The Stage

by Catherine Russell

  Splat! Right on my back, a wet and soggy snowball! I spun around and saw him on top of the snow patch a few yards away, a huge smile spreading across his face. The sweetest echo of his laughter floated through the air.

  “That’s it! You’re dead!” I grabbed more snow and ran after him. He grinned and vanished down the backside of the small mound. We played tag for what seemed hours in the old forest. By the time the sky darkened I was soaked through, all my layers dripping into my boots. I hadn’t laughed so much in such a long time; it was like an unseen weight had lifted off my shoulders.

  He let me get in one last tackle on the snowfield before giving up. “All right, all right, you got me!” he said, raising his hands in surrender. He was laughing as much as I was, and he seemed to be more free, as though the public mask had melted away to reveal the true man he was.

  With my hands trying to push his shoulders down, straddling him, his eyes flashed a bright blue, holding my attention. My hair fell down over my face, touching his cheeks. We were so close; slowly he reached up, taking my face into his hands. Our breathing was heavy, in sync, and I no longer noticed the cold ground. Our own heat began stirring things up.

  As he gently guided, I followed his lead. First he kissed my forehead, moving smoothly to each eyelid. Then he looked at me, judging my reaction, and his soft, cool lips met mine. Softly at first, he pulled back ever so slightly. The next thing I knew, his hand was gliding through my hair, the other was on my back, the energy coursing through us. My whole body responded by molding to his. His kisses came faster, harder, following my neck to my shoulders. His cool breath flowed against my now very warm skin, and even though he was lying on a snow bank, he didn’t seem to mind.

  The black sky was dotted with stars. I tried to return his passion, longing to find his mouth with my own, but my body betrayed me. I was trembling, not just from an adrenaline rush, but from the extreme cold. Barely shifting his weight, he sat up, still holding me on his lap. I rushed to kiss his lips one more time. He found my hands, pulling back slowly; his delicious mouth taunted me.

  “Meg, you’re freezing.”

  “Then why don’t you help thaw me out?”

  He held me back from nibbling his ear. “Meg…”

  I found his mouth at last, but it was drawn into a tight grin. I noticed a sound at the same moment—a clicking sound. I turned my head to see what it was, and then it dawned on me. My teeth were chattering.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he said, helping me up. My knees were stiff and I stumbled forward. Once again, my savior caught me. He dusted the remaining snow from my clothes.

  “You-you always seem to catch me. B-b-being in the right spot at the right t-t-time?” I sounded like a woodpecker.

  He stopped in front of me and knelt down with his back toward me. “Hop on. That way you can get to the lodge in one piece. Come on.” He held his hand back to help me on. In one quick motion he stood up and was jogging toward the now lit windows of the lodge.

  When we stepped through the front doors, a warm gush of air blew out. Brrr. I really was frozen. How was I going to get dry for the ride back? I took a look at my hands and they were tinged almost blue. Glancing at the entryway mirror, I noticed I still had snow in my hair. I shook it out the best I could. Turning around, I saw he had snow in his hair, too, yet somehow he still looked gorgeous, even with his hair messed up.

  He caught me staring at him and smiled. Something caught his attention, so I turned. What he’d found was a huge stone fireplace, with an enormous blaze already heating the room. The room was vacant, but love seats, end tables, and overstuffed chairs welcomed us. The glow of the fire was the only light. I immediately found my spot on the rug, in front of the flames, and he had discovered a huge down quilt over one of the chairs. He helped me take off my soggy socks and boots, then hung the dripping socks on the fire screen surrounding the hearth.

  “There. Hopefully you’ll warm up before we head back. We’ve got a bit of a ride ahead of us,” he said, sitting down next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He stared into the flames, deep in thought.

  I leaned my head on his shoulder, watching different shapes and figures dancing in the heat. Slowly my toes and knees became warm and tingly.

  “Would you like something to drink to warm up? Hot cocoa, maybe?” he asked. He reached over and tucked a stray hair behind my ear, making me a little flustered.

  Right then, the front desk clerk came over carrying a tray of mugs. The scent of cocoa and cinnamon floated in the air. “Your usual, Geoffrey?” she asked politely.

  “Thank you, Sonja.”

  My eyebrows raised in question. “Do you know everyone? It seems like an awful lot of people know what you want before you say anything,” I accused him, my eyes narrowing.

  “No, not everyone. Just Sonja. Let’s just say she used to run with the wrong crowd, and I helped her out. That’s all.”

  The aroma of the thick warm cocoa was wonderful and it felt so good going down. He eyed me over the rim of his own mug, watching me take a long drink. His own cup seemed to smell of chocolate, too, but there was something else. I couldn’t figure it out; it had a coppery scent that seemed out of place. Then it dawned me what it was.

  “Is that what I think it is?” I sat back, suddenly nauseous at the thought.

  “It’s the same as yours, but with some special herbs and spices mixed in. That’s all.” His answer was way too rehearsed. As he swallowed it, I felt something across the link, like a shot of energy. My own drink’s flavor paled in comparison. I drank it anyway.

  “This is wonderful. I didn’t realize how cold I was. Feels like I’m thawing from the inside out.” I took another sip.

  “You’ve got some whipped cream there.” He pointed to his upper lip. “Do you mind?” he asked as he moved in to kiss me. How heavenly this felt, the coolness of his mouth moving with mine. I tried to put my mug down but I couldn’t. He knew what I was trying to do, so he took it from me without breaking the kiss. Suddenly the heat from the fire wasn’t the only thing making me warm.

  Completely forgetting we were in a public place, I kept reaching for him, pulling him as close as possible so that every inch of our bodies touched. My wet clothes didn’t seem to matter at this point. He became very still, pulling back. Our eyes opened wide with the intensity of our kiss.

  “Meg…” he said, staring intensely. I could feel his desire as well as his struggle to control his darker nature. I realized I could feel it because it was the same exact thing for me.

  “I don’t know if you realize how special you are to me. As much as I want to act on this, I mustn’t.”

  He sat back and I did my best not to take it personally. He was trying to save me from myself.

  “This isn’t like me, actually. You seem to bring out a different side of me, one that I’m not used to. It’s not your fault. I’m sorry if I went too far,” I said, unwrapping myself from his lap. Thanks to the heat from the roaring fire, my clothes and body had warmed up to somewhat normal levels. I sat on the small couch and reached for my socks.

  “Would you like some help?” he said, handing me my socks.

  I wanted to feel his touch just one more time, but I fought against the desire. “Thanks, but I can handle this. As my mom would say, I’m a big girl now.” I hoped my bad humor would kill the surging need to touch him again.

  There was no sign of the mysterious Sonja as we headed out the door and toward home. We’d spent the entire day playing and laughing together. I found myself not wanting the day to end, and our drive back seemed too short. We were surrounded by city lights and noise before I knew it. He pulled up to the curb and cut the engine.

  Before I could blink he was standing beside me. “May I come up?” he asked. I looked up, amazed at the fact that I hadn’t driven him away yet, but I still wasn’t completely sure. Were my feelings for him real
, or was it just the link?

  I reached for my keys as we neared the elevators. “Geoffrey, don’t take this the wrong way. There’s so much going on, with me, with you… with us,” I said as my heart did a strange flip on my words. “I just have to sort it out, get it straight in my head.”

  “Then might I give you some advice?”

  I waited.

  “Don’t think. Just allow yourself to feel.” He swiftly took my wrists and turned me around so quickly I lost my balance. Steadying me with his one arm, he kissed me gently on each cheek, then lightly touched my lips with his own. I tried to remember how to breathe as he stepped back.

  “I wanted to give you something to remember until tomorrow night. Hope you don’t mind.” He smiled sinfully.

  “I don’t mind at all. You can always leave a memory like that any time.”

  “Until tomorrow then, goose.” He smiled, and his eyes were so alive.

  I returned his grin. “Drive carefully. I wouldn’t know what to do without my driver.”

  “Bye,” he said as he turned to go.

  “Bye.”

  “Oh, Meg!” he said, stopping and turning toward me. “I had a really great time today.” He reached for my hand, kissing my wrist, leaving me with yet another memory. Then I watched him drive away.

  No matter what I thought, I couldn’t deny what a wonderful day it had been. Still, I kept asking myself, Why me? Was it only because of the link, or could it actually be that he likes me? Each time we were together, more questions came up. Was I overthinking everything? My inner voice responded loud and clear—yes!

  Maybe he was right. I just had to listen to my heart and feel. I’d shut myself off from the world for so long, could I learn how to let it back in? Something told me he was the key, but was I ready to accept him, no matter what?

  I didn’t flinch at the answer my heart gave.

  Chapter 15

  My birthday had been a rare happy event that I allowed to happen, and it was a memory that I’d cherish forever. I was blessed enough to have a second day off, and with a slave master for a boss, that was a rare blue moon event. I woke up for the first time in I couldn’t remember how long completely free of nightmares and intense internal conversations. My mind was cobweb-free and I looked forward to the day in a positive light. Anything was possible. Though I now worked the night shift, my built-in day shift clock kicked in and the morning was calling my name. My place was spotless, the girls and Andrew had done an amazing job erasing the horrible scene, and I knew I’d have to thank them big time.

  I grabbed my iPod, keys, and cell, and laced up my old running shoes. They’d been sorely neglected and haunted me from the back corner of my closet. C’mon, let’s go for a run, they’d nag. Once the shoes were back on, they felt like they’d never left my feet. It was early and there weren’t many others out on the foggy streets. I took to the roads, letting my legs stretch and retract from memory. I didn’t really have a path or routine that I ran in the city. As long as I could pound the blacktop into submission, I was a happy camper. As a child, growing up on South Hill in Puyallup, I ran in the woods, and I knew pretty much all the terrain of the back acres of our property.

  I avoided crosswalks, where I had to stop and wait for traffic, and pushed myself farther, loving the adrenaline rush that came with it. I began to notice I wasn’t winded, even on the hills. Maybe it was because I was older, who knows.

  I came to Volunteer Park, a large expanse of lush, rolling lawns and forest within Seattle’s concrete jungle. I’d seen other runners, extremists, rebounding off the benches and the barrier around the fountains, and decided to try it myself. Not only could I jump over them, I cleared them with ease. Smiling internally, I opened up the throttle and floored it, going as hard and fast as I could. I remembered the sheer high from when I was younger and it was nothing less than freeing.

  All the positives in my life were like a shining beacon: I actually had a boyfriend who was decent, sweet, caring, and yes, a little bit dark. Okay, maybe more than a little dark, but at this moment that was irrelevant. I had the best friend anyone could ask for in Ashleigh and even goofy Chase was a sweet addition to my odd world. After a while I crossed paths with more people, so I began to head home, steering clear of the building morning traffic. I took to walking once I got closer to my place. Suddenly, for just a nanosecond, I began to feel I was being watched. Why? Then it dawned on me that it was probably because of the fog, and I was hiding behind my shades again. For the first time in ages I chose to take them off, almost like I was letting my own mask slip away.

  Once inside my lobby, a rush of day shifters exited the elevators and I quickly jumped on, holding down the close door button—and that’s when I felt the beginning of panic creep up my spine. I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to hold it at bay. Maybe I’d been a bit premature on being so free and giddy. I got off the elevator and wiggled my way through yet another wave of bodies leaving. I felt like a salmon trying to go upriver to spawn. When elevator doors closed behind me, leaving me by myself, the silence was a relief.

  I took deep breaths and did squat-lunges down the hall to stretch my legs and cool down, then stopped and loosened the laces on my shoes. Something caught my eye; I looked down the hall and saw Chase, half-out his door, speaking to someone, and he didn’t look too happy. I pulled my hood back over my head, trying to act like I didn’t notice. Their whispers were pretty tense and for some odd reason the stranger kept pointing at my door.

  “I said no. What part of that don’t you understand, Mark? Let me handle this.” Chase stood his ground like I’d never heard before.

  “Chase, you know what the directive states,” the stranger stated back. His voice held no hint of anyone I knew. I couldn’t see his face as he had his own hood up, looking just like me, a morning runner.

  “And I said no, I’ll handle this.” Chase ran his hand through his hair, looking stressed. How weird is that? I stood up to listen more closely but dropped my keys. Instantly they turned to see me, and I acted nonchalant, picking them up and wrapping up my iPod. I hoped I looked as though I had just got there.

  “Thanks, Mark, I’ll catch you later.” Chase’s voice returned to its normal geeky level. The stranger walked past me, his face turned down. He was about Chase’s height but broader through the shoulders. His hands showed; they were white. But it was his forearms that caught my eye. His sleeves were pushed up, revealing tattoos on both arms. He quickly pulled his sleeves down, covering the ink as I passed.

  “Good morning, Meg. What’re you doin’ up so late?”

  “Out for a morning run, actually.” I said, opening my door.

  “Wow, that’s early. Maybe I’ll catch up with you one of these days. I didn’t know you ran.” My gut told me he was making small talk, trying to keep my attention.

  “Yeah, anyway. I’ll catch you later.” I turned to go but I felt his hand on my arm, and I looked up.

  “Hey, be careful running so early, in the dark. You never know what’s lurking out there.” He joked yet there was something there, under his words. He was worried.

  “Will do.”

  “Oh, hey. Hold on. I’ve got something for you.” He disappeared through his door and came back with a stack of envelopes.

  “Your mail slot was overflowing, so I grabbed these before the manager got his

  boxers in a bunch. You know how he is when the mail spills over onto the floor.” He smiled, handing it to me.

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “Anytime, neighbor. Just looking out for ya.”

  Awkward! I gave him a little wave as I closed the door on a very strange exchange. I tossed the stack of unpaid bills on the counter and hit the play button on the docking station as I recharged my iPod. Notes of Geoffrey’s music floated through the air as the fog lifted, and I enjoyed the sunrise: a beautiful hot pink and golden yellow over the
steel-gray buildings downtown. Then I began to notice that it was getting bright, so bright it bordered on painful, even with my shades. I turned away and I decided I’d worked too many night shifts.

  I jumped in the shower, ready to face the day and anything it could throw my way. The water flowing over my skin felt amazing, like liquid energy that I was absorbing. Okay, I need more days like yesterday if this is how I was feeling today. If I’d known letting others into my life would feel this great I’d done it sooner. Then something whispered in the back of my mind that it was just Geoffrey that made me feel this way. The thought made me grin sinfully. And even though I was alone, I blushed.

  I had a clear plan on what to do with my day. I was going to the one place in Seattle that my mom and I had shared a love for: Pike Place Market, with all its little nooks and crannies of precious treasures. I got dressed, grabbed a huge glass of OJ, downed it, and dashed out, locking the door behind me. The lobby and the streets was completely clear of the morning crush of people, jumping on the metro heading down the hill was a breeze.

  I felt the anticipation of enjoying the market, just trolling the stalls, doing what I do best: people watching. With a bounce in my step, I got off the bus. I walked past the brass pig entrance, where vendors were already bartering with customers. The market was in full swing. The sweet smell of fresh breads and rolls wafted through the air, along with the floral scents of fall bouquets ready to be taken home.

  The fishmongers were practicing their trademark fish toss. The smell of sea salt and fresh seafood mingled with that of the butcher shops next door. Pumpkins and corn stalks dotted the doorways and stairs, and scattered fall leaves were piled up in the corners.

  I browsed the stalls, feeling the fabrics of scarves trickle through my fingers, sticking my nose into just about every bouquet I came across. But then I felt it, a pull toward something. It was the strangest thing, like an invisible rope, tugging at me to turn around. I turned and I couldn’t stop the huge smile that grew across my lips because there he was, walking, well actually, strutting, down the cobblestone road into the main market entrance. The rest of his family followed behind him, hand-in-hand. They had their instruments, which made me curious. I sat down on the pig and waited as they made their way over.