Come Undone: Romance Stories Inspired by the Music of Duran Duran

by Kim Carmichael

  Chapter Four

  IT WAS DARK when Yancy awoke in the hospital bed. Disoriented, he struggled to realize it was a dream, a vision born of medication, but his mind and more importantly his heart refused to believe it. The experience was embedded in his memory so clearly it was as real as the memory of work the day before the accident.

  When Trevor Penn, his partner and friend, entered his office and told him that their finance guy quit with no notice, he about lost it. "What do you mean he quit? Taxes are due in less than two weeks. We can't find another person so fast."

  "I have some ideas. We can do this." Though his friend put on a front, Yancy figured he was as upset and lost as he felt. The betrayal went deep. Bill started the company with them and saw it through the first hard years while they fought for each new account to try their software. About when they were going to call it quits five years in, they landed a huge corporate account, and everything turned around.

  Interrupting his thoughts, a nurse came in and checked his vitals. "Are you in any pain?"

  Mentally perhaps, even emotionally, but he flexed his muscles. "I think I'm okay, some soreness and a headache, but other than that not bad."

  "The doctor will be in to check you in the morning, but I'd guess that you'll be leaving sometime tomorrow." The nurse smoothed his sheets and left.

  He stared at the blinds, still trying to come to grips with the dream-vision of Tessa in his arms. Thinking of her wetness around him had an immediate effect on his current situation. The sheet tented above his groin. The more he tried to convince himself it was only a dream, the more he argued. Don't be stupid. No dream could be that real.

  When he awoke again, the sun streamed through the window. Trevor sat in a chair beside the bed, his forehead wrinkled above his glasses. "Dude, they wouldn't let me see you yesterday. Said you needed to sleep. How do you feel?"

  "Sort of bruised, but okay."

  "The doctor will be in at ten, at least that's what the nurse indicated," Trevor said. "I walked Quark last night and this morning, so he should be fine. Boy, you sure know how to scare a guy. Or was this your way out of our current accounting issues?" He pressed his lips together in a tight smile.

  "Yeah, I wouldn't recommend it as a coping strategy. I guess I should be out of here after the doctor arrives and then I can come in to the office. We need to figure out what to do, look at Bill's files and stuff."

  "Don't worry about it. I've got it handled. When I couldn't see you yesterday, I took a look at the books. If I'm reading them right, we should be almost good to go. He finished up all of last quarter's entries at least." Trevor stretched. "Speaking of which, if you're okay, I should probably head back. Don't mind saying that I didn't sleep much last night. Between Bill's crap, and you getting yourself banged up, I was at the end of my rope." Normally his friend was the light-hearted joking one, the guy with personality and all the right moves which served him well in both personal and professional realms. Trevor was the perfect front man for their company. Rarely, if ever, could Yancy recall him without a smile.

  "I didn't get in the accident on purpose." The moment the sentence left his mouth he wondered at the truth of it. Without warning, Quincy’s face came to mind. Something she said about the connections and sparks of recognition? Had he gotten into the accident on purpose to maintain a connection to Tessa?

  "Of course you didn't. I wouldn't even suggest such a thing. Everything's so up in the air right now and this on top of the Bill thing." Trevor sighed. "They say things come in threes. I sure hope nothing else happens."

  The superstitious statement was out of character. One of the reasons they hit it off as friends was that they each turned to facts and science for explanations, giving no credence to something they couldn't see or touch.

  "Hey, you okay?" One thing he didn't need was Trevor going crazy on him.

  "Sure. Just a little overwhelmed, but we'll be okay, right?" Trevor punched him lightly on the arm. "You get yourself all healed up. We'll be fine. You want me to wait for the doc with you?"

  "No. It's okay. You need to be at the office. I'll just call for a taxi when I need to leave."

  The relief that crossed his friend's face said it all. "Hey dude, seriously, I'm glad you're not hurt bad."

  "Get out of here."

  Though he’d woken up only a few minutes ago, the tug of drowsiness pulled him under. He fought against it, but within seconds, Yancy's eyes drifted closed. Immediately, he transported to his apartment, in bed with Tessa. The light shone into the window and he rolled over to spoon her, kissing her ear, and neck. After their day and night of lovemaking, he was a little surprised to be at the ready once more. From behind, he delved between her legs, massaging her. The groans that met his ear rewarded his efforts.

  "Don't stop." She raised her leg.

  Never one to pass up an opportunity, he eased inside her with gentle thrusts. The rhythm aroused him to the breaking point sooner than he might have liked.

  Soft sighs at first, then she panted. "Oh, yes."

  He varied the speed, angling his hips to gain deeper penetration. His finger rubbed circles on her clit. "Good morning." His whisper ruffled her hair.

  "Very good morning." Her words ended on a little screech. Her ass pressed back toward him and he plunged deeper, faster. "I'm going to come."

  "Yes, come with me."

  When she let out a long moan, and trembled against him, he reached for her nipple and pinched it. She shuddered. "Yes."

  His climax quaked through him. No other woman had ever affected him like this. Every time they had sex, it was like coming home.

  "What do you want to do today?" They barely caught their breath when she asked the question.

  It took him off guard. "More of the same?"

  The giggle was sweet, a bit of a little girl in the very grown up woman. "I need to go into work. Can't miss another day."

  So engrossed they’d been since arriving at the apartment the day before, he realized they didn't spend much time talking about much more than Quest Quarka. In fact, during one break they watched a couple episodes. He didn't even know what her job was. "So what do you do?"

  "I'm a partner at Toussaint and Sanchez."

  "The headhunting firm?" At her nod he continued, "I'm impressed. All I've heard about them has been good."

  "We've tried hard to be the best." Though any other woman would have taken the hint to tell him all about her business, she embraced him and then sat up. "Can I buy you breakfast?"

  "Sure, but just so you know. I refuse to be a kept man. I need more than mind-blowing sex and muffins." He got out of bed and headed for the shower. "I'll need to take Quark out for a walk before we leave. Care to join me for a quick shower? We haven't broken it in yet."

  "He's resting easy."

  At a male voice, Yancy awoke with a start to find Dr. Waverly checking his chart.

  "How's the head?" the doctor asked.

  "Aching, but better."

  "Looks like you're well on the mend, no serious injuries. I'll give you a prescription for some pain meds to take if you need them, but it doesn't sound like you should. Set an appointment with my office for a follow up next week. Take it easy. Don't ride your bike for a couple of weeks though." He made some notations on the chart.

  "I doubt I have a bike to ride."

  "Well, there is that." The doctor nodded. "You were pretty lucky. I'm sure this illustrates how essential wearing a helmet is."

  "You know me better than that, Doc."

  "If you have anything odd, dizziness or anything, you call me immediately, other than that, you are good to go." With a flourish Dr. Waverly signed the form.

  As soon as the man left, Yancy got up and dressed. He hadn’t mentioned the dreams to the doctor, but what could he say? Hey, Doc. Is one of the side effects of my meds super-hot dreams of a virtual stranger? He shook his head. The tenderness in his muscles caused him to move a little slower than usual, but when he saw his face in the mirror h
e realized just how lucky he had been. The scrapes were superficial, but if he hadn't worn the helmet no doubt he would be in serious condition.

  A familiar woman appeared at the door with a wheelchair.

  "Hey, Quincy, so you do work here."

  "Sometimes. Thought I'd check in on how you're doing. I'll give you a ride downstairs." She patted the chair.

  "I'm good. More importantly how is Tessa? Do I really have to ride in that thing?" It seemed rather silly when he could use his legs.

  "Hospital requirement. Tessa hasn't woken up yet."

  "That doesn't sound good. Could I see her?" His mind was spinning. The dreams so vivid, with Tessa so healthy and alive did not fade when he awoke, rather they seemed more real than reality.

  Quincy smiled. "You haven't seen enough of her yet?"

  "Of course not." Somehow he had the feeling that Quincy knew about his dreams, but he couldn't find the words to broach the subject. Crazy. No, it was best to keep those dreams and feelings private. They'd be committing him to the home for the mentally insane if he didn't.

  Chapter Five

  AT THE DOOR to the Intensive Care Unit room, Quincy rolled the wheelchair to a stop. "Here she is."

  Tessa lay unmoving in the bed, her pale skin stark against the dark red-brown of her hair. A bruise darkened her forehead and a bandage wrapped around half of her head, and he feared they must have shaved part of her hair. A respirator breathed oxygen into her lungs.

  Yancy's chest tightened. She looked so helpless and fragile, completely the opposite of the impression he had in his dream. All he wanted to do was gather her into his arms, hold her close and tell her he'd always be there for her. What would she think if she woke to find a stranger pining for her? It didn't matter. He could only follow his instincts. Quickly, he stepped toward the bed. One arm was bandaged. He took her other hand, and kissed her palm.

  "Tessa, be strong. I know you don't know it, but I need you." The words wrenched out of his throat past the lump, which threatened to strangle him. "Do you think she can hear?"

  Quincy didn't approach the bed. "No one knows how much a comatose person can understand of what's going on around them. As I've told you, we have to keep the faith. Positive thoughts help and have an effect on the outcome."

  "Where's her family?" Such a warm and open person must have someone who was watching over her.

  "She doesn't have a family. Gloria, her partner from work, was here all night. Quincy squeezed his shoulder. "That's why she's grateful to have met you."

  "I can't say I'd call our encounter an actual meeting. We just bumped into each other." He couldn't take his eyes off her face, the same one he saw in the throes of passion, giving as much as she received. If he had anything to say about it, she'd never be alone again, ever. "Would you mind if I stayed here a while?"

  "I'll be out in the hall." Her open smile gave him hope that possibly everything might be okay.

  Then he started talking. Silly stuff, mostly about Quest Quarka. "Sure wish the dreams were real. I had such a blast watching those episodes with you."

  Tessa's expression never changed.

  "When you wake up, I promise I'll take you on the best date. Just wake up, we deserve the chance to have an ordinary date, not just in my dreams. I have to say it was better than anything I've ever dreamed before. You're more than a fantasy, at least I hope we can be. You deserve better than this. Damn that truck anyway." At the unfairness of life, he clenched his fists, barely restraining himself from hitting the bed. He remembered Quincy's caution to keep the faith. "Tessa, you will wake up and we will have a chance to barnstorm the unknown together. I believe that with all my being."

  With a gentle pat on his shoulder, Quincy comforted him. "I think we'd better get you down to your taxi."

  He sniffed, blinking back wetness in his eyes. "Yeah," he addressed Tessa, "hey fellow Quarkanian, I'm counting on you to get better." Holding his fist to his ear, he saluted her and returned to the wheelchair.

  When they entered the hall, a cop approached them. "Are you Yancy Howard?"

  "Yes."

  "I need to talk to you regarding the accident yesterday. We weren't able to get your statement yesterday."

  "I was out of it I guess."

  "But you're well enough to go home today. That's good news." The officer gave him a tight smile.

  "On doctor's orders." Why did he always end up feeling guilty whenever talking to the police? He hadn't done anything.

  "We have the truck driver's statement. Since there were some pretty serious injuries, we want a full report."

  "I don't remember seeing much of anything. We were coming out of the coffeehouse parking lot and boom."

  "We?" The cop perked up like Quark did anytime he gave him a bone. "I thought you were on the bike, isn't that right?"

  "That's right. I'm including Tessa, the woman in the car. We moved together into the street."

  The man jotted something down and then pierced him with a gaze. "You know her?"

  "Not really, I just had seen her in the coffee shop. She replaced my spilled coffee. Seems nice enough." More than nice, he reflected.

  "So the woman spilled your coffee and you were angry and decided to distract her and ended up causing the accident? Is that how it went down?" It wasn't hard to miss the accusation in the man's narrowed eyes.

  Was the man a lunatic? What the hell was this all about? "What? Of course not."

  "The truck driver indicated that he had the right of way and said the woman wasn't looking and turned out right in front of him."

  Yancy's head reeled while he fought to remember the moments before the accident. "I was on the right in the entrance drive just next to the sidewalk, ready to turn into the bike lane. Tessa was on my left. Let me think." He scanned his memory for the location of any other cars. "I don't remember seeing any other vehicles on the street."

  "You were pretty fortunate." The officer took out a sketch of the accident scene and pointed. "Are you sure you weren't on the sidewalk or already into the street before the collision? It seems to me if you were where you said you were, then you should have been thrown farther from the crash site and you would have incurred a lot more injuries."

  "No, sir. I was right here." He hated having to look up at the man. It gave the policeman too much of a power position, but Quincy's hand remained on his shoulder.

  "We're still doing accident forensics, but the truck driver statement seems true to me." The officer puffed out his chest and crossed his arms.

  "Perhaps Tessa can shed some light on things when she wakes up."

  "Or if. The doctors didn't seem overly confident." The cop frowned. "In case you remember any more details, give me a call."

  Yancy took the card. "Definitely. Could I ask you something? Why are you so ready to believe the truck driver?"

  "We tested him for drugs and alcohol, came up negative. Even checked his cell phone records and nothing turned up there. The guy seems on the up and up."

  "Okay, well it could just be an accident. It doesn't mean me or Tessa did anything wrong though." He kept his tone light, but the urge to stand and defend himself against the accusations almost overwhelmed him.

  "If that's all, Officer, I believe Mr. Howard has a taxi waiting." Quincy wheeled them into the elevator.

  When the door closed, he looked up at Quincy. "Thanks."

  "I didn't care for that man's attitude. Your world is odd that way."

  "My world?" Why was she talking so strange?

  "I mean your ordinary world, people can be very prideful and downright mean at times." Quincy frowned. "It doesn't have to be that way. Did you know there are seven billion people on the planet?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "That means seven billion brains thinking tens of thousands of thoughts each day. Just imagine what the power of those thoughts could have if everyone was conscious of them."

  "You're probably right, but humans being what they are, I wouldn't hold out hope they'd ever be that consc
ious. Most of the time they're pretty selfish, looking after their own interest." The thought depressed him. "Like that cop, he's just looking to fill out his report, make himself look good by closing the case. He couldn't care less whether he heard the truth or not."

  "Maybe so, but in my world," when he pinned her with a gaze, she paused before finishing, "in the world I believe in, that wouldn't be the case. People would see they are all connected and if something is good for one it's good for others and the reverse is true too. If something is bad for someone, it's bad for everyone."

  "Sounds a bit like that economic theory they made that movie about. A Beautiful Mind. Unfortunately, the world doesn't work that way." The elevator doors opened and she pushed him out into the reception foyer.

  "That's what they need to learn. It's exactly the way the universe works." They exited the building. "What a gorgeous day."

  He squinted against the sunshine. "My sunglasses were destroyed in the accident." His custom designed bike was also probably beyond repair.

  As if she read his mind she knelt and covered his hand with hers. "The most important things have survived. Remember that. Life is all that is necessary."

  Once more the woman spoke like a spiritual guide rather than a flesh and blood woman. Not for the first time he wondered about her, with her little old lady glasses perched on her nose, and her blonde hair, she appeared like a very young grandmother, but the twinkle in those arctic blue eyes indicated more existed below the surface than below it. Why did she seem so familiar? Something niggled at the edge of his mind.

  "Here you go." Quincy opened the taxi door while he slid inside.

  "Thanks for everything. I'll be back to visit Tessa, and maybe I'll see you around then."

  "No doubt." Her smile hinted at mysteries she preferred to keep hidden.

  "Who are you really, Quincy?"

  "All things will come clear when you see without your blinders. Already I see they're lifting. Go, enjoy the new day." The sound of her laughter rippled over him.