Like a Bird

by Varga, Laurie

  Kitty nodded and dropped back onto the bed.

  The boy continued, gently this time, while Kitty stared at the ceiling and made a mental grocery list. She moaned here and there but mostly she winced and grunted as he fumbled his way around her hot spots. His breathing was heavier now and he reached for the condom, carefully opening the package and rolling it on, while Kitty took the matter of pleasure into her own hands.

  Now wet and mildly entertained, the boy was able to easily slide inside. As he thrust in a predictable rhythm, Kitty stared at the wall and traced the pathway of cracks that led to the ceiling. He shuddered to completion and rested his damp chest on top of her. He avoided her gaze and rolled over onto his back. Kitty looked at him with a smirk, and he turned toward her, panting.

  “I’m going to take a shower.” She grabbed her robe from the bedpost. She walked out without looking back.

  The boy dressed and poked his head from the bedroom when he heard someone in the kitchen. He flipped up his hood and walked toward the sink where an auburn-haired woman in a curvy pair of jeans was filling a glass of water.

  Daniella turned around to see the hooded figure looming behind her. “Oh, hi there.” She smiled. Their eyes locked.

  The boy smiled back. “Hi.”

  “And who are you?” Daniella asked.

  “I’m Johnathan,” he said and pulled a hand from his pocket to extend to her.

  “Hi Johnathan, I’m Daniella.” She shook his hand.

  He eyed her glass of water and she offered it to him without a word. He took the glass and pounded back the water like he’d just run a marathon.

  - -

  Gareth stood alone in his office staring at his phone. He typed a message to Kitty.

  Just checking in to see how you’re doing.

  Kitty’s purple phone lay unattended on the coffee table, while Daniella and Johnathan sat on the sofa and listened to the muffled sounds of the pink-haired diva singing in the shower. Daniella picked up the phone and sent a reply.

  Go the fuck away.

  - -

  The garden had exploded with color. Clusters of tulips and daffodils dotted the landscape and a dogwood displayed flowers of pink and white. The air was warm and fragrant. Louis took in a deep breath as he stepped outside and spotted Sky in the distance, sitting on a bench with a magazine in her lap and Wisdom on guard nearby. He approached until he could hear a low growl from Wisdom that prompted him to freeze and raise his hands like a captured convict. Sky hushed the wolf and stroked her head while Louis sidled up to the bench and sat down.

  “So, how do you like it out here?” he asked. “You must get bloody bored.”

  Sky shrugged. “It’s beautiful . . . and quiet.”

  Louis nodded. “That it is.” He leaned back on the bench and stretched his legs out in front of him. “You must have friends or family or something that you miss, no?”

  Sky shook her head.

  “Oh. Right, you’re an orphan. But still, you must have friends or something. Don’t you ever want to go shopping or get your nails done or do . . . girl stuff?” He glanced at her hand with nails chewed to the quick.

  Sky only smirked.

  “OK, fair enough. I just want to make sure you’re happy here. You know, that you’re being treated well and all that.”

  Sky straightened and looked at Louis. “Why would you say that?”

  “Well, I . . . you know, just want you to be happy and Gareth to be happy and the dog to be happy. That’s all.”

  “She’s a wolf.”

  “Yes, right.” Louis nodded.

  The two sat in awkward silence and Louis began to hum a made-up tune.

  Sky sized him up out of the corner of her eye while pretending to flip through her magazine. “What do you know about Robyn?”

  Louis stopped suddenly and raised his eyebrows. “How do you know about Robyn?”

  “Long story.”

  “Ah-ha, well. Robyn is a long story, too. And the dog might be bugged, or this bench.” Louis bent over to look underneath the seat.

  “I don’t think so,” Sky said. “There’s a camera over there, but I don’t think he can hear us.” She pointed to a small, shiny object attached to a gazebo near the solarium.

  “Oh, we’re on camera? Are there other cameras? I hope there isn’t one in the guest room. Whoo boy! That would make for a horror show.”

  “Don’t worry, there isn’t one in the guest room. So, did you know Robyn?”

  “OK, OK. Here’s the condensed version: boy meets beautiful girl, love of his life, yada yada. Anyway, they get engaged. Boy gets fucked up in an accident, girl ditches . . .” His voice trailed off as Gareth ambled down the stone path toward them. “So, Sky,” Louis said loudly, “read any good books lately?”

  Sky laughed lightly and turned back to her magazine.

  “Hey, there he is,” Louis said to Gareth as he neared the bench. Wisdom went to Gareth for some affection. He rubbed her head and neck. She leaned into his leg and closed her eyes.

  “I’m going for a walk,” Gareth announced and headed off with Wisdom following close behind him.

  “Uh, OK. Have a nice time. Watch out for wild dogs!” he called after Gareth, who continued down the stone path and disappeared over the rocky edge.

  “I think I’m going to sit in the hot tub for a bit. All this lounging around has made me stiff.” Louis stood and stretched.

  “I think I’m going to have a nap,” Sky said.

  “That’s always a good idea,” Louis said, and they returned to the house together.

  “How’d you find out about Robyn?” Louis whispered to Sky once they were inside.

  “I have a lot of spare time,” Sky whispered back and grinned.

  Louis nodded. “You’re a crafty one, I like that about you.”

  - -

  Gareth approached the bottom of the valley where a large, rotting log lay across the creek. He strode across it, leaving Wisdom pacing on the other side. He stopped to look back at her. “You can do it,” he said.

  Wisdom hesitated before she finally set foot on the log, her paws struggling to find the right footing on such an unpredictable bridge. She slipped and her front leg landed in the shallow water near the bank, where she abandoned the log and hopped through the cold creek to reach Gareth. Once close to him she shook off the experience and continued down the path by his side. Gareth rewarded her with a quick neck massage and a piece of dried liver from his pocket.

  They walked deeper into the woods until they reached a rocky hill with a small cave at the bottom. Gareth crawled inside and sat on a makeshift bench of a wooden board resting atop two large rocks. Wisdom sat outside the entrance to keep watch. Gareth arranged waiting tinder in a small blackened hole just in front of the bench. He took a lighter out of his pocket and coaxed a decent flame out of the little twigs and forest scraps while blowing on it to encourage the fire along. He gathered larger wood debris scattered about the cave, added some of it and the rest he placed in a little pile next to his seat.

  After fussing with his fire for a bit, he eventually sat back and relaxed. He stared into the flickering firelight and became transfixed by its jagged dance. His breathing slowed, his shoulders and jaw softened, and he closed his eye as the flame warmed his face.

  - -

  Candles flickered on the table and gave the dining room a warm, comfortable glow. Louis sat at the table sipping wine and reading a business magazine when Gareth strode in wearing dirty clothes and reeking of campfire smoke.

  Louis wrinkled his nose. “What the hell were you up to out there? Performing some ancient burial dance? Or destroying some evidence, perhaps?” Louis grinned and sipped more wine.

  Gareth shook his head and sat opposite Louis. Takao brought him a warm cloth to clean his hands. “No, just getting some clarity.”

  “Ah, me too! But I prefer the warm, sanitized environment of a whirlpool.”

  Gareth smiled. “Don’t get used to that level of c
omfort.”

  Louis scoffed. “Yeah, funny you should say that.” He paused for more wine. Gareth turned his ear toward his friend.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Louis said, making Gareth chuckle. “Don’t laugh, it happens sometimes. But really, I was engaged in some serious thought this afternoon, and I think that if I have to take a hit for the team, I think you should also.”

  Gareth frowned. “Why me? I didn’t create this mess.”

  “Not directly, no. But you are very much responsible for our success and I think . . . that if you . . . showed your face in person a little more often it would be very beneficial for us. And for you,” Louis said while fondling his wine glass.

  “I’m not going to fly out and meet . . .”

  “No. You don’t have to do that. That’s over with. I do think you should consider going to the awards ceremony though. I mean, the award is for you after all, it’s not for me. Nobody wants to see my double chin at that swanky event.”

  In the cozy sitting room, across the hall from the kitchen, Sky sat in front of a bowl of soup that grew cold as she listened to the conversation between Louis and Gareth. As their words faded and Takao brought out the first course, she dipped her spoon into the bowl and slurped the reddish broth.

  After dinner Gareth walked Louis to the helicopter with a few bottles of wine packed in a box. They shook hands and Louis stepped into the cabin behind the pilot.

  “I’ll have Denise book you a nice retreat to attend in the next week or two. Just take it easy until then,” Gareth said.

  Louis nodded, “Right, and how about you have her confirm your attendance at the ceremony.”

  Gareth sighed. “Take care,” he said as he shut the door.

  Gareth headed back to the house as Sky looked on from the master bedroom window. She shut the curtain and scurried back to her room before he reached the front door. In her bathroom, where a fresh pack of little pills sat on the counter in their silver blister pack, she carefully popped one into her mouth and bent over the sink to fill her mouth with water, letting the pill slip out with the stream and swirl down the drain.

  That night, the air was clear and the blue-black sky was littered with points of light, little white clusters so tightly packed they almost looked like bright clouds. From Gareth’s bedroom window Sky could identify the few constellations she knew.

  “They’re mesmerizing, aren’t they?” Sky jumped when she heard the huskiness of Gareth’s voice, and her heart hit the wall of her chest.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders to turn her round. He cupped her head in one hand and guided her lips toward his. His touch was more delicate than usual and his kisses especially soft. Sky’s amber eyes held his gaze and she took his hand to lead him toward the bed.

  Sitting on the bed, she opened her silk robe to reveal bare skin, her breasts begging to be devoured like overripe fruit. Gareth arched his eyebrow just enough that she noticed his reaction in the moonlit room.

  He approached her slowly and knelt down, leaning in close enough for his energy to caress her even before he pulled her to him. His hair, his skin, his lips all grazed her so gently it was delicious torture at times. The roughness of his scars felt like a tactile map of suffering under her palm, yet other parts of him were unexpectedly smooth and warm. She swelled with longing, until it became unbearable, and she grabbed at him with her one hand, wishing she had two. Sky lay under him, her hips pulling him in deep, while he caressed the outside of her thigh.

  As his temperature rose he pressed his lips onto hers to extract the nectar from her mouth. She gripped his hair so tightly she was left with strands between her fingers. He seemed not to notice but instead increased his pace and force until they were both satisfied. He rested his head beside her, making her cheek hot with his breath. Once he had regained his composure, he passed her a tissue.

  Gareth excused himself to take a shower. As soon as he was out of view, Sky put her legs up in the air and stared at the small flecks of purple polish left on her toes.

  When he returned, smelling of shampoo and soap, Gareth slid into bed next to Sky who lay curled around a pillow. He put his arm around her and inhaled the scent of her hair until he fell asleep.

  Chapter 13

  In the morning Gareth woke alone in bed. He yawned, rubbed the sleep out of his eye and headed toward the bathroom. He looked again at the control panel next to the light switch.

  “Hmm,” he hummed to himself and made a mental note.

  After he had showered and shaved, he put on a pair of jeans with holes at the knees and an old college T-shirt. He went straight to the basement and halted at the door to his workshop. He entered the code but received a red light in return. He scowled and turned the handle to find the door unlocked. His jaw clenched before he entered the room and turned on the light. Scanning the workbench and cupboards, he saw nothing out of place; the anger on his face shifted to confusion. He advanced into the room, until he felt the stab of glass under his foot.

  He cried out as blood soaked the bottom of his sock. Gareth followed the trail of glass to the last cupboard where a few streaks of blood smeared across the handle. He hopped around the danger zone and whipped the cupboard open. Staring back at him from a broken picture frame was a younger image of himself, torn apart from his other half. Gareth picked up the ring box and flipped open the lid to find the diamond still there. Slamming the cupboard door, Gareth wheeled back to the hallway where he shouted for Rose, his guttural voice causing the fine art on the walls to rattle.

  Rose ran to the top of the stairs.

  “Where is she?” he hollered.

  Rose shook her head, baffled.

  “Sky! How did she get in there?” he shouted again, pointing at the door and throwing an accusing glance at Rose.

  “I don’t know. She . . . might be in her room. I saw her earlier this morning,” Rose stammered, her hands trembling, her eyes frightened.

  Sky sat in the cozy sitting room with a cup of tea and a book. Gareth’s rage reached her ears and stopped her heart. She was unable to move, every muscle in her body immobilized by fear. He stormed up to the main floor, and as his pounding footsteps ascended the second set of stairs, she seized the opportunity to fly out of the house through the kitchen door, not stopping to close it behind her. She ran across the helicopter pad, toward the thick forest, with nothing between her and the rough earth but a pair of moccasins.

  - -

  Meet me for coffee this morning. I have something to show you.

  Kitty eagerly picked up her phone, hoping the message would be from Dream Date. She deflated like a blow-up doll when she saw it was a message from Creep. She sent a reply back.

  This better be good. Really good.

  Oh it’s good. In fact, it’s great! (I think).

  Kitty rolled her eyes. She decided it was a sweatpants kind of day and chose a gray pair and a sheer shirt that hung off her shoulder. With her sunglasses on and her hair piled in a messy bun, she headed down the street toward the Rocket Fuel Café.

  Creep was already seated at a table, hunched over a steaming cup of joe. After exchanging a kiss on each cheek she sat across from him.

  “Do you want something to drink?” Creep asked.

  “Only if you’re buyin’.”

  “Pretty soon you’ll be the one who’s buyin’,” he said and gave her a mischievous grin. As he ordered coffee, Kitty glanced at the business magazine on the table before she checked her messages. There were seventeen new e-mails, not one of them from Dream Date. Kitty’s shoulders slumped and she dropped her phone on the table.

  Creep returned with her latte, and the cup in her hands warmed her. Her agitation released as she closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of fresh coffee. She enjoyed a long sip.

  “So,” she said to Creep, “what do you have to show me?”

  “This.” Creep held up the business magazine.

  Kitty shrugged. “Yeah, and . .
.”

  Creep tapped his finger on the cover of the Top 40 Under 40. “I think there’s someone in here you might know.” He opened the magazine to an earmarked page and turned it to show Kitty. He pointed to a description for Gareth Renaut. Unlike the other entries, there was no photo.

  “I think this is your Gareth,” Creep said.

  “How do you know that? There’s no picture, and I don’t know his last name.”

  “Read this. It says he’s an investor and that he’s very private, rarely seen in public. Sound like anyone you know?”

  Kitty sipped her latte. “It does sound like him, but that could describe thousands of guys. Unless I’m sure I’m not going to make a fool of myself . . .”

  “I did some research after I saw this. Turns out he’s a recluse who lives in the woods just north of here. His business partner is some guy named Louis O’Byrne.”

  Kitty’s face brightened. “Yes, he was with a chubby, obnoxious guy when we met, his name might have been Louis. I don’t really remember.”

  Creep pulled out his phone to search for an image of Louis. He showed Kitty the first one that came up.

  Kitty nodded. “Yeah, that’s definitely him.”

  Creep smiled with a deep satisfaction. “Looks like what you needed was right under your nose all this time.” He stroked the tip of Kitty’s nose.

  “Yeah, if only I hadn’t given him the brush-off lately.” She bit her bottom lip.

  Creep shook his head. “Just put on a push-up bra and send him a picture. He’ll probably respond.”

  Kitty playfully whacked Creep on the head. “I’ll get him back on board, no problem,” she said.

  - -

  Heavy gray clouds rode a fast wind. Gareth and Wisdom had been searching the woods for a few hours but had been unable to find Sky. Wisdom proved to be a lousy tracker and had no idea what she was supposed to do. Rabbits and small game distracted her from the task, yet she seemed confused by Gareth’s sullen mood. His anger had dissolved into despair by the time the rain started, and he hurried back to the house for shelter and help.