Trollie was not happy and he fumed as he rolled his unicycle across the cable. Bitch. That bitch has them all over me. I can’t make a move without someone breathing down my neck. They’ve searched my hotel room and all my stuff here in the dressing room. How am I supposed to concentrate when I know they all have their eyes on me? They wanted me to remove my makeup. Screw them. Now they’re going to look even harder and find out about those whores who made all that noise over nothing in B.C. Ruined my practice. It’s not an easy thing to change your identity. Luckily they can’t force me to give them squat. No prints, nothing. Of course they frown on someone they deem uncooperative. I showed them what true righteous indignation is. And surely they can tell she’s hysterical. “She thought I was serious? It was a joke! She misunderstood. How dare anyone think that I would hurt anyone? She has been under a lot of pressure lately.” But now Roddy’s going to be watching. I won’t be able to go anywhere near his precious darling without him coming after me. She costs me this job I’ll… Fuck it. She’ll get what’s coming to her.
Zack held Mo against him as if a tsunami might sweep them both away. Alone during the night he had been restless with nothing to do but mull over his desires, doubts and fears. He had worried them all like a missing tooth. As soon as he saw her he could barely remember having done anything but wait to see her. He bathed his face in the scent of her hair. Her skin under his fingers soothed all remembrance of doubt away. The feel of her was a mind altering stir of bright possibility.
“I made the boys stop so I could bring you this.” She handed him a Starbucks. “It’s decaf. Didn’t think you needed to get revved up to lie in bed.”
“You’re all the revving I need. But they’ve stopped pampering me. Had me up walking around at seven this morning. Helped me bathe. I smell like hospital soap now. Enticing, huh?”
“You’ve never smelt better.” She took the cup and leaned in for a kiss. With him she forgot the turmoil that had her twisting her hair on the ride to the hospital. She just needed to see him, touch him and talk to him. Everything else could wait. They had taken him off the monitors. “That’s a good sign,” she said pointing to where they had removed the IV.
“Well the good news is… they’re cutting me loose tomorrow.” He gave her a serious look.
“And the bad?” Her heart clutched.
“The bad news is no sex for six months.” He gave her a sly grin then ran his good hand beneath her blouse.
“Oh! You!” she climbed on the bed laughing. He pulled her against him with a grunt of pain. “Sorry, let me down!” She tried to push herself off the bed but he held her. He looked into her eyes. He felt himself pulled into those dark pools. How could he ever let her walk out of his life? She had made him realize what life could be.
Mo was hypnotized by the gold flecked emeralds she looked into. “Didn’t they let you shave?” She ran her hand down his cheek. He was in a hospital bed with two bullet wounds and she was getting moist over two day’s growth.
“I thought I’d leave it. For experimental purposes. Where are those guys? If you just come…mmm…up here and let me pull these down…”
“You are out of your mind!” She jerked away with a shocked laugh. “That will have to wait. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for a relapse.” But she pressed herself against him and felt his response.
“I don’t think you can relapse from being shot.” His lips tasted her face. Her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks and chin; every place his lips touched was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. He gloried in the feel of her small lovely breasts against him. He could visualize each detail of them. “I want to touch you so badly. Let me touch you.” He begged in an urgent whisper.
“Zack. Stop. You need to conserve your energy.” But she couldn’t pull herself away from the hand that slid beneath her blouse and ran along the edge of her bra. She pressed her lips on his as his hand unclasped her bra beneath her blouse. Tenderness was lost in the urgency of desire.
She looked guiltily toward the window in the hospital room door. Then she pulled away and straddling him, opened her blouse. She felt the jolt of energy she been warning him to conserve beneath her. She did her best to trap it with her body lest it go to waste.
It was time to go back to Greendale. She laid her head against Zack’s chest careful of the bandages. “What are your plans Zack? I mean for when you get out of here tomorrow, I thought maybe I could come down.”
“Come down? No need to come here. You don’t need to deal with this. Dino offered to drive me home.” He held her hand and looked at her. “You need to conserve your energy too.”
“Coming from you I don’t think I have to take that under advisement at all.” She climbed off the bed. “You’re not going to be able to work for a while. My room has all the amenities of your condo and more. I want to be able to keep an eye on you. Let me pick you up and take you back with me.”
“Did you have this all planned out when you came here. Make me vulnerable then roll over me with this scheme. I don’t need to be taken care of.” He sat up in irritation but not without a grimace as pain shot through him.
“Of all the gall! You knew I’d be here. Did you SCHEEEEME to get what you want then shove me out the door? ‘Thanks a lot lady see you ‘round?’”
“Don’t be ridiculous Mo and call off the dogs.” Mo turned to see the boys rushing in. Had they been shouting?
“It’s okay.” She stood glaring. “I’m just trying to have a conversation WITH THIS LUNKHEAD!” There. That was shouting. She gave herself a proud nod as she crossed her arms. The boys sheepishly closed the door.
Zack burst out laughing. “How could I resist such charm?” He reached out grabbing her hand. She tried to pull it away but he had it and pulled her against him. Their mouths melded; lips warring and succoring in the same instant. “But you stay put. Rest tonight. I’m making that a condition. Non negotiable.” He stroked her hair. “Promise me you’ll take care of you tonight. You can take care of me tomorrow. A little. A little more than today. Okay, maybe a lot more than today. I’ll have Dino drive me up. If I’m going to be a burden, I might as well make the best of it.”
Zack was so glad to be out of the hospital. The ride up Lake Shore Drive was invigorating if uncomfortable. Dino steered his Caddy like a pro taking little note of speeding laws or the cop beside him. “I can get ya for your appointment Thursday. Jeeze Zack, I shouldn’t na watched ‘em change yer bandages. I thought, ‘he just got shot in the shoulder’. In the movies ya know the guys gonna live ‘cause hey, he got shot in the shoulder. I didn’t know they put some kinda plate in there. But I think they shoulda just put a zipper up yer side. Jeeze, dude, that’s ugly. But if you had a zipper it would be pretty convenient. Insteada getting’ in the bathtub you just unzip, step outta yer skin and slosh it around. You wouldn’t have to get wet.”
“Dino, I, would be wet. You’re talking about my skin. Guess I could throw it in the dryer. I’d be one ugly mother ‘til the buzzer went off. That ugly, huh?”
“Yeah, but now it matches yer face.” Dino veered toward the interstate. Traffic was moving in the middle of the day. “So. This a serious thing with this girl, Zee?”
“I don’t know what it is, Dino. I wish I did. There’s a lot of…complications. We’ve only known each other a few weeks.” Zack watched the cars as they took the ramp onto 94. Dino glanced at him and noted the pensive expression.
“Are ya? You know?” He waited while Zack hesitated.
“You know.” Zack nodded. “I love her, Dino. I know it sounds crazy but I can barely breathe when I’m around her and I can’t breathe at all when I’m not. This is not like anything, sounds trite I know, but it’s not like anything I’ve experienced before.”
“You loved Patty. You loved Chelsea. You and Patty always knew each other. It was like, assumed, since we were little that you and Patty would wind up married. I think even her old man thought so. Chelsea. I don’t think you loved Chelsea. I think you wer
e hot for some ideal. She was a wall you just had to breach. I still can’t figure out what the two a ya thought you had in common. I don’t think you loved either one like, you know, the way they write songs and poetry and shit about. This flying lady like that?”
“She different than anyone I know. I thought she was reserved at first but she’s really very warm and friendly. It’s just that she’s so focused on her work. He adjusted the belt. The pressure on his shoulder was painful. “We didn’t exactly meet under the best of circumstances.”
“So not like Chelsea?” Dino gave the middle finger salute to someone who cut in front of him.
“No, no. There was no warmth beneath Chelsea’s cool exterior. Only an illusion I created myself. Mo is truly warm and kind. She’s worked all her life and what she does is all she’s ever known. She loves the people she works with. Loves her work. She’s at the top of her game, Dean. These next few years will set her for life. She would be crazy; I would be crazy to ask her, to walk away from it. But I don’t think I can walk away from her.”
“Okay, this is crazy talk. I’m taking you back to the hospital. Let’s have this conversation the sixth minute you’ve known her.”
“Ya think?” The emotion strumming in Zack’s chest was even more uncomfortable than the seatbelt.
“What are ya thinkin’ bro? You thinking about stoppin’ for a ring on the way? ‘Cause I ain’t doing it. Ask me again when the docs don’t have ya juiced up.”
“I can’t ask her. Look at me. They say I’ll be better, but this has screwed up my arm. The truth is I’m done anyway.” Zack rubbed the growth on his face. The ride was tiring him out.
“What’ya mean done?” Dino took his eyes off the road, brows furrowed.
“With being a cop.” Zack looked out the window knowing there would be an explosion.
“Shit! What?” Dino almost veered into another lane. “Zee. Now I know they got your head messed up. Being a cop was all you ever wanted. You were always the cop. Always the sheriff. This ain’t about the old man is it?”
Zack sighed, “Actually, Dino, I think for once it’s not.”
Mo waited for Zack’s arrival. She had skipped practice and gotten things ready. Everything had been arranged for Zack’s comfort and convenience. She’d taken advantage of her acquaintance with the Whitney’s to get speedy delivery of an adjustable table for Zack’s side of the bed. She’d had a wide screen television mounted on the bedroom wall. She’d stocked the small refrigerator with grab snacks for when she was working. She made sure he would have everything he needed. Most importantly she’d informed the security team that the suite was off limits. After much grousing she had her way. After all a cop would be with her at all times she was in the suite. She did allow that after calling they could come up the elevator and check things out occasionally. Just to make them feel better.
She wasn’t able to allow herself to think about the future. All she knew was Zack was okay and he’d be there soon. She’d almost lost him. She just wanted what time they had. She knew she’d be moving on and he would be chomping at the bit to get back to work once he was better. They’d have a couple weeks and could think about the rest then.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Hagman called and said Zack was on his way up. The elevator doors popped open and Mo stood for a moment with her mouth twisted, eyes glaring. Zack made for the sofa. Was she angry Dino had come up? What had he said about Chelsea?
“Dino! I’m sorry but he had a wheelchair waiting for him. I’m so glad to see you, I’m just sorry that you’re going to have to witness your friend’s murder. Zack, I told you there’d be a chair! Meese…” she addressed the security man coming out of the bedroom, “would you mind?” Meese didn’t bother to suppress his annoyance as he headed for the elevator.
“He wouldn’t get in the chair, Ms. Whitman. I told ‘im, didn’t I Zack? I told ya.” Dino looked around the suite with a whistle setting down Zack’s bag.
“I know who the stubborn one is, Dino. How’s Angela? I wish you’d brought her. Three of us should be able to dispose of the body. You didn’t happen to bring some of Chicago’s best pizza, did you?” Mo asked with a smile. Dino hitched his shoulders spreading his empty hands with an apologetic look.
Zack leaned back on the plush sofa, puffing with exhaustion and pain. Mo went over to him leaning down and kissing him softly. “Hi, Baby,” he panted. She pulled his legs up onto the coffee table. With a pat on his leg she turned.
“How about a beer, Dino?” She gave Zack a sharp look. “No beer for you.”
“Nah, I gotta go Ms. Whitman.” Was he intimidated by the surroundings? She wondered at his apparent nervousness. “But thanks.”
“Call me Mo, Dino. Please.” She walked him to the elevator doors. “How do you think he looks, I think he looks tired. Maybe the ride was too much. I should have gone down…”
“Mo, he’s fine. Take a nap, buster, you got the lady worried. Thanks again for gettin’ us in to see the show. We had a great time. Theresa said when she grows up she wants to be just like you, except she doesn’t want her swing set to be that big and she won’t marry the devil.”
“Smart kid. Bye Dino. I hope to see you again soon.”
She turned to see Zack sound asleep.
Another smash show had the audience on their feet. It was flowing wonderfully. She and Claude were on good terms and Deb and the new talent Haaken were feeling more and more confident. There was a bit of a sour note about Trollie being looked at again by the police. Roddy had wanted to fire him. Mo didn’t think he’d hurt anyone and just wanted him to learn a lesson. She convinced the manager to give him one more chance.
Mo was so happy things had lightened up with Claude. Apparently he’d thrown over Crystal McCleary but she seemed to be taking it in stride. Rumor was he had become infatuated with a coliseum security guard. And she was spurning him! Lourdes Garcia had the great Claude spitting fire! Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy was Mo’s thought.
The company still grieved for Ling. The police had finally released her body and after a moving service it had been cremated and sent to California. The sense of loss wouldn’t stop as everyone moved on with their lives. But, all and all, things seemed to be back to normal. Even Misha was in a cheery mood. He had confided in Deb that he was in love and all his dreams were about to come true. Deb felt it showed in his work.
Saying goodnight to everyone, Mo hurried to the car. Hagman was driving tonight and Moore held the door open. Les Moore, head of the security team, closed her door and climbed in front. She enjoyed teasing Les about his name and asked him if his middle name was “Half, Middling, or Somewhere In Between?” Ted Hagman laughed and shut up quickly with a look from Les. But Les smiled to himself.
In good humor she rushed into the suite. Zack looked up from his book. He tossed it aside and she ran to him. Careful of his injuries she crawled onto the sofa and kissed him until they were both breathless. He held her with his good arm while she slid her hand in his sweats. “Get enough rest or do I have to give you a sleeping pill? She squeezed him.
“Good show?” He nibbled her neck then threw his head back as her hand tickled him.
“Wonderful, perfect!” Her teeth grazed his neck as he sucked air between his teeth. “And the show was good, too!
“Slow down, baby. You know I have no control when… You. Do. That.” Gently he pushed her hand away. “I was hoping we could have dessert.”
“You did eat dinner didn’t you?” She tormented him through the sweats.
“Mm hmm,” He slid his hand along her bottom as she straddled him. “My sweet tooth is acting up. I have a hankering for something I haven’t tasted in days. Okay one day.”
They lay in bed feeling their own hearts pounding through the soothing white noise of their breathing. A long nap had done Zack a world of good. But Mo had been careful not to let him overdo it. Too much. The man liked dessert. And she just couldn’t say no!
She lay on the good arm fee
ling the warmth of him against her skin. She was in a fog of passion. The reprieve they had been given pushed all doubt over the edge into some other place that didn’t exist for them. Time stopped as they lay transfixed by the nirvana they’d attained. Mo’s mind had literally gone blank as if she had lost consciousness at the moment she’d peaked with Zack inside her. She looked at him. He lay with his eyes closed. No man had ever given her so much. Or had taken so much and in the taking made it an exquisite theft of her very soul. Loving him was soft and hard, gentle and rough. Together they exposed the depths of themselves and the heights they could achieve together.
Mo basked in the sensation of his chest rising and falling as Zack dozed. Quivering little fingers of sensation teased out the last ebbing throbs of pleasure. Zack had found many delicacies to feast upon and she in turn had offered him a banquet of delights. She honestly didn’t know where some of her ideas had come from. New to this kind of passion, passion centered on a man who consumed her heart as well as her body, inspiration seemed to flow. There was an invisible arc of energy that sizzled between them. Her body felt lit from within. Neat trick, she smiled to herself. If we could just make that work for the show.
“You thinking about your Cleopatra show?” Zack asked sleepily.
Mo twisted her head up and met his lazy gaze. “You really do think I’m all work don’t you? I think about other things. Go back to sleep.
“What do you think about when I…” He grazed his forefinger on her nipple.
“I’m pretty sure that’s where I cease thinking.” She turned toward him and ran a hand along his thigh. “I know where all your thinking takes place.”
“I talked to him but once he saw you, he stopped listening.” Zack held her against him, enfolding her with his good arm. A large portion of his upper body was wrapped in bandages but life had never seemed so perfect. If he could spend the rest of his life holding her close at night, it would be enough. It would be everything. He pushed everything else from his mind.
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