“You must have enjoyed being overseas when your husband was stationed in Italy.”
“I did. He was busy of course, and working, but we managed to see some of the sights.” A frown creased her brow when she remembered that was when the problems between she and Austin had really compounded. He’d been in Italy six months before she arrived. She came because he had told her over the phone he thought the marriage was over and they should get a divorce. Joining him in Italy hadn’t really helped anything. He preferred to spend his down time partying or hanging out with his buddies. By that time, Jade wasn’t into partying anymore. That was when she first realized they had both changed and grown apart since they had married some years and two tours of duty before that.
“Hey I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it. I didn’t mean to make you sad,” Decker apologized when he saw her frown. Inwardly, he scolded himself for doing such a dumb thing.
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Decker. I’m not sad. Truly, I’m not. I was just remembering that it was in Italy where the problems magnified between Austin, my husband, and me. At least, it was when I realized there were serious problems. I must have been frowning. Sorry.”
“You were, but you don’t have to tell me about it unless you want to, you know. It’s really none of my business.”
“I just want to explain to you why I was not sad. Italy brings back some bad memories. Don’t get me wrong, I did love Austin, but we married very young. I was nineteen. We’d dated since high school. I was going to ASU when he joined the military. I stayed here. I wanted to finish school. I think he resented that. He wanted me to stay with him on base. He joined the military without even asking me. I wanted a degree.”
She sighed. “We both changed and grew apart, because well, we were apart more than we were together. I was trying to work things out with him, keep the relationship going, even though it had become long distance for the most part. I never thought about divorce, but he was thinking it. He mentioned it before Italy, which is why I decided to go then he talked about it more after I arrived. The last time he was angry, he said he didn’t think he even loved me anymore. I left and came home. I knew I couldn’t be who he wanted me to be.”
She continued, “I started living my life, you know. I was faithful. I wasn’t interested in anyone else. I just wanted to do things that made me happy. I started doing readings more at Madame Rosa’s shop on the weekends, and psychic development and tarot classes on weeknights. I hung out with Harper, Erin and my other friends whenever I wanted to. I was busy with the events at the San Marcos. He didn’t like it, but I did it because it made me happy and I saw no point in sitting at home while I knew he was drinking and carrying on with his friends on base in Italy. Then he went on another tour, his last. So, um, I guess the point I’m trying to make is that, when he was killed, our relationship was not that great.”
“It still hurt, because I did still love him, he was my husband. I just wasn’t as much in love with him as when we first met or married. Before he died, I had a feeling that when he next came home it would be so we could get a divorce.”
She saw empathy in his eyes. He wore a serious expression.
“So, enough of that. I didn’t mean to be a downer, but I just wanted you to know that I am over all that. I am no longer hung up on Austin; I haven’t been for quite some time.” She cringed. “And I’m hoping I just didn’t mess up my first date since he passed by talking about my past relationship.”
Decker smiled at her. “You definitely did not ruin our first date. Thank you for giving me an explanation. People do change and grow apart. I understand that. I was in my last relationship for three years and the same thing happened, then another one for four years before that one. Ended up, we wanted different things. It happens.”
Decker reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “And I’m glad you’re not hung up on him still.” He studied her for a long moment then gave her a particularly sexy grin and asked, “So, I’m your first date, huh?”
“Yes. No doubt it shows.” She shrugged and laughed.
“No, it doesn’t. I never would have guessed. I can’t say I’m not sorry to be your first date though.” He smiled.
“I’m not either, Decker.” She returned his smile. She did want him to know she was interested in him.
The conversation changed when their food arrived. They talked about a myriad of subjects and shared a few funny stories. Jade told tales about times past with her family and friends. Decker shared some stories about his family and some shenanigans with his brothers.
After they finished their dinner and talked some more, they left Valle Luna and began to walk down the long breezeway toward the Waterfront, which was located at the other end of the shopping Plaza.
Decker took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “So, do you have any brothers or sisters, Jade?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m an only child, but I’ve known Harper since grade school and Erin since Junior High. We’ve been friends since we met. When I left Italy, I came back to Chandler, because it has always been home, and Erin and Harper are family to me. We’re like sisters. We met Annie, Claire, and Riley when we worked at Madame Rosa’s metaphysical shop on Arizona Avenue years before, so they’re family now too. We all worked for Madame Rosa part-time for about five or six years. We loved her and we all hit it off great. Shortly before Madame Rosa retired and closed her shop, is when Harper, Erin, and I decided to try to open our own place. We knew we would miss having a space to do what we love. The other girls were happy to help out and work some hours too.”
“We can’t choose our family, but we can choose our friends. Good friends are like family, I agree. I have a couple of buddies on the force I feel that way about.” He smiled at her.
“And you have your brothers.”
“Yeah, I do. We are friends too. There were some years, primarily the teen-age years, when we locked horns, but for the most part, we’ve always been close. I’m the oldest, Liam is two years younger than I am, and Brody is the baby of the family. How old are you?”
“I’m twenty seven.”
“I’m thirty, and an Aquarius.”
“I’m a Gemini.”
“A Gemini, huh? That means you have a birthday coming up soon.”
“I do, on June eleventh.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He gave her a wink.
Jade liked the way he made little circles on her hand with his thumb while he held it. She liked a lot about this man.
He opened the door to the Waterfront and ushered her in. They were early. It was just after eight o’clock. There were a few groups of people eating dinner at the tables on the other side of the huge square bar that dominated the center of the large room. They took a large table near the stage, where the band was already setting up, explaining they had a big group coming later. One side of the table was a booth seat. Tall bar stools lined up on the other side.
“Will you sit beside me on the booth seat?” he whispered.
“Of course, I’d like that.”
She gave him a big, beautiful smile.
“Hey, Jade. Officer Decker. What’ll you have?” Marlowe Stuart was the owner of the Waterfront along with her brother, Josh. Dressed in black jeans, a white t-shirt with the blue and black waterfront logo, sneakers, and her glossy, brown hair pulled back in a tail, she looked like she planned on waitressing tonight. She slid a pencil from behind her ear and flipped open her ticket book.
“Are you short on help tonight, Marlowe?” Decker teased.
She grinned. “It’s early, everyone else will be in, oh,” she paused to look at her watch, “in the next ten minutes or so. Nineball is here tonight. They always draw a huge crowd. The usual, officer? A non-alcoholic beer?”
“Yes.” Decker nodded. “The best you have.”
“What about you, hun, the usual?”
“Please.”
“What’s your usual?” Decker asked her after Mar
lowe left.
“Just a Corona with lime. I like the lime. Marlowe visits Connor’s often and she stops in to see us at the shop too,” she felt she had to explain because she didn’t want Decker to think she spent a lot of time at the bar. Yet, Marlowe had known Decker, and that he was a police officer. She imagined quite a few of the local businesses knew him.
“I like Corona. When I’m not on call, and at home with no plans to leave the house, I sometimes have a Corona or two with lime. I agree that you must have the lime.”
“The lime’s the best part.” Jade laughed as she looked up at him. Oh, he was just so pleasant to look at. That warm, fluttery feeling assailed her again. She had it bad for him, especially because the more she talked to him and got to know him, the nicer he proved to be. Still, she didn’t know him well enough, yet.
Chapter Four
The band members were still setting up on stage when Liam and Brody arrived.
Decker scooted he and Jade down so Liam could have the outside of the booth. Jade knew it was because it would give Liam more legroom and the booth seat was just more comfortable for him. Brody sat across from them.
“Did you two have a good dinner?” Brody looked from his brother to Jade with a grin.
“We had a great time.” Jade smiled up at Decker.
“We sure did.” Decker squeezed her hand.
“Liam and I went for pizza at Mamma’s Pizzeria down the street. It was good.”
“I love Mamma’s pizza!” Jade nodded.
“It was awesome. I’m stuffed,” Liam commented. He gave Jade a bright smile.
Marlowe came and took their orders. Both of Decker’s brothers ordered a beer.
Erin and Harper came in a few minutes later. They both wore dresses. Harper’s was a short, sassy, knit dress in a bright floral pattern. Erin’s was more boho, a casual but feminine, pinkish-taupe maxi dress. Jade knew her friends wore dresses because she did. She gave them an appreciative smile.
Erin chose the seat across from Liam. Harper sat on the other side of Brody. The six of them conversed easily. They laughed, told stories, and teased each other as more people filed in. Harper and Brody moved down to the other end of the long table to save seats for their friends as the bar began to fill up.
Jade and Decker scooted more toward the middle of the table while Liam and Erin stayed on the end.
“You want another beer?” Decker turned to Jade.
She thought for a moment. “One more, two’s my limit.”
Marlowe came by and he ordered a beer for Jade and another non-alcoholic for him.
The band took the stage at nine and started with an old Tom Petty tune, American Girl.
By the time they were halfway into the first set, everyone was enjoying Nineball.
When they went into In the Air by Phil Collins, Brody grinned. “Nice! It’s so rare to find a cover band where the song and vocalist actually sound like the original. They are really tight. Solid,” he told Harper. Liam nodded in agreement.
“I’m a new fan. They play a variety of music, I really like that.” Decker added, “Rock, country, pop, old and new stuff. They’re good.”
“They are good,” Harper agreed. “Both Marty and Natalie are extremely talented vocalists. Marty is an awesome guitarist also. One of our other favorite bands was Crushed, an all original band, industrial rock, but they retired.” She pouted.
“I used to go see those guys at Hollywood Alley off the 101 and at Joe’s Grotto in Phoenix,” Brody offered. “Crushed was awesome!”
“Yeah, we tried to catch them whenever they played. They played mostly at Joe’s or the Alley. Too bad Hollywood Alley closed a couple years ago. Those were the two best rock and roll bars left in the valley,” Erin commented. “Now there is only Joe’s!”
“I hope Joe’s never closes. It would be the end of a great rock and roll era here. We’ll all have to head over to Joe’s Grotto some night,” Brody suggested.
“That would be fun!” Erin agreed. “I miss Joe’s.”
The bar was getting crowded. Annie, Riley, and Claire arrived just before the first set ended. They waved at the band as they walked by.
“Join us, shorty!” Harper pointed to the empty seat across from her as petite, auburn-haired Riley, in jeans and a well-fitting, sparkly black tee walked up.
“It sucks to be short!” Riley said to Brody as she sat next to him. She ordered a gin and tonic as Marlowe leaned in to get her order.
Annie sat next to Erin while Claire sat across from Jade and Decker right as the band took their first break.
“Why are you frowning, Claire?” Jade asked her. “Did you have a bad night? Was it slow?”
“It was a good night, you know, busy. It was great right up until this creepy guy came in toward the end. He wanted a reading. I said sure, but I didn’t know how creepy he was then.”
“Oh my God. His energy seemed fairly decent when he first came in, but Claire’s right, he was creepy,” Annie agreed. “I caught some of the crap he was laying on Claire and went into the reading room and pretended I was looking through paperwork. I didn’t trust her to be in there alone with him.”
“What did he do?” Decker asked, kicking into police officer mode. He wanted to know.
“Well, he never touched me, but he stared, and flirted, I guess, in a poetic, creepy, Dracula kind of way.” Claire paused to order a beer and an appetizer sampler. “Sorry, I’m starving. That guy sucked all the energy right out of me. Anyway, when he first came in, he asked for the blonde.”
“Sure blame it on me.” Riley grinned. “You were the only blonde, there.”
“Yeah but, I could tell he didn’t mean me. He looked very disappointed when I walked toward him. I think he wanted you, Jade.”
Jade shook her head. “What did he look like? I haven’t done any readings for creepy guys that I recall or any guys at all lately. Well, I suppose I did one today for a nice guy, not a creep.” She turned to grin at Decker.
He grinned back at her.
“Tall, dark hair, really dark eyes. I didn’t like looking into his eyes, it gave me a bad feeling, and so I avoided looking at him eye to eye. He wasn’t bad looking, and I suppose some women might think him somewhat handsome in a dark, vampire-ish, yacht club kind of way. He was probably in his late thirties. He never smiled. He wore designer everything down to his expensive shoes and too much cologne. Strong cologne.” She waved her hand in front of her face and grimaced.
She continued, “He wore a big silver ring, some sort of emblem with a dense black stone set in the center. I asked him about it, I mean you couldn’t miss it, it was freaking huge.” Claire gestured toward her right hand.
“He said it was a family heirloom. He was arrogant. He didn’t want to know anything special other than info on all of us, especially Jade, or the other blonde, as he referred to you. I was trying to give him a reading and he was just ignoring me and asking questions about all of us. Which is probably good, considering his cards were really bad. Ick! They were mostly swords, and combinations of the bad cards like the devil, the Tower and Death. Honestly, from the way the cards were laid out, the impression I received at first glance is he’s totally messed up emotionally. Hung up on himself. Selfish. His energy was even worse. As far as his personality goes, he’s far too into himself. He just has really bad attitude, too much ego, and was so abrasive.” Claire shook her head in frustration.
“Don’t worry, we didn’t give him any information,” Riley assured them. “Claire did an excellent job fending off his questions. She kept returning to the reading.”
“Yeah, we need to be careful because he was mostly interested in Jade, though he didn’t know your name,” Claire added.
Decker looked up to catch both Liam and Brody giving him hard, meaningful looks.
“What did he want to know about Jade?” Decker asked calmly.
“We didn’t answer anything,” Annie said. She turned to Jade. “He wanted to know if you were married or had
a boyfriend.”
“He wanted to make an appointment with you for a reading tomorrow. I didn’t tell him you wouldn’t be in, because I knew he would ask about your schedule then. I just told him you’re very popular and that you’re booked solid for the next three weeks,” Claire told Jade.
“Whew, good!” Jade shook her head. “I don’t think I want to give a creep like that a reading.”
Decker squeezed her hand. She looked a little worried.
“He still wanted to make an appointment, but I told him he’d have to call in after next week. He didn’t like that.” Claire waved her hands back and forth while she mocked a shiver. “Eww, he was just so slimy and creepy.”
“The strangest thing is that he wanted to know if you were Irish, and if you had sisters. Why the hell would someone ask questions like that?” Riley asked.
“She has five sisters right here and creepy guy ain’t getting near our girl, Jade – ever!” Harper leaned across and patted Jade’s shoulder.
“That’s strange. Maybe he has me confused with someone else.” Jade made light of it, but she did shiver slightly.
Decker could feel her slight tremble. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side. That spark of energy he was becoming more familiar with sent warm energy dancing up and down his side as their bodies touched.
He spoke to Jade’s friends, “If he shows up again, call me. If I don’t answer, call the police department. Just tell them a strange man that has been stalking your store and giving unwanted attention to one of the employees has returned, and that I told you to call if it happened again. They’ll send someone over. If I’m available, I’ll come. I’ll give you girls my personal cell number before I leave tonight.”
“Thanks, Decker.” Jade gave him a smile.
“We’ll give you our numbers too,” Liam said.
“If you can’t get our brother, call the police then call us,” Brody said. “Liam and I will come over if we can.”
“Yeah, I think we might have embellished a tale about Jade being in a serious relationship and her boyfriend being a cop. Again, we didn’t mention her name, or any of our names, or yours, Decker.” Riley grinned as she took a drink and looked at him. “Sorry. I had to do it. Just trying to protect Jade.” She grinned.
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