Color Blind (Team Red)

by Hammond, T.

  “The only thing that was laying out was this envelope down on David’s desk,” Red said, as he trotted back into the room, presumably after raiding a flat surface in the underground lair.

  “Just hand it to Bas,” I instructed my dog. I leaned back into David, and relaxed into his embrace as his arms came around me reflexively, and he rested his chin on my shoulder. Oh, boy, this should be interesting.

  “Bastian, can you take out the paper in the envelope and hold it up for Red, don’t tell us what it is, just make sure its not top secret or something.”

  “Nope, not top secret,” he told me, with a chuckle.

  In moments, I had the mental image from Red. “It’s an account statement from David’s credit union, and…” I paused and concentrated a little harder, “Holy Shit, David! You have more money than God!” I counted the digits in front of the decimal point.

  “The Hell, you say!” Gil practically shouted, in surprise, “Red can fuckin’ read?”

  I think that was the first time I’d ever heard Gil drop the f-bomb. I would have been more amused if I wasn’t still processing the fact that my lover had over three million dollars in his bank account. Red broke the mental link, per my earlier request, without projecting an image of the guys. We had done what I had set out to do.

  “Crap.” Bas’ voice was almost reverent, compared to the explosive outburst from the mild-mannered detective. “When did that happen? How did this happen? Last week he could barely count to five, and he’s never been able to read letters before.”

  “Not quite, guys,” I attempted to redirect the excitement. “While Red and I were out exploring earlier today, we discovered if he concentrates, he can show me what he’s imagining or actually seeing. I can see into his mind and through his eyes.”

  The arms around me tensed, and I felt the sudden inhale as David comprehended what I said. He slowly exhaled, ruffling the curtain of hair against my cheek. He curved his body into the contour of my back in a tight hug. “My god, Teresa. This opens up so many possibilities for you,” he whispered into the shell of my ear.

  I curved my fingers up to grasp the arms that enfolded me and squeezed his wrists in silent acknowledgment. “I see the same way he sees,” I explained, “so I can’t see red or green.”

  “That’s why you were asking questions about Red’s vision earlier,” Gil stated, as he thought through the earlier conversation. “Damn, Teresa, the talking dog thing is amazing in itself; but, seeing through him too?” Gil’s voice trailed off. “That’s just …”

  “Fucking amazing.” Trust Bas to say what everyone else was thinking. Expletive included.

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “What he said.”

  “I think this is something we don’t want getting out to anyone beyond the four of us,” Bas said, slowly, as if his mind were sifting through details.

  “Five,” Red piped up from his spot at my feet.

  “Five,” I repeated. “Well, seven because we will need to include Ken and Janey.”

  “Yes, we will definitely have to tell them,” Bas agreed, “but no one else. Gil, I trust you’ll not be sharing this with the cops?”

  “Hell no. I’m with you, Bas. I can’t think of any reason to spread this little discovery to anyone - Not even your colonel,” Gil said, firmly. “The military doesn’t need to know Teresa can see through the dog. If word of this got to the wrong people, they’d have these two in a lab so fast, they would probably never see daylight again.”

  “How did you two figure out you could do this?” David asked me. His tight hug had loosened and I was once again in a casual circle of his arms.

  “Red imagined jumping to catch a drone, and I was able to follow what his mind was picturing. In the short time we practiced, we realized I could see through him if he concentrates on something. Red was able to learn to talk and hold a visual image at the same time; although, this gives him a bit of a headache. He and I still have to work on refining the skill.”

  “The headache didn’t last very long, Teresa. I’m fine,” My dog told me. I ruffled his ears, and used my nails to advantage. He was almost groaning in appreciation as his head pressed affectionately into the scratches.

  “At first I thought I was just imagining a black and white image. Then, Red was telling me how easy it would be to catch a drone,” I explained. “That’s when I realized the images in my brain had a bit of yellow and blue tint. It was a bit unfocused, which, I think, added to my confusion. For some reason, I thought dogs had better vision than people.”

  “So, Red has to project the image to you, like the mind-speaking.” Bastian sounded more like he was speaking out loud, than asking.

  Maybe not a question, but I felt compelled to answer anyway, “That’s right. It felt like the same type of communication as when he talks to me, but now he’s illustrated,” I grinned, moving my nails to Red’s other ear. “We practiced for less than an hour, but we strengthened his ability to talk and project images at the same time; he improved as we worked together. We tried the range at about thirty feet, and it’s apparently the same as our mind speak, the image doesn’t weaken with distance. We didn’t try any farther away from each other; Ken called us in for lunch before we could experiment more.”

  “Well, I need to get home and feed the critters,” Gil said, his voice still carrying a trace of wonderment. “We all meeting here tomorrow at eight?”

  “Yeah, eight is perfect” David confirmed. “Bas, will you call or text Ken and Janey to come by in the morning? Maybe we can get Ken to make breakfast while we let them know about the new developments.”

  “No problem. I’ll call Janey from the vehicle after I leave. They are planning to see a matinee in the morning - around ten or eleven, I think; some new action flick Janey’s been chattering about. That should get them out of the house so we can start working on the plans for the ball.”

  “Bastian? Can you let Ken know that he will need to shop for a dress? I’ll need a gown that’s appropriate for the ball. Something long and sparkly, I think. Christmasy and a little sexy. Janey would probably love to go with him.”

  He leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on the crown of my head. “You got it, Loser. Christmasy. Glittery. Slit to the navel.”

  “Sexy, not slutty,” David corrected with a soft laugh. “You’ll have to be seen with her too, Bas. I’m sure you can imagine how she’d embarrass you if you tried to dress her like the Ho Ho Ho Hooker.”

  We all got a chuckle out of that. I was known for my payback schemes. After convincing our gay friend, Jason, to hit on Ken for some fun retaliation last month, the guys knew I was fearless in my ability to carry through with a plot.

  “Point taken.”

  Chapter Nine

  I listened to the sound of David flipping deadbolts, and checking the lock on the sliding glass door. When he was finished he slipped an arm around my shoulders and we headed for the stairs.

  “So, about that bank balance,” I growled. “What is the scoop? Three mil is a lot of cash.” I wasn’t quite sure why the idea of him being wealthy bothered me. I was just fine with the idea of him being a successful computer programming geek making twenty bucks an hour.

  “I told you I made good money selling my tech toys and software programs to Uncle Sam,” he grinned. No, I couldn’t see the smile, but I definitely heard it in his tone.

  “David, a hundred grand a year is good money. A million or more in your account means you make serious money. Good gracious, how much did you sell the program for?”

  My sweetie was laughing now. “Step up,” he said, automatically when we reached the stairs. “I’ve sold a few things to the government since I got out, and they bought a couple of projects I was working on while I was still enlisted. Over the years, I’ve probably made ten or twelve million off the bigger projects, and they pay me when I do upgrades. I don’t charge for debugging,” he said, referring to the corrections made to a program after-the-fact. “They only pay for expansions or add-ons, if
they elect to use them.”

  Ten or twelve, huh? What, you don’t keep track after the first million? That was such a David answer to a money subject. “I’m betting they take everything you’re willing to toss their way. You’re a smart guy. I imagine your ‘extras’ are developed because the guys in green express an interest in the first place.”

  “Yes, for the most part. There’s been a couple of things I convinced them they needed, once they saw it demonstrated. Sometimes, they don’t have the vision to imagine what they could do with the programs.” David spun me around when we reached the top of the stairs and held me close in one of those full-body hugs I liked so much. “Listen, you’re not a material girl. You have enough money of your own after the insurance policies from the accident, and the residuals from web designs you created before you were blinded. I’ll be the first to admit, it’s great to be able to buy whatever I want, or whatever we need, but that has never been my motivator. Neither of us really cares about money. For me, it’s just a way to keep score in a game I play with myself. Why does it bother you so much?”

  I frowned, shaking my head. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just that I’m surprised. Maybe it’s an indication of how little I know about you. Can you believe we only met four months ago?”

  He made an impatient noise at the back of his throat. “Let’s get comfortable. I should probably say a few things… actually, they are probably long overdue.” He kissed the tip of my nose, “No, don’t tense up. It’s nothing bad, just stuff I should have said weeks ago. I love you, Teresa. Relax, let’s just talk, okay?”

  David led me to the window seat that overlooked the backyard. He made himself comfy, lengthwise across the cushions, then drew me down so that my back reclined against his front. It was like leaning back into a warm lounger chair. He drew his legs up to bracket me between them and crossed an arm over my stomach. His right hand brushed the fall of my hair back, away from my face. The hairstyle was intended to hide the scars from the accident, it annoyed me to hear people gasp in shock when they noticed the imperfections across my eye and face. My hair fell past my shoulders now, growing fast, although, this particular cut still allowed me to curtain my features during moments when I wanted… needed, privacy from assessing eyes.

  I tilted my head backwards against a solid, well-muscled shoulder and let the stroke of his fingers over my face soothe me. I loved this man so much. I loved the way he always seemed to have a hand on me somewhere, like I was an anchor holding him steady. It was a heady feeling that this six-foot-five, two hundred pound man felt adrift if he wasn’t touching my skin.

  “If I haven’t told you before, I’m sure I at least hinted to you, that I was half in love with you before we even met, right?” David spoke softly, his breath warm against my neck.

  I nodded. We had touched briefly on the pictures and emails Janey sent to Bas while he was in the Navy. The pics were of Janey, but since she and I used to do everything together, all of them included me in them too. Her emails to her brother had been full of our adventures, antics, and after the accident, my recovery. Bastian was convinced he had been in love with me for the last dozen years, or so. I was pretty sure it was more a matter of the ‘one that got away’ turning into an obsession. Obsession is not a healthy, lasting emotion. I was hopeful that Bas was getting over his fixation with me, and opening himself up to the possibility of a woman he could build a life with. I had always assumed David’s interest in me had been more along the lines of a crush - like people have for someone they see in a magazine or in a movie.

  “You mentioned Bas had shared his pictures and letters with you, and that was how you first knew about me,” I said.

  “It was a little more than ‘knew about’ you, sweetheart. Bas told me stories about growing up with you and Janey. He even told me that he asked for an overseas transfer to put some distance between you when he felt you were too young for him to pursue. He loves you, you know. Everything he told me about you was tinged with his affection. If you think Sebastian’s feelings for you were extreme, it will probably freak you out to know mine were almost stalker-worthy; I was ready to move in with you the first few minutes after meeting you.”

  I raised my head in surprise. What? I might have said it out loud, because David pulled me back against his chest and chuckled, “Yeah, I know. Crazy, huh? It was the first time I ever laid eyes on you, but my heart recognized you right away.”

  David’s free hand turned my face around so I could meet his lips in a hot, hungry kiss. Against my lips, he spoke, “You were my metaphorical pin-up girl. In war zones, when things were bad, the soldiers pulled out pics of their wives, husbands, or children; Me? I pulled out a picture of you that Bas had printed off when we were still on board the ship. Sometimes it was just enough to touch the paper or hold it in my palm. Just knowing it held your image was comforting. But sometimes, I’d unfold it and run my fingers over your face, wondering about the texture of your skin.” His hand lifted, and he delicately traced the curve of my cheek. “Or, I’d think about the warmth of your breath against my neck.” His index finger traced the lower curve of my lip, and I bent forward to suck it into my mouth. “Oh, God, and you have no idea how many times I thought about that mouth of yours exploring every inch of me. Many a-morning’s erection was courtesy of waking up with you on my mind.”

  “What is it with my mouth, anyway? Not to ruin the mood here, but Bas seemed fixated with it too. I’ve always thought it was too full, too wide, and just so… obvious.”

  “It is so effing perfect,” He argued, shifting his body behind me so I could feel a very thick shape of his cock pressed to my spine. “It’s not the mouth, Teresa, it’s the smile that draws a man’s attention to it. Like Julia Roberts’.”

  “My mouth doesn’t even look remotely like hers,” I scoffed.

  “It’s not the shape I’m talking about.” He withdrew his finger and used the dampness to wet my lips. “You have one of those rare smiles that makes everyone around you want to smile too. You see humor in everything, and as a result, you always have a permanent little tilt, right here.” His finger pressed to the corner of my lips like the dot on an exclamation point. “I dare say, when you looked in the mirror, you probably weren’t grinning at yourself, so you didn’t see yourself as others do.”

  “Pretty safe assumption. Usually, I was putting on makeup, which involved rapid eye movements or crazy facial expressions.” I could feel that little upward tilt David was talking about, as I remembered how my lips would drop open like a gasping fish when putting on mascara. The things women do for beauty.

  “Your mouth is very full and expressive, and very, very sexy.” The last words were whispered as he tilted my head for another heated kiss. “It starred in some epic x-rated fantasies.”

  Epic, huh? Right now, David’s mouth was stirring a few fantasies of its own. His lips parted a bit more, pulling me into a wet heat, just before his tongue swept through to claim territory. The arm he had wrapped around my waist shifted as a hand pushed under the hem of my shirt, and a rough, calloused palm claimed a hard-tipped breast. I moaned into his mouth, sharing the pleasure of his touch.

  He drew away from my mouth, but his breath was still close enough to scorch my lips. “That same day we met, when I pinned you up against the car door and asked for a date? I shocked the hell out of myself. I’m never that forward. We had only really known each other for what? Three hours?” He didn’t wait for a reply to his obviously rhetorical question. “I couldn’t wait to see you again- I had already waited years to meet you. I wanted to know everything about you. I want to know the stuff Bas hadn’t figured out. I wanted to just stare at your face and listen to the sound of your voice. Geez, Teresa; thirty-nine years old, and I was smitten.”

  “Smitten, huh?” I smiled.

  “Head over heels, Babe,” he confirmed. “When you were pressed against that metal door and your knees buckled, you sealed your fate, Lover. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t have done to
convince you that we belong together.”

  “Falling in love with you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, David. Waking up beside you every morning, makes me happier than I have ever been in my life. There are times I wake up in the middle of the night and simply enjoy the sound of your breathing.”

  He nuzzled my neck, and teased, “Next time, wake me up, then you can enjoy the sound of me breathing really, really hard.”

  Ha! As if his breathing would be the only thing hard. “Sex fiend,” I scolded fondly. His hand, on my breast, squeezed and massaged gently. He was absently enjoying the feel of me beneath his hand, but his concentration was on our conversation, completely negating my sex fiend allegation. It had been such a short time between us, but there was already so much respect, warmth, and affection. Sex was simply another way to show the love. And damn! This man had a way with show and tell.

  A train of feathery kisses whispered down my nape. “I stared at your photos every day, reliving all the stories Bas told about you and Janey. I think Bas was hoping I’d fall for his sister. So not my type,” he said, wryly. I had to agree with him there- casual, fun-loving Janey with my serious, quiet-spoken David? They would never have made it past a first date. “I was pretty sure it would turn out to be a case of unrequited love on my part, until I saw you and Bas together.”