not found a permanent position. Leah had just recently obtained a position with a local bank and would be starting it in two weeks. They considered themselves fortunate that their parents loved and supported them through their early steps toward independence.
They had been Thursday-night ’regulars’ at this place for around four months. Nothing had ever bothered them or their enjoyment of the club’s activities. They had fun checking out the guys, even talking to them when they sat at the same blackjack table. It was all harmless conversation or casual flirting. Of course, Annie really couldn’t say what Leah had in mind from their adventures, but hers was to play blackjack and have a good time.
Neither liked the bar scene in the early 1980’s. Most bars were more like meat markets than a place to have fun. One always felt on display, just sitting at tables and waiting for someone to ask you to dance. Annie would much rather have something to do than to just sit around waiting; that’s why they liked this club so much. They made sure to only come to the club during the week. The weekends were super crowded and the people were just plain. . . different. Weekdays were always more relaxed, less crowded, which gave them the opportunity to focus on the games. It was sort of ’practice time’ for their frequent trips to Vegas.
They liked to arrive early to make sure they had first pick of the tables for they had a favorite table and favorite spots at that table. At the time, Leah preferred to sit at ’first base’ -- the first position of the semi-circular playing surface and to the dealer’s left. Annie liked ’third base’ -- the last position. She liked to know what was played ahead of her, and she liked being to the right of the dealer. It was her personal preference, no logical reason.
Their favorite table was the one directly to the right as you entered the east-gaming area. It backed up to the main bar’s railing, which left both the first and third-base positions space to move around without running into other players. Arriving early that Thursday evening, their luck held as the table and both of the positions were opened. As they settled down for the duration of the evening, they ordered drinks and began to play.
Annie looked up from her winning hand to make a comment to Leah, who was sitting directly across from her. Before she could speak, her eyes locked on a pair of blue ones, looking straight at her. The owner of the eyes was standing directly behind Leah. Annie felt herself blush redder than the sweater she was wearing. She quickly dropped her eyes back to her winning hand without saying a word. Whose eyes are looking at me so intently? DARE I glance up again? Will he still be there? Do I have something on my face? she questioned. Quickly using her right hand, she wiped her face, hoping to remove whatever it was. I wonder why Leah did not tell me I had something on my face.
Thankful she was sitting at the third-base position, she knew it gave her the time to run these thoughts and motion through her mind without drawing attention to herself. When it was her turn to respond to the dealer, she slowly drew her thoughts back to the game and she was able to perform without a hint to those around her. My entire inner being was affected by those eyes, she mused. When she finally talked herself into glancing up again, several hands had been played. He was gone.
She searched frantically for the owner of those blue eyes. As she scanned the area, she suddenly realized how crowded the place had become. Anxiousness consumed her as she felt like the world opened under her feet. She could not breathe. Her mind was running a hundred miles-per-hour. Dozens of images and thoughts flashed by in a second. She knew she had to settle down or her anxiousness would be felt by all around her, or that she would toss her cookies if she did not do something fast. She could not concentrate on anything. Cautiously excusing herself, she hurried toward the restroom.
Keeping her eyes focused on the ground in front of her, she had to reach the restroom without being seen by those blue eyes. She had to think; she needed to splash her face with cold water. She had never before been in such an agitated state. What is happening to me? I am always in control, she thought. But, at the moment, she did not feel in control of anything. I must make it to the restroom. So focused on looking at the floor and on her thoughts, she walked right into the back of someone. Lifting her head to excuse herself, she looked directly into the very same blue eyes she was hoping to avoid. Her apology caught in her throat. She mumbled something unintelligible and kept going. She could feel those eyes following her, and wished right there and then that the world would open up and take her.
She could not believe her luck or the lack of it; of all the people in this packed room, she had bumped into him. She was sure he believed that she did it on purpose. All the rest of the way to her destination, she continued to belittle herself. What was going on??? she kept asking over and over, but could not come up with any answers.
***
Standing at the sink basin and looking at her reflection, she kept a steady flow of questions in her mind, all leading up to the big question. Who was this person I have self consciously given control of myself? She cupped a handful of cold water and splashed her face. At the time, she did not give a thought to the fact that the makeup, which she had taken great care earlier to apply to her face, was not waterproof, but she just had to give herself a reality check. Boy, did she get a reality check. The makeup was now running down her face. She started laughing uncontrollably, thinking his eyes would surely get an eyeful now. A wild thought passed though her mind; she should march right now out of the restroom with her face appearing to be melting. But, she knew she would not be able to do it. Her laughter died as she proceeded to clean her face of any remaining makeup and then, cleaned up the mess she had made on the restroom sink.
While cleaning, she pondered the situation. Would he be standing outside the door? Just who does he think he is to turn my life upside down? What was he staring at so intently? I know; maybe he was not looking at me. Yeah, that’s it. I was just letting my imagination run wild. Nobody, in my twenty-three years of life, has ever given me that type of look before.
Standing back, she studied herself in the mirror. She was a large woman with a five-foot, ten-inch frame, and
carried extra pounds on her buns, hips and legs -- a genetic trait on her mother’s side of the family. You could say one could pinch more than and inch, but less than a foot. For having a queen-sized bottom, her top was almost the opposite. Her favorite saying was, “more than a handful is wasted“.
As for her face, even without makeup, it was somewhat pretty. Let’s just say people always commented on her face, but it could be that they did not want to comment on her less-than-perfect body. Her face was smooth, without acne marks from the teenage years. Her eyes were a combination of blue and green with just a hint of gold; her driver’s license listed ’hazel’. One former boyfriend used to say the gold in her eyes would sparkle in candlelight; she did not know if this was true or if he just wanted to get her to do what he desired. Her perky little nose gave her problems when she tried to wear glasses. She had to admit the widow’s peak did give her face some character. Her hair was shoulder-length, brown and layered with natural highlights of gold running through it. Overall, she would say she was nothing to write home about to mother.
She was selling herself short in the outward-image-department, but she did know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it was her personality which everyone envied. A very outgoing-type person, she usually thought her looks were not important to her. Never being the type to judge a book by its cover, she liked to explore a person’s character and personality before she passed judgment. Her self-examination allowed her to settle down and gain control of her inner turmoil.
Reminding herself that she was standing in a public restroom, she thought she had better get moving before Leah started to worry. Just as this thought popped into her head, she saw in the mirror’s reflection, her strawberry-blonde, five foot, two-inch best friend walk into the room. The expression on her face was one of worry. “What’s wrong?“ Leah asked as she studied Annie’s face. “What happened to your makeup?“ Before Annie could answer, the next question nearly made her knees buckle. “Are you all right?“
Leah had been her best friend for years and could read Annie like a book, and knew she could not lie to her. As Leah waited for a response, a look of concern washed over her face. Annie knew she had better find her voice before too long. She finally managed to sigh; this action put her at ease. She began to tell Leah everything. During Annie’s tale, Leah’s expression went from worry to outright laughter. Annie did not take the laughter well. “Why are you laughing?“ she asked rather harshly.
“You have to be kidding,“ she cried though the giggles. “This is the reason you have be in here for over a half hour.“
My God, Annie thought, it did not seem that long.
“Annie, you’re being silly,“ Leah stated, smiling.
“You’re right,“ Annie replied, joining in the laughter. “I am being foolish.“
Leah suggested they return to their game and have a drink or two. Annie agreed, thinking how glad she was Leah had decided to come find her. She still didn’t know how she would have been able to step out of the restroom without her.
Walking back to their table, Leah asked Annie to point out the owner of the eyes. Annie hesitated at Leah’s request, but fell back on the thought that he was probably not looking at her. She quickly scanned the dark, crowded room and was slightly disappointed she couldn’t locate him. Leaning over to her much-shorter friend, she told her as much. Leah responded by laughing again. “Well, what would you expect? You were in the restroom for quite some time. He probably ran out of the place.“
Still smiling, Leah maneuvered easily back to their table through the crowd. Returning to her position at the table made Annie felt better, more in control. However, in the back of her mind, she wondered about the owner of those eyes. From the two, previous, brief encounters, she was able to picture him in her mind. He was taller than she, a little over six-foot, and he had soft, wavy, brown hair, very clean cut. A business suit covered the surfer body. Strong arms. Amazing herself on how much she had captured in those quick glimpses, she thought, What could I not notice? This guy had definitely made a lasting impression on her.
So deep in her recall, she almost didn’t hear the “Hi!“ coming from her left side. From her position at the table, the only thing to her left was the railing which separated the gaming area from the raised, main bar. She turned and saw the owner of those eyes, squatting down on the bar side and gazing at her through the railing.
“My name is Jeff,“ he said softly as he handed her a small rectangular card. “Call me sometime. Anytime, day or night.“ He stood, turned and walked out the door of the club. Annie’s eyes followed him as he traveled across the room and out the door.
“Are you in or out, Annie?“ Barry, the dealer, asked.
Shifting her focus to Barry, Annie replied, smiling. “Oh, I am in. Let it ride. I feel lucky!“ Turning her eyes to Leah, she knew she was glowing.
“Was that him?“
Annie could only nod, unable to speak. She dropped her eyes to the card in her hand. It was a business card for a nearby car dealership. His name, Jeffrey Mills, and business phone number were printed on the front. Turning the card over, she discovered he had written his home number on the back with two, added words, ’Please call.’ Her heart started beating so hard that she thought she would die right there in her seat.
“Blackjack, Annie.“ Barry’s announcement cut into her thoughts.
“Told ya,“ Annie laughed.
“What did he give you?“ Leah called across the table. “What is his name? What did he say? What did he want? Where did he go? Are you sure he was the one? What are you going to do?“
“Hold on,“ Annie cried.
Leah pulled back her chips and got out of her seat and moved to stand beside Annie, holding out her hand for the card. Annie handed it over to her friend, who read the front and turned it over and read the back. “Are you going to call?“ Leah asked.
“I don’t know; I have to think about it for awhile,“ Annie responded. Leah knew her friend well enough not to push the topic, so she returned the card to Annie and headed to her seat.
Annie placed the card on the table in front of her. She continued to play while debating on what to do next. Part of her was thrilled and excited. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before tonight. The other side was afraid. How did she know if this was a joke or not? She didn’t know this person. She made up her mind in that second; she was not going to call. Better safe than sorry. Besides, he left the place without even finding out her name. She would keep the card, however, as a reminder of what might have been. With the decision made, she placed the card in her purse and settled back into the game.
They continued to play. The position opened up next to Annie and Leah moved to this spot, as she wanted to talk about what had happened, but didn’t want to try to talk across the table. She figured enough time had passed that Annie would want to share. “What are you going to do?“ Leah started.
“Absolutely nothing,“ Annie declared.
“Are you crazy?“ Leah cried.
“I don’t know anything about him.“
“I know you, Annie; you’ll always wonder. You’ll never know unless you call.“
“Leah, he did not even get my name. If he was all that interested in me, I think he would have wanted my name. I think it was a joke.“
Let me see the card again,“ Leah asked, holding out her hand. Annie withdrew the card from her purse and passed it to her. “Look, Annie,“ Leah said. “Why would he write his home number on the card with the words ’Please call’ if he was joking? I believe he was sincere.“
Annie looked over at the card, pondering the thought over and over again in her mind.
“You told me all the things which happened earlier this evening. You said he was looking at you real intently,“ Leah started.
“Yes, that is true.“
“Maybe, you should think about it more before you completely rule out calling him,“ Leah suggested.
“You could be right,“ Annie confessed.
>
Leah handed the card back to Annie. As Annie placed the card back in her purse, she turned it over and reread the back. Wondering, she thought, Leah might be right. There wasn’t much she could do about it tonight. She would think about it for a while and make a decision tomorrow or the next day.
***
Chapter Two
Around 9:00 PM, about an hour after Jeff had departed the club, Annie wondered if Leah was ready to leave. By this time, she wasn’t paying too much attention to the game. She kept replaying the earlier events over in her mind. It was nice to have a name to go with the eyes, she thought. Jeffrey Mills was the name printed on his business card. She tested the name, saying it quietly to herself. She liked it! It had a nice ring to it. She wanted to get home to think, and she wanted to write all the events down in her journal before she forgot something, which was probably unlikely.
Turning to Leah, she suggested they leave. Leah had driven that night to the club. Annie had been so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn’t noticed that Leah had struck up a conversation with the guy on the other side of her at the table. He looked rather disappointed at Annie’s suggestion. Yet, Leah, being a true friend, was aware Annie felt a need to leave and agreed. They collected their tokens and wandered off to the redemption area where they received vouchers for their winnings. The points on these vouchers could be combined to exchange for the better prizes.
“I am sorry, Leah. I didn’t realize you were talking to the guy next to you. I know I have been lousy company,“ Annie said sincerely.
Annie saw Leah stop dead in her tracks, staring at the door to the club. God, Annie thought, she is really mad at me for wanting to leave. Seeing Leah’s unblinking eyes, Annie became concerned. “Leah, what’s wrong?“
Without saying a word in reply, Leah looked directly at Annie. She motioned with her eyes for her to look at the doorway. Frightened and concerned, Annie shifted her eyes and followed Leah’s direction. Blocking the doorway was the owner of the intent blue eyes, and he was staring directly at her. Her heart went racing as Leah excused herself and backed away. There was roughly fifteen feet between Jeff and her. She found herself drawn to those very eyes, which earlier she had tried to avoid. Neither spoke nor moved. Annie’s eyes slowly moved down his amazing body. The first thing she noticed was the business suit was gone, replaced by jeans, T-shirt, and a light-blue windbreaker. Sneakers replaced the dress shoes. My word, she thought, he looks better this way than earlier. She knew, even before her eyes returned to his handsome face, that he was doing the exact same assessment of her. Great, she thought, now he will demand his card back and run from this place. Yet, when their eyes met, she saw open desire, not disgust, written in his expression; it took her breath away.