The back wall behind the counter held the pass-through window to the kitchen in the back. The orders hung there to the left, on a large silver ring with metal clips, and a group of coffee pots and tea machines ran along the counter underneath the long window. The actual door to the back stood on the left, in the back corner where he ascertained the office area lay, as well.
To the right of the entrance a jigsaw of tables congregated, four chairs each. These were movable, so they could be pushed together for larger parties, with a few two seat tables along the back wall where the hall to the bathrooms could be found. A simple design, probably one they had seen half a dozen times in their weeks together already. The constant coming and going of people reassured him, in fact, they had discovered the heart of the town.
After he had taken it all in, Michael calmly glanced back at his companion. She had recovered from her momentary show of emotion and sat once again wearing her face of stone, staring down the road at their soon to be property. Noticing a slight twitch in her left eye, he mentally traced the outline of her scar, and his mind returned to their conversation about her being touched and her activities with the Dragons. I guess Henry was right after all; it was all an act… I never would’ve believed that.
At that moment, Trish came over to refill their water glasses, and Michael inquired, “Say, you guys have a bed and breakfast or a motel in town?” He knew a hot shower would do his cohort good, as he had learned at least that much about her.
Of course, Trish knew just the spot, as a small, four room motel could be located nearby, and she gave them the directions, along with a history of the place. Listening to her, he suspected she had been in the town a very long time, as she seemed to know everything about it.
Thanking her whole heartedly, they set out again, and a short walk later came up to the small establishment that lay beyond their small gas station. Having seen a larger portion of the tiny metropolis, Michael felt glad it wasn’t so miniscule it didn’t have at least some amenities.
Besides a courthouse, it held a business district that housed a small supermarket, hardware store, post office and bank. The variety shop, next to the supermarket, had clothes and household goods, so a great deal of items were available, but not a lot of choices in color or style for them. These things would come in handy at only six blocks from the station, since they did not have any type of vehicle for moving supplies as of yet.
Going inside to get their room, Michael could see the back of Tori’s head as she stood outside the glass panes. She had her back squarely to him, and he thought her dark waves looked really pretty in the fading light. Her arms were crossed, and he could see her hugging herself tightly, as if she were cold. Picking up the key, he wondered if she ever got lonely, keeping everyone away like she did.
Michael led her to their room and let her have the first shower. The room itself spacious, compared to others they had spent the night in, they settled in for the night. It had a small kitchenette along the left hand wall as you entered, with a table that sat against the front window to the left of the door.
The bathroom and vanity area in the back had a larger closet attached to it, with a queen sized bed along the right hand wall, nightstands on both sides. It functioned more like an efficiency apartment, and might make a nice place for them for several weeks while they worked on getting the house in order if she would allow it.
Taking his shirt off, he lay on the bed waiting, hearing her muffled voice as she sang in short bursts. He thought about the song she had sung back at the music store in LA before everything went haywire. He guessed, almost certain, that she had written the melody. It fit too closely to what he knew about her life to have been composed by anyone else. Nobody’s Angel. She don’t like having people around her; that’s for sure.
He tried, with some difficulty, to remember the words while he waited. When she exited the bathroom, drying her hair, she didn’t look at him. Instead, she made her way over and sat on the end of the bed, facing the door to his left with her back to him.
“I want to thank you for helping me get here.” Her voice sounded small. “I really appreciate your assistance.” The towel crumpled in her lap, she sat without moving while she stared at the exit, her shoulders slumped.
Michael drew his breath in slowly. If he were not mistaken, a fight was coming on. “Yeah, no problem, right? I told you I was gonna look after you, didn’t I?” He tried to keep his voice steady, but he could tell by the droop of her body she wasn’t in a good mood.
Sitting up straight, she swung her damp head around and turned to look at him over her left shoulder, so that her scar glared at him, “I want you to leave after we buy the building tomorrow.” She paused for a moment and then ploughed on. “I’ll give you half of the money, the half that you’ve been carrying, if you’ll just go. Go, and don’t ever come back.”
Michael stared at her, his mind turning slowly. “You know, I think we need to talk about this,” he stated calmly, pulling himself up from his reclined position, “And this is not the time.”
Standing, he went into the bathroom and shut the door. Turning, he rested his forehead against it. His heart pounded heavily in his chest as he raised his right hand and let it press flat against the wooden surface.
His thoughts were scattered in a dozen directions. Drawing deep breaths, he tried to compose himself and think. In the end, he knew he could not force her to let him stay. It’s her money. Money his brother had probably left for her to rebuild her life. There’s no way I’m gonna take any of it, even if she offers it to me.
Slowly removing his pants and briefs, Michael stepped into the shower. He let the water wash over him, picking up the bar of soap, still wet where she had left it in a small tray. He imagined her using it to wash herself. It made his stomach feel funny, thinking about it gliding over her scarred skin, lathering her womanly curves.
He used the soap on his tired muscles, and allowed his mind to picture her soft flesh. He had seen her naked. He had watched other men take her; men he thought she wanted. If he had been of a mind to, he could have had her himself. The thought flashed into his mind; thank God I never touched her, not if she felt she had no choice! He would never force himself on a woman; he wasn’t that kind of man.
Shutting off the water, Michael found another towel and slowly dried himself. Realizing he had not brought any clothes into the steamy cubicle, he briefly considered putting on the briefs he had pulled off. Fuck it, he thought as he wrapped the towel around his waist and strutted out into the coolness of the room, the light growing dim as the sun had begun to set outside.
Looking around, he found her leaning into the corner, as she always did. She rested against the wall and cabinet in the kitchen area facing the front, with the bed to her left. Leaning closer, her eyes were closed, and he judged from her breathing, to be asleep, so he dropped the towel and tossed his bag up onto the bed to rummage inside for some clean underwear.
Pulling on the fresh cotton, he slid them up and then turning, realized she was staring at him, her face expressionless. Running his fingers through his wet hair, he suddenly felt ashamed of himself and what he’d been thinking. Grabbing his clean pants, he hoisted those on, too.
Walking over in front of her, he flopped down onto the floor and sat cross-legged, facing her. “Please don’t make me leave.” His voice cracked slightly, and he covered his mouth with his right hand, clearing his throat a few times into a slight fist.
Drawing in a deep breath, he continued. “I’m not ready to go yet. I realize I can be a real jerk sometimes.” He paused, noticing she lifted her chin as he spoke. Nodding his head, he tried again, “What I mean to say is, I know I can be a real asshole. A lot of the time. But I don’t mean to be. And if you’d see fit to allow me to stay… I swear I won’t ever touch you, unless you want me to, and I’ll do my best to treat you better.”
He searched her features for any sign of what she thought. After what seemed an eternity, she nodded slowly, a
nd turned to put her face back into the corner. Watching her, he breathed a sigh of relief. Standing, he pushed his bag back onto the floor and stretched out across the bed. Sleep loomed a long way off that night, as he had started to see the girl who shared his space in a different light, and his head ran in circles.
Michael could hear as her breathing changed into a sleeping rhythm. Rolling onto his side, he could see the outline of her in the dark. He had discovered so much about her. No wonder Henry had loved her. She needed him, but she wasn’t needy. In fact, more like the opposite, and getting close to her would be the challenge.
New Beginnings
When they got moving the next morning, neither of them mentioned the night before, but it weighed heavily in the air. Michael watched her, wondering if she felt any better after having a good night’s sleep. He reminded himself he held concern because his brother wanted him to look after her, and that’s what he intended to do, but deep down he had begun to have a hard time selling that line, even to himself.
Together, they counted out the $50K and put it into one of the backpacks where they could pull it out easily. Then, Tori counted out an extra $10K and placed it in another pocket that could also be easily reached, just in case. When they were set, they went to check out of the small suite and made their way over to the diner for brunch.
Of course, Trish greeted them warmly. Tori had put her makeup on, and the woman surprised her by commenting quite loudly about it. “Oh, hun; you got yur makeup on today, got that ol’ nasty scar o’ yours covered. It looks really nice, let me tell you.” She was friendly in the oddest ways.
Tori stared at the woman as if she had fallen out of a tree, and Michael could not suppress his laughter at the girl. Seeing her cut him an equally dirty look, he tried to quell the spasms, using the back of his hand, and then his white linen napkin. Eventually, his jovial outburst subsided, and he wiped the tears from his eyes before they brimmed over and ran down his cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he stated between quick, deep breaths, “You’re so darn cute, I could not help myself.” She stared at him blankly but did not comment on his backwards compliment.
Michael regained his composure and looked over the menu briefly before they ordered a good meal. He had noticed she ate the same foods he did and today it occurred to him that he had started a kind of tally on her. How she measured up, so to speak. Why he measured her, or what for, he still wasn’t sure.
Sitting quietly again, Michael used their covert language, German, to discuss plans for the shop with her. “You know,” he started out, “We need to make a list first thing of all the repairs that’re going to be needed, on the building and on the house. That way we can get that stuff taken care of right away before winter gets here, in case we do get any bad weather.”
“I know how to run a business,” she snapped.
Michael stopped moving in mid drink, staring at her for a moment. “I never said that you didn’t,” he spoke quietly, returning his glass to the table.
Tori looked down at her lap and said nothing else.
The silence became stretched as their meal arrived, and their shyness had continued. They ate their food quietly, Michael thinking about how he could make things better. She don’t like it when you help her. What the fuck am I supposed to do? Images of the way the Dragons had treated her flashed before his eyes, and he knew he wasn’t about to be like them.
Leaving a generous tip on the table, the pair walked down to the garage and weaved around the grounds, trying to see in wherever they could. It occurred to him that they may have been a bit hasty making the purchase without seeing the inside. No way in hell I’m gonna say that to her.
Michael watched her as she made her way around, but rather than looking at the building, she checked out the trees. They were mesquites, quite tall and fine. She had her hand on one of the trunks, staring up into the canopy, a reflective expression on her face.
Drawing a deep breath for courage, Michael quietly inquired, “So, what’re you thinking about?”
Tori cut her eyes over at him for a moment and then back up at the tree. After a few minutes, she replied, “I was thinking about the bush camp, and my pink trumpet tree.” Then, after another pause, she inquired, “Have you ever been there?”
Shuffling closer to her, he replied in a low voice, “Nope. Never seen it. In fact,” he continued, a little more confidently, “I’ve been trying to imagine it ever since I met you. Would you mind telling me about it?” his words were soft, and he leaned against the tree next to her as if he had all day to wait.
She stared at him blankly, considering his request. Then she began talking about the trees, the plants, the water, and the animals. She described habitats and hunting, the camp layout and the seasonal changes. She had talked for over an hour before she finally stated, “You know, you can stop me when you’ve heard enough.”
Michael smiled back at her, “Not a chance.” His reply made her lips curl just enough, and they were comfortable together again.
Gazing over at the building, she nodded, “Yeah, we need to get a list going. Looks like we’ll have a long one.” Shifting her eyes back to him, she could see his smile grow larger at her observation.
At two o’clock, the couple crossed the street and headed for the courthouse. They both were growing weary of carrying around everything they owned, and as if in silent agreement, the house would be renovated first.
George and Marge arrived right on time, although the older woman still looked rather unhappy about the sale. Michael noticed that she gave Tori a dirty look, and he wished he could reach out and touch her, to let her know he was there.
The situation caused an odd thought to pop into his mind. He speculated how hard it must have been for his brother, being forbidden to touch her. Considering that he had loved her, it could be viewed a form of torture. Knowing Eddie Farrell, it was probably meant to be.
It only took fifteen minutes for the transaction to take place. Michael pulled the cash out of his bag and handed it over with a smile. Tori had to produce the tiny card she carried in her wallet that established her emancipation before she could fill out the paperwork for the deed transfer.
Glaring down at it, Michael noticed the name Farrell on the card and felt a stab of anger at the idea, “Kept Eddie’s name, huh?”
“Yeah,” she explained quietly, “It was the only name they had, and it wasn’t changed on the committee’s say so.”
He placed another tally mark on his invisible board for her.
As soon as they were finished, George handed Michael the keys, telling him if they needed anything they knew where to find them. Michael took note of the bright smile Tori wore when they left the stone structure. He felt a twinge of guilt, remembering his conclusion about her only smiling as a deceptive device, as she clearly appeared happy at the moment.
Making a quick stop to get the utilities started, they were informed it would be three days to get the electricity turned on, but the water would be working in a few minutes, as they would send their guy over immediately.
Tori seemed a bit put out, but Michael reassured her it would only be a minor setback. Thinking about the efficiency suites, he mentioned them in a reserved tone, “You know, we could always crash over at the motel while we work on the house if need be.”
“Naw, I think we’ll be fine, we have a yard after all.” She smiled again, enough to make his heart flutter for a moment.
Arriving back at the property to make a shopping list, they walked hurriedly, heading straight to the back where the apartment stood. Unlocking the door and stepping inside, they took in the simplicity of the floor plan. The door opened into the kitchen, with a living area off to the right, the two only separated by the texture of the flooring. On the far wall, a hallway exited the kitchen to the left and led to the back of the dwelling.
Taking the small passage, they found it opened into a small utility area, with a back door on the right, and washer and dryer con
nections straight ahead. Light filtered in through the covered windows, allowing barely enough to see the large space, the linoleum floor torn and useless.
From the hallway, he could turn and face the smaller bedroom that aligned with the back door, only 9’ x 9’ plus a tiny closet. When facing the smaller bedroom, the furnace would be on his left, directly next to the entrance of the bedroom.
Next to the smaller bedroom, to the right, stood the only bathroom. It had to be quite small, with a sink, toilet, and shower tub combo cramped inside; the details were hard to make out in the low light, but the smell hinted at heavy repair work ahead.
Beside that, the other bedroom door lay facing the hallway he had come in from. The larger bedroom of the two, it contained a walk-in closet and room for a larger bed and more personal items, taking the entire end of the house.
Looking at the choices, Michael and Tori both pointed at the smaller bedroom and chimed simultaneously, “I’ll take that one.”
Staring at one another for a moment, they began to laugh out loud, and he found himself pleased to hear the sound. He could barely make out her features in the murky glow, other than her straight white teeth.
“It’s your house; you should get the master bedroom,” he insisted.
“I sleep in the corner, and therefore I don’t need room for a bed.”
Her words brought Michael up short, as he wanted to continue the debate, but at the same time, he didn’t want to upset her. Rubbing his lips for a moment, he finally agreed half-heartedly.
“Well, I for one hope you can someday sleep in a bed, and don’t need corners anymore.” He looked her square in the face in the floating dust as he spoke, earnestness weighing heavy in his voice.
“Ok,” Tori replied softly, “I get the smaller room, and when I’m ready to sleep in a bed we can switch.” She honestly thought that day would never come, but it pacified Michael, as he liked the way it implied he would not be leaving anytime soon.
A New Life Series - Starter Kit Page 37
