Scorpio Love

by S. Tamanaha

  “He likes to drive me crazy,” she said, laughing a little. “No, I’m definitely not his type.”

  “You’re not his type?”

  “He likes them Caucasian and voluptuous. Whenever a woman like that walks into our site, he starts falling all over himself. Talk about wrong reasons.”

  Johnny smiled and then pointed to the cabinet filled with all of her little treasures. “You collect stuff?”

  “Yes and no. Most of those things are mementos from trips I’ve taken or gifts from friends.” She knew that he was curious so she walked over and opened the cabinet door. She removed a box filled with charms. “Each of these charms represents a place that I’ve been to—Paris, Switzerland, New York, so forth. Then this glass ship in the glass bottle is from Venice. It’s my favorite piece. And this hand carved bamboo vase is from Beppu, Japan.”

  “You’ve traveled a lot,” he said.

  “I used to love travelling. It’s crazy now with all the security that I find so intrusive and the bad service on the airlines and the danger from terrorists. Besides, now, with Angel ... well, I don’t ever want to kennel her. I can only go somewhere if someone can come here to watch her. Yes, I’m talking about you,” she said to the little dog who had heard her name and was looking up at her and wagging her tail. She picked Angel up in her arms and kissed her.

  “Are these your friends?” He pointed to some photos on another shelf.

  “Yes, a few of the guys that I grew up with. That’s Wade. He moved to Colorado to go to college and stayed there. The last time I heard from him, he was on his third marriage. And that’s Michael, always searching for love and trying to figure out his passion in life. And Chris, he’s a professor now. I’ve known him since I was five. And Lance, he moved to Las Vegas.”

  “No girl friends?”

  “I told you, I was raised with boys.”

  “What’s this for?” He pointed to a large trophy.

  “Pool.”

  “You’re a pool champion too?” He grinned. She kept surprising him.

  “I won the university championship during my sophomore year of college. Went to San Diego to shoot in the Western Regional. I might have placed better than third if I was four inches taller.”

  He smiled. “Why’s that?

  “You need to keep one foot on the floor in regulation pool,” she said.

  He laughed. Then he caught sight of another photo. “Is that your father?” He pointed to the photo of a young man standing in a boxing pose. “He was a good looking guy.”

  “Yes, that’s him.”

  “Your mother?” He pointed to another photo. She nodded.

  “She really was a knockout.”

  “She was beautiful, I have to admit that. It caused a lot of problems.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because her looks attracted other men and he was insanely jealous. They fought all the time about that and about other things like money. I must be the only person who, at eighteen, begged her parents to get a divorce.”

  “You think he had reason to be jealous.” It was a statement. Johnny was reading her now.

  “I know he did,” she said.

  “Listen, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry.”

  “It’s okay. They’re both gone now. What does it matter? When I was five, I remember that she took me to the zoo one day. You have to understand that my mother was not the go-to-the-zoo type. And a man met us there and I knew that he liked her and was putting the moves on her and that she was meeting him secretly even though I should have been too young to know those things. And I was so angry because I knew that this was something that would hurt my father. I know it’s not my imagination because my mother took a picture of me that day, probably to prove to my father that we actually went to the zoo, and you can see it on my face. Sometimes I feel that I was never really a child. I can remember so much of what happened and how I felt, and when I grew up I realized that a lot of my feelings and thoughts back then were not a child’s feelings and thoughts. I went to a fundraising dinner a while back and there were psychics doing readings for the guests and one woman there told me that I had an old soul. Maybe she was right.”

  “You believe in psychics?”

  “I guess you’d call me a skeptical believer. I believe there are people who really have that ability to tap into the energies and mysteries of the Universe. Everything, after all, is just energy. But I’m not sure if I’ve ever met a real one. I don’t think real ones have one eight hundred numbers or a website.”

  He smiled. “I guess you’d call me a skeptical believer too then.”

  “I try not to dwell too much though. Whenever I do it makes me sad and I can’t change anything so it’s a waste of time. Anyway, everyone has a story. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you when your father left. With him gone and your mother working a lot, you probably grew up a lot like I did—alone. But it made us independent, right? And that’s better than insecure and full of neuroses.”

  He looked down at her and smiled.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I was just thinking, after all the things that you went through and saw, it’s sort of surprising how well you turned out.”

  “I could say the same about you,” she said.

  He caught sight of another photo towards the very back of the shelf. “Is that your graduation picture?”

  “Yes, but you don’t have to look at that,” she said, obviously uncomfortable. She had forgotten that the photo was there.

  He removed the picture from the shelf and studied it. “You haven’t changed much at all except for that long, long hair. Wow, if you had been in my high school, every guy there would have been after you.”

  “Right,” she said as though he were kidding, taking the picture from him and replacing it at the back of the shelf. “Come on, enough nostalgia. Let’s have breakfast and then you can kick back and relax. We’re going to that show tonight, remember?”

  “That’s right. What kind of show was it again?”

  “I guess you could call it a variety show. They sing and do some comedy. Musically, they are very talented. Most of them can play at least three instruments. Oh…here.” She put Angel down and picked up a small photo album from her desk and handed it to him. “I printed the pictures that we took yesterday and put them in there for you.”

  “Thanks,” he said, smiling.

  He began flipping through the album as they headed towards the dining area. Then he abruptly stopped walking. “Wait a minute. Where’s that picture that the lady took of us?”

  “I didn’t think you’d want that one,” she said. “The background wasn’t that visible.”

  “You didn’t delete it did you?” he asked, frowning.

  “No, but—”

  He took her by the arm, surprising her and making her feel that jolt of electricity again.

  “Come here,” he said, leading her back into her room and to her desk. “Sit down and print me out a copy of that picture.”

  “Johnny, it’s not that great of a picture,” she said.

  “Okay, I know that this is your place and I’m just a guest, but I’m not leaving this room until I get a print of that picture.”

  She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was completely serious. Normally, she would have been offended at being ordered around, especially in her own home, but for some reason she found herself giving in to him.

  She shrugged. “All right, I’ll print one out for you.” She retrieved the file from her computer and printed him out a copy.

  “Thank you,” he said as she handed it to him. “And it’s a great picture.”

  “Are you always this bossy?” she asked then.

  He smiled. “Always. What’s the matter? Didn’t you sense that about me?”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Can I go and make us some breakfast now?” she asked. “If that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure,” he said in an overly jovial manner, still smiling,
“I’d love some breakfast.”

  He was glad that she hadn’t been offended by his behavior and that she had a sense of humor. He was well aware of his tendency to be domineering at times and usually he would have refrained from being quite so pushy with someone that he had known for such a short time, especially someone who had opened her home to him, but he felt comfortable with her and able to be himself. After they had eaten, he went out to the chaise by the pool to bask in the sun. When he got too hot, he jumped into the cool water and began doing laps. He hadn’t exercised in a couple of days and his body was feeling the need. He realized that she hadn’t been around or in sight for a while. Curious, and feeling strangely lonely, he dried himself off and went to look for her. He heard her voice coming from the front room. He peeked in the open doorway and found her involved in some sort of a training session with Angel.

  “Hi,” he said, unsure if he should intrude.

  She looked up smiling. He loved her dimples. “Hi, I’m just giving Angel her dance lesson. Do you want to see?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, Angel, let’s show Johnny how very smart you are. Dance baby.” Susan tapped her left thigh and the little dog barked and took her place beside Susan, always keeping an eye on her. Susan started to sing.

  “First you put your two knees close up tight. You sway them to the left and you sway them to the right.” As she did the human version of the song, the little dog did a canine version. Since Angel couldn’t sway her knees, she swayed left and right with her backside.

  “Then you step around the floor kind of nice and light.” As she pranced, so did the little dog.

  “And then you twist around, twist around with all of your might.” As she spun half way and back again, the dog followed her in almost perfect timing.

  “Spread your lovin’ arms way out in space.” The dog raised itself on its hind legs with paws up.

  “You do the Eagle Rock with style and grace.” They moved side to side in unison.

  “Put your foot way out and bring it back.” The little dog wove in and out of the space created by her left leg. “That’s what they call ‘Ballin’ the Jack’.” The little dog sat at the conclusion of the song and lifted her left paw.

  Johnny laughed out loud and clapped his hands. “That’s terrific!” he exclaimed.

  “Someone’s applauding Angel. Take a bow.” The little dog bowed by lowering the front part of her body to the floor.

  “Good girl,” Susan said then and Angel jumped into her waiting arms, tail wagging, and accepted the treat that was being offered to her.

  “You taught her all that?”

  “It was a good way to give her some exercise. And me too.”

  “Yeah, I just took laps in the pool. Haven’t exercised for a couple of days.”

  “I have some exercise equipment that you can use if you want. I put them away before you came to make room. But I have a treadmill and a Bow Flex.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “In the laundry area. I’ll show you.” She put Angel down and led him to the laundry room behind the kitchen where a treadmill was folded up against a wall next to a Bow Flex machine.

  “This is great,” Johnny said.

  “Let’s move it all out to the patio. That’s where they used to be.”

  They moved everything back to the patio. She plugged the cord of the treadmill into a nearby outlet. “Okay, exercise to your heart’s content,” she said.

  “I’d better before I get too out of shape.”

  She found herself wondering if that was possible.

  He stayed on the treadmill for the next half hour and then worked out with the Bow Flex machine for another half hour. She cleaned the house as he exercised, glancing at him occasionally. Once again, the sheer beauty of this man saddened her a little because it reminded her of how far out of her reach he was. Then she thought about how he had thrown her into the pool and the things they had discussed and how bossy he had been about the photo that he wanted and she smiled a little. He was showing his true self; he didn’t feel any need to put on a front and be on his best behavior. We’re really friends now, she thought, and I can live with that.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “What should I wear?” Johnny asked when it was time to get ready for their evening out.

  They had just finished having a light meal and she was washing the dishes. “Casual jacket, maybe. No tie. Hardly anyone around here wears a tie except for attorneys going to court.”

  “What are you wearing?”

  “A dress.”

  “Really? It’ll be the first time I’ve seen you in a dress.”

  “I don’t wear them often,” she admitted.

  “So we’re leaving in about an hour and a half?”

  She nodded. “I’m calling a taxi to take us down there. It’s too hard to find parking in Waikiki on a Saturday night.”

  He took his time getting ready. He showered and shaved and styled his hair for the first time since he had arrived. He had brought his favorite black leather jacket with him and considered wearing it, but he chose a more conservative dark navy jacket instead, deciding that it looked a little more appropriate. When he went back downstairs, she was still in her room. He noticed that the door to the room was partially open.

  “Are you almost ready?” he called out.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  A few seconds later, she stepped out of her room with Angel following her. She was wearing a shimmering, deep royal blue cocktail dress trimmed with silver cutaway sequined lace at the bodice, cuffs, and hem. Her high heeled shoes and clutch bag matched the silver of the trim on the dress. She wore more makeup than usual and her hair was styled and adorned with small white orchids that framed her face.

  He was taken completely by surprise. She looked stunning. “Wow, you look great,” he said.

  She smiled a little shyly. “Thanks. So do you. I didn’t think about it before, though. There might not be any way that you won’t be recognized tonight. Is that going to be all right?”

  “I’ll take my chances,” he said. There wasn’t any way that he would pass up the opportunity of going out with her tonight. “Besides, I brought along a disguise.” He pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on.

  She smiled again. “I hate to tell you this, but that’s about as effective as Clark Kent putting on glasses to hide the fact that he was Superman.”

  “Well, he fooled everybody didn’t he?”

  “They must have been blind,” she said, and then she looked at him more closely. “Are those real?”

  “Yep. I don’t need them all the time. Only when I’m driving, if I’m not wearing my contacts.”

  She felt almost comforted by the fact that Johnny wasn’t completely perfect. “Well, I guess we’re going to find out if the disguise actually works.”

  She kissed Angel before she left and then they went to wait for the taxi in front of the house. He tried not to be obvious but he couldn’t stop looking at her. She was beautiful.

  When they stepped out of the taxi and walked into the lobby of the Prince Kuhio Hotel, she was aware of the looks that they were getting. The women couldn’t take their eyes off of him and she couldn’t blame them. His navy jacket contrasted beautifully with his dark blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, easily seen even behind the glasses that he wore. His open necked shirt hinted at his physique, as did his light gray slacks that were perfectly cut.

  He noticed the men looking at her and he couldn’t blame them. Her outfit was sexy yet demure. The material didn’t hug her body; it simply draped yet showed off her curves. The neckline was modest, high in fact showing no cleavage. The dress was cut above the knee but not too high and the small slit in the hem hinted at more but didn’t reveal it. The white orchids in her hair made her look exotic.

  As she led the way to the check-in station for the showroom, he put his hand against the small of her back, sending a message to those who were looking, particu
larly the men. She, of course, felt that electricity again and wished he wouldn’t do that. The host let them in ahead of the regular crowd and seated them directly in front of the stage but about three rows back on the aisle. It was the perfect spot; she hadn’t wanted to sit in the front row which was too close to the stage and bathed in spotlight.

  The show had changed since she last saw it and the group, known as Local Five, had added some Christmas songs because of the holidays. It was exceptionally good. Her friend, Roland, saw her as he was performing and waved. She waved back. Afterwards, she took Johnny over to meet the group and to thank Roland for the seating arrangement.

  “You’re looking terrific,” Roland said. “And I told you that I’d comp you.”

  “This is your livelihood,” she said. “You should save the comps for the agents—and your mother.”

  He laughed. “She always says that,” he said to Johnny.

  “Because it’s always true. But the seats were great. Thanks. And your new show, I really enjoyed it.”

  “So did I,” Johnny said graciously.

  “Are you a singer?” one of the group’s members asked. “You’ve got a great deep voice. You also look a little familiar.”

  “No, I’m not a singer, but thank you,” Johnny said smiling. “I wish that I could do what all of you do.”

  Susan and Johnny thanked Roland again and walked across the lobby to the front doors that led out to Kalakaua Avenue, the main street that ran through Waikiki.

  As soon as they exited the hotel, Johnny asked, “You paid for the seats even though he offered to comp you?”

  “Like I said, it’s their livelihood. They weren’t that expensive anyway.”

  “You don’t like accepting anything from anyone, do you? I mean, you give a lot to people, but you don’t take anything.”

  “I never thought about it, but maybe that’s true. Maybe I’m too much like my father. He would never accept charity or favors of any kind. Always wanted to make his own way.” She sighed. “So, do you want to walk around a bit, check out more of the local entertainment or even the karaoke bar where I think my friends are at, or grab something small to eat? Actually, there’s a cheesecake place right next to that karaoke bar. You mentioned once that you liked cheesecake.”