by Jo Noelle
Chase laughed. “I’m probably a boring person. I like music, video games, and soccer.”
“Me too, but I’d say art, video games, and soccer. Hey, my brother ditched me for a weekend to Vegas. You want to catch a game this weekend in Denver?”
“Sounds great.”
“I’ll leave a ticket for you at the will call at the stadium.” They stood in an open area and looked at the art around them. “We should probably pick something for your walls or Lizette will choose it for you. What’s your house like?” Emil asked.
“It’s a modern-style in a kind of 1950’s way. Flat roof lines. Angles everywhere. Huge windows.” They walked down the aisles, looking at various pieces.
“Great views?”
“I can see the mountains or the lake from nearly every room of the house.”
“We can stay away from landscapes then.”
Chase paused by some paintings. “I like the geometric designs and the . . .” He moved his hand around in the air toward a painting. “way the colors all blend on that one. Really someone else should do this.”
Emil stopped and stared toward the front of the gallery. There was an older woman and a younger one coming into the lobby. “I’ll look around for some things that might go with these. You could come back later to see them.”
Although Emil was talking to Chase, he could tell the man was looking at the women, and he didn’t seem to like what he saw.
“So that’s my mom,” explained Emil. “And apparently she’s going to introduce me to someone she wants me to marry.”
“Seriously?”
“Two or three times a month. You might want to go out that way so you don’t meet her. She can smell money and availability like a bloodhound. If she can’t set me up, she’ll go after you.”
“Yeah? Well, good luck. I’ll call you about other pieces.” Chase walked down a different aisle and exited out the front doors behind the women. He felt bad for Emil, but realized the man probably had experience dealing with that.
For a moment, Chase wondered if Emil’s mom could set him up with the pawn shop owner. Not a bad idea at all.
3
Elena Maurell
When Elena got home, she only had twenty minutes to freshen up before Chloe came by to get her. She caught herself several times thinking back on the man with the turquoise eyes. It wouldn’t matter. She didn’t even get his name. She’d have some fun tonight and never think about him again. Sienna and Zara were meeting her and Chloe at a club in Boulder to celebrate her birthday. Not that she was the clubbing type, but Zara insisted that they do something to celebrate this year.
They parked and walked to the entrance. Elena hoped they were full. Nope—they went right in. She liked to dance and she loved music, but men she met in a club didn’t seem quite real to her, like everyone had to pretend they were fun and having a great time. A half-hour into the celebration, she was ready to leave. The music vibrated through her and the place was packed. It was fun, but she’d danced all she cared to and just wanted to talk to her friends. “How about going into the restaurant side and get dessert?”
“Yes,” Chloe and Sienna said.
“Fine,” Zara replied.
They sat at a table and ordered. The volume of the music was just right to talk over and out of the corner of her eye, she could see the line dancers, boots stomping on the other side of the glass wall.
“What’s the best thing that’s happened this year, Elena?” Sienna asked.
She tried to think of one. Losing her business—not yet. Real relationship—no. Chasing her dream—abandoned. Almost met a man with eyes that haunt me. She wondered what might have happened if she’d answered the phone. She might be sitting here with him. They would have danced.
“Oh, your smile says something good happened,” Chloe said.
She realized she was smiling broadly and said, “You. My friends are the best thing that’s happened this year.”
“No. You’re lying to us.” Zara pointed in her direction. “We’re fabulous—that’s true. But right before you said that, you had a dreamy look to your face. Then you changed your mind and put a nice smile on your lips. Nice smile doesn’t match you. Are you going to tell us about it?”
Before Elena could even decide, Sienna agreed. “Yeah. We’re second to something—or someone.”
“Tell us who,” Chloe said.
That was the trouble with having close friends. They knew her, and she couldn’t get away with anything. “Fine. I was thinking about someone else.”
“Who?” they asked, leaning into the center of the table.
“I don’t know.” Elena told them what happened. “So he’s probably a tourist. Nothing to get excited about.”
They sat quietly for a moment. Elena knew they’d hoped she’d met someone who mattered. She hadn’t been in a committed relationship since, well, too long. And that one had ended with her needing their friendship in a big way.
“The bull,” Zara said out of the blue. “We’ve danced and had way too much chocolate, and now we have to.”
“Why is that, again?” Chloe asked.
“Because it’s Elena’s birthday. She has to ride the bull,” Zara answered.
“No.” Elena paused for dramatic effect. She thought Zara looked like she might pick Elena up and toss her on the mechanical beast herself. Then Elena added, “It’s not possible to have too much chocolate. And, yes, let’s ride the bull. If I do, you all do.”
***
The next morning, Elena stretched her neck and stood on her toes, looking out the display window to see if she could tell who was in the Peak City patrol car that pulled up. Something had been reported stolen. Of course, it was really bad timing. The worst time to have a loss was when you’re struggling to make your regular expenses, and that month had been exceptional. Officer Thomas and Detective Clark.
Why do the police just sit in the car? It’s like when she got pulled over for a traffic ticket, the officer hadn’t jumped out and taken care of business. He sat behind her with flashing lights, making her sweat. She knocked twice on the wooden counter.
The binder of new acquisitions was on the shelf under the register since she got frequent visits from the police department, once a week for the last month. With so many requisitioned items lately, she was not only down on moveable inventory, but down on cash flow too because she paid for items she wouldn’t be able to turn for a profit. A chill tightened her shoulders. The complete failure of her business was nearly palpable, and she sucked in a deep breath to stave off the panic. If she could make a few big sales, she could keep afloat for a few more weeks.
Tug walked in. “Saw ’em drive up.” He pulled two one-dollar bills from his wallet, while Elena opened the binder.
Everything they bought from anyone got logged in the file and faxed to the police station to compare with recently reported burglaries. They both glanced down the list. Is it too much to ask that I get a break? There were several low-ticket items on her list. Please let it be one of them.
“I’m putting my money on…” Tug’s finger slowly brushed down the list, his reading glasses sliding to the end of his nose. “The golf clubs. I’m guessing the soon-to-be ex-husband reported them stolen after the ex-wife sold them to us.” He set one of the dollars on the counter for the bet.
“I’m going with something innocent. I say it’s the tea set.” Elena dropped three quarters, a dime, and three nickels on the counter. She was getting down to having very little cash. She’d stopped paying herself half of the salary she used to get. If it was the tea set, the business would only be out twenty-five bucks. If it was the golf set, her loss jumped to seventy. “Someone’s granny had it put away. A relative sneaked in and took it. Her ninety-year-old cousin from Denver came up for the week, and when she went to get it, it was gone.”
Tug nudged Elena’s shoulder. “Someone pinched the pitcher?”
“It’s a kettle, not a pitcher.” She shook her head, but knew ther
e was no stopping him.
Tug kept going. “They swiped the sugar bowl and kifed the creamer.”
“Are you done?” Really, Elena loved the game. It took the edge off while they waited for the police to come in and give them the bad news, and it reminded her of when her dad had played along with them.
Tug just smiled and laid down the second dollar. He always bet for her dad because he said he knew him longer than Elena did. “Your dad is betting on the snowboard and boots. The guy who sold them to me didn’t look like the type to ride pink.”
A black Audi SUV parked beside the cruiser, and the guy with the heart-stopping eyes jumped out. Warmth thrummed through Elena. Apparently, he didn’t give up easily. She wanted to walk into the storage room to avoid him, but another idea came to mind. She was more than flattered that he’d come back—her curiosity about him was weakening her resolve to leave. Or maybe it was the way his gaze locked with hers as he stepped through the door that did that. The last time she’d felt that zip of energy through her veins over a guy was more than two years ago. As much as she didn’t like clubbing, she’d love to two-step with him, feeling his hand at her waist and the sway of their bodies together. It might be nice to snuggle into his strong shoulder and watch a movie on the couch. Perhaps just one date, or a few dates. Her life wasn’t settled enough for a serious relationship, but she could do with a little flirting and kissing.
What could happen if I start dating again? She didn’t have time to answer that question before he stepped up to the counter. His smile was—oh! How could she help but smile back? And he smelled so good. Even from across the counter, his spicy aftershave was intoxicating.
“I’m Chase—”
Elena thought for a moment that he was going to say a last name too, but there was just an awkward pause before he snapped his mouth shut. “I’m Elena. What can I do for you today?” Her neck got hot, and the flush moved toward her cheeks. If she hadn’t blushed, he wouldn’t have thought anything other than asking her a simple question that anyone working in retail might ask.
His voice was husky. “I wonder if you’d—” Then his eyes widened, and his smile took on a impish slant.
“You!” Tug shouted from behind Elena.
Since her dad died, Tug believed he was responsible to scare off any possible men who might be attracted to her. She might have needed that ten years ago, especially hanging around a pawn shop. Right now, not so much. In fact, her stomach sparkled with excitement at the idea of going out with Chase.
“When I toss something out, I expect it to stay out.” He started around the counter toward the guy.
Tug was too quick for her to grab his arm. She knew he’d toss the guy out again. Her monkey brain was making her crazy, screeching and jumping, urging her to take the risk and go out with him. If she didn’t say something quick, she’d lose her chance. Be brave. Do it. She paused for a moment. I don’t even know this guy. Meet somewhere safe. Do it—do it now. “Yes,” she shouted at the guy.
Tug swung toward her. “What?”
Elena also saw the confusion in the guy’s face when he asked. “Yes?”
What just happened? Oh, no. They were both staring at her, waiting for her to clear things up. Dread grew in the pit of her stomach. She finally realized he wasn’t going to ask her out. “You said you wondered if I would, would what? I thought you were asking me out.”
“I was just waiting.” Chase pointed over his shoulder with one thumb. “For them.”
About that time, Elena noticed the officers stepping up to the counter. She tried to stamp down her embarrassment, hoping they hadn’t heard her. But Officer Thomas, Aiden, who she’d turned down at least a dozen times, looked shocked. His eyes swung between her and Chase while his mouth hung open.
Detective Clark hit Aiden on the shoulder, laughing. “Yeah, you were wearing her down, but you got here one minute too late.”
Geesh! Another of her dad’s friends, completely too familiar with her life. Tug joined in laughing. Before she could slink out to hide in the office, Detective Clark handed her a list of items they’d come to recover.
Elena held the list wishing she could just pass it off to Tug and disappear. Yeah, where was that little monkey brain now?
“Wait. You said yes,” Chase said.
The store became silent, absolutely silent with four pair of eyes waiting for her response. A little sweat cooled her neck. Why do I feel like I got asked to Homecoming, and his friends are waiting to see if I’ll shoot him down? I’m going to ignore all of this now. It didn’t happen.
After taking a deep cleansing breath, she began silently reading the list. She could feel all of their eyes on her.
“So the guitars and all of these other items too?” Elena pointed to the highlighted items, concentrating to steady her hand. Hold it together. I can freak out over this when I’m alone. “Did you receive proof of ownership?” She directed her question to Detective Clark. She couldn’t look at Aiden or Chase. She knew she’d never say yes to the first, but she and Aiden were good friends. The second guy, she wanted nothing more than to say yes. She just needed to be done with this whole conversation, and everyone could leave.
Chase lifted an insurance binder to the counter, opening it to the page that showed the guitars and their identifying marks. He pushed it toward her as she reached for it. When his hand brushed hers, an electric shock shot up her arm. Bad monkey!
Tug, who had been leaning on his elbows, saw the pictures and dropped his head to his hands. Elena felt the same way—like the floor was a twenty-foot sink hole. Of course those items would be the ones that were stolen. She thought it had been such a great deal to get a five-thousand-dollar guitar for a tenth of its value. The whole package is going to cost her almost two thousand. They’d done everything they were supposed to, but she knew that the ID they were given in cases like this were almost always fake. Although the city would reimburse her, the check wouldn’t come for at least sixty days. A chill ran through her. She wasn’t going to have enough money to pay everything that month. Fear jumped in with the dread she felt earlier.
“Yeah, those are the same items. Tug, can you grab them from the storage room while I fill out the paperwork?”
Aiden opened a folder on the counter beside her. She scanned it. She’d filled out police reports dozens of times. Although the real owner’s name and personal information was never on them, she looked for it anyway. She had to give it to the monkey—it had a one-track mind. Under different circumstances, they could have dated. Life wasn’t fair. Get over it.
She filled out every line methodically, but her heartfelt like it was shrinking. She’d been so close to something that might have been good. It took her twice as long as it normally would have to fill in the blanks as her mind retraced every moment since he’d walked back in today. She remembered his smile, his boots and the way he walked. She even heard his voice questioning that she’d said yes. Her stomach flipped over. She signed on the line at the bottom. That seemed to seal her fate—for her business, and for getting to know Chase. After the slow sales they’d had for months, this was the end. She was going to lose the store. Why did her doom have to come from someone with heart-melting eyes and a smile she wouldn’t forget?
Aiden gave her the pink copy from the back, then he and Detective Clark gathered the items and left. Chase opened the door for them and stood looking back at her for a moment. When she looked back, he mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
She was too—sorry she’d missed out.
Elena picked up the pink paper and took it to her office. Before she opened the file drawer, she heard the bell above the door jingle as the door closed. She sat heavily in the chair at the desk. That’s that. There was no reason he’d come back now, and she needed to think of options for her future.
After filing the paper, she noticed the red light flashing on the phone and picked it up. She punched in the password and listened.
“You have one message. Current me
ssage. Hi Elena, this is your mom.”
Elena sat perfectly still. Did she want to hear this? Admittedly, she was curious. Even hearing her voice made her want to listen.
“I wondered if you ever thought about meeting me. I’m in Peak City for a while, and maybe we could have lunch. Call me at . . .”
Elena had zoned out, thinking about seeing her after twenty years, and doing something as ordinary as meeting for lunch. Why now? What could she have to say that Elena would be interested in? Could she apologize for abandoning her and think to have that all settled before dessert? Did she know her dad was gone? And she could step in and be the parent?
“To delete this message—”
Elena didn’t delete it, but she did hang up. And she wasn’t going to think about it anymore.
4
Chase Dermott
The front right wheel on his shopping cart spun like a top, rarely making contact with the floor so the whole basket tipped back and forth as Chase pushed it around a corner. He’d spotted Elena immediately when he entered the store. He bypassed picking up the fruit and vegetables he needed to have a chance to see her again. She selected bread and kept moving
He looked past the end of an aisle to see her in the meat department—her back to him as she checked one package after another. He felt like he was stalking her, but he assured himself he wasn’t. To prove it, his hand reached out to snag the nearest item—Biscoff cream spread, which he dropped in his cart. Besides, he justified, he was there first. Well, really he wasn’t since his cart was empty, and she already had a few items. He move up the aisle, forgetting about whatever he’d come for, to catch a glimpse of what else Elena liked.
It’s official, now I’m stalking her. I don’t want a girlfriend—it never goes well. Even that reminder didn’t wipe out the memory of her saying yes, the excitement in her voice, the sparkle in her eyes. His interest rocketed. He had to get to know her.
