Absolute Zero

by Anlyn Hansell

  “Yes, I slept with her. No, it didn’t mean anything. We’ve always been just friends, I swear.”

  Her stomach gave an unwelcome flip. Were they still…?

  “And no, we don’t. Not anymore. I can’t look at another woman, let alone flang anyone else. Not when I can’t think about anyone else but you,” he added in a gentle tone.

  “She’s very beautiful.” Her features scrunched up. That just sounded so…needy.

  “She has nothing on you,” his hand immediately covered her mouth after a snort escaped from her lips.

  “I’m serious, Annie. You could be the most unattractive woman and I still would be fascinated with you. Lucky for me, you just happen to be bonnie, but I find that I like this,” he tapped her forehead with his finger lightly, “and I especially like this,” he rubbed the same finger on her lips before leaning in and kissing them lightly.

  “Go to sleep, darlin’.”

  She watched his face in the moonlight. He looked so contented and peaceful and it truly seemed as if he was speaking the truth. If only he knew what she used to look like. She wondered if he would say the same thing. A feeling of disquiet washed through her suddenly. Her eyes flitted toward the opened bedroom door. She pushed away as he attempted to tighten his hold but she was more determined.

  “Annie?”

  She removed her body from the bed and walked toward the door.

  “Annie? Darlin’ what…? Don’t you dare sleep somewhere else. I will grab you and haul you back to this bed,” he forced out behind her.

  She simply closed the door, locked it, tried the knob twice and turned toward the bed again. He blew out a sigh of relief.

  “Why do you do that?”

  “Do what?” she asked as she settled her body next to his once again.

  “I swear I’ll protect you. You don’t have to lock the door,” he laughed out.

  “Goodnight, Ian.” She murmured as she tucked her head beneath his chin.

  *****

  “I thought it was odd that I would come here at the end of the week,” she stated as he drove.

  “Well, I’ll admit, I usually work on the weekends but I wanted at least a day to have you to myself. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “I’m sure. Your offer was tempting, but I at least have to do a little site seeing while I’m here. You can ravage me when we get home,” she added. His hand squeezed hers on the console. In fact, his hand had pretty much encapsulated hers from the moment they left the house earlier.

  “Good. That’s a plan. I have a reservation for lunch,” he stated, his eyes watching the road ahead. “You know? You’ve seen one castle, you’ve seen ‘em all. Sort of like apes at the Zoo…” he quipped, causing a small laugh to escape her. His mouth was turned up in a smirk.

  She did say that, didn’t she? If she only knew back then…

  *****

  He rubbed her back almost rhythmically, her head tucked securely under his chin later that night as the light from the TV flickered in front of them.

  “Do you like football?” he asked as highlights from games passed in quick succession on the screen.

  “Soccer,” she corrected him.

  “Whatever,” he breathed out before casting a lingering kiss on the top of her head. The chime from the doorbell interrupted the moment causing another “Aww, geez,” to spew from his mouth. He sat immobile even after the second set of tones sounded throughout the house.

  “I guess it’s a good thing we’re clothed,” he breathed out on a frustrated sigh. “I’ll get rid of ‘em,” he stated as she straightened up on the couch.

  She watched him walk with purpose toward the front of the house, already missing his warmth.

  She couldn’t see the front door, but she could hear it click open very clearly. She could also hear the exchange that followed.

  “Ian…” a woman’s voice.

  “No.” His tone was hard. “Really? Right now? Are ya jokin’? Yer timing is perfect,” he seemed to grate out.

  “Ian. Please…” the woman’s tone seemed desperate to Anne. She shifted on the couch, wondering if she should remove herself to another room.

  “Please what? What do you want? Why are you here? I have nothing for you. And don’t even think about going to Lena. Do you hear me?”

  “I just wanted…”

  “Yes I know. You need money. Well, I’m sorry. Actually, I’m not sorry. Go back to rehab. Maybe I’ll talk to you then. Right now? You need to leave. We have nothing to say to each other.”

  The door slammed, causing Anne’s body to jolt.

  A moment later he reappeared in the doorway. His jaw was clenched but his look softened almost immediately as soon as their eyes met.

  “Sorry, love,” he stated gently as he walked toward the couch. As soon as he seated himself, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back to his side.

  “Umm…” she wasn’t quite sure what to say.

  “Someday? Yes. I’ll tell you all about it. Right now? No.” He let out a frustrated sounding sigh. “I don’t want to talk about that. I just want to be with you. You make me verra happy. Do you know that?” He tipped her chin up to look at him before kissing her.

  He pulled back, still staring at her. Her expression was still somewhat stunned, somewhat questioning, causing another breath to blow out. “That was my Mum,” he stated before tucking her head under his chin once more.

  “We don’t…get along,” he added.

  She kept her mouth shut and let him resume stroking her back with his skilled fingers. She wouldn’t push it. Besides, if there was anyone on earth not willing to talk about their family? It would definitely be her.

  *****

  “Mrs. Craigh? Where are the reports on…Oh! Anne,” his voice went from loud and booming to subtle as he wandered from his office and took in the sight of her.

  “We’re going to lunch,” the older woman informed him as she slung her purse over her shoulder.

  “Oh? Well, what about…?”

  “I’ll get them to you in an hour,” she cut him off before gently grabbing Anne’s arm and turning her toward the lobby.

  “Well, bring me back a…”

  “I know,” she interrupted him again.

  Anne’s head turned to see him standing next to the desk. He blew her a quick kiss before she turned the corner.

  *****

  “Why does he insist on calling you Mrs. Craigh?” Anne asked after the waiter left with their orders.

  “Force of habit,” she answered. “We’re verra good friends, you know. We spent an awful bit of time together when he was in secondary school.” At Anne’s obviously confused look, she quickly added, “I was the receptionist for the headteacher. He was so bad; we just got to know each other verra well. He spent many hours in the waiting room,” she laughed.

  “Really? So he was in trouble often?”

  “Hoh! Ye have no idea. Such a bully, that one. Of course, ye know he never fixed his lip until he made his money. When he was little they picked on him. Then it sort of turned around. It got so if ye looked at him strange, he’d beat ya to a pulp. I always understood that. I even felt sorry for him. Can you imagine having to go through life with a birth defect and never have it corrected? It makes me so upset. His Mum…well, she never did anything about it. Of course, I shouldn’t be telling you this,” she added.

  “She came by last night. To his house,” Anne admitted.

  “Oh, I’m sure that was pleasant. I’m sure he ranted all about her, eh? He keeps sticking her in rehab and she keeps letting herself out.”

  Anne sat and absorbed her words. She found out more about him in the last few sentences than she did during the weeks she knew him. At least one thing was clear. She knew the reason why he thought he was ugly.

  “Sure,” she responded, not letting on that she didn’t truly know this. “That’s a shame…about his lip,” she prompted. Maybe she would berate herself for being nosy later. At the moment, sh
e was absolutely riveted to this conversation.

  “Aye. I always thought if I had the money? I would have paid for the surgery myself. Doesn’t matter. I think it may have helped turn him into the man he is today. He’s verra determined, verra successful. He’s actually quite handsome now, eh?” She gave an almost probing look to Anne.

  “Aaahh, well…I can’t really…”

  “Oh! Come now, I know he’s smitten with ya. It’s all, ‘Anne this’ and ‘Anne that’. He even slipped up and called you ‘Annie’ the other day. I just gave him a look. He told me to shut up,” she laughed.

  Anne could feel warmth infusing her cheeks at the older woman’s words.

  “I’ve never seen that lad so happy. I think you do wonders for him, ya know,” she added.

  I think he does wonders for me, she thought as the fluttering in her stomach made a return.

  *****

  “Don’t go.”

  “He speaks! It’s about damn time,” Anne quipped as they stood in front of the airport days later. “I thought you were pissed off at me,” she smiled.

  “I just…dammit Anne, stay for another week.” Stay forever, he really wanted to say.

  “No. In your own words, nothing gets done in America if I’m not around, right? I have projects…”

  “I need you here. Besides, I’m the boss. What I say should go. No arguments,” he almost looked…pouty. It was so darn cute.

  “Right. Well, I have this plane ticket. First Class, mind you. This sucker wasn’t cheap. I have to go.”

  “Fuck the ticket. I’ll buy you a damn plane if I have to. Just…” his furrowed brows softened somewhat along with his words, “stay,” he finished softly. His hand was caressing her cheek, causing her body to want to melt into him.

  “I can’t.” Her eyes closed and her head leaned into his palm.

  “Damn, stubborn woman,” he growled pulling her body to his in a tight hug. “What am I supposed to do without you? Hmm? One more week,” he stated gruffly.

  “No,” her voice was muffled against his chest.

  “Ugh. Why can’t ya just cooperate? Lach looooves you. Says you’ve been nothing but the greatest help. Mrs. Craigh wants to adopt you. I want to…” he stopped short.

  “Well, you know what I want to do,” he continued after a beat. “Dammit, this is so hard. Why is this so hard?” He pushed her away from his body and stared in her eyes.

  “I…” she gave a slight shrug, unsure of what to say.

  “S tusa gràdh mo bheatha,” he stated in a gentle voice.

  “What?”

  “You heard me,” the corner of his mouth lifted in a smile.

  “Did you just call me a fat, gay dinosaur?” She asked with widened eyes.

  “Aye. That’s it.” he deadpanned.

  “Seriously, what did you say?” she asked, her eyes searching his.

  Something that scares the hell out of me, he thought.

  “Don’t worry about it. You know if you keep standing out here, talking to me, you’re going to miss yer flight,” he stated in a stern voice. “On second thought…” he pulled her to him, grasping the back of her head and tilting her head to accept his kiss.

  *****

  “I told her she was the love of my life,” he stated as he stared at the amber liquid in his glass.

  “What?!” both Lena and Jack exclaimed.

  “What did she say?” Lena asked from the stool next to him.

  “I said it in Gaelic. It comes in handy every once in a while,” he said absently.

  “So, she doesn’t know.”

  “Nah, she asked me if I called her a gay dinosaur. She’s funny like that. God, I love her,” he breathed out. “And I don’t even care if you two know it. I must be dafty over her,” he stated, still staring at the glass.

  “But…she lives in America.”

  “Right. Really Lena?” he snorted out and gave a distinct eye roll.

  “Why can’t you find a Scottish woman?” Jack asked.

  “You met her. You tell me. I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s so…right for me.”

  “She works for you.” Lena stated.

  “So what? Maybe in a few months she won’t. If I decide to sell, that is,” he added.

  “If you sell, you won’t have any reason to go back there.”

  “So, she moves here,” he stated simply.

  “Ian? Listen to yerself. What the hell are you saying?” Jack asked.

  “I don’t know,” his brows scrunched together.

  “It’s too soon. You might make the same mistake…” Lena started before his head snapped up and his eyes flashed to hers.

  “She’s not Shelby. I went into that with my eyes open. I had no plans other than a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

  “You fell in love with her,” Lena corrected him.

  “No. Trust me, I didn’t know what that was until I met Anne. I was just captivated by her looks. Believe me, there was no substance there at all. She was a shell of a human being and a waste at that,” he grated out.

  “What about Anne? What do you know about her? She’s very…I don’t know, there’s something I can’t put my finger on…” Lena started.

  “She’s secretive? She changes the subject when you ask her something she doesn’t want to talk about? I know that.”

  “You could get hurt…” Lena added.

  “I know that too,” he answered simply.

  “So, have her checked out.” Jack stated with an easy shrug.

  He thought for a moment. He wanted to. He wanted to weeks ago; he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

  “What if I find out something I don’t want to know?” he asked quietly.

  “What if you don’t?” Lena asked. “Ian, I just don’t want to see you hurt. She seems like a great girl. I just wish…” she trailed off.

  He let out the breath he was holding.

  They were right.

  It was wrong.

  But some things were worth the risk.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “What kind of picture is that?”

  “It’s the only one I have. I was trying to be sneaky. I asked this guy to take a picture of us at one of the castles we visited and a split second before he takes the picture, he turned.”

  She gazed down at the picture of the two of them. She was smiling at the camera and Ian was kissing the side of her head, his eyes focused down. It was nearly impossible to make out his features.

  “Well, at any rate, he looks like he’s completely into you. And he seems to have a nice profile, good body, from what I can tell,” Beth stated though the phone.

  “Yeah,” Anne agreed, her body reacting the same way it always did when she looked at this picture. It had only been a few days, but…

  “I like your hair. You’re letting it grow?” Beth asked. Anne unconsciously fingered the ends that framed her face. Beth’s tone was hopeful and they both knew why.

  “I just can’t afford a haircut right now,” she replied. That wasn’t entirely true…

  “Mmm hmm. So? What happened?” Anne could hear as she stared out of the back door in her kitchen.

  “Well, we drafted a very thorough proposal and an abstract to study…” she started.

  “Shut UP,” Beth interrupted her. “Like I want to hear that crap. Gimme the good stuff.”

  Anne gave a nervous laugh before taking a breath.

  “We had fun. It was…nice being with him. It felt right. I don’t know how else to describe it,” she answered honestly.

  “Did he tell you about selling the facility?”

  “No.” Anne stated.

  “Hmm. Did you tell him you’re working on that project you’re not supposed to be working on?”

  “No.”

  “Wow. This is the perfect start to a relationship,” Beth stated in a serious voice she probably reserved for her students.

  “Don’t lecture me. I came back here more determined than ever to knock his soc
ks off. You should see the Scottish facility. It’s phenomenal. We can be that good here, too,” Anne stated.

  “Anne? Sweetie? I know you better than anyone. Please just…be smart about this. I know you throw yourself into things, but you can’t do this alone. You’ll take the fate of this facility and rest it on your shoulders and you will be devastated if it doesn’t pan out. I know you. This isn’t all on you.”

  Yes, actually it is.

  “Ok. I hear you,” Anne answered back before a snort sounded through the phone.

  “No, you don’t,” Beth stated knowingly. “Listen, I have a staff meeting in a couple minutes, so I need to get going but I wanted to tell you…”

  Anne could hear a deep breath through the phone before she continued, “I made you an appointment.”

  She stood silent, her hand gripping the phone a bit tighter. “A hair appointment?” she asked lightly.

  “No.”

  “Manicure?”

  “Stop it, Anne. Dr. Barclay recommended him. I emailed the details to your work address.”

  Anne’s body felt numb suddenly.

  “I don’t need your interference,” she stated quietly.

  “Yes, you do. You won’t do this for yourself. You know you need regular monitoring. It’s just a check-up…”

  “I told you I don’t want to know. If it happens again, I don’t want to know,” she answered through clenched teeth.

  “Do it for me, then. What would I do without my best friend? Please?” Beth’s suddenly shaky voice caused Anne to lean her forehead against the glass of the sliding door.

  “You have no idea…” she stated as she closed her eyes tightly.

  “The hell I don’t. I was there. I saw it. Look at you now. You’re doing great. You’re healthy, you seem happy. Just go,” Beth commanded.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Don’t think about it too long. It’s in three days…”

  “Beth!”

  “What?”

  Anne let out a disgusted sigh.

  “Go to your meeting,” Anne stated.

  “Go to your appointment,” Beth shot back.