All That Sparkles (Siren Publishing Classic)

by D. Morrissey

  “Tony! What the hell…” Cal returns to the living room and flicks off the television. I stare at the blank screen quietly as I listen to his side of the conversation. “Who did it and why the hell didn’t somebody call me?” He pauses. “What kind of mix-up? What time? By God, I want coercion added to the list of charges.” He paces a bit and then explodes. “I don’t care! Find out!” he yells. “And find out who all the judge talked to tonight. I want to know everyone he met with, spoke to on the phone or in person, had dinner with, or glanced at from across his driveway. If he fucked somebody, I want to know who it was and in what positions. Understand? Good.” He hangs up and stares at the floor, running his hand through his messier than usual hair. Suddenly, he turns and throws the phone across the room in a rage. Fortunately, it lands safely in a chair. He rubs his face with his hands and sighs. Oh! My Cal has a temper.

  He stares for a moment at the floor before he finally lifts his face to look at me. “I’m sorry.” I’m not sure whether he means because Danny is out. Or because he cursed someone out over the phone. Or because he threw his phone across the room and scared me to death.

  “It’s okay,” I say, figuring it’s best to not ask why.

  He shakes his head. “Judge Thompson let him out on a fifty-thousand-dollar bail. Can you believe that? That fat bastard. And now he’s calling it a ‘mix-up’.” He pauses and then looks solemnly at me. “You realize this puts you at risk. We need to rethink your going back home and back to work. It’s just not a good idea.”

  I shake my head. “There’s nothing to think about, Cal. I have to. I don’t have a choice.”

  “Dammit, Ellie.” He sighs, resigned to accepting that he won’t change my mind on this point. “I have to go make some more calls. Here.” He hands me the remote and I take it from him, relieved that he didn’t throw it at me. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. You’re okay?”

  I nod silently, truthfully more upset that Cal is angry and we won’t be having deviant hitman sex on the sofa more so than I am over Danny Logan. I watch him disappear back down the hallway and I lie down on the couch to watch some more television, alone.

  I am having a delicious dream. I’m lying naked in some tropical pool and Cal is pushing me around on an air mattress, the sun bathing me in a blanket of warm light as I float around the pool, weightless. He strokes my hair and kisses me, whispering promises of lusty love-making into my ear, and I am smiling, ready, waiting.

  “Hey. Wake up, sweetie.” He strokes my hair and kisses me on the forehead. I frown.

  “What? Oh!” I sit up, stifling a yawn, and blink a few times. “I fell asleep. What time is it?”

  He smiles at me. “It’s late. Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

  I stand up from the sofa, wobbly, and he puts his arm around me, guiding me to the stairs.

  “What happened? Did you get him locked back up?” I ask, sleepily.

  “No. But, I have some plain clothes officers on him. I’m not letting him out of our sight. I’ll know where he is every second of every day until his trial.”

  “Good.” I smile and I lay my head on his arm as walk into the dark bedroom.

  “It’s just all so…unnecessary and frustrating,” he says, tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it on the dresser.

  I stand beside the bed, basking in the stars from the skylight above, sorry that he is frustrated about anything that has to do with me. I pull off my shirt, his shirt, and I lay it at the bottom of the bed. Then I step out of my shorts, his shorts, and I toss them on top of my shirt. I turn to face him and he stares at me, then places his hand on my cheek.

  “I want you,” he whispers softly.

  I smile and wrap my arms around his waist, kissing his stomach, and letting the soft hairs on his chest tickle my face. He rubs his hands gently down my back and across my bottom.

  “Hot naked monkey sex round five?” I ask, sighing hopefully into his chest.

  “No.”

  What? But he just said…I raise my face to look at him, confused.

  “I want to make love to you,” he whispers, and my heart tightens in my chest.

  And then he does. Softly and sweetly and gently. And I give myself to him, all of me, heart, body, and soul.

  I wake up to one little ray of sunlight that’s fought its way through all the countless clouds in the sky to shine directly through the skylight above and right into my face. I squint my eyes, throwing my arm over my face, unsure if I even like the stupid skylight anymore. Then I glance over to make sure Cal is still next to me. My fingers itch to touch him, hold him, after our precious encounter last night. But he’s not there. Hm.

  Grouchy now, I roll out of bed and pad to the bathroom, anxious to brush my teeth, since my mouth definitely tastes like ass, and splash some water on my face.

  I emerge a few minutes later feeling half-human again and trying to decide what clothes to put on. I settle for my own since I have to go home today and back to work. I frown at the thought, wondering how bad the fight with Cal over this will be. He’s just going to have to accept the fact that I’m not going into hiding because of this. Why should I be the one who’s being punished? I head slowly down the stairs, following my nose toward the smell of coffee and bacon. My stomach growls.

  I see Cal sitting at the bar reading the morning paper. He looks like such a grown-up, all showered and dressed in one of the dark blue suits I saw hanging in his closet. He’s still sexy as hell chewing on a piece of bacon and holding a cup of coffee in his hand, but very mature and maybe even a little intimidating

  “You’re spoiling me,” I finally say.

  “I sure hope so. I’ve been trying hard enough.” He smiles. “Good morning, beautiful.” My heartbeat speeds up as I lean over to kiss him. He thinks I’m beautiful!

  “You got dressed,” he says, sounding disappointed.

  “Well, I usually do when I get up in the morning.” I laugh.

  “There’s some bacon and eggs over there on the counter. And some coffee, too. Get you some.” He slaps me on the ass as I walk away.

  I yelp and turn around, giving him the stink eye. “Love taps, baby.” He grins and looks back down at his paper.

  I sit down next to him, stealing a bit of his newspaper as I eat a piece of bacon and enjoy my coffee.

  “I have to go in to the office this morning.” He folds his paper and slides it toward me.

  “I’d be surprised if you didn’t.” This seems like one of the longest weekends of my life in one way, and then, at the same time, it’s been far too short. “Time to get back to the real world, I guess. I have to go in today, too. Well, not that I have an office to go back to. But back to work anyway.”

  “Well, why don’t you have an office?”

  I’m surprised by the question. “You mean, why do I work at a chemical manufacturing plant?”

  “Yes. Exactly. Young, nice looking girl like you with a college degree. You could work just about anywhere you wanted, like a school, or a bank, or a law office even.”

  Law office? I look at him as I chew my bacon, afraid he’s going to offer me a job. “Because jobs like that don’t just fall out of trees and hit people like me on the head. Believe me, I looked. Even with a college degree.” I shrug. “But then I got a part-time job at the plant and they paid really well, better than some of the office jobs I applied for.”

  “So, it’s all about the money?”

  “No. Not really. Now that I finally have full-time status, I have benefits, too. I like my boss, the guys are great, and most nights, I’m the only one there and I can read or do whatever I want to do, so long as I make my rounds. Plus, I get time and a half when I work the midnight shift.”

  He nods, smiling.

  “What?”

  “I thought maybe you might want to come and work for me.”

  I knew it!

  “No way, Jose.” I pop the last piece of bacon into my mouth and scurry off with our plates to the kitchen.

 
“Why not?”

  “Because. For starters, I hear the way you talk to people you work with. And I don’t want to be on the receiving end of that.”

  He laughs. “I’d never speak to you that way, though.”

  “Oh, that’s even better. I’d be the boss’s pet, your sex-a-tary. And everyone would hate me.”

  He chuckles, rubbing his chin as he contemplates. “Sex-a-tary. I hadn’t thought of that. But I really like the sound of it.”

  I giggle. “Well, it’s not going to happen, not at your office anyway. But I’d be more than happy to be your sex-a-tary here at home.” I nod toward his office.

  A slow, sexy grin spreads across his face. “Oh, yeah? You up for another part-time job, Miss Carter?”

  I wrap my arms around his neck and straddle his lap, leaning over to kiss his ear softly. “I’d do it just for the benefits.”

  He glances toward the kitchen clock. “I have time now, if we hurry.” He stands and lifts me against him.

  I squeal, wondering if he’s going to try and run carrying me to his office. “Not right now!”

  He looks dejected and slowly lowers my feet to the floor. “Dammit. Why didn’t we think of that sooner?”

  “Because we were too busy thinking about the bed, and the shower, and the sofa, and the dresser.” I giggle.

  Finally, we make it to the truck and start the long trek to my house, our moods turning almost somber. Cal looks especially pensive. I wonder what he’s thinking about, but I’m afraid to ask in case the topic of me staying at home or going to work comes up again. I decide to suck it up and poke the bear.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “What time will you get home from work?” he finally asks, staring at the road in front of us.

  Uh Oh. “Around seven-thirty or eight tomorrow morning. I have to work straight through.”

  “So, you’re working all evening and all night? Until seven tomorrow morning? Seriously?”

  I nod slowly.

  “Are you doing that all week?” He looks disappointed.

  “I was supposed to be on midnights this week. I usually start at eleven. But honestly, since they reworked the schedule, I don’t know what I’m working now. Why? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. I just…I just thought…” He sighs and grips the wheel.

  “You just thought what?” I press.

  “I just thought maybe we could see each other some this week, is all.”

  Really? “That might be possible. What’d you have in mind?” I bat my lashes and give him a coy smile.

  His face relaxes and he reaches across the console to hold my hand. Suddenly, I’m feeling a little better about going home.

  “I was thinking maybe Monday.”

  “Today is Monday,” I remind him. “You mean next Monday?” I don’t want to wait that long.

  “Well, I had hoped I could see you tonight. But since I can’t, then definitely tomorrow.” He smiles. “And maybe Wednesday and Thursday. And for sure on Friday.”

  “You’d be sick of me by Wednesday.” I giggle, but, mentally, I’m giving myself a big hug and skipping around in circles.

  “I’ll take my chances. I want to see you tomorrow.”

  I look at him seriously now. “I’ll probably sleep all day. But if you want to have dinner tomorrow night, and if I don’t have to pull another double, maybe you could come over when you get off?”

  “So, tomorrow night at five fifteen then?” He smiles like a naughty boy and it makes me laugh.

  “That works. I should be awake by then.”

  “Will you let me inside the house this time?” He grins.

  “Now that I know you’re not a hitman coming to whack me? Yes.”

  Pacified, he squeezes my hand. I run through all the stuff I need to do before he gets there tomorrow night.

  “You realize I didn’t get to go grocery shopping this weekend. We’ll have to eat Captain Crunch for dinner tomorrow.”

  He rolls his eyes and laughs. “I like Captain Crunch. But I wasn’t going to let you cook for me anyway. We’ll figure something out.” He pauses, thinking. “You know, a simpler solution here might be for you to come straight over to my place when you get off in the morning, and just sleep there.”

  What? “What do you mean? Like while you’re not there? When you’re at work?”

  “Sure. I have to work all week so I wouldn’t be there to bother you. You’ll have the whole house to yourself, except Friday, of course, when Ms. Lewis comes to clean. But you can come in, get a shower, and pass out. Then at least I know I’ll get to see you when I get home. Plus, I have groceries.”

  I stare at him like he’s crazy. “You realize that what you’re describing, said loosely, is the definition of living together.”

  “Does it?” He grins.

  I turn and look out my window. We’re getting close to my house.

  “Too soon?” he asks apologetically.

  “Probably.” I keep staring out the window. What would Rachael and Misty say about this? What would Aunt Jo say? What do I say?

  We turn onto my street and the first thing I notice is a strange car parked in front of my house. “Looks like I have company?” I stretch my neck toward the car.

  “Looks like it,” he quips, not quite surprised. “You may want to get used to it. They’ll be watching after you while I’m at work.”

  “What?” My jaw drops in disbelief.

  “Cal. You can’t be serious. How can you…” Just what the hell does he do for the Attorney General’s Office?

  “Serious as a heart attack.” He throws the truck in park and kills the engine. “It’s not for long, I hope. I’m going to see a federal judge this morning, one who I know isn’t in Everett’s pocket, to petition for bail revocation. Hopefully, he’ll be back in custody before tomorrow. But until then, these guys are my eyes and ears.

  “This just isn’t necessary. It’s…it’s…” I am so floored by this entire revelation that I cannot even think of all the reasons it’s ludicrous. “It’s a waste of time of money!” I finally blurt because I blurt when I get excited, too.

  “Fortunately, I decide what’s necessary. And these are your tax dollars hard at work.” He grins. “Oh! I know…just think of it as more incentive for you to stay at my place this week.” He grins and opens his door to step out.

  “Come on. I want to check the house real quick before I go.”

  I walk slowly toward my front porch, dazed and speechless.

  “Scott!” Cal stands behind me waving at someone in the parked car.

  I watch as the door of the large, white Buick opens slowly and the hulking figure of a man steps out. Then my mouth falls open, my chin practically resting on my chest.

  “Cal!” The man waves as he crosses the street toward us. Dressed in tan trousers and a sweater, I’d know his irritable swagger anywhere. Officer Jamison!

  “How are you?” Cal asks as he shakes Jamison’s hand. I stare at him, stunned and still speechless. “Anything to report yet?”

  Jamison nods hello at me and then looks at Cal. “Nope. I’ve been here about an hour and I’ve only seen a little bit of morning traffic and a few squirrels. That’s it.”

  “That’s good.” Cal looks at me. “Ellie, this is off duty officer Scott Jamison. He’s going to watch after you through the end of your first shift tonight.”

  “Through the end of my first shift? You mean…” I lean my face toward Cal’s ear. “He’s coming to work with me?”

  Cal laughs. “Yes. But don’t worry. He’ll stay in his car.” He looks at Jamison again. “Thanks a lot for doing this. You have my number?”

  “I do. I’ll call you if that psycho piece of shit…uh…pardon my French, ma’am…shows up.” Cal slaps Jamison on the arm as they say their farewells, and Jamison heads back across the street to his car.

  “Do you have a gun?” Cal stands behind me as I fumble with the house keys, trying to unlock the door.

  “Cal,
I’m a young, single female living out in the Styx of Arkansas. Of course I have a gun. And, pepper spray, and mace, and a ball bat. I even have a switchblade around here somewhere.”

  “Wow. Some of that stuff might have come in handy if you’d had it at the restaurant the other night. It won’t do you any good if you don’t carry it.”

  I look at him like he’s nuts. “I was on a date with a police officer! I didn’t think I’d need to use it on him!”

  Cal steps inside. “They’re the worse kinds of assholes. You especially need it around them.”

  I eye him suspiciously. “I assume you’re excluded from this assessment?”

  “Not really.” He grins. “Should I assume, then, that you know how to use a gun?”

  “You might find out soon enough if you keep harassing me like this.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckles.

  “But he’d have to be crazy to try and come here.” I toss my keys on the counter next to my stilettos, and the other junk that seems to collect there. “I have an armed guard sitting out front, a gun in my nightstand, a ball bat right there, and my boyfriend slash stalker, Ethan Hawk, watching my every move!”

  “Boyfriend?” He stops nosing around the living room and looks at me, smiling, completely ignoring the fact that I just called him a stalker. Oh, shit.

  “Well, whatever you are. You know what I mean.” I blush the color of my red couch pillow. “Besides, I thought you said you were watching him, not me?” Hell, the man just basically asked me to move in with him. Why is this so embarrassing?

  Cal steps into the hallway. “I am watching him. I’m just protecting you.” He turns around and winks at me. “And yes, I’ll be your boyfriend.”

  I smile and roll my eyes. Then I follow him down the hall. He takes a right turn and steps into my bedroom, pausing to look around. Thank God I made up my bed before I left Saturday.

  “So, this is your bedroom?” He studies it as if he’s deciding whether to move into it. Granted, it would take three of my bedrooms to make up his one but, still, I like my room.