by Jes Young
“Whatever,” he said, rubbing the spot as though I’d actually hurt him. “Bennett is expecting me in the Inbetween tonight anyway.” He started up the stairs and then turned and added, “Hang a tie on the door or something if you don’t want me to come in later.”
“Shut up, George.” I eyed the knickknacks on the hall table, trying to decide which to throw at him.
He continued up the stairs, his laughter trailing behind him. When he got to the top he turned to look at me. “Congratulations, my princess,” he said, sincerely. “Tomorrow we’ll figure out what your Gifts are and how to use them but go enjoy yourself tonight. You deserve a night out.”
“Thanks, I will.”
Then at the same we both said, “Don’t tell Francis.”
I heard George laugh and say something to Alex when they passed in the upstairs hall but I was too far away to know what. That made me nervous. You never knew with George what he might say.
Alex’s golden hair was still wet when he got to the bottom of the stairs. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, giving me a shy smile. He was dressed simply in a gray button up shirt and a pair of jeans but he looked perfect in them. It didn’t take much for him to look incredible, to take my breath away. He couldn’t help himself.
“I guess we know which one of us is high maintenance, huh?” I joked. Then I added, “You’re worth the wait,” without thinking.
If the look on his face as his eyes drifted over my body was any indication, he was appreciating the view from his side just as much. I heard him think Go slow.
He held my coat for me while I slipped my arms into it. Maybe he was being a gentleman but I suspected it was an excuse to stand close to me so he could whisper in my ear. “You look beautiful.” His warm breath sent a shiver up my spine.
That’s when it occurred to him that this whole outing was probably a very bad idea. “How did you convince me to do this?” he asked.
The truth is I had no idea. I just really wanted to go and I suggested it and he agreed. “Magic?”
“That must have been it.”
“Shall we go?” I asked, afraid he was about to change his mind. He nodded and opened the front door.
*********
Getting me to the car required security measures that would have made the secret service feel unprepared, but once we were on the road we both relaxed. Alex drove pretty well, for an Elf, which means that at no time during the long drive across town did I see my life flash in front of my eyes.
He asked questions, lots of questions, about me. I told him stories about my childhood in Bennett Falls, pointing out the places were significant events had taken place. The air around us had the tingling enchanted feeling it always did when we were alone but it wasn’t uncomfortable; it was more like expectant. It felt like the enchantment was as curious about how our outing would end up as I was.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he drove through the center of Bennett Falls, passing all the restaurants.
“I made a reservation for us at Brookside Farm.”
The restaurant was in a beautiful old converted barn and the food was very good, but it was one of those places where all the diners sit together at a few long tables and the food is served in big bowls that are passed around, family style. There’s no menu; when you call to make a reservation they tell you what’s for dinner that night, take it or leave it. I’d been there a few times but always with a bunch of people so almost everyone at the table was part of the group. Since it was just the two of us, Alex and I would end up sitting wherever there was room.
He glanced over at me before continuing. “I thought it would be fun; like a big family dinner. And you won’t be able to talk about Rivers or the Inbetween if there’s a crowd around. We’ll have to talk about regular things. I thought you’d like it.”
I was surprised by his choice but he was right about a table full of strangers being the best way to keep conversation light. I didn’t want to admit it but I was expecting something with candlelight and soft music for our first date.
It’s not a date, I told myself, shaking the thought away.
“If you’d rather go somewhere else….”
“No. Brookside is fine,” I said quickly, trying to convince us both that I meant it. “It’s great. It’ll be great.”
He smiled and patted my knee in a friendly way. “It will be,” he said. “You’ll see.”
And then, much to my surprise, it really was.
We sat at a table with the Olsen family, which included twin brothers Jim and John Olsen, their wives Patty and Maggie, and Grandma Olsen. They were out celebrating the senior Mrs. Olsen’s seventy-fifth birthday. She was wearing a corsage of stargazer lilies that marked her as the guest of honor.
The Olsen brothers stood up when we approached the table, greeting us like we were expected members of the party instead of party crashing strangers. I saw Patty look at Alex and then lean over to whisper something to her sister-in-law before they both giggled. I couldn’t hear them but it wasn’t hard to guess what they were saying; Alex had that effect on women.
“They’re already in love with you,” I whispered. He winked.
We ended up sitting on opposite sides of the table, with me next Patty and Maggie and Alex on Mrs. Olsen’s right. I don’t know how it happened. One minute we were standing together and the next John was moving down a seat so Alex could sit next to his mother. Alex took it all in stride, shaking hands and complimenting his way around the table. By the time the salad came, we all felt like old friends. Jim and John told sweet, funny stories about their mother. Alex told lightly edited stories about his life, taking out the parts that would have given away his real identity. I laughed with Maggie and Patty. Alex seemed completely content to give Mrs. Olsen his undivided attention. Like her daughters in law, she was completely taken with him.
When the dinner plates were cleared away John Olsen turned to Alex and said, “So son, what is that you do for a living?”
Alex smoothly answered the question without missing a beat or saying the E word. “I’m in the army, sir.” Technically, this was true. “I’m on leave right now so I get to spend a little time with my girl.” He smiled at me and Maggie and Patty sighed together on cue. “I actually came home to ask her to marry me…”
There was a squeal of delight from around the table.
“Show us the ring!” Maggie and Patty both grabbed for my hand. I held it up to show my naked ring finger.
“I’m still waiting for my answer.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Maggie asked, looking at Alex with obvious admiration.
“I’m not worried about it, Maggie,” Alex said, smiling at her. “I know she’ll come around. We belong together. In her heart, I think she knows that too.”
“Don’t let him get away,” Patty said, hitting me on the shoulder in an affectionate way. “Say yes before it’s too late, you foolish girl.”
“He hasn’t really asked me yet,” I said, playing along.
Alex said, “She’s heartless, isn’t she Mrs. O?”
“Completely,” Mrs. Olsen agreed. “But I suspect you give her reason to be.” She smiled at me and everyone laughed.
“Thank you ma’am,” I said. “Since he hasn’t asked, I haven’t answered.”
Alex raised his eyebrows, looking bemused. “What would you say if I did?”
“Ask me if you want to find out,” I said with a shrug. I think I looked braver than I felt.
“Maybe I will.”
“Maybe I’d say yes if you did.”
“Maybe,” Patty scoffed, shaking her head in dismay.
“Well now, don’t you two rush into anything,” John said. “You’ll need a lot more than ‘maybe’ to make a marriage work. When the time is right, you’ll know.” He put his hand on top of Maggie’s. John and Patty held hands too. It was very sweet.
“To true love,” Jim said, raising his glass.
“True love,” Alex said, his dee
p blue eyes locked on mine.
“To the birthday girl,” I said.
*******
Alex asked me to drive on the way home. He fiddled with the radio for a moment as I pulled out of the parking lot and then laid his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. As we wound our way back through the farms and woods that lead into Bennett Falls, I glanced over at him; his long, lean body was stretched out beside me on the passenger’s seat.
“Are you awake?” I whispered.
“Yes,” he whispered back.
I glanced over at him again. “Thank you for tonight.”
He patted my knee, careful not to let his hand linger for a second longer than necessary. “I’m glad you had fun.”
“I did.” Of course, many of the people I loved were dead and while I was out for the evening, enjoying dinner and flirting with Alex, many others were in danger. I thought of Rivers and Molly and Becky. I thought of Pop, Francis, and Matthew. For the first time that night, I thought of Robbin. “You don’t think it’s horrible of me?”
He looked confused. “What?”
“To go out and have fun.”
He put his hand on my knee again, letting it rest there until the initial shock at being touched by him gave way to comforting warmth.
“I think it’s human in the best sense of the word. I don’t think any one of them would begrudge you one night off.”
“Robbin might….” I let that trail off without going any further. I didn’t know what I’d been planning to say anyway. I doubted he’d be happy to know that I was out with his former best friend or that Alex’s hand was still on my knee.
I parked in front of the Manor but neither of us moved to get out. I could have opened the door and broken the spell but I didn’t. I sat there waiting to see what would happen next, enjoying the tension in some mildly masochistic way.
“I wish I could read your mind,” he said.
“I was just thinking that you’re a good friend.” That was so not what I was thinking.
He leaned toward me ever so slightly and whispered, “Is that what you want me to be? Your friend?”
I nodded slowly, knowing it wasn’t true—not nearly. I wasn’t sure what I wanted from him but it wasn’t friendship.
His hair was almost silver in the moonlight but even in the dark car I could see how bright, how blue, his eyes were. He reached over and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. For a second I thought he was going to kiss me, I hoped he would. I felt my body respond to the unspoken offer, to the look on his face and the swirling colors in his eyes. It took me a moment to realize it was my body responding, not the enchantment. I wanted him to kiss me, just me without any magic pushing me toward him. I leaned toward him ever so slightly. Waiting.
It was a shock when the overhead light came on inside the car, signaling that he’d opened the door. “Friends then,” he said and got out.
I had a few seconds to get the look of disappointment off my face while he walked around the front of the car
“I had a really good time tonight. Thank you again.” My voice was just a little too bright, forced. I hoped he wouldn’t notice. I pulled my jacket closer around me.
“It was my pleasure,” he said.
Placing his hand on the small of my back, his long fingers resting on just this side of decent, he escorted me up the stairs to the Manor’s front door. I was all too aware of him, of the gentle pressure of his hand so low on my back, but the enchantment was quiet. I waited for it to tell me to kiss him, touch him, let him touch me. Nothing. No yelling or forcing.
I wanted to know if it was really gone. I wanted to know how it would feel to be kissed by him because I wanted to be, not because the enchantment thought it was a good idea.
“I guess George is still out. George?” I called as I pushed open the front door, hoping he would answer. “Nice of him to leave a light on for us.”
I reached for the light switch next to the front door wondering if I should just turn around and kiss him.
“Tab?” We stood there for a moment staring at each other, the air between us crackling with need and magic and desire. “I don’t want to be your friend.”
Then he pulled me closer and I melted against him, pressing the length of my body against his so there was no place we didn’t touch. We kissed for a long time, just teasing and tasting. Finally, when I thought I couldn’t stand it anymore, I felt his impatient fingers on the button of my coat.
He made a noise in the back of his throat as his hand cupped my breast, his thumb found my nipple. He reached to pull aside the thin fabric of my tank top and I shivered from the cold air and the heat of his touch.
“Jesus,” a familiar voice said from behind us. “Don’t you two ever stop? Get in here.”
Francis stood framed in the doorway. He looked tired – like he needed a shower and a good night’s sleep more than anything else. He definitely didn’t need to see me and Alex in such a delicate position on the front porch – again.
I pulled my coat closed. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Just get in here,” he said, waving for us to follow him. Francis didn’t look back to see if we were following. He hurried down the hall assuming we were.
Alex rested his forehead against mine and sighed. “We can come back to this later, yes?”
I nodded. “But we’d better go in now.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Alex’s frustrated chuckle was meant just for me. “After you, Princess.”
Chapter Seventeen
I peeked into the study before I went inside, doing a quick head count. If someone was missing, I wanted to know right away. Robbin was sitting as far away from the others as the small room would allow. He was looking out the window as if his life depended on it. A perimeter of anger and frustration was almost visible around him; I didn’t have to read his mind to know who that anger was directed at.
Matthew and George were collapsed on either end of the leather sofa, both clearly exhausted. George appeared to be asleep, no surprise there, and Matthew was scowling. Francis leaned on the edge of Pop’s desk; the chair behind it was empty.
“Where’s Pop?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“No one is dead,” George said without opening his eyes. “Francis, tell her no one is dead so she’ll come in and we can get this over with.”
“No one is dead.”
Relieved but suspicious, I took a seat opposite the desk. Alex stood behind me, his hand resting protectively on my shoulder.
“So where is Pop?” I asked.
“Licking his wounds,” Matthew muttered. His face was a mask of anger. “He’ll be back in a day or two.”
Alex looked around taking the temperature of the room, studying each of them for a moment before he asked, “What was the result of the vote?”
George sighed and shook his head and Matthew barked one short, bitter laugh.
“It went the other way,” was Francis’ curt reply.
“The other way?” I asked.
“Estella?” Alex asked. The note of surprise in his voice was hard to miss. She was supposed to have been a sure thing – even I knew that. “What happened?”
Francis he didn’t respond. He shifted awkwardly to his feet and then stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
“What happened?” I asked. “What was the vote?”
Matthew looked sharply at Francis who literally snarled in response. Everything about him, from his narrowed eyes to his clenched fists screamed “Don’t start.”
“Tell them Fran. Tell them what your fiancé did,” Matt said, clearly intending to start anyway.
That’s when Francis and Matt erupted, all their anger and fear and frustration bubbled to the surface in a hurry. They started stomping around shaking their fists in the air and promising retribution and demanding things of people who were not in the room. They were yelling, often at the same time but about different things.
I’d never seen them like this. I’d seen the
m fight before; growing up all the boys got into it one time or another. But back then it was always over silly things, kid things. This was as serious as a heart attack and twice as deadly. Both looked like they would happily murder the other.
“Estella voted for caution.” Matthew spat the words out of his mouth like they tasted bad. “She thinks we should wait until the matter of the crown is decided before attempting anything as risky as an offensive in the Underneath.”
George’s eyes were still closed but I knew he was thinking that Estella was right, that They would crush us in a fight. “It was her right to vote as she saw fit,” he said.