Dangerously Close

by Dee J. Adams

  Tired of him. Mel’s breathing stopped as his stomach knotted. He swallowed back a retort and took a steady breath before his lungs burst. That’s what he got for asking questions.

  On the other hand, wasn’t he tired of himself? He really couldn’t blame her. Wasn’t that why he’d worked so hard the last six months to change? He looked down at his six-pack abs. Seger Hughes had never had those. Nor did he have biceps. But Mel Summers did. Mel Summers was packing twenty-five extra pounds of muscle and all that stringy, long hair was in a plastic bag in a dumpster somewhere.

  “I don’t get it.” He stopped sweeping and looked down at her. “A second ago, you were ‘Wow, I live next to a rock star’ and now it’s just ‘eh’ and…” He made her face and the same sound she’d used to describe him.

  “It’s just kind of surreal,” she said. “I mean the couple that owned this place was rich, but they were average, nice people. I figured I’d have an average person living next door. Seger is anything but average. The only thing that concerns me is that he treats me with respect. I might share this mountain with him, and I might own the small house, but that doesn’t mean he’s allowed to take advantage of me.”

  Mel wanted to pounce on her average comment. How could he be average when the press treated him like dirt? When people constantly invaded his space and privacy? But it was her last sentence that interested him the most. Mel turned toward her. “Why…how would he take advantage of you?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Loud parties all the time. Maybe because he’s so famous he thinks people owe him and should bow down to him.” She adjusted her sarong. “I’m sorry. He might be a very nice guy. I don’t know. I’ve just got that pre-conceived notion of how rock stars act and how they expect to be treated. Just because he’s famous doesn’t mean I’m going to treat him any differently than I’d treat you or anyone else. I’m probably not at all what he would expect. Or even like in a neighbor.” She grinned up at him. “You missed a spot.”

  Mel chuckled and went back to work. On the contrary. If she meant what she said, she was the exact type of person Mel wanted in his life.

  Chapter Eight

  Lizzie pulled out of the grocery store parking lot and onto PCH. She’d left Ashley alone longer than usual. Lunch with her agent had taken more than two hours, then she’d stopped for some items they’d forgotten on yesterday’s grocery list. Although she’d phoned and knew Ashley was fine, she still felt a twinge of guilt jabbing at her ulcer. Or maybe that was the spicy chicken she had for lunch. She couldn’t be sure she even had an ulcer since she’d canceled her last doctor’s appointment to finish up chapter five.

  Despite warning Ashley in the beginning that she wouldn’t be her buddy or pal, they’d struck up a nice friendship. Ashley understood her desire to be published. Accepted that her off time meant writing time. Lizzie was so close to getting published, she could taste it. Once that happened, she wouldn’t be anybody’s companion. Though she really loved her job, she couldn’t wait for the day when her life was her own. Her agent expected a hefty advance. She’d be able to support herself on her writing. What an amazing concept.

  The green light up ahead turned yellow and Lizzie slowed and stopped for the red light. A screech of tires ripped through the air and she looked in the rearview mirror. In the split second it took for panic to hit, a huge SUV slammed her from the rear. Her car lurched forward, sending her face first into the exploding airbag. Impact knocked her head back against the seat rest and sent her glasses flying. Dazed, she opened her eyes to a dusty, gritty residue everywhere, compliments of the air bag.

  Damn!

  Her chin burned like fire as she tested her sore jaw. Air bag? It felt more like a rock bag when her face had made contact. The white bag now sagged lifelessly in her lap making her steering wheel seem as if it had a giant tongue in serious need of scraping.

  “Oh my God, I am so sorry. I can’t believe it. Should I call an ambulance? Are you all right?” A tall, slender woman with long, lustrous auburn hair and sympathetic brown eyes leaned next to the window. She smelled like a flower shop and looked high class. Not expensive, but certainly put together. A short skirt revealed long tanned limbs. She was either someone’s trophy wife or looking to be one.

  The urge to strangle her and answer her last question with, “Do I look all right?” quaked through Lizzie, but she kept it buried. “I think so,” she said instead, discovering her glasses in her lap and setting them back in place. Gingerly, she tested all body parts and found everything in proper working order. Shoot, she didn’t need this today. Not that any day was a great day to get rear-ended, but she had too much going on for this to happen now. Lizzie opened the door and the woman stepped back.

  “I’ll pay for all the damage,” the stranger said as she followed her to the rear of the car. “No questions asked,” she continued. “I am so sorry. I take complete responsibility.”

  That was a little relief. The bumper was shoved into the rear of her Toyota and the ends stood out as if it might take off in flight. Besides that, and the obvious air bag, there didn’t seem to be any other damage. The lady’s SUV was barely scratched. Wasn’t that always the way of it?

  Traffic began piling up behind them. “Maybe we should pull over and exchange information,” Lizzie suggested.

  The woman nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll follow you right over there,” she said, pointing to the other side of the intersection.

  It wasn’t until Lizzie got in her car that she worried the woman would bolt, but as the lady promised, she followed Lizzie and they got out of their respective cars and met by the side of the road.

  “Here’s my driver’s license,” she said, presenting the small card to Lizzie with a shaky hand. “My name’s Paula Bosworth. God, I am so sorry. Really. I looked away for one second and the sun glinted off the water and the next thing I knew, BAM, right into your car.” She was gesturing and shaking and talking with her hands so much that Lizzie thought she might get clocked. “Are you sure you’re all right? I can call paramedics or take you to the hospital to be checked out.” Obviously nervous and guilt ridden, her sympathetic tone banked Lizzie’s anger.

  “Really,” Lizzie assured her. “I’m okay.”

  “Your chin is bleeding,” the woman said.

  Lizzie had to look at the woman’s driver’s license to remember her name. “Paula, right?” The lady nodded and Lizzie dabbed at her chin with a tissue from her pocket. “I’m fine. I just connected with the air bag.”

  Paula nodded again, her eyes rounded in sympathy. “What can I do?” She wrung her hands so tightly that they alternately changed color from white to red. “I should give you all my information, my address and phone number. What else is there?”

  “I’ll need your insurance information,” Lizzie said.

  Paula’s eyes got even wider with panic. “I can’t take this to my insurance company.” She was on the verge of some serious tears. “I had an accident a while back and my rates skyrocketed. I can’t… Will you take a check? Please…?” she paused and waited expectantly, and it took Lizzie a second to figure out the question mark at the end of the word was a plea for her name.

  “Lizzie. Lizzie Carerra.” She put out her hand and the woman shook it.

  “Lizzie, please,” she continued without missing a beat. “We’ll take your car to wherever you want and I’ll just write a check. I’ll cover every penny. Really.” A tear rolled down her cheek and a dozen more followed, cutting a path through her perfect makeup.

  Lizzie didn’t know how she was the one who’d been rear-ended and yet she was the one doing the comforting. “It’s okay.” She patted the woman’s back. “It was an accident. If you don’t want to go through your insurance company, that’s fine.” As long as Paula planned on covering repairs, Lizzie didn’t care how she got the money. “I’ll get a few estimates and make sure the price is fair.”

  “Really?” Paula’s sweet brown eyes now reminded Lizzie of Roamer. He somet
imes gave her that same look after she’d told him “no more” on the table scraps. But those sweet eyes were hard to ignore.

  “Yes, really.” To punctuate the point the bumper fell off the car and crashed to the pavement with a clang of metal. Oh, God. How was she going to get it home? It looked too big to fit in the backseat of her car. Lizzie glanced at Paula to see another wave of tears begin to fill her eyes.

  “Oh, no!” Paula started wringing her hands again. She glanced in the back of the Toyota and saw the seat filled with grocery bags. “That’s never going to fit in your car.” At least she had spatial smarts. “I know!” she said, her eyes brightening. “I can take it in my truck and follow you.”

  Lizzie considered the offer. She didn’t have too many other options. “I don’t live that far away,” she said, pointing south on PCH. “I’d really appreciate it.” She still had to get it to a body shop, but maybe Paula would help her with that too. She was being very cooperative so far.

  “It’s not a problem,” Paula assured her. “It’s the least I can do.”

  She had that part right.

  Together they loaded the bumper in the back of Paula’s SUV, then Lizzie got in her car and led the way home. She punched in the code on the security gate and Paula followed her to the guesthouse.

  Once out of her SUV, Paula surveyed the whole estate with wide eyes. “My God, this is gorgeous. Is this whole place yours?”

  “I wish,” Lizzie said. She’d need to write a handful of bestsellers before she could afford a place like this. “I do live here, but it goes with the job.”

  “What’s your job?” Paula asked as she opened the back of her truck.

  “I’m a companion to the owner of the guesthouse. She lost her sight a few weeks ago and I’m helping her get acclimated.”

  Paula turned, her eyes all wide and sympathetic again. “Wow, that is so great. What a rewarding job.”

  It was rewarding. Lizzie really liked her job and she liked Ashley too. It was going to be hard to leave when the time came.

  “I’ve got this end,” Paula said, dragging out the bumper. It scraped against the hard plastic lining protecting the upholstery. “Where do you want it?”

  Lizzie grabbed the other side and pointed around the house. “Let’s hide it over there. I don’t want it to be an eyesore. I’ll call around and see what the body shops tell me before I take it somewhere. Until then I’d like to keep it out of sight.”

  Paula laughed and quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. It’s just kind of funny that you’re hiding it from someone who can’t see anything.”

  “My boss lives in this house,” Lizzie said, gesturing with a toss of her head. “Someone else lives in the main house and I’d hate for him to think poorly of Ashley because of my junk.”

  “Oh.” Paula seemed surprised. “Of course. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize someone else lived in the other house. I just assumed you lived in this smaller one.”

  “Makes sense, but no. I live with Ashley in this one. It’s plenty big and very deceiving from the outside.” They set the bumper along the side of the house and headed back to the front.

  “Well, it’s a slice of heaven up here, that’s for sure,” Paula said, taking everything in. Her lips tightened up and her brows puckered together. “Uh oh,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I really need to use the restroom. Would you mind if I made a quick pit stop. The iced tea I had with lunch just totally hit me.”

  Lizzie could sympathize. She had to pee too. “Sure. Not a problem. Follow me.” She led the way into the house. “Ashley,” she called. “You around?”

  “In the kitchen.”

  “I brought a…” It seemed ridiculous to call Paula a friend, but she couldn’t really say stranger. “I brought someone home with me and she’s using the bathroom. I’ll be right there.”

  “No hurry,” Ashley called back. “I’m fine.”

  Lizzie showed Paula the guest bathroom. “I’ll be right back,” she said as she ran up to her bathroom on the second floor.

  * * *

  Ashley listened to Lizzie pound up the staircase as she continued snapping peas at the center island. She’d been learning to do more and more, but snapping peas was something she’d been doing since childhood thanks to her mother’s Southern upbringing. Sizing up a small green stalk between her palms, she took a second to measure before snapping it in two. It didn’t take sight, but she’d never before noticed the temperature or texture. Ashley smiled as she pictured her mother standing next to her, scolding her to quit stalling and start snapping!

  Kind of like the way she’d scolded her for not immediately reporting her fall down the stairs. But Ashley had convinced Aurora she could manage fine with Lizzie until her sight came back. If it came back. She shoved that nasty thought away. Calling her mother for more help was not an option she wanted to consider. Besides, she was doing fine. She had half the peas snapped, chicken ready to go in the oven and potatoes ready to be mashed. A healthy sense of accomplishment washed through her.

  The faintest sound caught her attention and Ashley stopped before snatching another pea. Someone was coming closer, toward the kitchen from the den. Lizzie knew to call out or make noise, always careful not to sneak up on her. Ashley knew exactly when the person reached the doorway. Not only did the footsteps stop, but the air changed.

  “Hello?” Ashley said. She put on her I-can-see-you face because she loved to confuse people who either expected her to be blind or didn’t know about it at all.

  “Hi. I’m sorry. I guess I got turned around when I came out of the bathroom. I’m Paula,” she said, moving farther into the room. Her perfume hit Ashley long before the woman got close. A floral scent that packed a real wallop to the olfactory nerves. She must not have been too bright to get turned around when the place was pretty wide open, but c’est la vie.

  “No problem,” Ashley said. “You must be Lizzie’s friend.”

  “I don’t know that she’d consider me a friend. I just rear-ended her on PCH. I feel horrible. I helped bring her bumper back. I smacked it so hard the stupid thing fell off and we had to put it in the back of my SUV to get it here.”

  “Oh, no! Is Lizzie okay?” The mother bear came out and Ashley couldn’t stop the worry that followed.

  “I think so,” Paula said. “Her chin is bleeding from the air bag, but she seems fine other than that. I offered to call paramedics or take her to the hospital, but she refused.”

  Roamer bounded in through the doggie door, making his usual racket. Ashley had never met an animal more excited after relieving himself. She stood and grabbed his collar before he pounced on Paula.

  “Sweet dog,” Paula said. “Is he a pit bull?”

  “He’s a boxer mix,” Ashley replied. Roamer sniffed the air and sneezed. Paula’s perfume must have gotten to him. It did smell obscenely strong.

  Lizzie bounded into the kitchen next.

  “Lizzie,” Ashley said the second she heard her. “Paula just told me what happened with the car. Are you sure you’re okay? Whiplash can be a delayed reaction. Maybe you should see a doctor.”

  “I’m really fine. I thought you were going to wait for me.” Lizzie’s words must have been directed at Paula. She had an edge that Ashley had never heard before. Maybe she was worried that she’d brought a stranger into the house. But Paula seemed nice if not a little ditzy.

  “Paula got turned around when she came out of the bathroom,” Ashley explained.

  “I shouldn’t have wandered,” Paula chimed in. “But your house is so gorgeous I couldn’t help but take a few steps and then I ended up in here. Sorry.” That was directed at Lizzie.

  “It’s okay,” Ashley said to both women. She might’ve offered Paula to stay for dinner, but she wasn’t sure what Lizzie thought of that idea…especially after getting rear-ended by her.

  “I need to get going,” Paula said. “It was nice meeting you.” Her footsteps moved closer and Ashley put h
er hand out to shake hands.

  Lizzie giggled. “Too late, Ash. She already beat you to it. Hand at twelve o’clock.”

  “Damn. Busted.” Ashley found Paula’s hand and shook it. “Hi, how ya doin’?”

  “Uh…”

  The delayed silence from Paula prompted Lizzie to say, “I already told her, Ashley.”

  How embarrassing. “Sorry. I have a bad habit of seeing how long I can go without people noticing. My bad. Sorry.”

  “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if Lizzie had been telling me the truth,” Paula said. “You didn’t act like I expected a blind person would act. I mean you’ve got a chicken out and you’re snapping peas and you’ve got potatoes peeled…”

  Ashley always wished she could see the person’s face when they discovered the truth. Of course, she never would because the day she could see was the day she quit pretending. “I’m not totally blind and I haven’t always been this way,” Ashley told her. “And I don’t plan on it being permanent.”

  “So it’s temporary?” Paula asked.

  Ashley shrugged because she hoped to God it was, but ultimately she had no idea. An awkward pause followed and Paula and Lizzie broke it at the same time.

  “Well,” they said in perfect unison.

  “I should get going.” Paula headed back the way she came. “Lizzie, call me so I can haul your fender to the body shop. I don’t work far away and I’ll feel completely guilty if you don’t let me help you. Bye,” she said as she continued talking to Lizzie while moving out of earshot.

  Ashley bent next to Roamer who quickly licked her face. “Ack!” Ashley wiped her lips. “Not in the kisser, puppy.” Roamer clicked his nails on the floor and Ashley could envision his skinny tail wagging a mile a minute. “Her perfume got you, huh, Ro?”

  Roamer woofed and licked her chin.

  She laughed and scratched his ear, then washed her hands and got back to snapping peas, curious as to the whole story Lizzie would tell her at dinner.

  * * *