The crowd erupts in laughter. Aislin laughs nervously and runs her free hand down the delicate fabric stretched across her thigh. She is so thankful that her face is mostly hidden underneath her mask.
“The bidding will begin at $250.00!” Parker announces in his over-the-top wanna-be DJ voice.
An older man in the back meets the bid immediately. Before Aislin knows it, shouts erupt from every corner of the room. The bids exceed two thousand dollars! Thank goodness. Maybe it’s good to be the last female offered. Just thankful that she won’t leave the stage embarrassed, she grabs the microphone from Parker, “Come on fellas, this is for charity and for my company…surely you can do better than Twenty-two hundred dollars!” Wolf whistles sound out and more deep voices boom with bids.
Aislin steps back and smiles coyly. The bids stall at thirty-five hundred. The auctioneer calls for any more bids. Before he awards the highest bidder, a voice sounds out, clear and strong and every muscle in Aislin’s body clenches in fear. “Four thousand dollars.” The voice belongs to Jeremiah Stone.
Gabriel stands up. “Four thousand five hundred,” he announces confidently, raising his paddle. Number 219. Stone ups the ante at five thousand, raising number 311. Come on Gabriel. She wishes he could see her eyes, as they plead with him to rescue her. She wonders if Gabe recognizes his voice, as Jeremiah is hiding behind a mask and looks to have grown some facial hair. Aislin looks at Parker and then motions with her eyes to Gabriel. Gabe waves his paddle, and says, “Five thousand five hundred!”
Parker swoops in and announces quickly, “Sold to number 219! Thank you all for coming out and making this charity event such an enormous success.” He claps his hands and the place erupts in laughter. Aislin nervously searches for but cannot find Jeremiah in the crowd that has now scattered throughout the floor in front of her. The masks are so confusing. She realizes that this was the perfect way for Stone to blend in unrecognized.
Bile rises up in her throat. Aislin recalls his angry outburst at the picnic and the finger-shaped bruises she’d worn on her upper arm for more than a week after his visit on her porch. She slowly makes her way down the steps and is met by Gabe, who grabs her hand and threads her fingers between his own. Music erupts and the DJ shouts, “Let’s get the real party started, y’all. Here are some throw-back beats for ya. Get on the dance floor! Come on!”
People flood the dance floor, and Aislin looks around frantically to see if she can catch a glimpse of Jeremiah. It’s hopeless, she decides as masks of all colors and shapes surround her. She feels as though this is a nightmare. Ella and Cameron swoop in and Ty follows with Julia Church in tow. Julia blushes and feigns a smack on Ty’s arm. “Oh, stop it, young man! I’m old enough to be your mother.” Aislin laughs and Ty winks at her.
Gabriel leans in and softly whispers, “I’ve got you Mac. Don’t worry about Stone. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Okay.” She says softly, as she releases a pent-up breath. Gabe had never let her down when it had come to keeping her safe.
The sounds of L.L. Cool J’s “Doin’ It Well,” flood The Barn and the bodies begin to gyrate. Gabe holds her close and their bodies move as one. He presses against her bottom and the two sway together in perfect rhythm to the hypnotic beat pouring over them. It isn’t long before the crowd of moving bodies and the heat generated by them causes a sweaty sheen to settle over Aislin’s skin.
Next, “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent comes on. Ella shrieks. “OMG! Ais, I love this song. Ooh, let’s trade partners. It’s so wrong for me to dance to this with Cameron.” She winks, leading Aislin over to her cousin.
Cameron, who is easily six inches taller than Aislin grabs her hand and pulls her close dramatically. Like a tango, he holds her and runs his hand up her thigh, waist and arm as she raises it. It’s a routine they’ve perfected over the years while partying at the bars in Huntington during their college careers. Soon, his knee separates hers and he begins to grind on her. If only everyone knew. Hell, Aislin figures that Cameron is checking out Gabe and Ty in the process. She giggles as he spins her around and then pulls her backward. He sings in her ear dramatically, each word oozing with sex. Aislin giggles until she snorts. Cameron pulls back, grinning, “Don’t think all this ain’t candy, baby. And don’t think a sexy beast like me can’t handle a peacock like you, either!”
Aislin laughs. “Sure you will, fella. You can’t handle all this woman,” she says motioning up and down her body.
“Bitch, I might just turn straight for one night to hit that fine ass of yours.” And with that, he slaps her ass, hard. The slap causes a loud crack to resound over the floor, even over the pulsing music blaring from the speakers. Aislin’s gasps, her lips form an “O” in disbelief. “You did not just slap my ass in front of a room full of people.” Cameron grins at her and then continues to ‘push up on her.’
The next song Cameron asks to dance with Mrs. Church, who blushes like a schoolgirl when he kisses her knuckles like a gentleman. Ella is talking intently to Gabe, so Aislin looks at Ty, who is grinning nervously at her as he stands to the side. The harmonizing voices of the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” pours from the speakers. Ty grabs Aislin’s hand and pulls her over. At first, he stays back from her, but soon, the two are grinding like the best of them on the floor. Aislin’s heart clenches a little bit. She misses Ty. Ty screwed up. Royally. She would give him that, but before that, he had loved her. She is sure of it. She misses him. Misses his friendship. Secretly she is happy that things turned out like they have between the two of them. They have grown closer somehow. And, she didn’t marry someone she wasn’t wholly in love with. She hadn’t even realized it yet with Ty, but Gabe had held her heart since she landed next door to him, at least on some level.
Ty’s hand sneaks around her waist and clutches her stomach as he pushes up against her behind. She threads her hands around his neck and grins up at him. When the song ends, Aislin asks Ty to untie her mask. It’s hot and she is sweating. She also figures she will be able to keep a closer eye out for Jeremiah. She wonders if he headed home, tail tucked between his legs after Parker shut him out of the bidding.
She fans herself and asks Ty if he wants to move to the bar to get a drink. She drops her mask off at her seat, drinks the rest of the water in her glass and wipes the condensation on her napkin before they move toward the bar, hand in hand.
“This feels good, Ais. I miss you,” Ty confesses. He shoots her a grin and she smiles back. His blonde hair has gotten longer and sweeps his brow. The strands are damp with perspiration. It’s getting hot in The Barn tonight.
“I miss you, too. I hope you’ll keep in touch from Georgia.”
“Of course,” he promises. Ty orders them both water and another glass of wine. “I know about Stone. Gabe asked me to keep an eye out. Don’t worry. I’ve got ya.”
She nods and sips the merlot slowly, while she fans herself.
A middle-aged man with a thick Tom Selleck mustache pulls out a radio and Aislin overhears bits and pieces of his conversation. They’ve found something outside. The man moves to walk around them and Aislin reaches out and grabs his upper arm, gently.
“Excuse me, sir. Is there something going on outside?”
The deputy clears his throat. “It seems that there’s been an altercation in the parking lot. Other than that, I am not at liberty to discuss anything else, ma’am.”
And with that, he brushes by them and heads toward the exit. A feeling of unease climbs up Aislin’s spine leaving goose bumps in its wake. Though Jeremiah is gone, she cannot help but feel that something is wrong. She has a bad feeling. Living with Rick and Edith Peterson, had taught her one thing: to trust her instincts. And right now, her instinct tells her something is very wrong.
After dancing the rest of the night with Ty, Cameron, Ella and mostly Gabe, Aislin’s feet are aching. The crowd thins and then mostly disappears, so the friends decide to call it a night. Aislin and Julia each grab one of Gabe’s arms and lead him to the pa
rking lot. Two new Dodge Charger police cruisers pull in and block their vehicle. Red and Blue slashes through the darkness of the night, along with the red and white of the ambulance lights. It is nearly 2:00am. Deputy Paul Clark, who looks to be in his mid-30s, with short-cropped dark hair and hazel eyes, steps out of his cruiser and makes his way over to Aislin.
“Miss Evans.” He nods.
Aislin glances at his name tag. “Deputy Clark. What’s going on?”
“You are aware that Jeremiah Stone was in attendance this evening?” Aislin takes in his t-shirt and jeans and the sleepy look on his face. He’d been called in to work. Aislin gulps.
“Yes. He placed a bid on my company but lost to another bidder. Why?”
“When Mr. Stone bid tonight, an officer saw blood stains upon his person. The officer attempted to question him, but Stone managed to evade him. The officer followed him outside into the parking lot, and ultimately led into the wooded area, back there,” he motions to the area behind The Barn. “But, he lost him. It looks like he’s gone for now, but when the Deputy’s partner came outside, he decided to search around the vehicles to make sure he hadn’t hidden somewhere. He found an unresponsive male on the ground near one of the vehicles.”
Aislin wraps her arms around herself. Ty slides his jacket off and puts it around her shoulders. She smiles slightly in thanks and the deputy continues, “Do you know a Mr. Richard Peterson?”
Aislin’s eyes grow wide. She cups her hand over her mouth and nods. “Yes,” she croaks. “He was my foster parent for a time before my brother turned eighteen and was awarded guardianship of me. Why?”
Gabe’s hand clutches her waist and draws her into his warmth.
“It appears that he was assaulted in the parking lot tonight. The paramedics are working on him now, but it doesn’t look good. He was beaten rather severely.” Deputy Clark shakes his head.
A sob tore from Julia’s chest. “Oh, no! This is my fault. I invited the Peterson’s to attend.”
“What?” roars Gabe. “Why would you do that?”
“I thought they would be proud of her and might want to contribute to the charity. I’m so sorry. I should never have told him about the auction.” Julia sobs into Gabe’s shoulder and he wraps his arms around her. Aislin shoots Gabe a look begging him to keep quiet about her past, until she realizes he can’t see her. She misses his eyes. Even more immediately, Aislin misses his warmth. Cold seeps into her skin despite Ty’s jacket. The sensation isn’t caused by the temperature or weather, but of memories of Rick Peterson—an evil man, by all accounts. Aislin remembers fixing dinner one evening because Edith had passed out upstairs after drinking too much vodka. Aislin had taken the empty bottles out of her room, rinsed them in the kitchen sink and then tossed them in the garbage. She had rummaged through the refrigerator and pantry. Both were mostly empty. Luckily, there was a box of macaroni and cheese left, so she had boiled the water and poured in the noodles. She’d drained them and added milk, butter and the cheese packet and stirred until the familiar day-glow orange coated the noodles evenly.
Declan had taken his bowl and headed to the kitchen table with a glass of water. Rick entered the room and slid close behind her.
He lifted and sniffed her hair, making her skin crawl. “What’s for dinner, Princess?”
“Macaroni and Cheese. It’s all I could find.” She had continued to stir the pasta praying he would leave her alone. “Would you like a bowl?” she asked, hoping he would take a hint. He didn’t.
“Yes. That sounds absolutely delicious, Aislin,” he cooed. She moved to the cabinet that held the bowls and stood on her tippy-toes to reach them, as they were on a high shelf. When her fingertips finally felt the cool glass beneath them, Rick’s hand found her bottom. She gasped and dropped the bowl. Declan ran into the room after hearing the glass shatter. Shards of white porcelain sprinkled the floor poised to sink into flesh and spill blood.
Rick’s face contorted into rage, turning crimson in an instant. Before Aislin could react, the back of his hand flew into her cheek causing her to crash into the faded linoleum floor, several shards of glass biting into her skin, two of which were still embedded in the flesh of her thigh when she lifted her leg from the floor. “Stupid clumsy bitch!” he had barked. “Clean up this mess before I step on this shit and cut my foot!”
Rick carefully made his way through the glass before he turned and leered at her. “And stop the tears before I give you something to cry about, Princess.” Declan helped her sweep up all of the pieces of glass and put them in the trash. He carefully removed both pieces of glass from her leg and put antiseptic on them before bandaging them and carrying her to her room. He had spent the entire night in her room to protect her from Rick.
Deputy Clark shifts his feet. “Look, we’re pretty certain it was Stone. But, in case we need to question you further, please don’t leave the area for the next week or so, okay?”
Aislin nods. “I won’t.”
“Also, judging on what I’ve been told about Peterson’s body, he was beaten up pretty badly. Stone is very dangerous, Miss Evans. You would be wise to stay away from him. Keep someone with you. Don’t go out at night or alone. You might consider getting an alarm system installed in your house if you don’t already have one, or even a dog can sometimes deter people. If you see him again at all, please call 9-1-1 and if you need anything...” He rifles through his shirt pocket and retrieves a business card. “Here is my number. If he bid on you, he might be interested and based on what we’ve seen from Peterson, you don’t want his kind of attention.”
Aislin takes the card from him and mutters her thanks.
Deputy Clark nods and his eyes scan the young people in front of him. “Y’all go on home and if we need anything else, I’ll be in touch.”
†
The next morning, Aislin and Ella prepared a large breakfast. The smell of homemade biscuits baking in the oven, and bacon and sausage sizzling in skillets on the stove, waft through the air. Ty rubs his eyes and sips his mug of coffee.
“Sorry about the couch, Ty. I wish I had an extra bed for you to use.” She pats his shoulder.
“No. It was fine, Ais. I really appreciate you letting me stay. Last night was…well, crazy. Crazy how something fun turned into something scary as hell.”
“Yeah. I just wish they’d catch him already. It creeps me out to know that he’s out there somewhere.”
Ella cracks some eggs into a bowl and begins to whisk them. Her dark hair, still streaked with hot pink is piled on her head in a messy bun. She is wearing plaid boxer shorts and a gray t-shirt. “Let me tell you what, girlfriend. If that psycho comes around, Imma be like ‘hi-ya’ and ‘hoo-ha.’ Imma go all ‘Ninja-Bitch’ on him.” She swipes the whisk through the air like a sword flinging raw egg over the countertop. “Oops. Crap.”
“I’ll get it ninja-bitch.” Aislin walks over to the sink and wets a paper towel and grabs the bottle of cleaner. Raw egg has always freaked her out. Beyond the fact that it is riddled with salmonella, Aislin has always thought that the texture is disgusting. Aislin’s hair is also piled on top of her head, the remnants of the tight curls still evident. She dons pair of green and navy boxers with a green tank-top.
AISLIN: We are fixing a huge breakfast if you and your Mom want to come over. Feel free to invite Parker & Amy and the gang, 2
GABE: Sorry. Promised Amy we’d have breakfast there.
AISLIN: No problem. Thanks for buying me last night :)
GABE: You were an expensive date, Mac.
AISLIN: Was I worth it?
GABE: Every damn penny.
AISLIN: K
After breakfast, the guys take quick showers saving some hot water for the girls. After packing their things, Cameron and Ty load the luggage into Ella’s rental. Ella and Aislin embrace one another, each wiping tears from their eyes.
“Ais, I hate to leave you here. Can you go to Parker and Amy’s for a bit?” Ella sniffles.
“N
o. Gabe and Julia are there and it’s kind of a family affair. I would feel weird and out of place. But, don’t worry. I’m fine. I just want to relax this morning.” Aislin combs her fingers through her wet hair.
“I hate to break it to you, sugar. But it’s not morning. It’s almost one o’clock. And, you shouldn’t stay here alone.”
Aislin nods. “I know, but I can’t just live in fear in my own home, either. I might run to the hardware store later and see if they know anyone who installs alarm systems. Who knows? I might just check out the pound and get an enormous guard dog. He could keep me company.”
Ella laughs. “Yeah. I can imagine you with a giant dog. You’re scared of my cousin’s Chihuahua.”
“Whatever. That thing is mean and you know it! It’s evil, actually. It freaking ate my Jimmy Choo’s!”
“It’s tiny and it shakes all over whenever anyone gets near. It’s not a vicious guard dog. So, Jimmy Choo’s aside, you’re freaked out by the little bastard anyway. Admit it!”
“Just wait. All that shaking is just pent up frustration and that dog is going to lash out any time. I just don’t want it to be on me. Or my shoes.”
Cameron pipes up. “Yeah, it would be horrible for rabid Gus to gnaw your ankle or something.” Everyone bursts into laughter and Aislin pretends to punch him in the shoulder. She gives him and Ty a hug and thanks them for coming to the auction and for contributing money toward the local charities. Ty promises to text when he gets to Georgia later this week.
“Take care, Ais.”
“You, too, Ty.”
A bitter sweetness settles over Aislin. In a way, she wishes things had never happened as they did between her and Ty, but she is glad that her true feelings were revealed. She loves Gabe. Maybe has for some time. As they wave and pull away from her house, she recalls how happy she was when Gabe had come home from his deployments. She had been overwhelmed with gratitude for his safety and felt like she could finally breathe—as if she had held her breath since he left American soil. She had smiled and laughed with him, cried with him after Declan died. Helped to shoulder his pain while he shouldered hers. Yes, she has loved him for a while. She just hadn’t realized it.
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