by Dee Carney
When she unlocked the back door, he was not where she had left him. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops just outside of the door and walked the perimeter of the yard to find him. She found him in the front yard surveying the street in both directions. He did not even appear cognizant of his ill-fitting clothing or lack of shoes. Walking up behind him, she stopped when she saw him start in surprise and his hand reach for his hip at her approach. The gesture seemed oddly reminiscent of a police officer whose hand instinctively reaches for his gun when threatened. She thought again of a possible military connection and tucked the thought away to address later.
He smiled down at her and said, “Did you make your decision, Lisa?"
She'd forgotten about the hastily made up name. When to let him know the right one? Trying to still remain at least a little bit cautious, she decided it would suffice until she felt more comfortable.
"For a few days only,” she emphasized, “you can stay here.” She still couldn't believe she was saying the words. “In exchange, you'll be doing some projects around the house that I had planned on doing."
Nicholas nodded his assent, but did not speak. She continued.
"There will be ground rules. One, you are permitted into the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom where you'll sleep. You do not stray from those areas into any of the others. Understood?"
He nodded again.
"Two. No guests of any kind.” When he started to smile, she hurried on, feeling foolish. “Three. As soon as I say you leave, that's it. You leave. No questions asked."
"All fair rules, Lisa. I agree to them and any others you decide are necessary. I am in your debt.” He gazed at her, his eyes soft.
Involuntarily she straightened her back, widening the distance between their bodies. She felt a slight burn to her cheeks and scalp, a burden of his eyes boring into hers. Averting her eyes away, she internally admonished herself for cowardice.
"What's going on?” She glanced around the neighborhood.
"I remember some things,” he replied. He shifted his weight and Anna's eyes were drawn to his naked feet.
"That's good, isn't it?” When he didn't respond, she continued on. “What do you remember?"
He shifted restlessly again. The movement was not lost on her, but she wasn't sure of its significance yet.
"This reminds me of my home. I'm certain I'm not too far away."
She smiled and glanced at her watch. Mystery solved in just under four hours. Her smile faltered when she realized he did not share her joy.
"You're not too far away from home, but you're not happy?” Nothing this man said or did made any sense.
"Perhaps remember is too strong a word. You might describe it as more of a feeling."
"Oh.” Her shoulders slumped and she felt small. Easy come, easy go. “It doesn't matter. It's progress. And speaking of, we have a lot of work to do today. You ready to get started?"
He nodded and they walked back to the house where Anna went inside to retrieve her purse while he waited outside. True to her promise to herself earlier, her keys were still in the shorts’ pocket. By the time she came back outside, even though it was only minutes later, she found Nicholas staring at the neighborhood again. His face was emotionless and she felt torn for him.
"Do you have yard tools?” He hadn't turned to look at her, so the question caught her off guard. She showed him where they were inside of the garage and indicated that she would leave the garage door open for his use. That, however, would be the only door left open for him. Anna watched him remove a small pick axe and tried unsuccessfully to banish the goose bumps that rose when she saw the potential weapon in his hand. Her heart rate increased as he walked towards her, but the adrenaline that was starting to surge subsided when he continued past her without pausing. She told his retreating back that she would be back later and all but ran to the waiting Honda.
Several hours later when she had returned, she rounded the corner to the backyard and stopped in her tracks. Anna felt her eyes go round with surprise and her mouth went dry.
Sweet Jesus.
Shirtless, Nicholas stood near the house with running water from the hose cascading over his head and torso. From where she stood, she could see the small pimples across his skin where the cold water licked him. Remembering to start breathing again, she watched a particular trail traveling from his right shoulder in a haphazard pattern down to the small of his back. The damn pants got in the way of watching the trail further down his body.
He washed himself, oblivious to her presence. She stood transfixed, unwilling to let him know she was there. He switched the hose to the other hand and she licked her lips when the dirt that speckled his chest and shoulder started to drizzle down his body with the falling water. She must have made a noise or he felt her presence because, too quickly for her, he stiffened and opened his eyes. He gave her a toothy smile and took a long drink of the water from the hose. She watched the water play on his tongue and lips and felt lightning strike through her stomach and below. He glanced at her again before reaching to turn the faucet off. Walking towards her, his hands swept over his hair, wringing the excess moisture from his scalp.
"Are you alright?” He moved quickly and stepped into her personal space. “You seem flushed."
This time, the heat rose not only to her cheeks and scalp. Anna felt the burn cover her to the tips of her fingers and toes. If she had doubted it before, she knew for certain now that it had been too long for her without a good romp in the hay. Almost every gesture he made seemed overly sexual and directed towards her. This had to be her imagination, right? She took a step back and, dismayed, watched him step forward again. The gap between their bodies remained small. It felt as if the energy from their mutual bodies was crackling with life.
"I brought back stuff for you in the car,” she mumbled. She took a slow step backwards and then another when he did not move. She turned to move away and glanced over her shoulder to ensure he was following. He called to her before she'd gone too far though.
"Are you going to comment on the work first?"
He sounded so disappointed that Anna turned back around quickly. Now that he gave her an excuse to look at something besides his body, she did survey the backyard. True enough, it had been transformed. The weeds that had previously made up the boundary to the property were gone. The hedges had also been properly weeded and trimmed back to a state of glory. Forgetting her previous reticence, she turned to him grinning.
"I can't believe you did this.” There was still much work that needed to be done, but the transformation was remarkable. In fact, not in the three years of owning the house or in the months prior when the house had been for sale had the yard been in this condition. She surveyed it from end to end. Purple potato vines had taken over as ruler supreme of the back corner, but she could see why it had been originally planted. The reddish-purple of the leaves were a stark contrast to the vibrant green of the hedges and sparse clumps of grass. When the grass was fully established, the vine would break up the monotony beautifully.
Anna realized too that the ground had been tilled. She looked back in awe at Nicholas. Some day when she had decided to undertake this project, she had planned on renting a machine to do this back-breaking task.
"I can't believe you did this,” she repeated.
At first, Nicholas wasn't sure of her feelings. The fact that she hadn't at first acknowledged his efforts had been disconcerting. As he watched her walk from section to section, at times stopping to run her fingers along the thinned plants and shrubs, he was reassured. The work truly hadn't been that difficult, albeit lengthy, and allowed him the opportunity to think methodically.
Nicholas was confident that he was where his home existed. The landscape assured him that he was only meters away from his home. Or, at least, what should have been his home. This place was newer and more teemed with life. The large oak tree that sat on the border of his home was here, but not as large or gnarled as the one he was used to. What
he needed to solve now was how he came here during this time. Surely that was the difference? He was in another time—same place, but another time. Along the same thought continuum was the question of if he were to return to his own time, how was that achieved? Even after replaying the battle scene in his mind over and over, he could not identify one specific moment that could have initiated this change. If he could not identify the instigator of change, there would be little chance of going back on his own terms.
The last disturbing thought he had along these lines was whether in fact he wanted to return. His life as a Soldier was fulfilling, against its infamous beginnings. Age worked against him, however, and his ability to live through each battle was waning. If he went back, he could gauge his life expectancy in terms of months, not years. He had decided that he wanted to live and he wanted to spend his years living with a woman like Lisa. There was something about this woman who was braver than she realized but who also had a kind heart. She was a little naïve, but it had worked in his favor. He would be certain to not betray this little bit of trust that she placed in him. If she gave him the opportunity though, he had already made plans to kiss her lips until they were swollen and lost all sense of feeling. He wanted to lose himself in those lips. Nicholas watched them now as she grinned broadly at him.
"Come on. I have a surprise for you.” She led him towards the front of the house and the waiting blue car. He put the t-shirt over his damp head and pulled it into place as they walked. The trunk to the car had been propped open and immediately visible were half a dozen full plastic bags.
"Not only did I get some groceries, I got you some clothes.” She handed four of the bags to him. “Because they're going to be work clothes, I hope you don't mind that some of them are second-hand. And I got you some shoes too."
"I am grateful that you thought of me at all. I did not expect it.” He was genuinely surprised.
"Well, I can't have you half-wearing my clothes while you're here.” She started gathering more bags and when he moved to intercept them, she indicated for him to get the bags of soil and grass seed that were under the groceries. They walked inside first and she showed him the bedroom where he could store his items. He stopped long enough to put on a better fitting pair of pants and the shoes. The pants fit perfectly while the shoes were a half size too big. He thanked her again on his way out and she told him to thank the fit to the years of sales in retail when she had worked her way through school. She said she was starting dinner and he could clean up while she got it ready.
* * * *
Anna was standing at a cutting board slicing tomatoes and cucumbers when Nicholas walked in, still damp from the shower. She had already set two places at the table and not a moment too soon. His stomach was protesting loudly.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You can cook?” Anna didn't mean for the words to come out so shrilly with an inflection at the end, but there it was.
He ducked his head and didn't look into her eyes. “Not like this."
"What's this?” She looked around. “This is only frozen ravioli that I'm throwing some jarred sauce over. Chopped salad to go with it and voila!"
He said nothing and she sighed inwardly. He was being a polite guest by offering to help and she was not only refusing the help, but mocking him for not being able to help. Maybe her mother's lessons on good manners hadn't taken after all. “Help yourself to some pasta. The salad will be done in a sec."
Nicholas went to the small table and sat there without reaching for any of the food. When she came over, she placed the bowl of vegetables on the table and reached for the pasta herself. He waited patiently for her to finish with the pasta and then offered her the salad bowl. When she declined, he pierced the crisp vegetables with a fork and proceeded to mound a large portion onto his plate. Wide-eyed, she watched him work his way through two helpings, the salad dressing bottle off to the side and ignored.
Glancing up at her, his ears darkened a little and he grinned. “I do not get to have vegetables or fruits very often. I enjoy them."
"Eat up, darling. There's a lot more where that came from."
"Really?” He slowed his chewing and put the fork down next to his plate. Anna could feel him watching her as she pushed the food around on her place.
"Is there something wrong?” he asked.
"I think you remember more than you are telling me.” She sighed and sat back against the chair. Her brown eyes reached his. “What is it that you don't want me to know? On the one hand, I'm really trying to do the humane thing and help you out. But I gotta admit that, on the other hand, I'm still a little freaked out."
They both started when the doorbell rang as she finished the sentence. Anna stared at him a moment longer and then rose to answer it.
When she was no longer in his sight, he stood quickly and grabbed the chef's knife from the cutting board. He held the instrument deftly in his hand as he pressed himself into the doorway leading into the next room. He saw her as she glanced out of the window and then laughed as she opened the front door. His posture relaxed and the knife was replaced where he had found it.
"Girl, what are you doing here?” Anna shrieked. She was glad for the distraction that Lucy provided. She opened the door wider and allowed her friend inside. A short black woman stepped into the room, bearing flowers. She whispered something low and both women laughed. “Come on back. We were just getting something to eat. You hungry?"
When the two women walked into the kitchen, Anna could feel herself beaming. Lucy was a pretty woman and the first thing anyone ever noticed about her when she walked into a room was her broad, white smile. She watched Nicholas's predictable response to her friend in the form of a grin.
Lucy, her typical self, stopped short when he came into sight and let out a low whistle. “Anna, you said he was gorgeous, but damn!"
His hand went under his chin and his head tilted to the side. “Anna? You said I was gorgeous?” he mocked.
"You can never keep your mouth shut. I told you he thought my name was Lisa.” Anna turned colors of pink previously undiscovered and Lucy hooted with laughter, holding her waist with both hands. The sound was beautiful and Nicholas chuckled in response.
"Is that what you're mad about? I thought you'd be mad because I told him what you think about his body."
"That too, you idiot.” Scowling, she glared at Lucy. “I do not know why I call you my best friend.” Reluctant introductions were made and Anna set a third place at the table. The flowers were placed in a vase and set in the middle.
"Sorry about outing you, but you know I have to live vicariously through your adventures. Why do you think I brought some romantic ambience with me?” Not believing her for one moment, Anna glared. She knew that Lucy was happily married to a consultant who was currently out of town for work. From what little she divulged, Anna guessed her life in the bedroom outdid most Penthouse write-ups. She watched as Lucy glanced at the pasta dish and vegetables and nodded her approval. “What are you serving?"
"Don't worry. No peanuts anywhere."
Anna referred to the allergen that had on two occasions sent Lucy to the hospital because of a severe anaphylactic reaction. On the last occasion, they were caught completely unawares. They had been with a group from the hospital eating Chinese food at a local haunt. Lucy had swallowed a bite of an egg roll and stilled. A flush crept over her neck and face and she began to reach for her throat. Before their horrified eyes, they saw her face and neck starting to swell. Thankfully, it was a group of healthcare workers consisting of both physicians and nurses.
Anna had frantically dumped the contents of Lucy's purse onto the table in search of her EpiPen. Located, the injector was plunged into her thigh while paramedics were called. The medical team worked quickly and efficiently while the rush of epinephrine worked from the inside. Lucy was eventually rushed to the hospital and treated more extensively. Since then, Anna kept an extra injector in both her own kitchen and purse. Tha
t day had taught the two nurses to never underestimate where peanuts or their derivatives might be found.
The chatter continued on between the two women. Nicholas did not interject very much or often, but he laughed as often as they did and Anna was that much more attracted to him for it. Although she did attempt to draw him into the banter, he politely answered any questions, but then diverted the conversation away. Anna assumed that he was not yet ready to let her know what plagued his thoughts.
"So, handsome,” Lucy tried again, “where did you get your scars?"
Anna perked up at this question. She'd wanted to know the answer since she'd seen him this morning. Lucy's lack of tact sometimes worked in her favor.
"I am a Soldier,” was his simple reply. Both women exchanged glances.
"Don't let that get out, honey. You're right smack dab in the middle of a bunch of squids.” Seeing his questioning look, Lucy continued. “It's a derogatory term for the Navy men and women who practically monopolize the city. But don't let my use of the word fool you. Heaven help any person who says a negative thing about military personnel in front of me or girlfriend here. You just don't dis’ someone who puts their life on the line for his or her country,” she admonished.
She took a final swallow from the glass next to her empty plate and stood to place the used dishes into the sink. “Thanks for the meal and fun, but I'm working seven-a to seven-p tomorrow. It has to be an early night for me."
Both Nicholas and Anna walked her to the door, where Nicholas placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. “It was truly a pleasure meeting you, Lucy. I see why you are considered Anna's friend."
Startled by his words and action, Lucy leaned over to Anna. “If you don't want him, send him my way."