by Lacey Legend
She drove him back to Case Hall. She offered to take him to his car, but he said that he enjoyed walking on campus and he would be happy to be dropped off at the front door but she insisted on taking him. She felt that she could trust him now and wasn’t nervous about being alone with him in the parking lot.
She pulled up near his car, which was one of the few left in the lot at this time of night. They had discovered a mutual love of jazz vocalists and it was playing on the radio. Aliyah thanked him for a nice evening and took his hand. “It really was nice of you to come. A lot of people don’t take the work these kids are doing seriously, but there’s so much talent and I like to think that it’s a first step that will pay off in the long run. Who knows? Maybe the girl who tripped over her own dress will be the next Angelina Jolie!”
This conversation was going on between them, but they were both aware of something else between them. They were keenly aware of the warmth of their hands together. The electricity between them pulled at his loins and made his arms hungry to hold her. This feeling was entirely new to him. He felt as if he were in a force field and that he could do nothing but lean in to her.
Their words trailed off and he leaned in and lightly kissed her lips. She felt herself give in to his touch. He kissed her again and the second kiss was more intense. His arms went around her and she felt his firm hand on her waist. He had turned in the car to reach her and was almost glad that the bucket seats inhibited him and forced him to slow down because he wanted her so much that he could barely restrain himself. The kiss deepened and their tongues found each other as his hands caressed the soft fabric of her sweater. All thoughts were lost and they sunk into the kiss as if leaving the world.
A light from a passing car startled them. Aliyah put her hand to her hair and Brad straightened up slightly. They were still in each other’s embrace and their lips were close, but their brains had cleared slightly and they realized that they were moving very, very fast. Brad suddenly looked uncomfortable. A shadow passed over his face and his took his hands away from her body.
“Aliyah, I’m…” He paused and tried to clear his head. He was so hard and he wanted her desperately. “I’m sorry if I took advantage of this… situation.”
Aliyah was surprised by his reaction to the kiss. She had been happy about their chemistry and thought that he would want it as much as she did, but he was obviously uncomfortable and rapidly backing off. She couldn’t understand why he pulled away. He obviously needed space, but he had been the one to pursue her at every turn, even though she was the one to put the words in his mouth when he was nervous.
Brad lightened the mood with a smile. His beautiful green eyes lowered to the curve of her breast and the smoothness of her chest and neck. “God, you’re beautiful.” The heat in his words was obvious.
Aliyah took her hands from his shoulders and gave him a reassuring smile. If he needed to take it slow, she would respect that. She could see that he struggled to reign in his emotion and desire and so she helped him by backing away and giving him her most wholesome wink. “Well, well, well. It would seem that we kiss well!”
Brad was relieved that she had let the mood change. Even though he felt a strong pull from his hardness, he gave her a chaste peck on the cheek and said, “All right, I’m going, I’m going. I… want to see you again.”
Aliyah looked at him and said, “I think you can tell that I want to see you, too.” This time she did give him her phone number. He got out of her car and went to his own. They drove away from each other thinking of that passionate kiss.
His confusion had mounted as he drove home. He wondered how he could have developed such strong feelings for this woman so quickly. He had never fallen so fast and he was worried about what to do next. He’d told himself that he was merely observing Aliyah out of curiosity. He never imagined that he would develop feelings for her.
At home, Mary was usually asleep at this time since she was an early to rise, early to bed kind of lady. Tonight, she was sitting up with her knitting and watching reruns of her favorite old sitcoms. There was something comforting about seeing her doing this familiar thing after his surprising evening.
The large house was full of people sleeping or going about their nightly rituals. He could hear the cook rattling around softly in the kitchen. Her insomnia was well known to everyone in the house, but she managed to keep the noise down.
Mary had known that her boy would need her when he got home. Some kind of maternal instinct gave her clues even though she had never given birth to a biological child of her own. Brad and Mary talked the cook into make some of her famous hot cocoa and the Brad slipped some Bailey’s into his cup. They sat by the fire in the cozy sitting room and chatted mindlessly for an hour. Brad was thankful for the distraction and the talk with Mary helped him to quell his desire. They parted with a soft hug, and withdrew to their rooms on opposite sides of the enormous house.
***
Aliyah woke the next morning with a combination of joy and apprehension. She couldn’t imagine what would cause a man who so obviously was attracted to her to change his mind and back away. He has obviously swung from attraction and desire to concern. He created an emotional divide that was almost visible to her.
It was hard to get up so early after a late night, but it was Friday and she could sleep in the next day before Jenna’s birthday party. She dressed in another custom uniform that she knew would cheer up her patients. It would be strange not to see Barb there, but the family had been kind enough to tell her that Barb had settled in well. The adjustments to the home that were suggested by New Hope had eased the transition and Barb had regained even more memories when she had arrived home.
Aliyah was surprised at the chill in the autumn air. She pulled her winter coat out for the first time that year and wondered how long before she would need snow boots to get around in comfort.
When she arrived at the break room early, Amber was surprised to see her reach for a cup of coffee. “No barista coffee today?” Amber raised her eyebrow and observed Aliyah critically. “I take it the date didn’t end well. I’m surprised. He seemed to be really into you.” She took a long drink of her own coffee. “And he’s a knock out! What happened?”
Amber really needed her coffee that morning. Jenna’s sleep patterns were all over the place and Amber felt that she would never get a good night’s sleep again. Even with the help of her mother and Aliyah, single parenting was a challenge and coffee was a lifesaver!
Aliyah looked at the swirls in her cup as she poured in the cheap creamer provided by New Hope. “I know he’s gorgeous and I really like him… A lot…” She took a sip and sighed. “We had a great kiss and it was going so well. We have a lot in common, but after the kiss… I don’t know… He seemed to change.”
“Change?! Change how?” Amber’s patience with men had been tested to the breaking point. She hadn’t the time or energy for any kind of guessing games. “If he’s messing around with you, you should dump his sorry ass.” She didn’t mince words when she was angry.
Aliyah had to laugh through her confusion because Amber’s blatant talk put a fine point on any subject. “Oh, Amber. I don’t know. He was very respectful. Maybe he needs time. I can understand that. After all, we just met and have no mutual friends, but he became so distant and he gets this look in his eyes like he is keeping a secret.”
Amber hesitated for a moment. “If he’s married or engaged or something like that, I’m going to kill him myself. You don’t think he’s after you for your money, do you?” That made both of the girls laugh. “Oh, maybe we are overreacting, hon. I’m just being an old bat.” She laughed at her own flaws. “Ever since my problems with Jenna’s dad, I’ve been a real downer about men, but you’ve got something with that one. He’s obviously a nice guy but I would keep an eye on him if I were you.”
This made Aliyah snort a laugh since Amber was only a few years older than she was and was usually upbeat.
Before heading out to
do her rounds, Amber paused again. “Honey, I haven’t seen you as happy as you were last night in… Well… Ever! Talk to him about it. So many of my relationships went badly because we didn’t really talk. Why not start at the beginning?”
Their eyes met and Aliyah felt gratitude for such a caring friend. She nodded and sat down to finish her cup of coffee. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to stop her feelings for this man, even if she tried.
Aliyah had felt some passion before, but the pull to Brad was way beyond anything she had ever imagined. She had always wondered about story lines in movies where people fell in love without a moment’s hesitation. She loved some of those movies, but she found them implausible. In her reality, women got hurt often and men were often cagey. Amber’s experience was a prime example of that.
As if on cue, James’ number came up on her caller ID. She pressed the button to reject the call and prepared herself for a day of lifting, smiling, and encouraging. Her own worries, desires, and hopes went on the back burner while she devoted herself to the brave people struggling in each room of this facility.
Chapter3
The next day, Aliyah woke to the sunlight. She loved these days when the sun woke her instead of the alarm clock. She could see the leaves changing colors on the tree outside of her window and she smiled to herself. Her little apartment was warm and her bed urged her to lay and stretch for a few more minutes. As she lay stretching, her phone rang. She leaned over and took it off of the stand. The number she hoped to see lit up her phone and her heart. She answered and the softness of her voice made Brad worry that he had woken her up.
“No, no. Don’t worry. I was awake; it’s a gorgeous morning, although I haven’t seen much of it yet.” She was so glad to hear his voice. It was deep and she could almost feel the bass tones resonate in her body as he spoke.
“I don’t meant to be presumptuous,” he began, “I know that today is the party for your friend’s baby. I’ve already been out this morning and picked up a gift for her. I know I should have waited to find out what she wanted or needed, but I was up early and when I went to the toy store, a teddy bear just about jumped into my cart.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” She sat up on one elbow and smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I’m sure Jenna will love it. You didn’t have to do that!”
“I know, but I wanted to.” He paused and the same uncomfortable silence ensued as it did every other time a decision had to be made about whether they would see each other or not.
“I don’t want to intrude, so if you want, I could just drop it off at your apartment before you go to the party.”
Aliyah almost rolled her eyes in frustration. Did she always have to ask this man out? “Amber invited you, too. You’re welcome to come with me if you would like.”
Brad jumped at the chance to spend more time with her and he truly enjoyed picking out gifts for Jenna that morning. After tossing and turning all night with thoughts of Aliyah’s soft body, smooth skin, and intense kiss on his mind, it was virtually impossible for him to sleep. He woke up in the morning and made excuses to leave the house at an unheard of hour before touching breakfast.
“I’d like that very much. May I pick you up?” Brad was glad that he didn’t have to ask to see her again. That would seem too overt in his mind.
“Of course, Brad. I’d be glad to have you with me.” Aliyah paused for a moment and ran her tongue over her top lip. “But, Brad…” The pause lengthened as she tried to think of the best way to confront him about his inability to ask her out.
Brad jumped in. “If this is a family-type affair and you want to go alone, I won’t be offended. I totally get it.” He rattled on without thinking much about his words.
“No, no!” Aliyah was alarmed to think that he might back out. She had dreamed of him all night and couldn’t wait to see him again. “That’s not what I mean. It’s just that… Brad, you don’t seem like an overly shy person, but every time the subject of our getting together comes up, you seize up. I’ve asked you out twice now and I don’t want to feel like I’m the only one trying to make plans. If you don’t want to see me…”
Brad couldn’t stand the idea of Aliyah giving up on him. In spite of his concerns, he could think of nothing but this bright, young woman. “I’ve had loved before, Aliyah.”
He didn’t seem to be giving up any more information but Aliyah could tell that he had been hurt in some way. “We’ve all been hurt before, but I feel like we have something special going on. I just need to know one thing. Do you think that you could give love another chance in your heart?”
Brad smiled tenderly at the phone. “Yes. I don’t think I have a choice, Aliyah. I’ve never felt like this before.”
They made arrangements for the day. They planned to meet at her apartment and then head to the party for Jenna. Aliyah was alive with excitement. She hadn’t picked up on the underlying sorrow in Brad’s tone. She only heard the signs that he cared deeply for her already and was ready to move forward with their relationship.
Brad reached across the desk and stroked the picture frame of another picture of the same beautiful young woman who peered from photos positioned around the room. In this photo, she was on horseback and wearing an expensive riding outfit. It was obvious that she was in some kind of equine competition. She sat astride the horse with confidence and her look toward the camera showed that she was more than fond of the person taking the picture. Her blond hair was tied back neatly and her boots were shined. Everything about her showed that she was a woman who had been cared for all of her life. The fine horse looked like a good competitor and the hand she laid on his neck indicated that she and the horse were attached to each other.
Brad turned from the picture and gathered the gifts in the room. He hit the proper button on the intercom. “Mary. I need help, please. How do you wrap a teddy bear?” He could hear Mary cackle from the other end of the intercom.
“Bring it to the servant’s hall, dear. I’ve got my hands full, but I’ll have the maid bring wrapping supplies for us.”
He gathered up the toys and almost ran to the servant’s hall.
When Mrs. Case had designed the home, she was progressive about the quarters for the servants. The servant’s hall was roomy and airy. It was tastefully decorated and comfort was everywhere. Mary was sitting on the couch shelling peas. The cook usually did these jobs, but she had to go to an appointment and Mary offered to do this job while icing her bad foot. She looked quite comfortable with her foot propped on a cushioned stool. Brad could hear the beans snap and hit the bowl in a rhythmic way.
When Mary saw Brad walk through the door, she gasped. “That’s not a teddy bear, that’s a bed!” She chuckled at the oversized teddy bear with a big, pink bow.
The brown bear was fluffy and well-made. Mary knew the bear was much larger than any one-year-old child, but she decided not to say anything to Brad about it. The child would grow into it and the child’s mother would find it adorable. “Well, my boy. You won’t be able to wrap that, but don’t worry. The bow is enough to make it festive. Besides, you have plenty of other gifts for the child to open. You have to know that a one year old will be more interested in the paper than the gift, anyway!”
Brad looked momentarily concerned but then flashed Mary his best smile. “I’ll trust you with this. You always made my birthdays perfection.” Brad insisted that Mary continue icing her foot and so she talked him through the process of wrapping the gifts.
They laughed uproariously when he had to re-wrap the same gift four times due to clumsy mistakes and problems with the tape. Brad usually had gifts wrapped in the store, but he had been in a hurry to get home to call Aliyah and now he was enjoying wrapping the gifts with his own hands. He chose a pink, shiny paper that he hoped would catch the baby girl’s attention. There were ribbons and floral decorations so that, once finished, the gifts looked like something from a magazine photo shoot.
Mary saw another bag sitting near him on the floor. “
What about that one?” She pointed to the little bag and Brad looked sheepish.
“That was an impulse purchase,” he admitted and hurriedly put it in his pocket. He didn’t want Mary to see the tiny box inside of the bag and so he made excuses to hurry out of the room.
He loaded the trunk with the baby gifts and got into his car. He pulled the little box out of his pocket and opened it to see the ruby necklace winking back at him. He hadn’t meant to buy Aliyah a gift, but he saw the necklace in the window as he walked through the mall to get to the toy store. Normally, he shopped at a famous jewelers the family had worked with for years, but this small branch of Tiffany’s had exquisite jewelry that even his particular mother was drawn to.
The ruby was brilliant and encircled by flawless diamonds. He knew that an extravagant gift at this stage would be too much, but he couldn’t help but buy it because the large stone would nestle beautifully on the rich tones of Aliyah’s skin. The unique design was obviously made by an artisan and the platinum setting was perfectly balanced with stones. Even the clasp was a work of art. Brad knew that he couldn’t possibly give this to Aliyah today, but he felt satisfied knowing that he had secured the lovely item. He put it in the glove compartment and started the car.
When he got to Aliyah’s house, he rapped on her door. She was pleased to find that he was a gentleman who came to the door rather than texting or honking the horn. Most of the men she had gone out with learned rapidly that she wouldn’t respond like a dog who was called by his master. She expected a man to treat her with dignity. When she felt unsure about the way a man treated her, she thought about how she would want Trinity to be treated when she became old enough to date. That was usually enough to settle any confusion on her part.
Brad was pleased to see her darling, little apartment. It was obvious that she had taken great care to set up a little home for herself that was comfortable and stylish. She was obviously working with a budget, but she chose each piece carefully and a little paint and fabric went a long way toward brightening her corner of the world.