Passion and Pearls (The pearl series)

by Marie, Dani

  Blu avoided thinking about what dealing with her gift would mean to them as a couple. He just wanted to enjoy their time together. The way he saw it, time would tell. Right now he wanted to be with Aqua and that was all he cared about. Besides, no one was really psychic were they? Blu was sure that Aqua had just noticed some sign that his Mother was ill and picked up on that. Psychics weren’t real. They were scammers trying to bilk money from unsuspecting people.

  Chapter 5

  For two weeks Blu avoided the conversation and Aqua let him. She was basking in the comfort of his arms and the appreciative embrace of his family. Blu’s mother was getting better and the family was grateful for Aqua’s quick thinking that had saved her life. Aqua knew she and Blu needed to talk but she couldn’t make herself push the issue.

  Blu parked his Bronco behind the store and gathered the sack of supplies he’d bought for dinner. His day hadn’t gone well, with two burglaries and a rough domestic violence case to investigate. He really wanted this down time with Aqua to recharge and forget about work. He knocked then opened the door to go inside. Satin came running and almost tripped him as he put the steaks in the fridge. Finally he reached down and picked the kitten up and gave him the attention the little bundle of black fur was demanding.

  With his hands full of kitten he wandered through the apartment and called Aqua’s name. He finally found her as he wandered through the bedroom and opened the bathroom door. His hand stilled on the kitten as he registered the sight. Aqua was in the bathtub with her earphones in, tapping some tune only she could hear with her fingers. There was only a small skim of bubbles left floating on top of the water attesting to the fact that she’d been enjoying her bath for some time. The woman was beautiful, not perfect but beautiful, her pale skin calling to him. He put the kitten outside the door and softly shut it.

  Without taking his eyes off her he began undressing. As he undressed he saw Aqua’s hand slid over her body and watched as she lifted one leg over the edge of the tub. Her hand slid lower and he could see that she was touching the trimmed curls covering her core. Once his clothes were finally off he walked over to the tub and knelt next to it. He softly touched her toes which startled Aqua who tried to sit up but Blu stopped her settling her back down. Her hands had both come out of the water and Blu took one, kissed her palm and then moved it back where it had been while he was watching. Aqua understood and she stared into Blu’s eyes as he watched her touch herself. The pleasure escalated and she closed her eyes, leaned back, and let the pleasure take over. Before she could peak, Blu replaced her hand with his and thrust his fingers deep inside her as he leaned over and took one peaked nipple in his mouth. He felt her release and gentled his touches until the quaking subsided. Then he helped her to her feet and taking the towel from the rack dried her off before lifting her in his arms and taking her to the bed. He laid her down gently then joined her.

  Blu spread her legs with his, then slid both arms under her knees lifting them. He opened her up to him and leaned in sliding deep inside her with one slow drive. Aqua’s body tightened around him and she whispered his name with pleasure. He held still, as deep as possible inside this woman that had become as vital as breathing to him. “Open your eyes baby and look at me.” She did, noting the primal look on his face. He pulled out and then slammed back in hard once, then again and again until they both pulsed with the pleasure of another shared release. Blu slumped over her trying to keep some of his weight off her before finally sliding somewhat sideways pulling her close.

  “I can’t help myself, I‘ve falling completely in love with you,” he muttered against her hair.

  Aqua held her breath and turned to her lover. She saw the truth of his statement in his eyes and felt her heart swell. “I love you too, Blu. I’ve never felt this way before.” She snuggled in closer. Aqua felt her mind shift as they fell asleep, dinner completely forgotten.

  Aqua awoke to scratching and mewing at the bedroom door. Satin was not happy to be left outside the room and was voicing his displeasure. She slid slowly out of the bed leaving Blu to sleep. She quickly donned a robe and left the room scooping up the kitten as she went. She wandered to the kitchen and started the water to boil for a cup of tea. Once the tea was ready she went to the living room and sat in her favorite chair with her cup and the kitten on her lap. Her mind wandered to Blu and a strange feeling came over her. She felt her mind shift again and then she was watching his dreams. It was as if she was inside his head. She could see the turmoil of the work day through his dream. Aqua wasn’t sure what was going on, this had never happened before. She focused her mind and visualized a switch turning off and the dream disappeared. She threw the switch again and there she was back with him in his dream. She switched her connection off again and sat there breathing fast trying to understand what had just happened.

  She remembered her Mother talking about the connection she and Aqua’s father had. How she could tune-in to his thoughts. Aqua wondered if this was what she had been talking about. She wished her Mother was here to ask, or that she had someone she could consult, but this was one of those things she would have to figure out on her own.

  At just past midnight Blu woke up and rolled over looking for Aqua. Not finding her woke him up completely and he sat up noticing the clock. The rumbling of his stomach reminded him they hadn’t eaten and he got up and dressed. He found her in the living room with the kitten and loved the smile she gave him when she first saw him round the corner. He went to her scooped her up and sat back down with her on his lap. He held her for a while kissing her now and then until his stomach rumbled again.

  Aqua patted his flat belly and stood up. “Come on it’s time for dinner. Seems someone distracted me earlier.” Blu laughed and followed her to the kitchen. They fixed dinner together and laughed at each other’s antics. They were a good couple, relaxed and respectful. When they sat down to eat Blu took a bite of his potatoes and slightly frowned. Aqua without really thinking about it flipped the switch and immediately his thoughts filled her mind. “Yeah, I’m sure I do have some sour cream in the fridge,” she answered him although he hadn’t actually voiced his question. Blu got up and got it out before it hit him that he hadn’t said a word.

  Aqua had left the switch on when he realized he hadn’t spoken out loud and felt his trepidation the moment it hit him. She could see him pull a little away from her. He didn’t know what had just happened but she could feel that he didn’t like it. He sat back down and continued eating, now quiet.

  “I guess I’m a little more tuned in to you now. I’m not sure how but, I seem to be able to hear your thoughts pretty clearly. My Mom was like that with Dad, they got used to it and even liked it. I’m sure we will too.” Aqua thought this explanation would ease his uncertainty and calm Blu’s thoughts. It didn’t, in fact it made them race faster and in several directions.

  Blu was reeling. Could she really tell what he was thinking? Would she know everything he did and said? How could this happen, he didn’t even believe in psychics? That last thought of Blu’s came through loud and clear to Aqua.

  “You don’t believe in psychics?” she stood and asked him. He was startled again that she had known exactly what he’d been thinking. A shiver of old time deep seated fear washed over him as it must have back when the Salem witch hunts had been common. Aqua was stunned. He was afraid of her? She loved him, he loved her and yet she could feel that he was afraid of her. She could hear his thoughts tumble forward. Freak? He thought she was a freak? Aqua turned the switch off no longer able to handle the pain of his thoughts.

  “I think you had better leave,” she told him. Satin hissed and took a swipe at his ankle before Aqua scooped the hissing kitten up and started out of the room. With her back to him she added, “don’t bother coming back until you figure out if I’m a freak or not. I’ll not sleep with a man who is afraid of me no matter how much I love him.” She walked to the bedroom, shut the door flipping the lock and then fell to the bed. Her moan
of pain and the tears could not be stopped and the kitten snuggled up to her as much as possible trying to ease her anguish.

  Blu was in shock. What had just happened? It was like some horror movie where something wonderful goes horribly wrong. How did she know what he had been thinking? This couldn’t be happening. This kind of thing didn’t happen to him. He didn’t believe in psychic mumbo jumbo. Even though he told himself that, he kept asking himself how she’d known. Not just vaguely but precisely what had been going through his mind. He put away the food, gathered his things and walked toward the bedroom door. He could hear her sobbing on the other side of the wood and it made him feel like the worst kind of bastard but he didn’t know what or how to deal with her. He turned and walked back to the kitchen and out the door.

  Chapter 6

  Aqua was thankful it was Sunday and she didn’t have to face customers in the store. Her eyes were swollen and red from her continued crying jag. She resisted the temptation to tap into Blu’s mind. She could see the switch and knew she would be able to read his thoughts no matter where he was. This deeper connection must have opened once they both fell in love. That was the only explanation she could think of. Aqua didn’t want to know what he was thinking now though. She was afraid of his feeling for her, and couldn’t face him backing away from her, from what she thought they shared. It was more than she could handle and so she left the connection closed.

  Satin wouldn’t leave her side. The kitten was giving her what comfort he could. She had cried herself out by the time Monday morning came. Although she looked pale and her smile wasn’t reaching her eyes, she was open for business and getting through her day. She hoped that Blu wouldn’t come near her as she was still on shaky footing.

  Just before closing time Wanda came in dangling a bag of cookies ready to get to the bottom of her friend’s problem. She didn’t know what had happened but she wasn’t about to let her friend continue moping without some chocolate to console her. Aqua looked up from the counter and smiled. “It’s chocolate and answers times,” Wanda told her as she opened the bakery bag and fished out one of Aqua’s favorites. She waved it in front of the poor woman and as only a friend can, demanded answers as payment for her fix.

  One bite and Aqua broke. She knew she was risking the loss of Wanda’s friendship but Aqua knew the woman was going to drag the whole story out of her anyway. Wanda’s eyes got big and she dipped into the bag and ate two cookies herself and patted Aqua on the hand now and then. When the tear filled story was finally out Wanda got up and hugged Aqua tight and said, “that bastard,” like only a true friend would.

  Aqua was stunned and yet so relieved that Wanda hadn’t run screaming from her store that she cried again. “You believe me?”

  “Of course I do, Girl. Now the question is do you want to get that damn man back or not, cause I’m considering hurting him myself right now.” Wanda said while handing Aqua another cookie.

  Aqua munched and thought about that question. Did she want him back, what if he believed her and they could be happy together? She knew that there was a strong connection and that she was in love with him. Even now she could tune in to his thoughts if she wanted. When she calmly thought it through she realized that asking him to believe her without proof was asking a lot. She would have loved it if he had but his logical cop mind didn’t let him believe that way. He was a prove it kind of man and if she really loved him she was going to have to keep that in mind.

  “Yep, he’s toast and gonna be mine,” she finally said with a smile. Wanda laughed and the pair ordered pizza and spent the next couple hours discussing ways to show the man the light. For the first time since he’d left her apartment Aqua flipped the switch and tuned in to his thought. She would need all the help she could get to make a believer out of Blu.

  Blu was still torn about what had happened. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it and found himself trying to rationalize what Aqua had said. Deep down he knew what he was doing was wrong but he couldn’t help himself. That he didn’t call her or stop by to make sure she was alright was telling as to how unsettled he was. His guilt was driving him crazy. He turned on the radio to his favorite station to try and block out his thoughts.

  “That folks was ‘The Crime I’m Guilty Of’ by Blue Moon Rising,” the announcer told the listeners. Blu’s mouth dropped open and he pulled over and shut the Bronco off. He just sat there for a few minutes before he laughed at himself and shaking his head got back on the road. That was just one of those crazy coincidences he told himself. “Coming up next is ‘The Big Ones Get Away’, title track from Buffy Sainte-Marie’s ‘Coincidence & Likely Stories’ album.” Blu hurried and turned the radio off and headed home. He needed a beer. Bad.

  Aqua turned the switch off and poured herself and Wanda another glass of wine. This was kind of fun, in a mean way. They watched a movie and Aqua told Wanda how lucky she felt to have her as a friend. Aqua slept peacefully that night for the first times since Blu had walked out. She had a plan.

  Aqua had decided that she didn’t want to freak Blu out completely so they would go slow with his further introduction to physic phenomenon. So, she only tuned into his thoughts now and then and didn’t do anything for a few days until the next weekend. She knew he had Saturday off and she thought it would be better not to freak him out on the job.

  Saturday morning Blu slept in but woke up, after dreaming about Aqua, in a bad mood. He was frustrated but didn’t know what to do next. He made a cup of coffee and looked at his list of chores that needed done for the weekend. He decided he’d rather head to the ranch to see his how his Mom was doing and he could catch up on the ranch books while he was there. He knew there would be bills to pay. He fixed a quick breakfast got dressed and headed out to the ranch. He sang to himself, still not daring to turn the radio back on.

  Blu enjoyed a nice visit with his folks and went to the barn to see the horses. He was calmer and felt more relaxed after spending some time at the ranch which always centered him. After dinner he headed to the office to work on the books. He hated the work but was the only one that could make sense of his father’s system. He caught up fairly quickly but was frustrated when he had everything done except printing the checks. The flashing of the “out of ink” made him start a thorough search of drawers when he heard the fax machine beep. He picked up the fax and was surprised to see it was from Aqua’s store.

  He frowned when he read the invoice for replacement ink and a note that indicated it would be delivered on Monday or he could pick it up if he’d prefer. He sat down hard in the chair and read the invoice again. How could she have known, especially on a Saturday evening? His mind was reeling and he wondered if he should call her and ask. A minute later another fax came through. It was a plain piece of paper with a hand written note that read. ‘Don’t call me yet, I’m still a little mad at you.’ It was signed with an A. Blu dropped the paper and sat down at the desk again. This couldn’t be happening, he was really losing his mind. He got up went to the bar and poured himself a large shot of whiskey. It looks like he’d be staying at the ranch tonight because he planned on and proceeded to get very drunk.

  Sunday morning brought a beautiful day that Blu couldn’t even begin to enjoy. His father insisted he go to church in town with him and his Mother as added penitence for his drinking, as if the mother of all hangovers wasn’t enough. Blu followed his folks into town and sat through the service doing his best not to be ill. When the Pastor finished and Blu said his goodbyes he climbed into his Bronco and rested his head against the steering wheel feeling miserable. That’s when the smell of toast hit him and drew his gaze to the passenger seat. There sat a small paper sack. He opened the sack and inside was a bottle of aspirin and warm toast. The note only said ‘the coffee is hot - A.’ He looked down at the cup holder and sure enough there was a paper cup with steam coming out from the lid. He opened the aspirin and shook a few out, picked up the coffee and with the first sip took his medicine. The toast was welcomed by hi
s stomach and as he sat there for a while he started to feel marginally better.

  Blu later realized that his Mother, who was not happy that Blu wasn’t seeing Aqua any longer, must have let Aqua know he was hung-over. There were logical explanations for everything. He wasn’t going to fall for some crazy physic scheme. Feeling a bit better about the whole thing he headed home.

  Aqua flipped the switch laughing at how the poor man was trying to come up with logical explanations. She and Wanda would have to come up with some more ideas to bring him around. There were so many possibilities now that she was so connected to him. She was careful to try not to be to invasive in her tuning in though. Aqua was sensitive to how it would feel to have someone privy to her every thought.

  Blu’s sister Amanda came into the store the next Monday afternoon. Aqua wasn’t sure what to expect but Amana walked right up and hugged her and said. “Hey, how’s it going? Have you and my idiot brother patched things up yet?”

  “Afraid not, but I’m working on him in my own way. I hope he’ll come around sometime soon before I have to just smack him good.” Aqua was smiling and Amanda laughed.

  “Well, I hear he and the boys are going to the Acorn tonight so maybe we should have a girl’s night out. We could ignore them completely and see if we can stir up some trouble.”

  Wanda had just walked in and hugging Amanda said, “Oh my, can I get in on that action?” The three women laughed and made plans to meet that evening.

  Aqua knocked on Wanda’s apartment door and walked in. Wanda took one look at Aqua’s outfit and shook her head, took her hand and drug her to the bedroom. “That is not going to do it, let’s see if I can come up with something that will do the trick.”

  Aqua wasn’t sure what was wrong with her pants and blouse but wasn’t going to argue. Wanda dug through her closet and started bring out items. Soon she had Aqua changing and in a matter of minutes had moved on to Aqua’s makeup and hair. In less than half an hour Aqua was looking in the mirror with a shocked look on her face.