by Pace, Pepper
She walked to the door and held it open. “I change my mind. I don’t want this.”
He gave her a surprised look. “What? Ashleigh-”
“Good luck. Goodbye. And lose my number.”
He didn’t make a move to leave. “Ashleigh, I just left my wife for you!”
Ashleigh raised her brow. “Maybe it’s not too late for you to get her back. It’s certainly too late for you to get me back.” She held the door open wider for him.
His expression dropped as he searched her face. “You’ve changed.”
She met his eyes. “I have. If…” She thought about her next words carefully. “If you ever really did love me, then…please walk away. And don’t come back.”
He looked at the ceiling and then shuffled slowly to the door. He looked at her, searching perhaps for the old Ashleigh that always took him back, that loved him unconditionally. But that Ashleigh was no longer present. He walked out the door.
She shut it and locked it and then let out a loud sigh.
She remembered a time when just the sight of DeAngelo brought her joy. When she couldn’t wait to set eyes on him, to talk to him, when being in his presence made her feel special. She realized suddenly that feeling was still there but--not directed at DeAngelo. It’s the way she felt for Christopher.
Ashleigh took a deep breath, an almost shocked breath. She woke up each morning anxious to see him. He made her laugh, he motivated her, he accepted her. He didn’t give a damn if she was fat, if her roots were dark or if she went without a stitch of makeup and was dripping in stinky sweat. She smiled. Christopher…
CHAPTER 5
The next day Ashleigh smoothed her shirt down and then pushed open the door to the gym. She paused and smiled at the music. “Isley Brothers; Footsteps in the Dark.”
Christopher looked up and gave her a crooked grin. “An oldie but a goodie.” He was sprawled out on the mat already stretching.
Oh my god…He wore a grey shirt and lose athletic shorts. His body was amazing! His thighs were so thick that they rivaled hers! Only his was thick with muscles and not fat. He leaned forward and reached for his feet. His powerful arms bulged with tight muscles. She felt herself blush when her eyes fell on the package between his legs. It was a nice package. A very nice package.
“Ashleigh, are you going to watch me do all of the stretching?” He asked while giving her a curious look.
She jumped, her face burning bright red, and went to where he had set the pink thermos that he always used for her smoothie. His thermos was black and his concoction was not nearly as tasty as he made hers. She carried it back to the mat and sat down spread eagle opposite him. Now it was no trouble to touch her toes. Her belly didn’t get in her way any longer. She took her first drink and he watched her expectantly.
“Mmm. Good. Green apple, cucumber, carrots and ginger.”
He gave her an impressed look. “And parsley. Good! I can’t believe you figured it out.” Her eyes lingered on his lips and the way the scars swirled around in an intricate design of plains and valleys, of textures that should be explored with the tip of her tongue…
“Um,” she said while shaking herself mentally. “Lunch is tomorrow.”
He nodded and his eyes drifted from her. She worried that he would back out. “You’re still going to come, right?”
He gave her that crooked smile again. Oh god, he had the sweetest smile. “Yeah. It’s just that I’m kind of out of it. My aunt passed away yesterday.”
“Oh Christopher! I’m so sorry. Were you close to her?”
“Yep. Our family is very close knit.”
She hadn’t heard much about his family other than that he was born in a country town and had grown up on a mountain, though not a big mountain like the Smokeys, but a small quaint place where everybody knew everybody else.
“I’m going to go down home on Saturday for the funeral.”
“When will you be back?”
“The same day.”
“Okay.”
She was happy that he wouldn’t be gone long. The thought of working out without him was unimaginable.
When Ashleigh reached her office later she informed her two friends that they would have a guest for lunch tomorrow.
Kendra gave her a worried look. It was her choice of restaurants this week. “Oh, you said he was shy. Maybe we should go some place quiet?”
Ashleigh nodded. “I think he would appreciate that.” She thought about the way he ducked his head and wore his hoodie covering his face until he had gotten to know her better. It saddened her that he felt he had to do that out in public. She tried to think back to a time before she had accepted his looks and recalled being shocked by his face. She’d thought he was ugly, it shamed her. She couldn’t see anything ugly about him now. When she looked at his face she just saw his sweet crooked smile and his light and dark eyes that twinkled with humor.
“Why do you have that goofy smile on your face?” Lance asked suspiciously. “When was the last time you talked to ‘that married man?”
She quickly hid her guilty look. “Ah! I was going to tell you about that...”
Kendra narrowed her eyes. “You did not go and call that fool, did you?”
“I did not! He called me-”
“Oh my god!” Lance threw up his hands. “When will you ever learn-?!”
“He left Shaunda!”
“So?” Kendra said.
“I know! That’s how I feel.” Her friends watched her expectantly. “I thought…I don’t know what I thought. Maybe I just wanted to erase away the feeling of being rejected. Maybe I have no concept of the true meaning of love. Maybe I am just shallow enough to think that love is…based on the outer package.” She gave them a sincere look. “But I don’t think that anymore. I don’t think that at all.” She smiled. “I told him to get to stepping.”
Lance clapped his hands. “Good for you.”
~***~
Christopher was not looking forward to lunch with Ashleigh’s friends. They really looked sophisticated; everyday they dressed upscale corporate. It wasn’t a matter of money, Christopher made a great living. But he was a countryboy that felt most comfortable in jeans and t-shirts.
He’d watched them through the cameras as they left in the evenings or went out for lunch. They laughed and were very comfortable with each other, that was obvious. He was much more reserved, at least until he knew people.
He was supposed to meet them in the lobby in an hour. And that was another thing; he had never been in the lobby during the day except on the weekends doing sweeps. He fingered his baseball cap; right Christopher. He’d make a great impression wearing this with a pair of dress pants!
TK came into the locker room and he glanced at him warily. The black man held up his hands innocently.
“The Little Trooper asked you out.”
“It ain’t like that. We’re just friends.”
“She is fine, and she asked you out. You need to make that move, Beast.”
Christopher gave him an evil look; whether it was because of his observation of Ashleigh’s fine-ness or if it was because he resented his interference was unclear to the big man.
“Butt out TK. And tell the rest of them that I’m not playing their game!” He pushed past him and TK pushed back. Christopher spun with a growl. Despite his height he moved with the agility of a runner. He picked the shorter, but equally muscular man up by his shirt front. “Back off!!!”
TK clipped him in the chin with his fist, which only served to annoy Christopher more than it hurt him. He growled and slammed the man into the lockers with a bang. It brought several men into the room and when they saw what was going on they watched with interest.
TK boxed his ears and Christopher released him and drove his shoulder into TK’s gut.
“Hmph!” The two men gripped each other, neither releasing the other.
“What are you going to say to her?” TK grunted out as they spun each other around the room and tri
pped over benches only to scramble up to smash into more lockers.
“I don’t know!” Christopher grunted through gritted teeth.
“You better not…MPH!!...sit there like a damned lump!”
They were clawing at each other on the floor. “I don’t know what to talk about!” TK jammed his elbow into the big man’s gut and Christopher grimaced. He reached for TK’s neck.
“Not my throat!” TK bellowed. “My wife is going to kill me if she sees your hand prints around my neck!” Christopher released his grip on the man’s neck and slammed his fist into his eye. He smirked when TK cursed. But then the other man head butted him and damn near knocked him out!
“Damnit, TK! I got a date in less than a damned hour and you’re going to bust my head open?!”
“Sorry…I got carried away.” He held up his hands innocently and Christopher held his head and glowered at his friend. He made sure his head wasn’t bleeding and then he pulled himself up to his feet and gave TK a hand up. Several guys got the room straightened while Christopher went to the mirror to check the lump forming on his forehead.
“You’re still beautiful.” Carlos said while slapping him on the back playfully. Christopher shrugged his hand away and then splashed his red face. He stared at the water as it slowly ran down the drain.
“Well what the hell am I supposed to talk about?” He asked out loud.
“You don’t have to think of a topic!” Someone said. “Just don’t sit there looking like a dumbass.”
“Ask them what they do.”
Christopher looked up. “I already know what they do.”
“That’s only because you’re perving them.” It was their word for watching people on the security camera.
Christopher blushed. “No. Ashleigh told me what they do.”
“Pretend that she didn’t tell you.” TK was rubbing his jaw. His eye was already swelling. The guys gave him advice while he sniffed his armpits for freshness. Yeah, he was still good after his shower this morning. Someone handed him a bottle of cologne and he accepted it as if it were poison. He opened the bottle and sniffed. Not too bad. He put on a bit.
He stripped out of his fatigues and pulled on tan slacks and a white button down shirt. He felt a little less nervous after burning off his nervous energy with TK and the guys were actually giving him good advice. He guessed they knew that this was the closest thing that he’d ever had to a date.
Bruce stepped into the locker room and stared at all of his men. He didn’t have to open his mouth, the party dispersed and everyone got back to their stations. He eyed Christopher and grunted.
“Take as much time as you want for lunch.” Then he turned and left.
“Thanks, Sir!” Christopher called after him. He looked at the baseball cap and then placed it back in his locker. He blew out a tense breath and glanced at himself in the mirror. “Let’s rock and roll.”
Ashleigh, Lance and Kendra headed for the elevators to the lobby. She was only half listening to Kendra’s description of morning sickness. Christ the sound of her retching was enough to fuel her diet for the remainder of the woman’s pregnancy!
“We cannot have Mexican!” Kendra exclaimed. “I can’t stand the smell of meat right now.”
“What?” Lance said. “You can’t stand the smell of meat? Earth to Kendra; every restaurant we go to will serve meat.”
Kendra rubbed her forehead. “Please, Lance, don’t talk about it. Please, nobody order meat.”
Lance smiled. “If you make me the baby’s godfather I’ll do whatever you say.”
She peeked at him. “God Uncle?”
“Close enough.”
Ashleigh gave her a nervous look. “You want me to tell Christopher not to order meat for lunch?”
Kendra nodded apologetically and gave her puppy dog eyes. “Or…I won’t be responsible for the bad thing that might happen at the table.”
Ashleigh sighed. “Fine.” They reached the lobby and waited off to the side. Ashleigh wrung her hands anxiously. Lance scowled at her.
“Ash relax. What do you think? That we’re going to make your friend feel—HOLY SHIT!” She turned and saw Christopher coming from the back corridor. He must have come up from the elevators that he’d used to take her to the nurse’s station.
Holy shit was right. He looked AWESOME. She just stared open mouthed as he approached.
“You never said he was the size of a TREE!” Kendra whispered urgently.
Ashleigh’s eyes drank in every inch of him. She’d never seen Christopher dressed in anything but workout clothes and once in fatigues. His muscles filled out his perfect body in a way that made her feel breathless. He watched her as he approached, his charcoal grey eyes; light and dark never leaving her face.
“He makes Rick look like a toddler. His neck is as big as his head.” Lance said under his breath. She resisted the urge to jab him with her elbow.
“Hi Christopher,” she said with a bright smile once he reached the little group. Her heart was thumping like crazy.
He nodded shyly. “Hi Ashleigh.” She made introductions and he shook each of her friend’s hands. “Guys this is Christopher Jameson; Lt Christopher Jameson.”
He looked amused and smiled. “Christopher will do just fine. I hope I didn’t keep y’all waiting.” He said in a slow country drawl. Kendra craned her neck up at him but she had a smile on her face as she did it.
“Not at all. We just got here. It’s nice to finally meet you Christopher.”
“Ashleigh said you’re stationed in the subbasement. She said there’s an entire battalion of Marines down there.” Lance said.
Ashleigh blushed when Christopher glanced at her. Crap, she hoped she hadn’t spilled some national secret or anything.
“I didn’t quite say that…”
Christopher nodded. “It’s pretty close to that.” The group headed out the door and as Ashleigh looked up she realized that every single person in the lobby was staring at Christopher. Didn’t people have better manners than to just stare like that?! Of course she had to consider that who wouldn’t stare at a fine-ass giant of a man?
Kendra drove because her truck was big enough for a 6’7” man since her husband was an ex-football player himself. Ashleigh explained that due to her friend’s ‘delicate condition’ she’s requested that no one eat meat. Christopher was a good sport and readily agreed.
When they got to the restaurant he politely congratulated her on her pregnancy and as he scanned the menu he asked her what her thoughts were on bacon. Kendra nodded her consent and he ordered a BLT and a bowl of gumbo.
Lance ordered clam chowder and Kendra’s eye lids began to flutter and she quickly told him no. He changed to gumbo. Ashleigh was easy, she had tuna steak and a salad. Kendra ordered the house salad. As they waited for the food to arrive Kendra looked at Christopher. Ashleigh appreciated that she looked him straight in his face; something that she hadn’t even done until she’d been around him for several days.
“What’s it like working for Homeland Security?” Ashleigh smiled knowing that her friend was networking. “It’s not classified or anything is it?”
He smiled crookedly. “No, not classified—at least not completely.” He cleared his throat and glanced at a couple that openly watched them. “It’s actually very interesting. There is a lot of traveling when we’re not posted. I can’t really say too much…”
Lance looked intrigued. “But you’ve brought down terrorists, right?”
“Right.”
“But you can’t say who, right?”
He shrugged good-naturedly. “Mostly drug dealers.”
“Drug dealers?” Lance looked confused.
“Drugs ae the biggest way that terrorism is funded, that and guns.”
“Oh!” Both Kendra and Lance responded.
Something occurred to Ashleigh; Christopher would go out on missions...dangerous missions. Her smile slipped and Christopher glanced at her, his brow furrowing in brief concern be
fore he turned his attention back to the conversation. She wondered how often he had to go out on these missions.
“Christopher,” she asked hesitantly, “how long are the missions?”
“They can vary. Two months is the norm. We start with briefings and then engagement and then debriefing.”
She stared at him, reality hitting home. He went out and risked his life. “How often do you get these missions?”
“Well…that varies, too. We don’t know when we’ll get one. It’s been a while and we’re kind of antsy.”
