Red Ochre Falls

by Kristen Gibson

  “Actually, I have to work this weekend, so I’m mostly busy.”

  “Mostly? Are you free for lunch today or tomorrow?” Derek was not going away easily.

  “Maybe, can I get back with you on that question?” He seemed nice, and it would be good for me to meet more people, but I was uncomfortable standing in the middle of whatever was going on between them.

  “Let me give you my cell number,” he said. I pulled out my phone and added his number. “Call me if you want to go out. I could show you how to have a good time in this town. Unlike this guy, with his head stuck in the business, and his—other parts stuck in, what’s her name? Bianca? Or maybe the chick from the morgue? I guess it runs in the family, huh Garrett?” Derek crossed a line, and we all knew it. Garrett got up in Derek’s face. “Leave. Now.” They were obviously worked up, and I got nervous when I saw Garrett’s fist curl at his side. Derek grinned. He pulled up my hand and kissed it, then saluted Garrett and left.

  I didn’t know what to make of the scene. One minute Derek seemed polite and warm, the next he stirred up trouble with Garrett.

  When I knew he was out of earshot, I decided to ask Garrett. “What’s up with that guy?”

  “It’s a long story,” Garrett said as he opened my car door. “One I promise to tell you, someday, but there’s not enough time to get into it now. I’ve got to work, and you promised coffees. The least you could do for making me stay here all night long answering phones.”

  I felt a pang of guilt and worry about crossing lines and asking Garrett for too many favors. I stiffened and clicked on my seatbelt. Garrett leaned toward me with the door still open. “I think a coffee run is a pretty fair trade for you.”

  I studied his face, and was distracted by his lips when he gently moved my chin so my gaze met his. He had my full attention.

  “Unless, you want to owe me more favors.” He brushed his hand past my cheek and I swallowed hard. “I’d keep a running total for you, Mattie, but someday I’m gonna come collect, and you will make good on your debts.” It sounded a heck of a lot like a proposition. While my body may have been eager, my head was confused. Pursuing any kind of relationship outside of business seemed dangerous, and he was probably just being playful, but he sure knew how to tempt a girl. It took a second, or ten, before I could figure out how to respond.

  I leaned toward him and smiled seductively. “You can collect anytime you think you can handle it big guy.” It caught him by surprise, so I grabbed for the door. He backed up so I could close it. The key turned and the engine revved. I flipped my hair, winked at him and left to get coffee. My heart pounded in my chest, I might want to avoid caffeine. Pastries. They’d be enough to balance everything out. My smile widened because the thought of a speechless Garrett pleased me.

  CHAPTER 10

  A wave of freshly brewed coffee hit me when I walked into the shop. There’s nothing like that smell. It’d been an interesting night, and this morning was shaping up to be just as interesting.

  One barista took orders at the register while another made coffee. The grinder sounded above the low chatter of people. A young couple in the corner looked cozy together, a businessman worked on his laptop while three older women in spandex stood ahead of me. The ladies took turns ordering nonfat mochas, scones, and a Soy Chai. I ordered two large coffees, a regular latte, and three slices of coffee cake.

  When I got the order, I sugared up my drink and hit the road. The barista gave me a cup carrier, but I was too nervous it might tip over in the car, so I put two coffees in cup holders and the third between my legs then drove at a snail’s pace back to the parlor.

  Ryder was in the middle of meeting a family and Garrett had nearly finished his job in the back room when I returned.

  I put one coffee and a pastry bag on Ryder’s desk and another coffee and pastry bag on Garrett’s. Curious to try out Garrett’s chair, I sat my latte and coffee cake on his desk and plopped down. It rotated and rocked and did all sorts of cool things. When I went to adjust the height, it slammed me to the lowest setting, just as Garrett walked into the office.

  “You don’t do well with hydraulic things do you?” He laughed. He’d nailed it because the exact same thing happened the last time I sat in Ryder’s chair.

  “I just wanted to see what it could do.”

  Garrett showed me how to use it correctly. Then he grabbed his stuff and sat across from me at Hank’s desk. I watched as he inhaled the coffee cake and took a few swigs of hot coffee. He seemed ready to talk after all that, so I asked him how things went overnight. We talked a few minutes, he told me everything went fine and tried to make me feel better by saying he would have been here through the night anyway. He could have waited to work on the bodies until today, but needed to get finished early to make it to an important appointment this afternoon.

  The thought of him leaving made me a little sad, but I wasn’t really sure where things stood between us. There was an attraction, sure, but we had business and families depending on us not to screw things up. A relationship seemed impossible. I couldn’t risk getting mom fired and both of us kicked out, and he couldn’t risk getting fired and kicked out by Grandpa Stanley either.

  “How are you doing today?”

  “I slept good, had a crazy dreams, but I feel pretty good considering yesterday’s surprise attack.” My brain flashed back to the guy lifting me off the ground and nearly crushing me. I shuddered.

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “I told you everything I could remember.”

  “I know. It’s time to get ready.”

  “Ready for what?” I wondered if it was related to working the phones this weekend. Maybe he was ready to leave and wanted to give me the updates I missed last night.

  “Time to hit the gym. Why don’t you change into something more comfortable and meet me back here in fifteen.”

  Surprise and maybe even fear crossed my face. I figured he just wanted to talk about Chloe’s case or grill me some more about what happened yesterday while he did push-ups, pull-ups, and squats holding thousand pound weights, or whatever guys did at the gym. I shrugged and left to change.

  Once I got upstairs and locked the door, it didn’t take me long to freak out. What would I wear? Why was he taking me to the gym? What did he expect me to do? If it involved pull-ups, I was doomed. I’d missed doing laundry last week, because I hated going into the basement and traipsing up and down stairs a bunch of times to switch loads. My closet offered really limited options: no gym-worthy spandex, and a few other potentials that were either too baggy, or had holes. I found a pair of pink lounge pants, basically my pjs, but they fit and were flexible. I put on a sporty tank, layered a t-shirt over it then pulled on socks and tennis shoes. The look didn’t convey hardcore gym rat, but it should get me through the front door alongside Mr. Universe. The ponytail was last. I grabbed my keys and ID case then locked up and ran down the stairs to meet up with Garrett. Maybe he’s Superman because he was already changed and ready to go.

  “Ready for a workout?”

  It really was time to hit the gym. Oh boy!

  “You’ll see.” We sped away in the Maserati. We traveled less than ten minutes. Long enough for my stomach to churn acid thinking about hitting the gym with a guy who looked like he spent every day working out. I’d worked out before, but something bugged me about not knowing what to expect at his gym.

  Only it was unlike any gym I’d ever seen. We parked by an unmarked industrial building off of the main road. There were a few other cars and trucks in the lot, most of them looked just as nice as Garrett’s—Porsche, Land Rover, even a Ferrari.

  Garrett waved a card across a reader and the door unlocked. We entered a darkly lit nondescript hallway then turned right to head further inside the building. A neon green and black snakehead stuck its tongue out at us from behind the reception area. The main desk was wrapped in black suede-like material, and the glass top was up-lit with green and yellow
neon lights. The receptionist was not there at the time, maybe because it was lunch, or maybe the snake ate her. I hesitated. Garrett reached for my hand and pulled me further into the lair.

  Garrett stopped at the second door and opened it for me to enter. As we walked across the gym there were several guys training. Seriously training.

  “Is that guy holding a gun?” I whispered.

  “Yes, but the short guy standing with him is about to take it away.” Sure enough, the short guy took the gun in a couple swift moves.

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are these guys training for anything in particular?”

  “Life after service. I know plenty of guys who served. All of us came back changed. Some are still wound so tight they can’t find peace unless they remain trained and ready for anything—prepared to defend themselves and their families against all enemies. It’s how they cope. Many are still fighting, even though the war is supposed to be over.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Pros and mercs come here to train.”

  I gulped thinking of mercenaries running around our town.

  “Normally, I go to a different place, but too many prying eyes there tonight.”

  Was he worried about being seen with me? “Do you think they’d tell your grandpa?”

  “I don’t want to take the chance right now. He might use it to make a point. Not worth the chance.”

  It was polite of Garrett to be concerned. If his grandpa was trying to give us trouble like he seemed to do with everyone else, I should be more careful, too.

  We wound our way through the maze until we reached a dark hall. There were no windows on any of the walls as far as I could tell. It felt very private and I wondered what happened in rooms with no windows. Just about then I heard a pop and jumped.

  “Easy.”

  We went further inside the building. The pop turned to bang and I stopped moving. When he looked to see why I wasn’t moving, he saw the fear on my face.

  “This is a turnkey training facility,” he said, like it meant something to me.

  My feet didn’t move. I just shrugged.

  “This is a full-service training facility. They have rooms for hand-to-hand, and a few areas laid out for munitions training.”

  I knew he meant guns, and by the sound of the ‘munitions’ we heard, probably very big ones. His military training showed in his stance and his word choice. I wondered what he was trained to do, and what he must have had to do to serve our country. More loud noises sounded off, and he pushed me to get moving again, this time I walked faster. I’d ask questions another time, right now we needed to get where we were going, hopefully far away from here.

  It only took a couple turns for the bulk of the gunshots to fade into popping noises again. Garrett stopped at a door, used his key card again, and walked inside. I followed as he turned on the light and closed the door. It was just the two of us. He put his hands on my shoulders. A mixture of excitement and fear shot through me like electricity.

  “Relax. You need to take a few breaths and get ready to learn.”

  Right, training. The problems facing us brought my anxiety back. I tried to shake them off before we started.

  “What exactly are we doing here?”

  He had a serious look on his face I couldn’t figure out. I had a bad feeling.

  “I’m going to teach you self defense.”

  My stomach flip-flopped. Was he kidding? Nope. He cocked his head and directed me to stand opposite him. I didn’t move. My feet wouldn’t budge.

  “Mattie, you were threatened by a lunatic in broad daylight. You have to take this seriously.”

  Garrett took it seriously enough for both of us. But, it was Saturday, and I had nothing better to do. Speaking of Saturday, I thought he had plans. Were these his plans? When did he decide to bring me here? I shrugged it off then got into place and waited for his instructions. I watched as he moved. He wore a black tee with grey sweatpants and looked prepared. My pink pants and pussycat top made me look like an amateur.

  Garrett got into place to teach me whatever self-defense moves he thought might help an uncoordinated wimp like me defeat a crazed lunatic I’d somehow managed to piss off. This ought to be good.

  “What do you know about self-defense?”

  “It can be used to ward off an attacker?”

  “Good.” Next, he set his legs slightly apart and pulled his arms up as if he was going to launch into fight mode.

  “Are you kidding about this?” I asked in disbelief. Not exactly what I hoped we’d be doing when we were alone.

  “Look, it’s not a question of if, but when. He’s coming for you and you need to be prepared. You need to learn close quarters combat.” Garrett paused. Probably to make sure it registered.

  He is totally serious. My thoughts ran wild. We’re here, together. Just us. And Garrett wanted to teach me close quarters combat because I went an angered some guy who had no idea hurting people was a bad thing. My attacker must be crazy and desperate. I managed to get in his way.

  Garrett whistled and waved his arm in from of my face and pulled me out of my trance. “Are you with me Mattie?”

  “I’m…uh…I’m here.”

  “I need you to pay attention because your life depends on it. Are you ready?”

  “I’m with you, but I’m telling you now, you’ve got your work cut out for you.” And he did, because I hadn’t totally mastered the whole balance thing. I’m a certified klutz. But, a determined klutz, which is a dangerous combo.

  “First, you need to learn how to stand.”

  I looked at my legs and noted I was already standing.

  “You’ve got to work on your fighting stance. So you’re prepared to defend an attack, or fight.”

  I swallowed hard.

  “You’re right-handed, is that correct?”

  “Um, yes?” What did it matter?

  “You are right side dominant. So, stand with your left leg, the non-dominant leg, forward. Let the heel of your back leg come off the ground a little. This will help keep you balanced and ready to move. Tuck your chin down, lift up your arms, and bend your elbows. Hold your hands out about 8-10 inches where you can use them to grab weapons or fight.”

  No way I’d get all that right.

  “You’re not very big or powerful, so you need to learn to parry a strike.”

  “What?”

  “Some mercs call it hand to hand. A few might describe it as fighting in a phone booth—up close and personal.”

  “Mercs? Personal? What’s happening?” My legs felt wobbly. I started to go down, but Garrett held me up.

  “Mattie, get a grip. You can do this. I’ve seen your determination, and stubbornness first-hand.”

  I stood there dazed and confused.

  “Sorry for the lingo, sometimes it slips out. Mercs are mercenaries, and with our guy it’s definitely personal, so he’ll try to catch you off-guard. You need to prepare to fight this guy one-on-one. Any situation at any time. That’s why I want to teach you Krav Maga.”

  “Krav-ma-what?”

  “Krav Maga. It’s a type of self-defense used by Israeli commandos.”

  “Commandos? You think you can turn this—” I waved my hand across my frame to indicate the lack of muscles, “into a commando?”

  Garrett laughed. “Mattie, I’m not trying to turn you into a commando. I’m just trying to teach you some techniques for defending an attack. This kind of defense is helpful for anyone who needs to get out of a bad situation. The military and police use it. Heck, some war-torn regions even teach these moves to little kids. I think you can handle this.”

  Great, kids do this, now I felt like a total wimp. It’s sad any child has to become skilled at fighting to survive. I figured I should give it a try and learn some moves to fend off my one, silly, crazed lunatic. “Okay, I’m ready.” I swallowed hard enough you could hear it.

  “Good. Now, I want you to stand here.” G
arrett came in close, really close, and positioned me across from him. I inhaled his warm scent and drifted off. He said something else, but I was way too lost in thought to hear what it was.

  I wondered what he was thinking. I wondered if he thought about me. Was he as lost as I felt? Did he know my heart raced being in the same room as him? Was love supposed to be like this? Did he have any clue how much I wanted him to kiss me? I really wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him.

  Wait…

  Slam!

  What happened? How did I end up on the floor? Was this part of the lesson? Why did my back hurt?

  Garrett stood over me and breathed as hard as I did. It felt warm and a little muggy in the room. I wondered if that’s why we’re both breathing so hard. My heart wanted to jump from my chest. He loosened his hold on my arm, but lowered himself until his face was close enough I felt his breath on my lips. He moved his arms around my back, grasped my waist, and slowly lifted me. With his face still dangerously close, I felt when his lips gently brushed by my ear. “Are you okay?”

  “I…I’m fine. Just not coordinated enough to handle your moves yet.” I was weak, but tried to make light of the situation. He looked a little confused. “What I mean is I’m not quite ready for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.”

  Garrett cracked a smile and pulled my hand to his chest. It felt like it belonged there. “I don’t want to hurt you.” His expression was eager and intense. His muscles were taught. I felt the hardness through his shirt. He looked ready to pounce. Did it mean he was going to pounce on me? Oh, I hoped so. I looked into those big blue eyes then got distracted by his mouth. Waiting felt like agony. But, I wasn’t moving. I couldn’t. I stayed there, drawn to his heat. He kept his hand around my waist and my breathing pattern matched his. I wanted to lean in, but I was terrified he’d pull away. It would have devastated me. I just wanted to be close to him right now. He looked at me as if he was figuring something out. Like he wasn’t sure what to make of me. Was I sweating too much? Did I smell? What was he thinking?