by Allie Kay
"And? I'm fine."
Eyebrows raised, Sean asked, "Are you? I've taken you home too drunk to drive at least twice a month for the past few months."
"Just having a little fun. Blowing off some steam. Didn't think my bartender brother-in-law would be the one on my case about having a few too many on occasion." I huffed in irritation. I wasn't a damn drunk. Didn't appreciate being treated like I was.
"There have been several times beyond that where I've cut you off before I let you get to that point because I knew I couldn't leave."
I watched the tiny bubbles float to the surface of my drink before responding. "Sean... Really, I'm fine."
Sean shook his head, but changed the subject. "You really got your work cut out for you with that one. Sure she's worth all this trouble?"
"Yeah. She is." I smiled, thinking about how Claire responded to my touch. If there was one thing I was sure of, it was that Claire was exactly what I wanted. And completely worth whatever it took to make her mine.
Sean shook his head. "Alright then. I'll just take your word on that. Let me know if you need another?"
"I'm good. Just giving Claire time to clear out. She got a little pissed thinking I was following her out."
"I saw." A big grin spread across Sean's face and I braced myself, knowing my brother-in-law was about to give me hell. "She sure didn't want you near her. I totally see why you needed to blindfold her. You gonna need a bag for your head for next time?"
"Thanks, man." I rolled my eyes at the teasing.
"How about a ski mask? Something to hide that ugly mug of yours..." Sean laughed his ass off at his little joke, slapping his hand down on his thigh.
"Shut up." I downed the remainder of the soda. "Seriously, thanks, though. For helping me earlier. Give my sister a hug for me, will ya?"
Sean nodded, a broad smile on his face. "Sure thing. I gotta get back to work. Holler if you change your mind on the refill."
I dropped a few dollars on the bar and headed to the door again. I walked out into the chilly night air. November nights were getting down right cold in Garden Falls. Frosty mornings and dips below zero were just over the horizon, meaning more weather delays and longer project completion times. Winter was not my favorite season.
Zipping my jacket, I headed toward the back of the lot where I'd parked the truck. I walked past Claire's little car, surprised to see her still sitting there.
But damn it, I wasn't going to let her blame me for somehow being in the way this time. I'd given her plenty of time to drive off.
I glanced her way and stopped short when I saw the glimmer of tears reflecting in her eyes. I puffed out a breath. How was I supposed to walk on? Even knowing that's what she'd want me to do.
Stepping in her direction, I called out, "You okay?"
She threw the car into drive and sped past, nearly running over my foot.
Shaking my head, I continued on to my truck. Climbing into the cab, I leaned against the steering wheel. Claire and I had amazing chemistry. But with the antagonism she showed whenever I got near her, did I even have a chance, even with a thousand notes and stolen kisses?
Swapping notes and hiding out was time consuming. I needed an easier way to stay in touch.
Then it hit me... Email.
God, I was so stupid sometimes. Why hadn't I thought of email already? I started the truck and drove home.
After I set up a new email just to talk to Claire through, I tried to get some sleep. But peaceful slumber wasn't in the plans it seemed. I spent the night tossing and turning, finally giving up around two in the morning. I flipped the TV on just for a little background noise and started a new note to Claire.
13
Claire
I sped away from Garden. I’d damn near ran over Zane. Why did he keep appearing in my path? Maybe fate was trying to tell me something about him.
Or maybe my hormones just couldn't take a good looking dark-haired man to have a beard without insisting I throw myself at him? Preferably naked... I had brought Z home without even knowing his name, been blindfolded and begging for his touch—still without knowing his name, and for some reason, every time I saw Zane lately, my heart rate ticked up.
I pulled to a stop in front of my apartment and sighed when I saw Mr. McPervertson peek out his door. Damn, I’d had enough tonight. I’d reported him to management. But they had told me I had to wait until the lease was up unless I wanted to pay some ridiculous cancellation fees. His... attentions... had been more and more obtrusive. More sexual in nature as time went on. Maybe Talia's cop friend Jess might have more advice about how I could handle this. I really needed to ask Talia for Jess's number. And I needed something more to stop him than a piece of paper.
Sucking in a deep calming breath, I stomped up to my apartment, hoping the neighbor would take a hint.
"Hey, hot stuff."
Nope. I could never get that lucky. I spun to face him, keys in hand, ready to use them to defend myself if necessary. "Not tonight."
"You look fine as an ice cold Corona." He licked his lips and leered.
"That the best come-on you have? Really?" I shook my head. "I had a date with a real man tonight. Good looking. Showers regularly... And oh my God, get this, he owns a toothbrush! Not to mention, he's hung. Like, endowed like a porn star."
"Then why are you coming home alone?" McPervertson stepped close and I wrinkled my nose at the offensive odors wafting up from his stained wife-beater.
"A date doesn't always equal sex." I swallowed down a wave of nausea when his breath hit me in the face.
"Not much of a date then."
"Please go." I inched toward my door.
"I'll go. But you better start bringing lover boy around, or I'll think he's just an imaginary friend." He ran a stained finger down my cheek, grinning when I shuddered. "Oh yeah, baby, I knew you'd like it when I touched you. If you'd relax, we could be amazing."
I grasped the door knob behind me and turned it, hurrying in and slamming the door behind me, locking it quickly.
Dark laughter through the closed door. "Soon, hot stuff. Soon..."
I leaned against the door and waited for my heart rate to slow down. My lease couldn't end fast enough.
Once I'd calmed down a bit, I remembered the unread note in my pocket. Slipping it out, I opened it with a shaky hand.
Naughty angel,
Wait... How did he know what was going to happen in Sean's office?
I've never had a woman respond to my touch like you do. Your kisses burn hotter than a welding torch. We have enough current running between us to power a 220 outlet. And if we hadn't been in a semi-public place, well, you and I would probably still be making love. You know that, right?
One day soon, we will meet again. But not just yet. I want you to get to know me before we get to that point. Before I reveal my identity.
Did the blindfold surprise you? I hoped you wouldn't freak out about it. Sean worried you would, or somehow get the impression that he wanted to get you alone... I think you could tell me and him apart easily, given the size difference.
And—if you enjoyed that—we can play around a little with blindfolds in the future.
So, I know you are a nurse, but I'm afraid I don't know much about what department you work in. Do you enjoy your work? As a nurse, you could take a job almost anywhere, what keeps you in Garden Falls? Besides a sexy somewhat secret admirer, of course.
If you could live anywhere in the world, would you still pick Garden Falls?
Are you wondering how I knew before we met today? I'll be honest—I had a sweet angel letter ready too. And right now, it's on the back side of two in the morning. I'm about to have to grab something to prop my eyes open with.
Leave your reply with Sean. He'll let me know when you've dropped it off.
I'd wish you sweet dreams... but I'd rather they be naughty. You, me, and a whole lot of naked time.
Until next time,
-Z-
A se
cond note? So, Z had a little sneaky to his personality. Good to know. I pulled out my stationery and considered a reply.
Z,
I admit I was curious as to how you knew ahead of time what would happen between us at Garden. Having a second note handy makes complete sense. Sneaky... Yet somewhat brilliant at the same time. Will I ever get to see that note? Or was it rather a "You are too sweet, go take a hike" sort of message...
I work in the surgical care ward. Not actually in surgeries, but I take care of patients who just had surgery. You know, wound care, bandages, handing out stool softeners, that sort of thing. It's hardly glamorous. Most days I like my job, but yet others... Others, I think I made the worst mistake of my life signing on for nursing school.
What keeps me in Garden Falls? That is a good question. Did you know that I didn't grow up here? I moved here halfway through my freshman year of high school. My mom, well, let's just say she went through men faster than most people go through a box of Kleenex. We moved here with her flavor of the month. And by the time that one was over, I was a senior. I begged and pleaded to stay here long enough to graduate.
Very few people know this, but I spent my last three months of high school living in my car.
If you know Sean, you must know Talia. I spent a lot of time at her house. She was one of the few who did know. She fed me. Clothed me. Invited me over for "sleepovers" just so I could shower and do some laundry. She protected me, even when she didn't have to. But, that's Talia. She's an amazing friend, and is going to be such an awesome mom to this little one on the way.
As soon as I turned eighteen, I started stripping. Uh... You did know that I used to be a stripper, right? It's hardly a secret. And I'm not ashamed of it. I did what I had to do to improve my situation. So I "danced" two or three days a week while I put myself through nursing school. I wouldn't do it again now that I have my degree, unless my back was to a wall. But I really had no other options. My grades were hardly good enough for a scholarship and obviously my mother wasn't contributing. I hope you don't think badly of me for doing what I had to in order to dig myself out of the pit of despair my mother left me in.
In the four years since I graduated high school, my mom has been married two more times. She's lived with two other guys. I'm an only child, surprisingly. I've never known my father. I don't even know the man's name. Hell, my mom may not even know his name. She's only ever referred to him as "your sperm donor" or "that bastard that knocked me up". As far as "family" goes, Talia is really it.
So you could say she keeps me here. I suppose it is partially that I've moved so many times. I don't want to move again.
Okay, that was a lie. I want to move. Really, really, really want to move. I have this neighbor, well, you may have seen him when you slipped the note beneath my door. As soon as my lease is up, I will be moving. If you know of any apartments that you'd recommend, let me know? But I'm tired of learning a new town. Tired of having to make new friends. Garden Falls is my home now, and it would take a lot to get me to leave it.
And while I can put on a good front, making friends really isn't my strong point.
But if I were to choose somewhere else to live, somewhere besides Garden Falls, I'd pick somewhere on a beach. Warm, salty breezes... Hot sand beneath my toes... Bright sun rays... That's the only way someone could tempt me away from here.
What about you?
I need to go. I'll drop this off to Sean on my way to work tomorrow. Yay for shift changes. Now I get to work 5p-5a. So awesome. Especially since it may make exchanging communication harder.
Can I have your number?
Can't wait to see you again. Even if it means another blindfold.
Claire
14
Zane
Twisting into a nice deep stretch, I let out a groan. Damn, my back was stiff. Nine hours of framing had every muscle in my back protesting. A nice, hot shower hit the top of my plans for the evening. Maybe a movie while I stretched out on the couch with a pizza and a few beers.
My cell phone buzzed on my hip. I let it go for a second before I grabbed it. "Yeah."
"You've got mail, asshole."
I laughed. "You know, it's a good thing AOL wasn't that rude with their notifications."
"AOL got paid. I'm a damn messenger boy for free," Sean grumbled. "You want better service, open your fucking wallet."
"Ha, well, get my sister to pay you. I'm sure she won't mind helping her only brother out." I held the phone with my shoulder, carrying my tools to the truck. "I'm sure she can pay you in more preferable ways than I can anyway."
A loud grunt came through the line. "Pick it up by six or I'll throw it away."
"Dude, who pissed in your cheerios today?" It wasn't like Sean to be so grumpy. Usually my brother-in-law had a smile on his face. A flicker of concern made me ask, "Everything all right?"
"Yeah. Just work shit. I have a missing waitress, I'm low on whiskey thanks to the idiot delivery guy who managed to shatter an entire fucking case in the middle of my club today, and I had to mop the whole damn place again."
I could barely hear as someone in in the background said something to Sean, but I winced at Sean's reply.
"Yeah, I didn't know whiskey and floor cleaner would combine to smell like unwashed ass and vomit either, but the fuck you want me to do, Jack?" Sean's deep sigh came through the phone. "I don't have time for your secret admirer crap today, man. You want this letter or not?"
"Yeah, I want it. I'll see you in a little while. I'm packing up the truck now. Sounds like you have issues you need to get back to."
Sean just hung up.
I shook my head and clipped the phone back on my hip. I picked up the last of the tools and waved to the other guys as they cleared out. I'd just opened the cab of my truck, already longing for the heated leather seats to ease my back, when Dad pulled in next to me.
Shit.
"Thought I'd stop in and see how it was shaping up," Dad called over the hood of his truck.
"Don't you mean, thought you'd stop in and check up on me?" Sam Richmond had one motive, and only one. I knew all my dad's little tricks.
"Now, Zane..."
"Oh, don't get your blood pressure up. Come on, I'll show you real quick. I got somewhere to be." I closed the door and stepped away from the truck. "We got all the downstairs done. Sheathing should go up tomorrow."
I watched my dad turn a critical eye to every board, every joint—and knowing my dad—every nail. After a few minutes, Dad turned to me and said, "Good work. It makes me damn proud to be able to hand these jobs off to you."
"Thanks." I stood a little straighter at the compliment. Praise was rare from the older man, so when I got it, I knew I'd damn well earned it.
"So, where you headed? I got something I need to talk to you about."
"Everything okay?" I searched my father's face. The old man gave me hell, but I'd be lost without him.
"Oh hell, I just want you to go check on a supplier for me. Don't feel like doing it myself. You can handle it."
I gaped at him. No one but my dad or Johnny—the Land half of Richland Construction—had ever gone on a supply run.
"Stop looking at me like I'm dying. I'm not kicking the bucket anytime soon." Dad punched me in the shoulder. "You aren't getting your inheritance yet."
"Good." I finally found my voice. "Um. I can come over later? I just have to go by Garden and run an errand."
"Sounds good. You wanna have dinner with your mama and me?"
"Yeah, why not?"
Dad turned and got in his truck without another word. I stood there alone in the middle of the construction site, gaping at my dad's truck as it drove away. They always said there was a first time for everything. Damned if this didn't prove it.
Once I broke free of the surprise, I hurried over to Garden, getting there just a little before six. I sat at the bar and waved at my brother-in-law.
Sean pulled the pink envelope from behind the bar pinched between two fi
ngers. He flung it over to me like he couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
"It's hardly poisonous." I laughed, tucking the little note in my pocket.
"No, it's worse. The damn thing is perfumed. I can't go home to my very pregnant, very self-conscious wife smelling like another woman's perfume." Sean crossed his arms over his massive chest.
“Why is Talia self-conscious?”
Sean sighed. “Because she’s started gaining weight and somehow thinks that makes her less attractive or something. I don’t know. She’s pregnant.”
I grinned at him. “You made her that way.”
"You seriously need to find another method of communication."
"I know. I have. Last note, I promise."
"Better be. Don't get my wife expecting love notes." He glared down at me. "And this is not the fucking post office."
"Got it." I held my hands up in surrender. "No more love notes in your club."
"Good. Want a drink?"
"Yeah, gimme a beer." The door opened, sending a rush of cool air toward the bar. Rather than the fresh briskness of cool November air, the draft carried something far less pleasant. I wrinkled my nose. "On second thought, I'll pass. Dude, it really does smell like ass and vomit in here."
Sean looked up to the ceiling, lacing his fingers behind his head. "I know. Talia's bringing a shit ton of air freshener here in a sec. See if we can't get it covered up a little. And this is a thousand times better than it was a couple hours ago. I've mopped in here three fucking times today. Short of waiting it out, I don't know what else to try."
I shrugged. "I'm a construction worker. I don't know shit about getting rid of smells. We just throw away what stinks."
Sean glared at me.
I raised my hands in concession. "I'm going to head out before my mouth gets me into trouble. Thanks again. Good luck on clearing out the funk."