“I’m sorry,” she said finally just at the moment the waiter arrived with Bailey’s drink.
“Will there be anything else?” he asked.
“Just the check, please,” Bailey said.
The man pulled the tab from his apron and sat it on the table. “I’ll be your cashier when you’re ready,” he said.
“That’s fine, here you go,” Bailey said handing him a credit card from her pocket.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” the man said as he left.
“Are you mad at me?” Piper asked quietly as soon as the waiter was far enough away.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“You seem mad.”
“I’m not mad.”
“You sure?”
Bailey pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “I’m not mad, I just can’t think of anything to say,” she said honestly.
“Oh,” Piper said and smiled. “Did you like your dinner?”
“Yes, I even liked the crawfish.”
“Do you have plans for tomorrow night?”
“No, did you have something in mind?”
“Well, I was hoping we could do something together.”
“Like what?” she asked interested.
“Would you like to come over for dinner? I could rent a video if you want.”
“Okay,” Bailey said with a smile as the waiter returned with the tab, which she signed and pulled a ten from her pocket to return with the receipt.
“Thank you, ladies. Have a good evening,” he said in departure.
“What would you like for dinner, any preferences?” Piper asked.
“Not really. I’m sure I’d like just about anything.”
“Alright, what kind of movies do you like?”
“Something funny.”
“Consider it done. Is 7:30 good for you?”
“Yes.”
“Great, are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” Bailey said as she finished her drink. “I’ll let you drive back if you promise not peel out.”
“Deal,” Piper said with a grin as they both got up from the table and Bailey handed her the keys.
They walked out the front door and Piper quickly snuggled up to her and put an arm around her waist, feeling Bailey tense for a second and then relax.
“I really am sorry, sometimes I get carried away. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Piper said earnestly.
“It’s alright, you just threw me for a loop is all,” Bailey said, tentatively putting her arm around Piper’s shoulders. Piper smiled and squeezed her a little harder to let her know she liked it as they both walked to the car.
“You ready to rumble?” Piper said releasing her so she could get in the car.
“You promised,” Bailey said walking around to the other side.
“Oh, alright,” Piper said getting in and leaning across to open the passenger door.
VIII
And I, I could see, That before too long,
I’d fall in love with her.
—J. Lennon, P. McCartney
Russell tried to keep from laughing because he knew the slightest sound would wake up his sleeping partner. It was hard to control the snickers as he stuffed another piece of gum in his mouth, for a total of eight, and chewed vigorously.
He had painstakingly crafted his device over the last half an hour and it was almost time to put it to use. The device being four soda straws attached end to end and two pair of wooden chopsticks that he had stuffed inside the straws to give them stiffness. He again fought the urge to laugh and he took several calming breaths before he reached for his apparatus. He stared at Zack for several long seconds to make sure he was still sleeping before he took the huge wad of gum from his mouth and placed it carefully on the end of his creation. Once attached to his satisfaction, he slowly deployed his device toward the sleeping Zack until it the gum was only a centimeter from his right eye. He took several more deep breaths before he was ready.
“Hey, Zack. Check this out!” he said loudly.
Zack awoke in an instant and turned his head in Russell’s direction.
“What the fuck!” he yelled as his eye collided with the huge wad of wet gum and his hand went involuntarily to his face.
Russell dropped his device and laughed uproariously as Zack made it worse by getting it in his hair.
“You are so fucking dead,” Zack said as he attempted to remove the gum from his eyebrow, eyelashes, and bangs.
Russell didn’t hear the words over his own laughter, which was threatening to cut off his wind. Several minutes went by before he regained a little control and, breathing heavily, he blinked the tears out of his eyes so that he could focus in on Zack. One look and the laughter erupted again at full volume and continued until he thought he might pass out. Finally, he succeeded in stifling himself long enough to glance up and see Zack glaring at him dangerously. His laughter came to a trailing and rather pathetic end as he suspected he might have gone too far. He sat up in his seat as he considered his options and was tremendously relieved to see the women walk out of the restaurant and head toward their car.
“We’ve got movement,” he said importantly and picked up his binoculars.
Peering through the field glasses he was excruciatingly aware that Zack hadn’t moved and he could feel that the glare being directed at him had not subsided. He watched nervously through the binoculars as he observed the two women separate and get in the car.
“Zack, they’re moving,” he said hoping to diffuse the situation.
He watched as the Barracuda made its way out of the parking lot and he could take it no longer.
“Zack, they’re driving away, man,” he said impatiently and turned in his seat to look at his friend. It took every once of willpower at his disposal and even at that he had to deplete his reserves not to collapse to the floorboard in helpless laughter. The man had completely covered his hands and had managed to coat most of the right side of his face and hair with the sticky pink substance. Summoning the Force, he removed all strains of humor and a stubborn strand of amusement from his voice.
“Zack, get on it. We’ll catch hell if we lose them,” he said as authoritatively as he could and was greatly relieved when Zack finally moved to start the car. A laugh threatened to escape when a long strand of gum followed Zack’s hand from the ignition to the steering wheel and he mumbled a profanity under his breath. He quickly turned away and schooled himself not to look anywhere in the direction of his friend until he had achieved complete control over his hilarity.
Russell was extremely quiet as they followed the Barracuda back to the house where the redhead obviously lived and not once during the journey did he even so much as risk a quick glance in the direction of his fuming friend.
Zack pulled their car up to the curb and parked when he saw the Barracuda pull into the driveway. He turned off the car and slowly rotated his head in Russell’s direction.
“You realize that we’re stuck in this car until backup starts arriving tomorrow, don’t you?” he asked frostily.
“Uh… yeah,” Russell answered warily not daring to turn around.
“Oh good. Then do you have any idea what Mike is going to do when he sees this car and myself, covered in fucking gum?”
“Not really,” he said lamely, keeping his eyes focused through the binoculars.
“I see, and do you have any idea how pissed off I am at the moment?” he asked almost casually.
“Uhm… I could probably guess,” he answered wincing.
“No. No, I don’t think you could.” He paused as he took the gun from his holster. “I want you turn around and take a good look at your handiwork and if I so much as detect a glimmer of amusement in your eyes, I swear to God, I’ll fucking pistol whip you,” he said ominously.
Taking a deep breath and bracing himself, he lowered the binoculars and slowly turned in his seat to face his extremely angry companion. It was only divine i
ntervention that kept a crack from appearing in his facade. The effort it took to keep from laughing was beginning to make him sweat as Zack’s eyes stayed focused on him intently for several minutes.
“I’m impressed,” Zack said finally. “Here’s what’s gonna happen. As soon as that chick settles down for the night, you’re gonna walk your happy ass to the nearest open store and return with the supplies necessary to clean this shit up.” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “And while you’re walking along, it would be a good idea to pray that I don’t have to shave my fucking eyebrow off or cut my fucking hair. Do you get where I’m coming from?”
“I got you,” he said seriously.
“Good,” he said and turned his attention back to the woman they were supposed to be watching.
———
“Would you like to come in for a bit?” Piper asked as she turned off the car.
“I’d like to but I should probably go,” Bailey said reluctantly.
“Okay,” Piper said a little disappointed but then added. “Would you like to get together for lunch tomorrow?”
“I’m afraid I can’t, I… I have an overseas matter to look into tomorrow,” Bailey said apologetically.
“That’s alright,” Piper said and reached over to take Bailey’s hand. “I just want to spend time with you is all.”
“I… I want to spend time with you too,” Bailey said shyly.
“Well, that’s all that matters,” Piper said brightly. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Bailey said with a smile of her own.
Piper smiled and squeezed her hand a little tighter. “Thanks for dinner and for letting me drive, I had a great time,” she said with another squeeze to Bailey’s hand before she let go and collected her purse.
“I did too, and you can drive anytime.” Bailey smiled as she got out of the car to walk around to other side.
Piper got out and waited for her to come around, noticing with a smile that she took the last few steps a little hesitantly. She shouldered her purse and closed the distance between them, placing her hands on Bailey’s hips.
“Are you familiar with the traditional ritual that usually signifies the end of a date?” she asked seriously.
“I… I’m…uh…familiar with the ritual,” Bailey said nervously. “But have never experienced it,” she admitted with a slight blush.
“Would you like to?” Piper asked coyly.
“Not tonight, I’ve a headache,” Bailey said solemnly.
“Wha… huh?” Piper said caught completely flatfooted.
Piper’s eyes narrowed and her hands went to her own hips as she listened to Bailey laugh quietly at her.
“Pretty amused with yourself aren’t you?” she asked a little sarcastically.
“Yes I am, actually,” Bailey admitted cheerfully.
Piper promptly shrugged off the teasing with a look at the bright smile on Bailey’s face. Observing the woman in a truly unguarded moment made her shiver a little at just how drawn to her she was.
“Just kiss me, you fool,” Piper said a little more seductively than intended.
Bailey leaned down without hesitating and captured Piper’s mouth with her own. She followed Piper’s lead and very softly conducted explorations of her own that soon resulted in the arms tightening around her waist as Piper began to press her body more firmly into hers. She became suddenly aware that her body was sending her unfamiliar signals that she found both very pleasant and extremely unnerving. She reluctantly began to disengage the contact until Piper’s embrace gradually loosened and her hands came back to rest on her hips.
“Uhm…” Piper started fishing for her voice. “You’re…uhm… a pretty quick study.”
Bailey was busy trying to analyze everything her body was trying to tell her and didn’t immediately answer. “I… I think I need to go,” she said finally.
Piper looked at her sympathetically and tried to remember how it felt to be so inexperienced. “Don’t think so much, it gets much easier down the road a bit,” she offered sagely and stood on her toes to give her a quick peck on the lips.
“I hope so,” Bailey said more to herself than to Piper. “Uhm… you’d better go in before your roommate gets worried,” she added distantly.
“Why would she be worried?” Piper asked confusedly.
“She’s been spying on us since we pulled up.”
“Really? How do you know?” she asked curiously.
“I just do, she’s in the upstairs room over the garage. Is that her room?”
“No,” Piper said and quickly turned to look at the window but didn’t see anything. “I wouldn’t put it past her though, she’s always been a little nosy.”
“I don’t think she likes me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true, she just doesn’t know you.”
“Hmmm,” Bailey grunted noncommittally.
“Don’t let it bother you. I think you’re fantastic if that makes you feel better,” Piper said with a smile.
“It does,” Bailey said with a smile of her own.
Piper drummed her fingers on Bailey’s hip. “I should go in, see ya tomorrow?”
“Okay.”
Piper stood on her toes for another quick peck and padded toward the house. “Be careful on the way home, girlfriend,” she said with a smile as Bailey watched her unlock the door and disappear inside.
As soon as the door shut behind Piper, she fished for the cigarettes in her pocket and lit up, inhaling deeply and turning a scowling gaze on the car that held the two men who had been watching her all evening. She knew it was inevitable that she would be watched but she hadn’t planned on going out on any dates. And while it normally wouldn’t phase her, she found it disturbing to share her time with Piper under the scrutiny of others. She stood in the driveway and stared at the distant car until she finished her cigarette and flipping the butt away, she got in her car and headed for home.
———
Russell, who had been watching through the binoculars and wondering how far he would have to walk to find an open store, suddenly came to full attention and leaned forward in his seat.
“Zack, you should take a look at this,” he said excitedly.
“I would but I don’t want to get gum on my binoculars,” he said darkly.
“I think they’re making out.”
“Huh?” Zack said forgetting the gum and bolting up in his seat to grab his binoculars.
“Where’s the night scope?”
“In the trunk,” Zack said leaning forward in his seat and peering intently through the binoculars.
“Gimme the keys.”
Zack dropped one hand from the binoculars to the ignition but stopped. “Forget it, the redhead is going inside.”
“Oh, man,” Russell said dejectedly as he watched the redhead disappear.
“Uh… is it just me or is she looking right at us?”
Russell focused in. “It sure looks that way. Do you think she can see us?”
“She can see the car for sure, but we’re too far away for her to see inside.”
“Wish I could see her eyes, it feels like she’s staring right at me.”
“No shit, it’s kinda spooky,” Zack agreed.
“So were they making out? I couldn’t tell for sure.”
“I think so.”
“Let’s keep the night scope inside the car from now on.”
“Good plan,” he said dropping the binoculars on the seat and starting the car. “She’s moving.”
Part Three
I
But I’m just a soul whose intentions are good,
Oh Lord, Please don’t let me be misunderstood.
—Benjamin, Marcus, Caldwell
Martin slowly awoke to a painfully throbbing hand and a dull headache. He looked at his watch and was a little startled to see that it was almost two in the afternoon. Groggily rising from bed still fully dressed from the day before, he tried a d
oor he hoped was the bathroom but turned out to be an empty closet. He tried a second door and discovered the facilities the he needed to put to immediate use. Feeling greatly relieved, he traveled to the sink and wondered how to best resolve the dilemma of washing his hands when one was thoroughly bandaged. He caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and winced. He was sporting an impressive shiner and an interesting purple bruise on the side of his face where the bald man had struck him. His mind not up to speed, he left his hands unwashed and made his way out into the hall with the intention of finding something to eat. He hadn’t set one foot into the kitchen when Bailey’s voice startled him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Satterfield.”
“Uhm…” he said looking around and finally spotting her sitting in front of the piano but staring out the window. “Good afternoon.”
“Your bag is on the kitchen table, Mr. Satterfield,” she said. “Where’s the gun?”
“Gun?” He looked at her stupidly.
“There was a box of ammunition and a loaded magazine for a Glock handgun in your belongings. Where is it?” she asked casually.
“Oh, I lost it when they tried to get me at home. I forgot I had the other magazine,” he said and she was quiet for several minutes.
Engravings of Wraith Page 15