Scott didn’t want any drama, but he should have known that coming to Carson City all but guaranteed he’d run into his ex-fiancé, Kimy. He and Jason hadn’t been there long before she and two of her girlfriends walked in. She looked great. It’d been five months since he’d seen her, five months since he’d broken off their engagement. She pretended not to see him, but Scott knew she had. He wasn’t sure what to do. They’d been together three years; he couldn’t just ignore her. He walked over.
“Hi Kimy.”
She turned and feigned surprise, then leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Hi. It’s been a while,” she said, too cheerfully.
Her two friends might as well have been invisible. Scott kissed her back, and resisted the urge to pull her close. They’d always had good chemistry, but they’d broken up for good reasons. He backed up.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Today’s Jason’s birthday.”
Kimy looked over Scott’s shoulder at Jason, who raised his beer in greeting.
“Oh. Well, I’m just having a night out with the girls. Probably won’t stay long, not enough good looking guys here, present company excluded of course. I’ll let you get back to Jason - tell him I said happy birthday.”
She leaned in for a hug and her purse slipped to the floor. Scott couldn’t help but notice when she bent to pick it up that she was wearing a thong. He felt a stab of jealousy. He’d known Kimy a long time. He was sure she’d wanted him to see the thong, that she’d wanted him to at least think she was going out to get laid. Scott walked back over to Jason. “How you doing?” Jason asked.
“I’m fine.” Scott signaled for the bartender. “Another round, and keep ‘em coming.”
Chapter Six
Christian pretended to be surprised when the nuns brought the cake in. Sister Ann smiled with affection when he bent to kiss her. This was an important birthday. He was 18 today. His years with the nuns had been good, but soon he’d be leaving. Through the years, other kids had come and stayed, some for years, most for months, but the only constants were Sister Ann, Teddy, and Sophia.
Sophia and Teddy had stayed longer than was technically allowed, but now they were gone. Sophia was a secretary and Teddy worked in a shoe factory. They shared an apartment, and soon Christian would share it, too.
Two weeks after his birthday, he packed his things, kissed Sister Ann goodbye, and boarded a Greyhound that was bound for his new life. Six hours later, Christian was one of the first off the bus. His long legs ached from the lack of leg room. Through the exhaust spewing from the bus, he saw Sophia first and suppressed a smile. She’d grown taller since their last visit and she’d cut her hair almost as short as his, and (not for the first time) he wondered if she was gay. Then he spotted Teddy. The three could have been mistaken for siblings, but they were closer than most. Teddy rushed toward Christian and they hugged.
“Finally,” Teddy said. “I thought you’d never get here.”
Christian looked at Sophia, and she smiled. “Well, come here, let’s get you to your new home.” she said.
Chapter Seven
With a new job and class, the week had gone by quickly for Katherine. Saturday morning, she stood outside her apartment deciding whether to drive or walk to her study session with Scott. But choosing to walk to Barnes & Noble had turned out to be an easy decision; it was an apple-crisp fall day and the sky a breathtaking blue. She inhaled the cool mountain air deeply. The bookstore was only about four blocks away; too bad she’d be spending the day indoors, reading biographies of the long dead. Not the kind of writing she’d hoped to be doing, and she wasn’t thrilled to have a partner either, but whatever.
She tried not to, but as she walked she couldn’t help looking across at the house where the woman had been murdered. Before leaving, she’d considered taking the long way to the mall, to avoid walking past the house, but once she’d gotten outside, the idea had seemed silly. For a moment she stopped and stared. It was hard to believe that she’d actually seen a killer. It already felt like a dream rather than a memory. She could see the man’s face in her mind, though she’d gone out of her way to tell the police she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. It was her hope that if the killer thought she hadn’t seen him, well, then maybe he’d leave her alone.
Katherine wondered if someone other than the murdered woman had lived in the house…for a second she was sure the curtains in the front windows had moved.
Chapter Eight
He did not believe for an instant that his mind was playing tricks on him. He’d gone back to search the house - it had been easy to get in. He’d looked out the window and felt transported back in time. Walking across the street, just like before, was the woman who had seen him that night, he was sure of it. He almost laughed. He’d thought finding her would be difficult, yet there she was. He left through the back door and followed from a discreet distance.
Chapter Nine
When Katherine arrived at the book store she saw that Scott was already in the store café with a stack of books in front of him. He stood as she neared the table, and she couldn’t help notice the five o’clock shadow at eleven in the morning. She hung her purse on the back of her chair and sat down. They smiled at each other, but both looked slightly uncomfortable. She was nervous, so naturally her hands were moist. She wiped them as discreetly as possible on her jeans.
“I stopped by the library last week,” said Scott, “and checked out some books on a few different people, including van Gogh. I remembered you’d suggested him. I’m pretty flexible. We can do the biography on anyone you want. I don’t care.”
Katherine remembered how Scott’s comments about van Gogh’s suicide had annoyed her. She’d thought them very judgmental. She was pleased with his willingness to take her suggestion.
“Great, thanks.”
“You’ll have to excuse me if I’m a little out of it. I had just a tad too much to drink last night and I’m dragging butt.”
“I thought you were looking a little green around the gills.”
“Just around the gills?”
Katherine laughed. “You’ll survive. Let’s get started.”
After discussing who would do what, they each read and took notes in silence.
Katherine thought Scott was a typical guy, used to getting his way and ready to call the shots if she let him. She’d be strong, firm, let him know she wasn’t a pushover, but damn! He smelled good. It was all she could do to not jump over the table and bury her face in his neck, letting the little bit of black hair that peeked out of his shirt tickle her nose. She wondered if spending a lot of time studying with him might actually be bad for her grade. Her concern deepened when, after just two hours of reading, Scott slammed his book shut and said, “Wanna take a break? We could walk around the mall for a little while, then come back.”
Katherine’s eyes had started to glaze over and she’d read the same paragraph twice. A break sounded just fine by her.
“Sounds good to me. Just for a little while though, right?”
“Sure, sure,” he said, in a tone of voice that did not inspire confidence in Katherine. They put their books into Scott’s jeep and started walking.
***
The entrance to the mall was just across the parking lot from the book store. They walked over, enjoying the warm sun on their faces. A few minutes later, they were in the mall where rustic colors dominated. Bales of hay and large pumpkins were randomly placed throughout, and strings of multicolored leaves hung from railings and store windows. A Yankee Candle store was nearby and Katherine could smell the scents of pumpkin pie and spices mingling with the aromas coming from the nearby food court. Her heart felt like it was doing the cha-cha, and her hands were sweaty, as they always were when she was nervous, She willed it to slow down, reminding herself that Scott was just a classmate and that they were at the mall, not a get-married-quick chapel downtown.
As they walked, both admired the storefront windows. But when Scott
wasn't looking, Katherine was looking at his reflection in the glass. Scott steered her toward a sporting goods store, and as they walked in he bumped his head on the top of the door. He looked over at Katherine and cleared his throat twice, his version of her sweaty palms.
She knew she should be sympathetic, but for some reason his mishap struck her funny bone. She tried to keep a straight face, unsure if he'd get mad if she smiled or laughed.
“Oh, you think it's funny, do you?” he said, pretending to be very serious.
“I hope you didn't damage their door,” she said teasingly.
Scott’s near-concussion changed the atmosphere between them, like an ice sculpture that had begun to melt.
After they’d seen most of the first floor, Scott suggested lunch. Going back to study had quietly been forgotten. Though still on guard with each other, they’d begun to relax. Scott asked Katherine what she did for a living.
“I’m a secretary. What about you? What do you do?”
Scott grabbed a bread roll and started to butter it. “Insurance.”
“Sounds exciting.” Katherine looked down at her menu, but Scott could see she was smiling.
“Oh yeah, and being a secretary is a thrill a minute I bet.”
Katherine had always been an office worker, and she was usually a little defensive about it. Sometimes she felt looked down upon, because being a secretary didn’t exactly sound impressive. But - and she wasn’t sure why - Scott’s teasing tone didn’t bother her.
They both smiled. Katherine watched as he picked up each piece of his silverware and rubbed it with his cloth napkin. Neat freak? she wondered. Oh yeah, we’ll gonna get along just great. Not.
“Anyway, I won’t be doing insurance forever.”
“Well, what will you be doing? What are you getting your degree in?”
“Business. I love bike riding, and I wanna open a shop.”
“Harleys?”
Scott laughed. “No, not that kind of bike. Think Schwinn.”
The waiter set a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of Scott, and a much smaller version in front of Katherine. Scott has asked for a double order.
“Business is my major, too,” Katherine said proudly. “This is my last class.”
“Mine too.” said Scott. “I quit college for a while, ran off with some friends for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe. I was supposed to finish up in the fall, but I just never did. That was four years ago.”
“Why now?” asked Katherine.
Scott shrugged, then answered, “It’s just time. Plus, a business degree will make getting a loan for my bike shop a lot easier. So what about you? How come you’re not finished?”
Katherine hesitated. This time last year, she’d started her last class, but then between her marriage disintegrating and her father’s death, she’d had to drop it. She took a drink of her water, then answered, “Oh you know, life. Listen, this class is really important to me.”
Scott finished chewing a very large bite of meatball before answering. “Don’t worry about it. I want to pass it too. What are you going to do once you graduate? You gonna stay where you’re at?”
“Not sure. I’m thinking of going to law school.”
“Yikes.” said Scott. “Better you than me.”
Katherine smiled, then sipped her coffee, feeling relaxed. She watched Scott and was relieved. Yes, he was very good looking, even when stuffing his face like it was his last meal, but the attraction she felt would be fairly easy to control. No big deal.
They ate their food quietly for a while. Then Katherine asked, “Are you from Reno?”
Scott wiped his mouth. “No, Carson City.”
“Oh, homegrown boy. Family still there?”
“Yep.”
“Girlfriend?”
Scott dropped his fork with a loud clang. “You want that?” he asked, pointing at the last bread roll.
Katherine shook her head no, not noticing Scott’s discomfort and sudden change of subject.
Scott insisted on buying their meal and then they headed for the escalator. Katherine looked down as they rode to the second level. Everything seemed bright and colorful, and with Scott only a few feet away, she couldn't help thinking she was having a very good Saturday. Upstairs, they leaned on the railing overlooking the skating rink below.
“Do you ride your bike a lot?” she asked.
“Not as much as I’d like. Once spring comes around, I’ll bike more. What about you? You have any hobbies?”
She noticed an ice cream parlor and smiled. “Just pricy coffee and brownie ice cream,” she said with a laugh.
She didn't smoke and hardly drank and wasn't thrilled with men who did. Yet another reason she and Ray had parted ways-he was a heavy drinker. It was something she hadn’t realized until after they were married. He was handsome - very handsome - and she’d been blinded by lust. Well, that’s what you get for letting your libido boss your brain around. Lesson learned. She looked over at Scott. Yep, lesson learned.
They walked around a department store for a while and ended up in the men’s section. Scott picked up an electric razor. He noticed Katherine looking.
“I really need a new one,” he said, “but what a rip-off.”
“Too expensive?” asked Katherine.
Scott set the razor back on the shelf. “Yes. It’s a nice one, but not worth eighty bucks.”
Next, they went into the Yankee Candle store they’d passed earlier. Scott held a lavender-scented tart to his nose.
“Should I get the lavender or the rose?” he joked.
The sight of this tall, muscular guy smelling heart-shaped candles made Katherine smile. She bought some candles and would probably have bought more, but Scott was leaving the store and gesturing for her to hurry.
“You in a rush or something?”
“Sorry, that store is just not manly enough for me. Too frou-frou,” he said, only half joking. As they walked he said, “How about that class? A lot of writing.”
“Tell me about it,” replied Katherine. “When I saw that synopsis, I thought about dropping it, just for a second.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because then how would I see you?” he answered, immediately regretting what he’d said. He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea. Changing the subject, he said, “You know, you do have two hands. Why are you carrying everything in your left?”
Katherine had purchased two bags worth of Yankee Candle Tarts and a tart burner. She struggled to hold them all in her left hand.
She smiled. “Habit, I guess. I used to be in the Air Force. You get used to carrying everything in your left hand.”
“Why?”
“Because you salute with your right.”
“Oh. That’s interesting.”
“We should probably call it a day.” said Katherine as she glanced at her watch. “I kind of want to walk around the lake near my apartment before it gets dark.”
“Yeah, I have some things to do too.”
They walked back to the bookstore. After getting her books from Scott’s jeep, Scott said, “Do you want a ride home?”
“No thanks.” answered Katherine
“Okay, I’ll see you Monday,” said Scott.
***
Scott sat in his jeep smiling as he thought about the afternoon with Katherine. The day had done a lot to change his opinion of her. He still thought she was a little flakey, but he no longer thought she was obnoxious. He frowned as he pulled a picture of Kimy out of his wallet. She was one of the reasons he wouldn’t be making any moves on Katherine. If he’d learned anything from his relationship with Kimy, it was that timing was everything. He turned the engine on and started home.
***
As Katherine quickly walked home, thoughts of Scott kept forcing their way into her mind and she kept forcing them out. She recognized the familiar, excited feeling of a new infatuation and she was determined to crush it. She’d go
ne the marriage route, she’d put her dreams on hold for one guy, and look where that had gotten her. Her once-loving husband had emptied their checking account and left her for some scuzzy woman next door.
It wasn’t that she thought there was something between her and Scott - they’d just met, after all - but she wanted it clear in her mind, and his if need be, that there was no way was she getting romantically involved with him or anyone else, anytime soon. Now was the time to focus on herself and her dreams. So engrossed was Katherine with thoughts of Scott, she forgot to even look at the house where the woman had been murdered as she passed it.
Once home, Katherine changed and hurried out the door and towards the park. She didn’t bother listening to music on her iPod; the sounds of children playing on the nearby swings and the occasional singing of some still-remaining birds were pleasant enough entertainment.
After a few laps around the lake in the middle of the park, Katherine took note of the color of the sky. It was the time of year when it seemed to be light one moment and dark the next. She saw families loading children into minivans and knew she should leave soon, too.
The darker it got, the faster Katherine’s heart began to beat. Everyone was gone now, and the cold wind whistled through bony, leafless trees. It hadn’t been nearly long enough since her encounter with the killer and every noise made her jumpy. Her eyes darted in all directions. She felt as if the darkness was a living menace trying to envelop her, that she needed to walk quickly to escape its swift approach. She knew she was being ridiculously paranoid, but couldn’t help feeling as if she were being watched too.
Katherine looked to her left, startled by the truck that seemed to come from out of nowhere as she began to cross the street. He didn’t even stop at the stop sign. She jumped back onto the curb just in time. Don’t slow down on my account.
Since the killing, Katherine had tried to be more aware of her surroundings, and as she neared her apartment she had an uneasy feeling. Because of the dark, it seemed later than it was, and the quiet reminded her of that night. Just as she reached for the front door of her apartment complex, something caught her attention out the corner of her eye. She swung around ready to attack, but nobody was there. She turned back to the door and suddenly felt a hand grip her arm. She screamed. The grip tightened. Her fists swung wildly and she kicked without looking. Her attacker was gripping both her arms and shaking her; then she heard her name. It took a second for her mind to catch up before she stopped swinging and kicking. She looked up into the grayest eyes she’d ever seen.
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