by J. P. Comeau
At least I could relax. Elena, who sat beside me, fidgeted with her phone in her hands, turning it over and over. “What’s wrong?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“I’m afraid I won’t like the city, Riker.” Elena shook her head. She had mentioned something similar before, but apparently staying in the city bothered Elena more than she had let on. “It’s so…noisy and…crowded.”
I lifted my arm so she could lean against me. “All those things are true. There’s plenty to like about the city too, though. I can show you if you let me. We can act like tourists and see all the sights. I haven’t really done that, honestly. When you work there, everything is less exciting.” My thumb traced her cheek. “Maybe I just need someone to appreciate it with. That can be you and Bree.”
“That does sound fun,” she admitted. “I’ve never really been to Manhattan to see the sights. I guess that’s what this should be. I should treat it like a vacation. A vacation away from Montauk and into the Big Apple, even though most people do it the other way around.”
“You’re not most people,” I pointed out. Not to me. “Give the Big Apple a chance, that’s all I’m asking. You might find you like it better than you think.”
“I’m not so sure about that, but you’re right. Besides, it’ll be new for Bree too. I want her to get used to seeing new things.”
“Then it’s a date,” I promised. “Maybe not tomorrow – I’ll let you get settled first – but Tuesday evening, we can go out after work to see some of the sights… all three of us. It’ll be fun. Really.”
“I know. You’ll make it fun.” Elena shot me a smile I sensed wasn’t entirely sincere, but it was good enough for me. I just wanted her to give the city a chance, and if she didn’t like it, that was fine. After this Oscar business was a thing of the past, the city could be as well because I already had a plan in mind.
I got Elena and Bree settled in on Sunday evening, and then I went to work Monday morning. I had gone to work hundreds, thousands of times, but this time…something was different. All day, I felt cheerful, my mood was floating in the clouds even when something happened I didn’t like. And all day I had mulled it over, trying to understand why nothing could get under my skin.
It took me the entire day to find the answer, but when I did, it was so simple I wanted to slap myself.
Elena. Elena was almost always the answer these days. So, I should have known she would be the catalyst for this pleasant mood. For the first time in years, I wouldn’t be leaving work and going home to a quiet, empty apartment that was never meant for a single person. When I opened the penthouse door, I figured Elena would be reading or writing poetry, and Bree would be sitting on the floor surrounded by a mess of toys - and I was right.
I couldn’t imagine a more welcome sight than returning home from work to blocks and dolls strewn everywhere. The sight reminded me, I needed to let the cleaning lady know she wouldn’t be needed for a while. Otherwise, both Elena and the woman who cleaned the apartment would be in for a surprise.
Speaking of surprises, the day came for me to show Elena around New York City. On Tuesday afternoon, when I got home from work, we packed a bag for Bree, grabbed the little girl, and settled her on my shoulders. Then we headed out into the press of people that made up the pedestrians traversing the streets of the city.
Showing anyone around New York City was a tall order. It lacked nothing in any area of interest. From museums and live shows to food and clubs, the Big Apple had something for everyone, and picking just a few things to see was never an easy task. With my knowledge of Elena’s likes and dislikes and her love for Bree and seeing Bree happy, though, I thought I could manage.
“Hm… let’s do…the High Line,” I decided for us.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a park, but it’s kind of unique. You’ll see. We can eat there too, and it has great views. It’s also not usually too busy, and it’s above…well, you’ll see,” I said again.
Elena was willing to go along with whatever I had in store, and the High Line was on Manhattan’s West Side. We arrived at the abandoned rail park turned sweeping green escape for citizens of Manhattan and visitors alike. The Hudson River sparkled in the distance, a line of silver fire streaking through the green forest, and expansive windows of the skyscrapers shone in the early evening sun.
We explored the park for a while, each holding one of Bree’s little hands, and followed the decrepit rail tracks to the sprawling expanse of manicured grass for enjoying picnics. Elena pointed out a food vendor that interested her and let me head over to wait in line while she laid out the blanket she had brought for Bree. We shared the meal on the grass while she played, stacking pieces of grass and poking sticks into the ground to create a world only she understood.
“This is actually really nice,” Elena admitted. “There are still a lot of people here, but it’s not as loud. And you were right. It’s kind of above everything… above all the hustle and bustle.”
“I figured we would start slow before I took you somewhere with big crowds.”
“Well, that was very thoughtful. Thank you.”
I took a triumphant bite of my sandwich. I wanted Elena to feel comfortable here while she waited for me to deal with things back at home. This threesome date was the first step to doing that, and I would make sure to keep it up in the days to come. I would show her that once you knew Manhattan, it wasn’t a complicated or nerve-wracking place… most of the time.
I didn’t want to change her mind, though. Her heart belonged in Montauk, and really, mine did too. Elena wasn’t some city girl, and I wouldn’t try to make her something she wasn’t. Our evenings spent sitting on the beach, sipping wine and talking about life meant too much to me for that.
Chapter Twelve
Elena
I stared around Riker’s penthouse, feeling oddly empty. Cleaning supplies cluttered the kitchen counter. Clorox wipes, Windex, and leather cleaner for the furniture – I had needed pretty much everything imaginable to elevate the cleanliness of this place to a level that satisfied me.
Satisfied? I thought giving Riker’s place a good, thorough cleaning would please me. I need to accomplish something, at least. I also wanted to surprise Riker when he came home to a clean house after spending all day at work. A win-win for both of us. But there it was, in the hollow of my stomach. I could feel it, tugging at me – the emptiness, that burning itch. The discomfort and unease that took ahold of my senses if I dared to stand still for too long.
All I had done lately was stand still. Here in New York City, I didn’t have much else to do. I could go out somewhere during the day, but I would have to take Bree with me because I had no one to watch her. Exploring Manhattan alone with a toddler didn’t sound fun at all. I hadn’t even tried it. Since having no one to watch Bree also meant I had no friends here either, aside from Riker, of course. So, I couldn’t even go out for coffee with a girlfriend or coworker to chat or ask them to take me sightseeing. I spoke to Payton almost everyday on the phone, but I still missed spending time together with our kids.
I sighed. The impatient energy that had consumed me all day burned away, leaving only exhaustion. My muscles protested the massive amount of nothing I had been doing as I sat on the large, soft, sectional, and watched Bree play with a few decorative pillows that couldn’t be harmed by her curious hands.
For the first couple of weeks, I had been fine, focusing on Bree, and helping her adjust to a new schedule. I had expected some issues when she eventually began missing all her friends from daycare. So far, though, getting to know the new surroundings, and our ventures into the city with Riker were keeping Bree amused. And I was grateful for that.
Actually, I had found that being a stay-at-home mom was something I could not comfortably do long-term. In the early months after Bree was born, I was thrilled to be with my daughter, 24/7. I had enjoyed nursing her and watching her grow. And I imagined that if I ever had another baby, I would feel the same wa
y. But now that Bree was almost three-years-old, I had no reason not to work and was eager to get back to my duties at the law office. Besides, Bree needed to be away from me to build her social skills. Being stuck here is doing neither of us any favors.
On and off, I had considered trying to find some sort of parent meet-up near Riker’s apartment. Then, I would tell myself this arrangement with Riker was only temporary and we would be going home any day now. So, I didn’t want Bree to get attached to new friends that she would soon be leaving.
After an entire month of sitting around here in the penthouse, twiddling my thumbs, I was beginning to believe Oscar knew I had left Montauk. He’s probably laughing about how he has driven me out of town.
Riker understood. I knew he did. Everything that bothered me about living here, I had brought up in our conversations after Bree’s bedtime. Riker always promised me he was doing everything he could, and I would be going home soon. I did believe him for a while. Now, I was losing hope. But Riker had never lied to me. He was doing his best to help. That was one of the reasons I hadn’t given in to my wild urge to rent a car and drive back to the Hamptons on my own.
Speaking of Riker, he would be home soon. The house was clean except for, ironically, for the very tools used to clean it. Quickly, I tidied up, keeping an eye on Bree to make sure those pillows were the only belongings of Riker’s that she played with.
In about ten minutes, the front door swung open, and Riker walked in.
“Sorry, my driver did his best, but traffic was terrible,” Riker announced, tugging his phone out of the back pocket of his slacks and undoing the top two buttons of his work polo. “Are you okay?” He gave me a quick kiss. “You cleaned. This place is spotless.”
“Yeah,” I whispered into his ear, holding him close. “I thought it was about time, and…and I didn’t have anything else to do.” I finished with a forced smile.
Riker leveled a penetrating stare at me, but he didn’t say what he was thinking because Bree came trotting up to him. “Hey, you!” He picked her up and plopped her safely on his shoulders. “So, I thought maybe we would grab dinner somewhere close and bring it back here…where we can crack open a bottle of wine. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” I said quickly, thrilled at the idea of getting out of the house for a minute and already feeling better than I had all day just because Riker was home.
Hot, savory Chinese food and wine finished the mission that Riker had started. By the time we were through eating dinner, I could sit back and relax. Or, I could as soon as I put Bree to bed and tidied up the living room.
“Hey,” Riker called softly when I shut the door to the guest room. “Come out here with me?” Drenched in shadow, Riker waited next to the sliding glass door to the massive balcony, glasses of wine in hand.
“Sure.” I liked looking down at the sleepless city with the lights off in the apartment. I could always see more detail that way, for some reason.
“I wanted to tell you when I got home, but I decided to wait until Bree was in bed.”
My back stiffened, nearly sloshing my wine over the rim of the glass. My eyes were riveted on Riker’s half-hidden face. “Oscar?”
“Yes. The security agent caught him on camera twice. Once the day before yesterday and again last night. I know you’ve been waiting – so, so patiently,” he added, reaching for my hand. “You’ve been such a trooper, Elena. I didn’t want to tell you yesterday. Get your hopes up until I had something more definitive first – and a plan.”
“Oh, I’ve glad you didn’t. You seem to always know what’s best... It’s okay.” Surprisingly, it was okay. It was easy to see why Riker wouldn’t want to balloon my hopes with a single sighting of Oscar, then deflate them with another month of waiting. “You have a plan, then?” I said, leaning forward so earnestly that I felt the heated, dull pressure of tears forming behind my eyes. Please, Riker, tell me I can go home!
“I do have a plan. But, don’t get your hopes up. The security agent didn’t catch Oscar – he didn’t even try. That was part of my plan, and Jack was acting as per my instructions. Like I said when we moved here, I’ve always wanted to handle this myself… but not until the time was right. Just to make sure there aren’t any mistakes like before.”
“But how are you going to do that?” I asked, my voice filled with a conflicting chorus of belief and doubt. “How will you know when Oscar is planning to show up at my house?”
Riker stepped into the light, gestured toward a lounge chair and sat in the one next to me. “Oscar probably thinks your house doesn’t have security anymore since you’re not home. I’m going to make things nice and simple; pick up your car from my house, take it to yours, park it out front, then turn on the lights inside. Oscar will think you’re back, except you won’t be.” Riker’s chuckle was devious. “I’ll be waiting for him, and I’ll arrest him for trespassing or breaking and entering.” Riker’s large, calloused palms pressed to mine. “See? Simple and easy. I’m going to set the trap this weekend. If he doesn’t show, I’ll do it again next weekend.”
“It sounds so simple and easy,” I agreed, although something sat very wrong in my stomach with this entire plan. The feeling was the one I got when I forgot my phone charger on a trip. I knew better than to discount it. So, I sat silently, trying to figure out what bothered me so much.
The creeping worry in my gut coalesced into something I understood. “Aren’t your security agents still on my house?” I couldn’t muster up a smile to send Riker’s way in response to his own.
“Yes. But they’ll back off when I get there to monitor things from inside and wait farther away than usual, just in case.”
“Why can’t they handle Oscar?”
“Because I want to. I told you I would handle this personally, and I will.”
“B-but…” My words ran dry, knowing Riker would dismiss my concerns. “Can’t you leave it to them and stay here? I know you want to make sure things go right, but you said yourself that Oscar might not even show up this weekend.”
“Elena, it doesn’t matter how many weekends it takes. I want you to be able to go home.” His eyes softened. “I know you’ve given the city a good try, but I can tell you’re done with this place, and I can’t blame you.”
“No,” I said, half laughing, half miserable. “No. That’s not what I mean. I know what you promised, and I know that you’ll keep it. I just… I want you to stay here with me. With us.” He couldn’t miss my glance toward Bree’s window. “I don’t…I don’t want to lose you. Especially I don’t want to lose you in the process of catching Oscar.”
Finally, I confessed what was truly worrying me. Riker got up and sat on an ottoman, moving it to the end of my lounge chair. He gripped my ankles and pulled me to him. His thumbs caressed my legs, trapping them between his sides and arms. “Elena. I’m very skilled in Krav Maga, Taekwondo, Muay Thai-”
“Okay, okay, you can stop. I get it. You’re my warrior… my secret protector.” I briefly tried to extricate my legs from his grip, but his iron arms refused to give at all. “I know. And I know you’re well trained. But Oscar’s dangerous.” A little shiver raised goosebumps on my arms when I remembered the sheer hatred I had seen in Oscar’s eyes the day Riker had come to my rescue.
“If he weren’t dangerous, the security would never have been necessary, and you would have gone on thinking I was a selfish, asinine jerk forever,” Riker pointed out. “Security exists to deal with dangerous people so that innocent ones don’t have to. Has Oscar been trained in martial arts?”
“No, not as far as I know.” I shook my head.
“Exactly. I’ve dealt with a lot more dangerous people, I promise. Oscar will be a walk in the park. I’ll get one or two good punches in that will make me feel better, and then I’ll put him away… and we will both feel better.”
My toes tried to shrink into my body like a turtle’s head when he gently wiggled a finger up and down on the sole of my foot. “Stop it!” I shrieked
, trying fruitlessly to snatch my foot away. “Riker, stop! I’m going to- I’m going to kick you,” I threatened, a sudden bout of giggles breaking my threat in half.
I had no chance of freeing the beleaguered foot on my own, but Riker stopped as I had asked and leaned forward, placing the mischievous hand on my thigh instead. I breathed a sigh of relief that turned into a slightly gusty gasp when his hand began to move upward.
“Riker,” I admonished him, wanting nothing more than to throw myself in his arms, but also fully aware that he was trying to worm his way out of the issue and into my comfortable yoga pants. “At least promise you’ll be careful? Promise,” I ordered a little more sternly, grabbing his hand to stop its progress. “I’m serious, Riker. I…”
Suddenly, the why hit me. I knew why I was so serious, what Riker meant to me, and how to tell him all in one rush of euphoric nervousness. “I love you. And I can’t lose you.”
Riker’s thick fingers closed over my smaller ones. “Elena.” My eyes darted between each of his, trying to decide which one would tell me he understood. “I love you too. I’ve loved you for weeks. But don’t you dare do that. Don’t say goodbye because you’re afraid something is going to happen to me. I’ve been trained for this, and I know what I’m doing. I will come back to you and Bree. Okay?”
I playfully grabbed a fistful of his hair when he tried to lay his lips on my leg, ignoring the intense fluttering of my ecstatic heart. “That’s great. Promise.”
“I promise, Elena… I promise.”
My body immediately became putty in Riker’s hands. I had gotten the promise I wanted, and now Riker was going to make me pay for doubting his skills in currency I was more than willing to pay.
Riker and I had sex many times by now. But we still could talk about anything and everything without needing to have sex all the time. We had gotten to know each other and built a system of dynamics between us before giving intimacy a shot. So our night on the beach hadn’t changed a single thing in how we interacted. Riker was still my best friend, and I was his.
