by Tina Pollick
Both Arianna and Claire gasped loudly. “Nora!”
Claire muffled a laugh and yanked Nora’s glass from her tight grip. “You’ve had enough. You really don’t mean that.” Claire glanced over her shoulder and called to the waiter to start bringing water over.
Nora stared at her empty hands. Behind a crease of her palm, a hint of white gold wrapped around her finger twinkled under the club lights.
Her wedding band.
Nora flipped her hand over, captivated by its beauty. Why hadn’t she taken it off before? In the background, the music softened to a slower whirl of musical tones. Nora swayed to the sweet melody. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, a tender smile which revealed many whispered, loving confessions and sweet kisses.
Claire cleared her throat, jerking Nora out of her reverie, and with a coy smile she crooned, “A smile like that surely means opposite of divorce.”
“Just thinking how I’ve missed out on this Vodka fun all these years,” Nora lied.
Claire gave a demanding expression through the thick lashes of her green eyes.
Nora staggered off the chair and grabbed the counter waiting for her rubber legs to steady themselves.
“I’m up for some dancing. How about you guys?”
Claire and Arianna shrugged and stood.
“Sure.”
Chapter 2
Nora’s amusement on the dance floor took her friends by surprise. She had transformed by persuasion of booze. Together they laughed hysterically, wobbling around the dance floor.
Nora had begged the staff to lower the dancer’s cages to climb in.
Nora had the patrons in stitches from her attempts of exotic dancing. Only a few minutes passed until Arianna couldn’t handle the embarrassment any longer and pleaded the staff to bring her drunken friend back down.
Regardless of the informal act and public humiliation, Nora’s charm endured-- men all around were enamored by her. It took a lot of convincing from her friends, but eventually she agreed to the offers of dances and free drinks.
She was having a blast until one too many twirls rendered her a human water fountain. Tidal waves of blue colored streams splashed onto her dancing neighbors, straight up exorcist shit.
Nora rushed for the restrooms, mortified.
She scrutinized her hazy reflection in the filthy mirror, choking down the need to scream. She scrubbed at her face and dress fiercely then ambled into an empty stall. She pinched her brows together and slid down the wall.
Truth is, she couldn’t find the drive to have a goodtime. What’s worse is that she couldn’t find the truth behind wanting the divorce. Was it really for the best? Or was she indeed blind to the reasoning of his evasiveness? She’d been nothing but affectionate to him, could his altered passion really be blamed on her? All of these questions nagged her into a riot, no longer able to hold back, she cried out. She felt a warm trickles slide down her cheek.
“Nora, sweetie?” Claire’s voice echoed off the tiled walls, her heel-wrapped toes peeking from under the stall.
“Open up.”
Nora salvaged her panting breath before stretching up for the lock.
“Ready to talk?”
Nora shook her head, and then hunched over to dry her eyes with the hem of her dress.
Claire sat on the back of her heels and coaxed Nora into a sitting position, embracing her warmly. Nora shifted her head onto her friend’s chest, reminiscing the day she found Jayce-- a stranger then-- lying in a pool of his own blood by the driver’s side of his patrol car.
The day she thought she had finally found her place in this world.
She stayed by his side, holding him until the ambulance arrived. He had asked if she were an angel. He suffered from so much blood loss, she didn’t have the heart to tell him no, and nodded.
He lifted a stained hand, pulled her in closer, and kissed her softly above her brow. With a winded voice, he thanked her.
Nora’s surroundings suddenly blurred and the bathroom stall faded right before her, drifting off to a distant memory.
****
Nora approached the nurse’s counter and signed her name into the empty fields of a ragged sign-in sheet. Room 168: Jayce Bailey.
Jayce expressed his fondness for the girl who saved him to his colleagues and requested that they’d be sure she knew of his whereabouts and that she’d visit him often. Flattered and quickly attached, she refused to miss a single day. Infatuation blossomed between them over the following weeks.
She made her way down the familiar, stark, hallway with a bag full of his favorite treats. Upon reaching the door, she fixed her hair, letting her curls drape over her shoulder, and propped against the door frame, seductively posing in her usual playful manner.
“Hope you’re decent, Officer. Bailey,” she purred.
When there was no answer, she padded towards the bedside curtains and guardedly tugged them open, finding an empty bed.
She spun in circles observing the room puzzled. Her handsome officer was nowhere to be found. When she turned to look back towards the bed, it was then she noticed a yellow notepad placed on the bedside table. Nora bit down on her lip as she reached out to read the note.
“For the best.” she read out loud, stunned.
“Ms. Florence?” Nora’s head shot up to see Dr. Bryce standing in the threshold, who regarded her wounded expression with sympathy.
“He didn’t tell you he was being released?”
Nora shook her head, and ran for her car and drove home, numb.
How foolish was she to fall for a man who obviously lived the wild side, men who risk their lives on a daily basis. Sorrow filled the weeks to come. The next several days were spent in bed-- risk of losing her job loomed, and bated breath threatened the life right out of her. Her will to move didn’t come until the day she received a call from an unfamiliar number and an inexplicable sense she’d better answer. A call which changed the course of her destiny for years to come.
“Hello?” her voice quaked.
“Nora?”
There it was. The memorable, alluring, deep voice made of dreams. Her throat tightened.
“Who is this?” she faked. Tense silence filled the airwaves.
“Jayce.”
Nora’s heart began to pound against her chest like a hostage pleading for freedom.
“Nora?”
A sting in her lungs made her realize she had forgotten to breathe. She put the phone down to catch her breath and finally replied.
“Yeah?”
“Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?”
Silence resumed. “Nora, I’d like to apologize. I can’t stop thinking about you and--”
Nora interrupted eagerly, “Yes. Where?”
****
“He’s scared.” Nora’s hypnotic gaze broke free of the recollection.
“Scared?”
Nora rattled her head. “With moving forward in our marriage.” She didn’t want to explain further, couldn’t find the words. She glanced at her watch aimlessly and panicked when she saw the time. She scrambled to her feet and whipped through the stall door then broke into a blundering jog.
“Where are you going?” Claire shouted following her.
“I have to go, last bus runs soon.”
“I’ll drive you home.”
Nora lifted her hand in a halting gesture, “Please, I need to clear my head.”
They reached the bar and Nora gathered her belongings then kissed Claire and Arianna goodbye at the bar.
“We’ll chat tomorrow?” Claire asked, hugging Nora tightly.
She nodded and walked through the dancing crowd.
Nora shivered as she stepped past the clubs threshold, the cold California night breeze bit at her bare legs. She realized with every stumbling step, the drinks were still heavy in her system. Perhaps making the trip alone in her condition wasn’t bright after all.
It wasn’t too late to take Claire up on her offer. But before she could decide
, she saw the bus squeezing its way through the downtown traffic. She took a deep breath, and muttered to herself, “Could use an adventure.” She concentrated on stepping one foot in front of the other towards the bus stop and waited for the bus to break.
The screeching doors peeled open and she began to pull herself up the first step when she noticed a tall man running in her periphery, approaching rapidly. She glanced to the side, curious. Big. Freaking. Mistake. A jolt of panic and paranoia rushed swiftly through her veins. Her hand slid off the rail, falling on her ass.
The driver glided gallantly down as she shuffled back to her feet. She brushed his hands off from her arm, swearing under her breath to never again touch alcohol for the rest of her life. She glanced up, he was getting closer. Still incapable of decent decisions under the influence, rather than climb up the steps of the bus, she kicked off her shoes and booked it down the pavement, leaving all of her belongings at the crash site. Her husband’s sedative voice boomed through the wake of her battering feet. Maybe she should have just thrown herself under the bus.
Literally.
Chapter 3
Nora clawed and tripped her way through throngs of people as if running for her life.
As she rounded a tight corner, a tug on her dress at the small of her back hindered her from running any further and stumbled back into her captor’s statuesque physique. His heavy hand whipped her around by the elbow, pushing her against the brick wall.
“What the fuck is this?”
Unable to meet his stare, though she felt its burning glare, she eyeballed the envelope pushing against her chest and cleared her throat to reply, “Div…”
“Rhetorical, Nora,” Jayce snapped, rage laced each syllable.
“My question is, why.”
For a man who’s fit and jogs on a daily basis, his rapid breath seemed out of place.
She could only imagine his expression. Nora dared herself to look up. As her eyes landed on his, an urge to cry plagued her. His face grew soft and relaxed his grip around her.
“Nora, baby,” he trailed on but she didn’t hear as reality began to fade away.
Everything tangible was replaced by desire. Seeing him standing there, scorched any sense left in her.
Now that she stole a glance at him, she couldn’t avert her gaze. Her eyes began to scan the length of his body, heat rising from deep within her belly. His long legs were clad in LAPD blue cargo pants, tight in all the right places. His utility belt draped around his wide hips perfectly, and the rise and fall of his broad, thick, chest enthralled her.
His messy blonde hair--such a rebel cop--the curves of his high, chiseled cheekbones, his plump lips and the tenderness etched across his face is what undid her. Nora’s breath increased and sweat broke across her chest as she slowly undressed him with her eyes. She wished he hadn’t confronted her in such a state of weakness. The urge to take him right there, overwhelmed her.
Right. Here. Against the flat cool surface of the building wall, the ultimate public affair.
Before she knew it, her hands were perched on the notch of his belt.
Jayce lifted her chin with a gentle finger, “Wait, did you actually have a drink?” Jayce’s expression was a mixture of disbelief but yet, impressed.
Nora squeaked prudently, “Several, actually.”
He put his head down, shaking it and laughing-- a shy, delightful sound.
Nora cringed and pulled away quickly and refocused on her surroundings-- as if released from hypnosis. His beauty alone was intoxicating. Nora was more confused than ever. How is she to finalize the divorce if she can’t deny what his closeness does to her?
“Why are you here, Jayce.” It wasn’t a question.
Jayce’s expression changed solemnly. “This little surprise was handed to me on my lunch break,” he said, waving the folder irritably. “Your parents said you’d be here.”
Nora held out her hand expectantly, “Did you sign them?”
Jayce stepped back, “Yes, Nora, I came all this way, took the rest of my shift off, and chased you half a block to happily hand them over.” Sarcasm dripped from every livid word.
Nora ignored the retort. “I did it as a favor; you won’t have to be tied down any longer.”
If looks could kill, Jayce’s intent and enraged glower would have strangled her.
A low growl escaped his throat. “You think I want this?”
“You didn’t stop me from leaving.”
Jayce stepped forward fiercely, and slammed both fists on either side of Nora against the wall as if he were ready to combust. When he saw her wince, he dropped his forehead gently atop of hers, sighing deeply.
“You’re killing me, woman.”
Her chin started to quiver, close to another sob.
He kissed her forehead, “Why are we doing this?”
A million things she wanted to say, she wracked her brain to spew anything intellectual or intelligible. Coming up short, she began to giggle without warning.
Jayce was stunned, but his exotic, sensual smile which always drove Nora nuts, broke free helplessly. “You don’t handle your booze too well,” he mocked. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow. Don’t think I am just going to let this slide by.”
Jayce took both of Nora’s hands, peeling her frail body from the wall. Nora slacked at the knees, falling. She cackled louder as he lowered and grabbed her behind the knees and a firm hand on the small of her back, he gathered her up from off the ground, snug against his hard chest.
Nora shrieked and waved at passer-by's as he carried her towards the patrol vehicle. “I’ve been naughty.” She reached back and tugged on the cuffs latched to his belt and threw her head back, laughing wholeheartedly.
Jayce blushed brightly, “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to stuff you in the back seat of the car,” he quipped, setting her down as he unlocked the passenger door.
“I wish you would, Officer,” she crooned, cupping his cheeks and winking. If his cheeks weren’t red enough, it hit maximum hue right then as a group of younger guys applauded him as they passed.
“Walked right into that the innuendo as usual, you dirty boy,” Nora blurted; now laughing hysterically. He placed a heavy hand on her head and pushed her inside the car.
Chapter 4
Nora rolled over onto her back. The smooth cool sensation of silk sheets against her bare skin reminded her of home. When she fluttered her eyes open, she realized she was indeed home, in her own bed. Jayce loomed over her, his hot breath tickling the break between her breasts. She smiled lovingly at him as she bent forward and bit at the lobe of his ear. His breast badge pushed into her exposed belly. The coldness of the metal made her crave his warmth. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him up.
She felt his hardened length between her legs, and dragged her fingers up the buttons of his uniform top. Starting from the collar, she began to undo them one by one.
Each nibble and kiss into the side of her neck, forced her into a fervent state. She hastily unbuttoned and unfastened the notch of his belt to tear it off from his waist, tossing it to the ground with one hand, the other, slipping behind the top his trousers. As she uncovered and pulled out the length of him with a tight, stroking hand, a jingling sound echoed throughout the room.
Nora peered around the room, unnerved and utterly muddled. Her sight suddenly clouded-- she blinked a few times to make sense of her surroundings. Standing near the closet, her husband shoved his feet into his black combat boots, dressing for work apparently. She lowered her brow, feeling as if she had just missed something.
“Morning, sunshine,” Jayce drawled, his carnal smile dazzled despite the dimness of the room.
Her heart skipped a beat and a blazing heat swirled in her core. She strained herself to avoid his wolfish stare before everything suddenly clicked. Terror instilled within her. She frantically looked on either side of her, and then between her legs. Oh, thank God. She was still fully clothed. Just a dream.
“What the hell am I doing here?” She flopped against the pillows; hand on her forehead, breaking into a sweat.
Jayce feigned confusion, shrugging with hands high, “Wait, that wasn't you who signed the title and mortgage with me? Huh.”
She despised that he was too beautiful to be effectively angry with; his dimples which dented each cheek with pure perfection robbed her of anything smart to say.
Jayce watched Nora kick off the covers frantically, biting back laughter.
Nora pushed past him, deciding she might as well slip into something more comfortable from her own wardrobe while she’s here.
“We needed to talk. Besides, would you have really wanted me to drop you off at your parents drunk?”
Nora walked out of the closet, pointing accusingly at him with a shoe, “I gave you a chance to talk before you left, and you didn’t even call me then, either.”Nora stormed out of the room, pulling on a lace skirt and black sweater.
Jayce flanked her, keeping up, “I was respecting your wishes. I figured you’d come back after cooling off, and I’d have the words gathered to explain exactly what’s on my mind.”
Nora whirled around, “You had two years, Jayce. Two. Freaking.Years to talk. I’m done waiting.”
Jayce paused with a look of contemplation; the ample arcs of his lips slanted into a frown, and then turned on his heel back towards the bedroom. When he returned, he slammed the envelope which carried the divorce papers onto the kitchen counter, grabbed a pen, and whipped out the packet with fury.
Nora watched anxiously as he scribbled over different pages, her chest tightening. It’s actually happening. No backing out now. Dread poisoned her thoughts.
No.
She can’t let him keep hurting her like this, it needs to be done. Nora watched as the girth of his back inflated, followed by a hiss of air. He peered over his shoulder with vacant eyes and pivoted solemnly towards her. His gaze shifted downward as he hesitatingly handed over the complete packet.