Fallen hugged him. “I feel the same way about you. Can you please come with me back to real life? I could really use a lot more of you in my everyday.”
“I’d love to.” He was kissing her again. She hardly noticed that he was backing her closer to the edge of the cliff because his tongue was telling her a lot about what she hoped he had in store for her.
He took a step back. “So what do you say?” He had a devilish glint in his eye.
She looked over her shoulder and screamed at the river below. She had a bout of vertigo and grabbed on to him.
“I’ve got you. No worries.” His voice was hardwired to her heartbeat.
“Mmmmm. What do I say about what?” She tried to force him to spin her away from the edge, but his grip was like stone.
“Do you want to jump with me?”
“No.” Her answer was out of her mouth before she could even process the question.
He laughed. “Come on, dream girl. We’re not in the real world, right?”
“It feels real,” she hedged. “How about we just kiss a lot instead?”
She offered her lips, and he sampled her for a few minutes before chiding her again.
“You scared, Fallen?”
“I’m fine. It’s a dream. Right?”
Thomas pulled them both away from the edge and removed his shirt, boots, and socks.
“You strip quick,” she observed.
“Where I am when I’m awake, I have to be quick.” He stepped back to the edge after putting his clothes on a rock.
“What the hell? Why not?” Fallen pulled her sweater and dress off before unbuckling her shoes.
By the time she wore just her underwear, Thomas was biting his thumb, watching her.
“Beautiful. You are a beauty.” He held out his hand.
His chest was sheer strength. She stepped over to him, feeling a shot of fear up her spine.
“You ready?”
“No.”
“On three? One…” He stepped closer, and she inched out as well.
“Don’t look down,” he suggested.
She ignored him and tried to back up.
“It’s not that bad, I promise. I’ve done it before.”
She stepped forward again when he said two.
And on three, she jumped with him.
They held hands to start, but she let go to hold her nose soon after her feet left the cliff. He screamed, but the dropping sensation filled her with panic that took her breath, so she was silent.
They hit the water, and it was so brisk she froze for a second, forgetting to swim. He was all over her, pulling her up with him, and eventually she remembered how to move, kicking until they broke the surface in the moonlight.
She slapped his shoulders as he tipped his head back to laugh.
“Are you crazy? That was terrifying. We’re never doing that again. Holy crap.” She tried to swim away, but his arms encircled her.
“I’m sorry. Really. I forgot how horrible it was until we were halfway down.”
They treaded water until she finally smiled.
“It’s freezing in here.”
“Let’s go over there.” He pointed at a large, dry boulder a short swim away. Fallen breaststroked over as he swam past her in a clean freestyle. He pulled himself out of the water and waited as she arrived, his big hands held out for her.
She put her arms up, and he drew her straight out. His strength was a ridiculous turn on, though she knew she shouldn’t be such a cavewoman with her carnal desires. But it was just a dream, right? Decorum be damned.
He pulled her against him, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to glean some warmth from his cold skin.
“Have you ever been chilly in a dream?” she asked.
“No. Never.”
“Me neither. This is bizarre. Let’s lie in the nice hot sun and warm up. Oh wait. We can’t. It’s night.” She put her hand against his wet face. He had a bit of stubble. He was so real.
In an instant, she was blinded by clear, white light. He hauled her in closer. The next time she opened her eyes, it was easier. The sun.
“It’s daytime now,” he said, sort of as a question, as they both squinted.
Fallen closed her eyes and thought about sunglasses for them both, and plump towels folded at their feet. When she opened her eyes, they were shaded, and she saw herself reflected in his aviators.
“Great idea.” He tapped the glasses with his finger.
She bent down and returned with towels, handing him one and wrapping the other around herself.
He grabbed her hand and helped her up onto the rocks. She shivered as she went from one temperature to another. The daytime they’d somehow conjured was hot. She took back his towel and laid it out on a flat boulder jutting over the river. Then she untucked her towel from around her breasts and laid it next to his.
Fallen looked down at her damp bra and panties. They left very little to the imagination. She shrugged, feeling comfortable and excited, and then settled onto her back, wriggling in the warm sunshine.
He stood for a moment, watching, before joining her on the towels.
“So is this where the honeys were in your memory?” she asked.
“I think they were down river. Actually, I barely remember where we were. ‘Cause now, this whole place has you in it, and nothing else matters.” He propped up on his elbow and slid his sunglasses to the top of his head.
“Tell me a memory of yours. Make it seem like you’re real, too.” Thomas put his big hand on her bare stomach, and for a few seconds his touch was all she could comprehend.
He was being patient, and a gentleman, considering all she wasn’t wearing. She looked at his face and found his eyes obeying an entirely different call of duty. They skimmed her body like she was art on a wall.
Covering his hand with hers, she sighed. “I’m having so much fun with you. My memories might ruin the mood.”
His face fell, eyes ending their sexual journey and fixing on her face. “No, that’s not good. Tell me, dream girl. Just give me something.”
She told him her dark secret.
“My mom’s an alcoholic. And I’m working so my brother can finish high school, maybe go to college.”
It was hard to put into words, this thing that infused her entire life but was so easily avoided in polite conversation.
“That’s who I am. My memories are mostly of that—except for when I was really young. Back then, she was at least able to pretend.” Fallen avoided his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He squeezed her hand. “Good on you for helping your brother.”
“He’s a great guy. Deserves better than he gets. I mean, the electricity was shut off last week. My mother took all the money out of our bank account.” Fallen shook her head. “I don’t want to think about that. Here with you I don’t have to worry about that, right?” She turned on her side, letting the sun heat up her hip and back.
He scootched closer, spooning her with an impressive erection. “You get to think about only what you like. I get to do the same.”
He put his arms around her, and she used his bicep as a pillow. He pushed her wet hair out of the way, whispering about her beauty against the nape of her neck. His other hand began reaching lower, and she was ready to let passion dissolve the memories of her mother’s vice now tainting her dream world.
Then her eyelids became heavy, and she closed them.
In the next second she was on the bed in room 514, shocked back into the real world. Her skin was still alive with his touch, her heart full of anticipation, but he was gone.
A flash of light in the antique mirror again caught her eye as she sat up and punched the mattress.
Her dream had been as real as this very moment. She wanted him back. She wanted Thomas.
Chapter 5
Double Miracle
Fortunately, with practice, after a few weeks Fallen’s cleaning skills had improved somewhat, and she had a spare moment to breathe
here and there. Unfortunately, the maids from 8 and 9 were still mostly ignoring her—and teasing her when they didn’t. She mostly ignored them right back
But another pattern of disappointment had developed for Fallen: Every day in 514, she would lay down and try to fall asleep. She tried at all different times of the day. Nothing. She was so frustrated by the following Tuesday, she was ready to give up the whole thing. Thomas had just been a dream, she told herself. A twice-in-a-lifetime miracle.
But the heartache was worse now that she’d been with him twice. She craved him. If it was all happening in her head, she should be able to force him into any of her unconscious moments. She tried her hardest at home, when she wasn’t on the clock. However, her slipping off to bed earlier and earlier had finally caught Fenn’s attention.
He was still doing homework at the kitchen table when she faked a yawn and headed up to bed before eight, reminding him to turn of the lights on his way to bed.
“Seriously? Are you getting ready for your AARP membership to arrive in the mail? You have the schedule of a toddler. ” Fenn gave her a slightly worried look.
She put him off by saying she thought she was getting a cold, but this wasn’t a sustainable pattern. She either needed to find Thomas again in her dreams or give up and move on.
Back at work on Wednesday, the shining up of the hotel for the owner had reached a fevered pitch with only one day to go. Every employee could be found cleaning something. Everyone had a rag in their pocket, ready to eradicate fingerprints or stains at a moment’s notice.
Desta’s coughing had ramped up as well. She’d waved off Fallen’s offers to take a few rooms off her plate, so Fallen had taken to coming up with invented questions so she could at least take over some bed-making and mirror-cleaning here and there while she asked.
“I know what you’re doing,” the older woman pointed out at the end of the day.
“I’m glad someone does, because I feel like that’s not my forté.” Fallen followed Desta out the back door and through the parking lot, inadvertently walking her to her car.
“Tomorrow’s the big day.” Desta unlocked her big, old, smoky—but clean—car.
“I know. It’s as exciting as Christmas.” She bounced a little as Desta lit a cigarette.
“Just play it cool.” Desta nodded at her. “Don’t admit to anything out of sorts.”
“Like what?” Fallen tilted her head to one side, not quite sure what Desta meant.
“Nothing. Nothing.” Desta looked like she wished she hadn’t spoken as she ducked into her car.
“See you tomorrow,” Fallen called.
Desta barely waved as she sped away.
Fallen’s mind replayed the conversation as she walked home, curious if she was reading too much into the woman’s words. Desta couldn’t possibly know about her dreams, right?
···
It felt like mere minutes before Fallen was taking the reverse route back to work the next morning, even though she had done laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and vacuumed, not to mention slept a little, in the interim. Fenn had talked about a girl named Jessica he had his eye on while he cooked mac and cheese for dinner, and it had been good. They’d both packed leftovers as their lunch today, and Fallen had encouraged him to be bold as she’d headed off to work.
She crossed the parking lot and passed Desta’s old beast, shocked to find the woman already at work. Fallen had taken a bit more care with her uniform, pressing creases in her sleeves and French braiding her hair neatly, so perhaps time had gotten away from her a little.
She walked into the team meeting already in progress in the maintenance office. Desta made wide eyes at her entrance, the expression magnified by her glasses. Fallen tucked herself sheepishly behind the crowd as Melanny ran through the last-minute checklist.
After a rousing speech that ended with “And if you screw up, you’re fired,” they were released to start their duties.
Another day of relentless cleaning began. Fallen didn’t dare find Desta for a chat, never knowing when the owner would arrive. Desta was equally serious. Despite her usual need for a nicotine fix, she’d told Fallen she wouldn’t be taking any breaks outside.
Fallen got updates from 8 and 9 as she passed them in the hall, the elevator, and the laundry. They seemed to think it was fun to watch her squirm as they gave a moment-by-moment countdown, as if the arrival of the owner was a shuttle launch. Other workers shared information with each other that Fallen overheard: Mr. Orbit was late. It would be a while. There was traffic. Maybe tomorrow. Possibly this afternoon.
Fallen had heartburn from thinking about it. This job kept Fenn (mostly) warm and fed. She needed it to work out for her. The fanatical Mr. Orbit needed to be pleased with her floor.
She pushed herself to stay focused and keep working, but room 512 almost made her cry. The guests must have been celebrating a birthday. In addition to the used condoms everywhere—even on the lampshades—all the mirrors were decorated with lipstick porno drawings and birthday greetings to a “Paul.” Lipstick was such a bitch to clean.
Fallen cursed Paul under her breath, the room taking a full two hours to get back to rentable condition. At least 514, easy and quick, was her last stop, like usual. She barreled her cart down the hall, still hoping to finish before Mr. Orbit’s impending arrival. Though she could hardly bear the pain of not seeing Thomas, she had no time to try her hand at a nap now. Her iPad sounded a chime, and when she looked, sure enough an alert from her manager told her Mr. Orbit was in the building. Melanny had also reiterated her all-call to be on point yet again.
Taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself, Fallen grabbed her duster as she spotted a cobweb near the overhead light next to the bed. As she reached up, she felt her world tilt. She landed safely on the bed, and even as she fought it, her eyes closed like an automated lock, sending her into blackness at the worst possible time.
···
She woke on the rock where Thomas had held her in the sun last time she was here, but stars twinkled in the night sky above her now.
It was chilly, but not freezing. Certainly not as cold as any of the walks she took to and from work in the early morning and afternoon. She sat up and curled her arms around her knees. She tried to wake up back in her real world by squeezing her eyes shut and gripping her legs to the point of pain. As desperately as she wanted to see Thomas, her job was on the line at the moment, and she was worried.
It was no use. She was here, in this dream. When she looked up again, Thomas was walking toward her, and she had to smile at his face. He started running when she stood, and they met in the middle, hugging hard.
He kissed her before she could get a word out at all, but she was happy to let him take the edge off her anxiety. After a few minutes of passion that almost made her forget the hotel, he put his head on her forehead.
“Dream girl, is it Thursday where you’re from?” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“It is. It’s, like, the most important Thursday. My boss is coming to check on us, and I think I’m asleep.” She let her hands touch his chest. He was solid. So tempting. “But now I’m here with you, and I feel grateful. I’ve tried to make it happen a lot.”
He nodded. “Me too. They’re getting worried I have migraines or something. I keep closing my eyes wherever I am.”
“You don’t, right?” She traced the inside of his forearms with her fingertips.
“No. But I ache to be here with you.” He began kissing her again. “You’re heaven.” He added between little nips.
“I know. It’s the same for me.”
Thomas laid her down on the ground, and she enjoyed the welcome weight of his large frame on hers.
Instead of kissing her, he looked past her, and his eyes went wide. “The hell?”
She turned to follow his gaze. Instead of water behind her now, there was an abandoned street. “Wow.”
“I was thinking about how I wanted to show you my house, and there
it is. I’ll be damned. Come on!” He stood and tugged her to her feet. She was swept up in his excitement.
He knocked on the door, hollering as he went in. “Ma? John? Eddie?” He stopped her in the cozy kitchen, pulling out a chair. “Wait here for a minute.”
Thomas ran past her, and she heard him calling as he clomped around in the rooms above her.
When he came back he still had a smile, but it was a little smaller. “I was hoping to introduce you to them. But I guess that’s not how this works.”
He opened the fridge and pumped his fist. “Hot damn.”
Fallen stood and peeked in. Inside the fridge were two plates covered in foil. He pulled them out and took them to the counter, setting the oven temperature with a dial before putting the plates inside.
“We got Ma’s famous dinner, and you’re going to love it. It’s so good I want to eat it ice cold. It’s been a long time. But we gotta wait for it to heat up. Tell me something—distract me so I don’t waste the food by eating it cold.”
He sat down and gathered her into his lap. It seemed to be his favorite move. She liked being able to run her hands through his hair. His dark waves were stubborn, and she couldn’t get them to go in a different direction.
“I’m boring,” she said. “Tell me about you. Tell me about the last time you had this meal.”
“You’re so far from boring it’s not even funny. But I’ll tell you. The last time I had it was at this very table.” He knocked on it for emphasis. “My brothers and I were crowded around it. Ma had put heaping plates of food between us because her boys love to eat. It was the same roast beef, mashed potatoes, and sweet carrots we’re going to have in about ten minutes. We always pretended to fight over the platters, and Ma scolded us, but she smiled a little, too.
She’d say, ‘Boys, I made enough for all of you.’ Then she’d swat Edward’s hand as he took two rolls from the bread basket.”
Thomas grinned. “I used to say Johnny was like a cow—four stomachs, I swear. And he would always say, ‘I bet you could get a gallon of milk from me.’ That night, the last time I ate this, I reached past Edward and grabbed three rolls.
“Anyway, when our mother finally came to sit down, we boys would stand until she’d settled in her chair. One of us always held it out for her. We dote on her, each in our own way, trying to compensate for the loss of our father. It’s been ten years since his heart attack. Sometimes I would walk into the kitchen when she wasn’t aware, and I’d catch her looking out the window, the look on her face the same as the day she learned my father had passed, mere minutes after arriving at work to put in the day.”
For All the Evers Page 5
