A Place to Rest My Heart (Crimson Romance)

by Galen Rose

  “I didn’t know Superman drank Coke.” I set the glass down in front of him.

  “Sure he does. How do you think he gets all that energy up to save the world?” he said with a cheeky grin. He extended his hand to me, “Mike Taylor.”

  “Laney Murphy.” I shook his hand and tried to withdraw but he held on to it for a moment, gently rubbing this thumb over my knuckles and then he slowly let go.

  “Can I get you anything else?” My mouth had gone dry.

  “Sure, a date. Not with you, I mean, a date. I haven’t been out on one in so long the guys are starting to question my manliness.”

  I didn’t know whether to be insulted that I wasn’t good enough to be asked out or happy I wasn’t the target. I had been hit on a lot lately and had no real desire to go out with anyone; but I was also getting tired of my own company. I hate going to movies alone and I had walked several square miles of the city already during my time off.

  “So what’s wrong with me?” I asked, just as Sean sat down next to Mike.

  “Is that a trick question?” Sean asked, taking a sip of Mike’s drink and earning himself a glare from Mike. Mike looked at me intently for a moment. “Not a thing darling … just keeping Tommy happy, but come to think of it, who cares about what Tommy thinks anyway … never really stopped me before.”

  “What does Tommy have to do with anything?” I asked, confused.

  “He doesn’t like the help getting hit on,” Sean said, emphasizing the “hit on” part to Mike.

  “Ms. Laney, would you honor me with a date?” Mike asked me ignoring Sean.

  I don’t know what Sean was going to say because I ran right over him. “I think I would like to go out with you. Yes.”

  Sean looked at me in shock. “You would?”

  Mike reached over and took my hand and slowly brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine. “Tomorrow? The bar’s closed so I’ll pick you up at noon.” With that said, he turned and sauntered out. Damn if he didn’t know how to saunter. Attitude. Mike Taylor had it in spades.

  Sean sat speechless for a minute. I could see the wheels turning as he worked on what to say. “Tommy’s not going to be happy about this,” he finally managed.

  “What does it matter what Tommy wants? He’s not my father and it’s really none of his business. For that matter, it’s none of your business either, Slick. I go out with whoever I want.”

  Sean bestowed his usual glare at me and walked away.

  As God is my witness, I wonder if that boy really hates me or if his shorts were too tight. Oh, well, better left for someone else to figure out. It wasn’t my problem and I had been doing a pretty good job of staying out of his way. Being realistic though, other than his scowl, Sean really was handsome with those deep green eyes that appraised and measured everything they saw, sculpted face, and high cheekbones. And I was being honest with myself, a first, I know, but since I was, I had to admit my hands itched to dive into that hair of his. It was several shades of brown with golden, sun-kissed highlights. Sean wore it a bit long over the collar and it curled at the ends. It always seemed to be a bit rumpled, as if he ran his hands through it often.

  All right, Laney, get a grip. He’s a guy. One of many, and why get all interested — which you aren’t — in a guy who does nothing but glare at you?

  Chapter Five

  I joined the family for breakfast the next morning and even managed to mostly ignore Sean. He showed up with a smug look on his face but revealed nothing and I was too busy devouring blueberry pancakes to care.

  After breakfast and clean up I headed to the shower and then perused my wardrobe. Gah! This was definitely another area of my life that was in need of an overhaul. I had nothing but jeans that were ripped and worn almost through at the seams and too many t-shirts that should have been in the rag bin. Finally, after much tossing of my clothing, I managed to find a pair of jeans that were not ripped at the knees and a not-too-faded shirt.

  I studied myself in the mirror with a critical eye, and then shrugged. Contrary to the popular belief growing up, I was not the “ugly stepsister.” I was taller than average, had long straight thick brown hair and flawless skin, thanks to Cousin Christina.

  My cousin, Christina, had a peaches-and-cream complexion and Aunt Katherine had spent a fortune at dermatologists and at beauty and charm schools.

  Now if you asked me, I would have said it was a waste of money. Sure, Christina had perfect skin and was beautiful. But as for charm, let’s just say that once Aunt Katherine found out about the number of boys she’d been charming, in her room, it was off to an all-girls boarding school. Before she left, I took advantage of all this stored-up information I had and used every bit of it to my advantage when I could and had threatened Christina that if she did not let me use her facial stuff then I would tell on her. Cheap shot, I know, but it worked. You see, it was once I got to school that I finally shone. At first I was sent to a private school with the girls. But eventually I was tormented so much by my cousins and their friends that I decided I needed to get out.

  I never started any of the fights but I damn well made sure I finished them. That created such a stir with my aunt that I was sent to the local public school. No one knew me. No one knew my family and I wasn’t chauffeured to school in a limousine. I took the bus like a normal kid. There I found out that I was not as ugly as I had been told and that I had brains. The brawn didn’t hurt either. You still have to establish your territory no matter what school you’re in. But I wasn’t ugly and I was smart. Wow. Who knew?

  I brushed my hair and left it down, stuffed my ID and some cash into a jacket pocket, and went downstairs a good twenty minutes ahead of time. I was slowly getting a good case of nerves going and began pacing around the bar, wondering what I had gotten myself into.

  “You’re acting like you’ve never been on a date,” I said out loud. “Jesus, what was I thinking?”

  “I don’t know. What were you thinking?” Sean asked as he came into the pub from the back hallway.

  “Nothing. I was just talking to myself. What are you doing skulking around?”

  “Madame, I was not skulking. I was simply coming over here to fix the phone. Tommy mentioned that it was not working right so I offered to take a look at it. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m waiting for Mike.”

  “Oh, right, your date. I think you’re nuts for going out with him but, hey, it’s your choice.”

  “Damn straight it’s my choice. Why the heck do you dislike him so much? He steal your girlfriend or something?”

  I had truly just been goofing around when I said that but by the look on Sean’s face I knew something like that had happened. “Ouch, that must have hurt.”

  “Shut up, Laney!” he yelled as he stalked into the kitchen. “Mind your own business.”

  Twenty more minutes passed and then twenty more. Okay, he was late but maybe there was traffic. After an hour had passed I knew that I had been stood up. Great! My first date in a year and I get stood up. Yep, Murphy’s Law was still at work here. I sighed as Sean walked back in.

  “Hey shouldn’t you be gone by now?”

  “Well, Slick, it appears I have been stood up. So if you’ll excuse me I am going to my room.”

  “Laney, maybe there was an emergency or something.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Look. Mike is an asshole but I’m sure it wasn’t intentional. I have the whole day off today, which is unusual. I hate going to movies by myself and I really want to go see the new James Bond movie. It’s been out for awhile and I’ve been too busy to go see it. Why don’t you come with me? My treat.”

  “No.” I thought for a moment and then changed my mind. What could it hurt? I hated going to movies by myself. “I mean, sure, I’ll go with you. But I’ll pay my own way.”

  “Fine. We can do a little window shopping before the movie.”

  “I always wanted to buy a window,” I said sarcastically.

&nbs
p; Sean laughed. “You see I knew you had a sense of humor in there somewhere.”

  I was surprised that Mike really had stood me up. I hadn’t gotten the impression that he was a flake but first impressions aren’t everything. We checked the movie listings to find that we had a couple of hours to kill before show time. “So this is your city,” I said to Sean. “Now what?” He only smiled and opened the passenger side of his Jeep.

  “No questions. Just hop in and allow me to play tour guide.” I looked at him skeptically but got in. Why was he being so nice? Pity, maybe?

  Because the weather had cleared up, Sean put the top down on the jeep. We drove through the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Marin Headlands. The beautiful area on the Marin side of the bridge was rich in history. At one time, various parts along the coast had military fortifications. As we walked along the old military bunkers, I turned to say something to Sean and found him looking at me. “What?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. You were going to say something?”

  “I was going to say I like imagining what it all would have been like before all the people arrived — vast, wild, and untamed. I mean, look at this rugged coastline. Can you imagine what the first explorers thought when they got here and found they still hadn’t reached the end and there was still more land across the water?” Sean was starring again. “What? Okay, I guess I sound like a dork. Never mind.” We had been standing on the top of the bunker, and as I turned to walk away my foot slipped off the edge and I started to fall. Sean quickly grabbed me, pulling me away from the edge and into his arms.

  That stupid, stupid gong went off again in my head as I looked up at those shimmering green eyes. I meant to say thanks. I wanted to say something. Anything! But I couldn’t speak. Sean gently eased himself away from me. I tried to read the look on his face but it was clear to me he wasn’t hearing the same gong I was. I mumbled my thanks and headed to the car.

  For the life of me I could not see why I found this man appealing. Since I had arrived on the scene a few weeks ago, he had spent the majority of that time glaring at me. Was that it? He was unobtainable, therefore I wanted him? Sounded reasonable to me. But how to put a stop to this? I mean, we weren’t even on a date. I was paying my own way. We were just sort of friends going out. But when I had looked into those damnable green eyes of his, I felt like I was drowning. God help me, I needed a life raft — quick!

  We drove around a bit more before going to the movie. Having spent his whole life in San Francisco, Sean knew quite a bit about its history. We even joined the line of cars that had to traverse the world’s crookedest street, Lombard Street. A beautiful but expensive curvy street that seems to embody what San Francisco is like — a bit on the odd side, but colorful, eccentric, and unique. I wondered if the folks who lived in the extravagant homes along its curved edges got tired of the constant stream of traffic and tourists? Sean and I chuckled at the number of tourists who switched off cameras with other tourists to make sure everyone got in the picture.

  As we headed back toward the movie theater we took some of the same route I had run earlier that morning and I mentioned this to Sean.

  “I didn’t know you liked to run. I know Mason runs several miles a day. Pretty much every morning, like clockwork. I like to run along the Marina with a dip in the ocean sometimes.”

  I looked at him as if he was nuts. “A dip in the ocean? You actually voluntarily swim in that cold water?” I shivered. “William and I surfed when we lived in Santa Cruz but even then I wore a wet suit.”

  “Wet suits are for wimps,” he teased.

  “Yes, well, then I must be a big wimp because I don’t like cold water. Maybe I need to live somewhere tropical?”

  “Where would you live if you could? If money were no object; where would you live?”

  I had to really think about that. Home had been where I hung my hat. I had never been one for dreams about what ifs. William had been a big enough dreamer for both of us. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. How about you?” I was hoping to steer the conversation away from me. “Where would you live?”

  “A few years ago, my brother Ryan and I — Ryan is the oldest — we took a car trip. Packed up and drove mostly east. We ended up camping in the Shoshone National Forest. It’s on the edge of Yellowstone. We’d hiked in for several miles and had basically fallen into our sleeping bags right after making camp. I woke up early the next morning and when I stepped out of the tent and looked out over the basin we had camped above, I damn near dropped to my knees in awe. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful. The sun was just rising behind me and the valley was filled with a whirling white bank of fog. I swear it looked like I could walk out right on it and not fall through. Then the fog’s edges started pulling back and the green basin below was breathtaking. I took tons of pictures but I it didn’t do it justice. But of course, it being National Forest I don’t think I am going to be able to buy property there.” He laughed. “But I have a place all picked out up in Oregon. It sits on the edge of the Ochoco Mountains right before it turns into grasslands. You can see herds of antelope wandering out there.”

  I watched Sean’s face while he talked. His eyes lit up as he described his adventure. If it were possible, his eyes turned greener. Maybe it was just the play of sunlight across his hair and face. Whatever it was, it took my breath away. I had to force myself to look in the opposite direction so that I might be able to breathe again. What the hell was going on with me? I had never lost my breath before just looking at a man.

  “Laney?”

  “Huh? I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

  “I was asking where you were. You seemed so lost in thought. Have you thought of a place to live?”

  “No. I live where I am. That’s always been enough for me.”

  “Really? No dreams?”

  “What is with all these questions?” I was feeling uncomfortable and at odds trying to not let my tongue run off with my dreams. I had them buried deep inside me and that was good enough. “I thought we were going to a movie, not an inquisition.”

  He shook his head as he turned into the parking lot of the theater.

  “Woman, I swear, you are at times, the most exasperating person in the world!”

  I got out and slammed the door. “Good!”

  Sean just shook his head at me but held his tongue. It seemed he was making a much better attempt at not starting an argument than I was.

  Once inside the theatre, I got a soda and some popcorn and sat down, propping my feet up on the seat in front of me. Sean sat down next to me with a bottle of water. He turned sideways to look at me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Laney about earlier,” His fingers began to play with my hair.

  “Look, I … ” The seat to my other side rattled as Mike Taylor sat down and handed me a yellow rose.

  “I’m so sorry I was late. Somehow the distributor cap came off my truck.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “I tried calling Muldoon’s but I didn’t get any answer. Can you give a guy another chance?”

  Sean’s hand had tightened on my shoulder.

  “Sure, I guess so,” I said. “Thanks for the rose.”

  Mike leaned forward and looked around me to Sean. “Thanks buddy,” he said with great emphasis. “Thanks for taking Laney out. I think I’ve got it from here.”

  Sean smiled at Mike. “No problem. Oh look, the movie is starting.” Sean settled back in his seat with a grin.

  Something was going on here. I was having difficulty reading Mike and Sean, but I could definitely feel a tension between the two men. It was forgotten once the movie started. I mean, come on, James Bond was on the screen and I only had eyes for him. Well, okay, maybe him and the whole adventure of the movie. I have a keen sense of imagination and have often wondered what it would be like to have a grand adventure of daring, life on the edge, and all. Of course, some people might have considered my life in the streets living on the edge. I just consider
ed it living on the fringes of society. True, I had been arrested for B&E but it was never prosecuted. I hadn’t done it, but I knew who had. Wrong though it may have been, I wouldn’t give them up. Thankfully there had not been enough evidence to convict me. Sure, I’d pandered. Hell, I was fifteen, cold, and hungry. California isn’t always palm trees and sunshine. Thankfully, the cop who busted me got me into a shelter. I had a place to stay for a while and I was able to get my diploma. I had refused to give out any information to him about my family so getting me enrolled in a school hadn’t been easy. Somehow, he pulled some strings and I graduated among the top ten in my class.

  He also taught me to defend myself. He was the closest thing to a parent I had ever known. I wasn’t the only kid he helped out with food, shelter, or some basic self-defense lessons. He was realistic enough to know that his help was only for the short term and that most of those living on the streets would return to the streets: if one of us got ahead in the game, then so much the better. It was one less kid heading for the morgue.

  I dragged my thoughts back to the movie at hand and realized that Sean’s hand was still on my shoulder and still absently playing with my hair. I say absently, since I glanced over at him and he seemed to be intent on the movie.

  Mike leaned in close to my ear and whispered. “I love this part.”

  I had not realized he had already seen the movie and I was curious as to how he knew which movie theater I was at. I turned my head to ask him only to find his lips a hairsbreadth from mine. His eyes looked into mine and he smiled and looked at my mouth and then back to my eyes. I would have to be as dead as a doornail to not know what he was thinking.

  Sean’s hand moved from my shoulder to my neck and all at once I felt like I was in the middle of a tennis match and I was the ball. Love thirty anyone? I set my drink down and placing my hands on their knees I pinched hard causing them to both yelp. “Enough!”

  I stood up, grabbed my drink, and climbed over into the seat in front of me. I decided a bit more distance was necessary and climbed over one more row before settling down to finish watching the movie. I’d paid for the damn thing and I was going to watch it. I was not going to be bounced back and forth between their egos. They could both sit and spin for all I cared.