by Karen Legasy
“I doubt it,” Marlee said, “but if it had been a women’s team, I may have had a few sisters on it.”
Tyler laughed. “I’m starving. I just ordered a pizza for dinner and it should be here soon. Why don’t you join me, especially if you have some cold beers you could share? My fridge is empty and I forgot to pick some up.”
“Sure, why not?” Marlee said. “I do have a few cold ones, as it happens.”
“Good on you, mate.” Tyler hit his hands together. “I’ll get settled in and you can pop to my unit as soon as the pizza arrives.”
It was almost five when Marlee grabbed four chilled beers and headed next door. She would have less than two hours to chat up Tyler and gauge if he could be trusted as a confidante.
“How long are you here for?” Tyler asked. They were sitting out back, sipping beer for dessert.
“About another five weeks.” Marlee hadn’t yet told Tyler much about herself as she tried to keep the focus of the conversation on him and details of his latest travels.
“Where are you headed after this?” Tyler asked.
“Back to Canada. And you?” It was Marlee’s understanding that all the apartments were short-term rentals. “What’s your story?”
“You don’t want to hear my sorry story,” Tyler said. “The short of it is I needed a place in a hurry to get away from a controlling ex. I haven’t told many people that I’m here because I don’t want him to find out where I’m staying.”
“Was it that bad?” Marlee asked.
“Worse. I sure hope you don’t tell any of your surfing buddies I’m here because they might know my ex.” Tyler tilted his head back and drained his bottle of beer.
“I don’t have any surfing buddies.” Marlee’s beer was still more than half full. “Besides, I’ve given up surfing.”
“No kidding. I thought you loved it, especially with the fancy board I saw you hauling around.”
“Well I won’t be lugging it around anymore. I got myself into a fancy mess with it and the board is history.”
“That’s too bad. I noticed your car wasn’t in the lot. Did you get into a bingle?”
“More of a pickle,” Marlee said, unsure of what he meant, but thinking it sounded similar. “Let’s just say I lost it at sea.”
“Did it get swiped?”
“Sort of.” Marlee was conscious of the time and starting to feel comfortable with Tyler, so decided to wade in with the hope he could be trusted. “Did you see the news about Abigail Taylor?”
“Who hasn’t?” Tyler said. “I thought we were talking about your board. Did she steal it or what?”
“She spent the night at my place.” Marlee hadn’t meant for it to come out like that.
“No shit?” Tyler’s green eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “You scored with the test tube lady?”
“No, of course not.” Marlee had seen various references to Abigail being brilliant and reclusive, and acting as though she lived in whatever test tube she was studying. “I kind of ran into some problems on the water yesterday and she was out on her sailboat with her son. They rescued me. I had no idea who she was. Now she’s coming to pick me up in less than an hour so I can get my car because I wasn’t able to drive it home yesterday.”
“You’re jiving me, aren’t you?”
“No, and please don’t tell anyone about this. I wanted to let someone know. Just in case.”
Tyler’s jaw had fallen even further. “Do you know how private she is? People have been trying for years to find out more about Abigail Taylor, but she’s very guarded on her personal life. I can’t believe she’s coming to pick you up. Are you sure it was her?”
“Yes, positive,” Marlee said. “She dropped off my keys this morning and then I saw her on the news wearing the same business suit.”
“Wow, you’ve already given her your keys. I didn’t think she was a lesbian. She is gorgeous though.”
“Nothing happened, really,” Marlee said. “I never touch straight women. We hardly even talked to each other. She just wanted to make sure I was okay, but she was a bit taken aback when she found out that I’m a cop.”
“A cop. Wow. Do you think she’s guilty of having terrorist links?”
“I don’t know and I don’t want to know. Abigail Taylor saved my life and I owe her everything.”
“That’s sounds pretty dramatic. What really happened to your board?”
“Let’s just say I went out on the water without backup and I should have known better.” Marlee wanted to forget about it.
“What’s this with words like backup and wanting to let someone know, just in case? You’re making me nervous.” Tyler ran a hand through his short, neatly coiffed light brown hair.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” Marlee said. “Being prepared is in my blood, or at least I thought it was, and I just wanted to tell someone where I’m going. I should have known better yesterday.”
“Are you here on assignment to bring down AbTay Biosystems?” Tyler leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
Marlee straightened up. “No, not at all. I would never do anything to hurt her. I owe her.”
“I suggest you don’t say that to her. According to the tabloids, she has a reputation for having high expectations and being hard on staff who don’t meet them.”
“I can believe that,” Marlee said. “She scolded me for not having a buddy out on the water yesterday.”
“She was right on that one. Surfers should always go with someone.”
“I can’t imagine why she insisted on bringing me to get my car tonight of all nights, when she has so much else going on in her life right now.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Tyler asked. “If I hadn’t just had three of your beers, I’d offer to take you myself.”
“Thanks, but I’m okay.” Marlee stood up. “I should get going because she’ll be here soon. Please don’t tell anyone about this. I want to watch out for myself, but I owe this woman and if there’s anything I can do to help her...”
“My lips are sealed.” Tyler slid fingers over his mouth, as though closing a zipper.
Marlee’s stomach churned as she stood out front and waited for Abigail. She was nervous, but there was also some excitement and a bit of adrenaline mixed in. She could have just taken a cab to get her car, but she was curious. The trauma of her near death the day before had been overridden by the shock of realizing she’d been rescued by Abigail Taylor.
A late-model white hatchback Volkswagen Golf pulled into the lot. Marlee was watching for the dark luxury SUV they’d driven in the day before, and was surprised when the vehicle came to a stop in front of her. The driver’s darkened window eased down and an emotionless Abigail waved her over.
“You seem to be doing much better,” Abigail said as Marlee buckled herself in.
Abigail wore a snug white T-shirt and beige mid-length shorts, her ponytail fed through the back of a white ball cap. Her feet sported delicate slip-on sandals and balanced on the pedals of what would have been the passenger side of a car in Canada. Even dressed in casual clothes, Abigail had an air of sophistication that awed Marlee.
“I am, thank you.” Marlee felt sloppy in her baggy T-shirt, comfortable cargo shorts, and well-worn sports sandals. “How was your day?” She could hardly imagine.
“Hectic.” Abigail eased her foot off the clutch as they merged into traffic. “It’s good that I had an excuse to leave or I’d still be at the office.”
“What kind of office do you work in?” Marlee let on she hadn’t seen the news.
“A busy one.” Abigail stared at the road as she geared down for a roundabout. “What did you get up to today?”
“Nothing much.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they got to Marlee’s subcompact rental car, Abigail pulled up beside it and parked then also got out.
“Thank you so much for everything,” Marlee said. “I owe you my life and will never forget it.” S
he wrapped her arms around Abigail and squeezed. There wasn’t much of a hug returned so Marlee pulled away. “I’d like to take you and Josh out for dinner.”
“That isn’t necessary,” Abigail said. “I’m sure you would have done the same for us.” She got back into her car and put down the window. “Take care of yourself and enjoy the rest of your visit in Australia.”
Marlee watched the white car disappear in traffic and wondered if she’d ever talk to this bizarre woman again.
Chapter Four
“How did it go?” Tyler stepped out of his unit in a waft of aftershave as Marlee put the key in her lock.
“Okay, I guess.” Marlee pushed her door open then leaned against the frame, fighting off a sneeze from Tyler’s cologne that reminded her of cinnamon. “She brought me to my car and now here I am. I’ll probably never see her again.”
“You’ll see lots of her if you keep up with the news,” Tyler said. “Did you tell her you saw her on TV?”
“No. I decided to play dumb to see if she’d bring it up, but she didn’t.”
“No kidding. What did you talk about?” Tyler used the top of his right foot to scratch the back calf of his left leg.
“Nothing much. She’s a strange woman.”
“Sounds like it,” Tyler said. “What are you up to tomorrow? Want to go to Manly Beach with me?”
“I’m done with surfing,” Marlee said.
“Good, because I hate surfing, but I love hanging at the beach. I have a few days off and am hoping to feast my eyes on some half-naked hunky male specimens. I’m sure there’ll be lots of bikini watching for you too. It’ll be fun. Will you come?”
“Sure, why not.” Marlee liked Tyler and needed a friend. Besides, it had been a while since she’d let herself relax.
He rubbed his hands together. “Perfect. We’ll go early to get a good spot. I’ll pop by around ten in the morning.”
Marlee fought off exhaustion to search the web a bit longer before bed. She plopped on the couch with her laptop and began browsing. This appeared to be the first time Abigail was associated with any criminal activity, and the only connection was through her company. There were many other hits linked with various universities all over the world where Abigail had been an invited guest speaker or asked to sit on a panel. Everything was focused on her professional life and there was little to be found on the personal side.
Eyes weary and beginning to droop closed, Marlee finally shut down her computer and climbed into bed, welcoming a deep sleep that lasted all night.
The next morning, Marlee hoped to touch base with her best friend Kerry for a chat before going to the beach. It would have been just after supper in Ottawa so the timing was good. Marlee set her laptop on her small coffee table and was about to try connecting with Kerry when a knock on her door interrupted her. She rushed to answer, hoping it was Abigail and wondering what she wanted.
“Ready?” Tyler had a beach towel draped around his neck and a small backpack slung over his shoulder.
“It’s only nine thirty.” Marlee’s heart rate calmed. “I thought you said ten?”
“Maybe I did, but I’m ready now. It’s supposed to be a scorcher and there’ll be lots of people fighting for a good spot near the water.”
“Okay, let me get my things.”
The beach was starting to fill up by the time they got there, but Tyler managed to stake out space near a huddle of sculpted, bare-chested men.
“Ah, just look at those budgie smugglers,” Tyler said. “What a view.”
“Excuse me?” Marlee was coating her legs in sunscreen and paused to look at Tyler, raising her eyebrows above large plastic sunglasses. She wore a light cotton shirt over her two-piece bathing suit. “Budgie smugglers?”
Tyler laughed as he spread his towel on the sand. “The guys over there.” He motioned with his head to the group of men in skimpy swimming briefs. “Their suits are called budgie smugglers because it looks like they have a budgie stuffed down the front. I love this kind of bird watching on the beach.”
Marlee shook her head. “I’m not into birding.” She wondered what had she gotten herself into now. “I hope you’re not wearing one of those skimpy suits too, because I’m a cop and might have to arrest you if it looks like there’s any kind of smuggling going on.”
Tyler laughed. “I’d never wear one out in public. I’d be too afraid my budgie would get away on me.” He looked Marlee up and down. “I can see you’re not afraid of anything getting away from that skimpy bikini. You look fabulous in it, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Marlee removed her shirt. “It’s not like I have to worry about my little bird breasts popping out.”
“You dykes have it so easy,” Tyler said. “You could let yourself get totally turned on by some cute chick on the beach and nobody would notice.”
Marlee sprawled out on her towel. “Well it’s not what I’m here for. I have to make sure I have a nice tan when I get back to Canada. Would you mind putting some sunscreen on my back? I just want enough to make sure I don’t burn.”
“So why are you visiting Australia by yourself?” Tyler spread the lotion on her back.
“Why not?” Marlee wasn’t used to awkward male hands putting lotion on her back and was happy for it to end.
“Are you trying to get away from an ex?”
“It’s more like I was trying to get away from myself,” Marlee said. “I just needed a change of scenery.”
“Do you have someone back in Canada?” Tyler took off his shirt and reclined on his stomach. “Would you mind slathering some on me?”
“There’s an ex I was happy to leave behind.” Marlee spread sunscreen over his well tanned back.
“Oh, that feels good. Could you give it a little scratch too?”
“Forget it.” Marlee tossed the tube of sunscreen by her pack, relieved to have her hands off Tyler. “Besides, my nails are too short for that.”
“Was it messy with your ex?” Tyler stayed on his stomach and rested his head on his hands.
“She took everything so there wasn’t anything to leave a mess.” Marlee flattened her towel then lay on her stomach beside Tyler.
“What about you? Is that why you’re here? Because you were a mess?”
“Not really,” Marlee said. “It was quite the opposite. I felt like I suddenly had space to reinvent myself. Why not go halfway around the world to do that?”
“It sounds a bit like running away to me. I know I sure felt like escaping when I dumped my ex. On one of my flights to LA, I almost didn’t return. I thought about heading over to San Francisco and hanging out there for a while until I got my head together.”
“It’s different with me,” Marlee said. “I knew I needed a change, but somehow didn’t have the strength to walk out on Stacy myself. By the time she did it to me, there was nothing left—literally. I had to pay off her debts and she got to keep all the crap. In the end, I didn’t care. I just wanted out.”
“Who needs the crap anyway?” Tyler shifted on his towel and picked up a brand-new copy of a Jonathan Kellerman paperback. “I think I’ll read for a bit, or at least pretend to as those guys play volleyball over there.”
“Why don’t you see if you can join them?” Marlee said. “I’ll watch your stuff.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” Marlee was looking forward to some time to herself to think about her life. “I’m still reeling from finding out who Abigail was and everything.”
“You must have thought she was hot.” Tyler stood up. “Test tube lady or not, she has a great body that I imagine any single lesbian would love to get their hands on.”
“Have fun,” Marlee said. She had certainly noticed Abigail’s beauty, but refused to let herself focus on it. She wanted to keep any feelings for her hero pure and simple, with no complications of lust.
Marlee stretched out on her towel and buried her face in her arms to relax. She needed to think about the rest o
f her stay in the country and what she wanted to do with her time. The thought of going back out onto the water made her shudder. As much as she would have liked to properly thank Abigail and Josh, she was relieved that she could put this behind her. No one needed to know about her surfing disaster and no one would believe she’d fought off a shark. In the end, it was best she hadn’t spoken with Kerry this morning.
“Hey, your back is getting red.” Tyler poked a finger on Marlee’s back and she twitched.
“I must have fallen asleep.” Marlee bounced up. “What time is it?”
“It’s time to get out of the sun,” Tyler said. “Let’s wander over to a restaurant and get something to eat. I’m hungry after playing with those hunks. Did you see how good I was?”
“Sorry, but I slept most of the time you were gone. Did you have fun?” Marlee slipped on her shorts and reached for her shirt.
“It was okay, but I didn’t really fit in with them.” Tyler pulled on his T-shirt and gathered up his towel. “It was a bit awkward because they all seemed so straight.”
“That’s too bad.”
“No big deal.” Tyler slung his pack over his shoulder. “Shall we go?”
They chose a burger place and were comfortably seated in a booth, glancing at a large muted TV screen, when Marlee saw Abigail being scrummed by reporters again.
“Look at her,” Marlee said. “The poor woman. It’s like she’s being attacked. I wish I could somehow help her.”
“How do you know she’s innocent?” Tyler sipped his diet cola. “Maybe she deserves what she’s getting.”
“I don’t think so,” Marlee said. “I owe her my life and the least I can do is sympathize since she won’t let me do anything else.”
“You’re starting to sound dramatic,” Tyler said. “What exactly did she do to save you?”
“I got caught in a riptide and drifted for hours until she rescued me.” Marlee refused to mention the shark.
“It doesn’t sound like she risked her life to save you. I heard she has a nice boat. What was it like?”
