by Kris Tualla
Now that they were away from the museum and the object in question, Sveyn graciously stayed out of sight—which lowered Hollis’s stress level enormously. The Viking’s presence was hard to ignore.
And she didn’t want to ignore him.
“I might have to go back to Denver,” Everett said after the waitress cleared away the meal.
“Are you finished here?” The thought made Hollis sadder than she thought it would.
He gave her a reassuring look. “No, I’ll be back. It’s only a meeting with some possible donors.”
Hollis understood that responsibility well. “When will you leave?”
“I’ll find out tomorrow if I need to go, and then fly out Monday if I do.” Everett accepted the check.
Hollis reached for it. “Let me have that.”
Everett held it away from her. “Why would I do that?”
“Oh, because it’s the twenty-first century, maybe?” she scoffed.
His expression turned impish. “Ah, but I’m a twentieth century man at heart.”
Hollis rested her elbow on the table with her hand still extended, palm up. “Let me buy your lunch to make up for your earlier disappointment,” she lobbied. “It’s literally the least I can do.”
“I’ll agree under one condition.”
She made a skeptical face at him. “What condition is that?”
He leaned forward, still holding the check wallet behind his back. “Go out with me tonight. We’ll see that new spy comedy.”
Uh, oh.
Seeing her hesitation, he sweetened his offer. “Drinks afterwards on the Phoenician patio?”
Hollis was caught. While she definitely wanted to spend more time with Everett, she felt a strong loyalty to Sveyn. Besides, maybe being a little unavailable was a good idea.
I haven’t dated for so long, I don’t even know how anymore.
She gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Everett. I can’t.”
His eyes narrowed. “Please don’t hold my earlier behavior against me.”
“I’m not,” she hurried to assure him. Stevie’s admonition not to mess this one up surged through her thoughts. “I swear. It’s not that.”
“What then?”
She winced. “I already have a date.”
“In that case.” Everett dropped the bill in front of her with a crooked grin. “I guess you do owe me lunch after all.”
*****
Hollis dug through her kitchen drawers and cabinets looking for any appropriate props for the movie.
“What are you doing?” Sveyn asked.
“If we’re going to do this right, then we need to take some stuff to the movie with us.” Hollis sighed. “This is one time when being a non-cook isn’t helpful.”
Sveyn was clearly confused. “What does cooking have to do with the moving pictures?”
Hollis slid the list of props across the counter that she printed from the internet. “I told you that The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult classic. People dress up and bring things to throw at certain points in the story.”
Sveyn read the list aloud. “Rice?”
Hollis shrugged. “I don’t have any.”
“Newspapers?”
“Yeah, that is so last century.” She held up her dollar store, desert-neglected, alternative. “But I do have an umbrella.”
Sveyn looked at her like she was speaking in hieroglyphics. “That makes no sense, Hollis.”
She waved a hand. “Wait and see.”
He returned to the list. “What is a water pistol?”
“A kids’ toy that shoots water. Don’t have one.”
“Candles or flashlights?”
“And a bell.” Hollis held up her phone. “The apps are loaded. And before you ask, I don’t have a noisemaker, a party hat, or a deck of cards.”
Sveyn shook his head. “This is even crazier than Everett Sage.”
“Stop,” Hollis chided.
“Rubber gloves?”
“Latex ones from work will have to do.”
“Toilet paper?”
“Right!” She hurried to the bathroom and back, setting the roll on the counter. The toaster behind her popped its contents into view.
“And toast.” Hollis grinned broadly. “Okay. Looks like we’re good to go!”
*****
Sveyn laughed harder than she had ever seen him laugh. The Viking soon gave up on the silly plot of the movie and went to the front of the theater to watch the actors on the spotlighted corner of the stage in front of the screen.
The flamboyant crowd obviously intrigued him, and he got very close to the participants to inspect their outrageous makeup and costumes. He even ducked flying objects, probably out of reflex because they went right through him.
“Are you having fun?” Hollis asked from her seat. Now that she knew that Sveyn could always hear her, she didn’t need to shout.
He looked toward her, though she knew he couldn’t see her in the dark, and shouted, “Yes. I am. This is so unusual!”
While Hollis was having a blast watching Sveyn watch the spectacle, she nearly lost all bodily control when the Time Warp number got under way.
Sveyn was dancing.
Dancing.
With six-and-a-half feet of leather, linen and fur-clad body parts flailing and thrusting, the Viking soon picked up the basic movements. The joy on his face as he danced alongside the fervent fans brought tears to Hollis’s eyes—partly from hysterical laughter, and partly because she had never seen him so happy and free.
Had he ever felt this way during any of his previous manifestations? She doubted it, from the way he talked about them. This could be the first time in nearly a millennium that the lonely man was able to just have fun.
“You’re doing a good job, Viking,” she said softly. “Keep it up.”
He flashed two thumbs up from in front of the stage, all the time grinning like a lunatic.
*****
Sveyn babbled all the way back to the condo, spilling forth his observations.
“The paint on their faces is applied with such skill, I cannot imagine the hours it must require to accomplish such an effect.” Sveyn practically bounced with excitement. “And the costumes are incredibly made.”
“It’s a hobby for some people, I suppose,” she responded. “It does take time, money, and dedication to be able to do that week after week.”
Sveyn looked like he just discovered Christmas came every year. “They will do it again?’
Oh, no.
Have I created a monster of my own?
Running the risk of getting herself into something that she would rather not, Hollis answered truthfully. “Since that movie was released in 1975, it has shown in some theater somewhere every single week.”
“Truthfully?” Sveyn was gobsmacked. “We could go and see it again any time we wish to?”
Hollis shook her head. “It’s playing somewhere. Not necessarily here in Phoenix.”
“Oh.” Sveyn deflated.
“But, I’ll take you again,” she conceded. “In a few weeks or so, after the wing is opened and things calm down.”
Sveyn rested his hand on her thigh. “Thank you, Hollis.”
She felt the expected tingle, which reminded her of what happened during Everett’s testing earlier today. How could she have forgotten?
Probably because the ramifications are so disturbing.
Once inside the condo, she changed into her pajamas, poured a glass of wine, and curled up on the couch before she brought it up.
“Can we talk about what happened today with the electromagnetic monitor?”
Sveyn’s demeanor sobered for the first time that evening. “Is that the device which showed a response when I was near it?”
“Yes.”
“What does that response mean?”
Hollis pulled a deep breath. “It means that you are a real and measureable presence.”
“I have told you this,” Sveyn declared. �
��I am not something which your imagination has created.”
“I know that. I do. But…” She searched for words which would not offend the Viking. “If I ever wanted to tell anyone about you, I now know that there is a way to prove your existence, even if they can’t see you.”
His brow plunged. “Have you thought about telling anyone about me?”
“Not really. But it has crossed my mind,” she admitted.
“Do not do it, Hollis,” he warned. “Some of those to whom I manifested have tried. It never went well. Not ever.”
She took a sip of her Zinfandel, considering her next words. The sensible response was obvious, of course.
“But they didn’t have devices which could measure energy, did they?”
Sveyn stood and began to pace from one end of her living room to the other. The idea of her speaking about him to anyone clearly disturbed him.
“Please, Hollis. Do not say anything,” he begged. “I cannot think of you being in one of those places where they will put you if you do.”
“Do you mean the psych ward?” A horrifying thought bashed her in the chest: Sveyn was speaking about historical treatment of those pour souls considered insane.
“No—you mean insane asylums!”
Sveyn stopped pacing. “I speak of stone buildings and filth. Of men and women who cannot stop screaming.”
“Starvation and experimental treatments.” Hollis shuddered. “I understand. And you were there with them, weren’t you?”
“Yes. And as it is with you, I could always hear them, even when they descended into madness.” He dragged his fingers through his hair and then stared at them. “I felt that again.”
“Unhappy emotions,” Hollis offered. “I wish happy emotions would have the same effect.”
Sveyn turned his intense blue gaze toward her, his brow low. “In spite of the unhappy emotions which these situations and others have prompted in the past, I have never felt my own frame.”
Hollis unfolded her legs and set her wine glass on the coffee table, afraid her suddenly shaking hands might spill the red liquid on the beige carpet. She needed to make sure she understood the apparition’s statement which—combined with the sensor’s reading—led her down a startling path.
“I want to clarify what you’re saying,” she began. “Since you were first caught in this state, you’ve never had any sensations which mimicked physical touch?”
Sveyn paused, apparently processing each word of her complex question. “No. I have not.”
Her breath left her lungs in a dizzying whoosh.
He lowered himself onto the couch. “What do you believe this to mean?”
“I don’t know!” she snapped. “You’re the one with experience here, not me.”
“And yet, this is new to me.”
Hollis shook her head. “Is it because I’m not a man?”
Sveyn leaned back and stared at the floor. “I believe there is more to this than merely your gender.”
“What more?” she demanded.
The Viking was quiet. Unmoving.
Hollis waited, her heart pounding in her ears. What was he going to say? What new twist on their situation would be revealed?
Sveyn finally looked at her. His blue eyes softened, as did his expression. “I will tell you the truth, though you may already know.”
“What is it?” she whispered.
He shifted on the couch so he faced her. “Hollis McKenna, I am deeply and irrevocably in love with you.”
“Oh, Sveyn.”
What do I say to that?
He sighed without breath. “I do not expect you to say this back to me. I know that you have feelings for Sage.”
When she opened her mouth to object, he put up a hand to stop her. “Those feelings are right. You live in the physical world, and you will stay here until you die.”
“But—”
“But I live where I am. And I will never leave this place.” He swallowed visibly. “And one day, I will leave you.”
Hollis swiped a tear. “That can’t stop me from loving you back, Sveyn.”
“You asked what was different for me,” he continued, ignoring her words. “What is different is my love for you. I have not loved anyone since Linge.”
He paused, then continued before she gathered her thoughts for a response. “And I love you, Hollis, immeasurably more than I ever loved her.”
“There is no hope for us, is there?” she managed at last.
Sveyn shook his head slowly. “Not hope for anything lasting, no. But I do think that this is why I feel as if I am not leaving anytime soon.”
“Because you love me?”
“And, because you love me in return.”
So he did hear me. She wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment.
But it was nearly two o’clock in the morning and Hollis was exhausted. She gulped the glass of wine, hoping it would help her fall asleep quickly.
Then she stood and held out her hand. “Come to bed with me?”
Sveyn rose slowly. He followed her into her bedroom.
Hollis climbed into bed, plumped her pillow, and patted the mattress next to her. Once Sveyn stretched out beside her, she switched off the light before speaking.
“Take me to your home tonight, Sveyn,” she murmured. “Make love to me there.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Sunday
October 18
When Hollis opened her eyes, she was disoriented. All night in her dreams Sveyn had shown her ancient villages and loved her on beds of thick fur. He showed her his Viking longships and loved her while the sea rocked beneath them and defined the rhythm of their lovemaking.
She saw the world he came from. Rough, vibrant, dangerous. She saw no people though. In Sveyn’s mind, only the two of them existed.
Hollis smiled and stretched under the covers.
Fine with me.
“Good morning.” He was still on the bed beside her, smiling. “Did you sleep well?”
She laughed. “I don’t think I slept at all.”
Sveyn’s hand hovered over her tingling cheek. “You did sleep, Hollis. And you slept in my arms.”
Her phone vibrated on the nightstand.
“Oops. I left the ringer off.” She grabbed it and looked at the time. “I guess I did sleep—it’s almost noon.” Then she shot a guilty glance at Sveyn. “It’s Everett.”
He rolled off the bed. “Answer it. I will move out of your sight.”
In her sight or not, Hollis felt guilty. She never had two men interested in her at the same time before. The awkward question was: which man was she leading on?
“Hi, Everett.”
“Well, hello! I thought I was going to voice mail.”
“Sorry.” Think fast. “I had the blender on and didn’t hear my phone ring.”
“What are you making?”
“Fruit smoothie. Having a light lunch today.” Hollis rolled her eyes. She never made smoothies. “So, what’s up?”
“First of all, I want to apologize about yesterday.”
Yesterday? “Why?”
“I made you pay for lunch.”
Hollis made a psh sound. “I offered.”
“And, I’m afraid I was a bit pushy about taking the Blessing with me.”
Yes, you certainly were. “Water under the bridge.”
He sighed. “I’m glad to hear that. How was your date?”
“Is that why you called?” Hollis demanded.
“No, of course not.”
“Then let’s talk about you and me.”
“Agreed.” Everett hesitated, and then said, “I also called to tell you that I have to go to Denver after all. I have a flight tomorrow morning.”
Hollis actually felt sad about that. “Are you still coming back to Phoenix?”
“Of course! No feisty, red-headed collections manager could scare me away.”
Hollis felt her cheeks warming. “When will you come back?”
; “The big shot meeting, where I get to suck up to a major possible donor, will take up most of Tuesday. Right now, I have my returned booked for Wednesday.”
“That’s a quick trip!”
He cleared his throat. “Well I, uh, still have a lot to do here.”
“I’m glad you’re coming back.”
Everett chuckled. “I’m glad you’re glad. I’ll be in touch.”
Monday
October 19
“So? How did the weekend go?” Stevie asked over her huge coffee cup in the staff break room.
“I met Everett here at noon on Saturday and he brought the monitors from ASU.” Hollis added a fifth cream to her coffee. “I was surprised—he really thought that Blessing thing would show signs of life.”
Stevie’s cup hit the counter. “He did?”
“Yeah. He says it’s part of his research into alternative healing and age-enhancing options for Calico Labs.” Hollis shook her head, still surprised at Everett’s reaction and subsequent request. “He checks out everything he comes across because he says that all myths and legends are founded in truth.”
“Even myths involving thousands-of-years-old sculptures?”
Hollis stirred in a sixth creamer. The coffee was stronger than usual this morning. “I guess.”
“So?” Stevie asked. “Was there anything?”
Hollis snorted. “Of course not.” Not with the icon, that is.
“What sort of monitors did he bring?”
“Radiation, electromagnetism, and seismic.”
Stevie laughed. “Seismic?”
“Yeah, I got nothin’ to say there.” Hollis sipped her coffee.
“Did you do anything else?” Stevie did the same.
“I bought him lunch. Oh, and went to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That was a hoot.” Hollis smiled at the mental image of Sveyn doing the Time Warp dance.
Sveyn grinned back at her.
“So you and Everett made a day of it?” Stevie wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “Things with the good doctor are progressing nicely, eh?”
Hollis opened her mouth to correct Stevie’s assumption, but quickly realized there was no logical way to explain why she would go to the movies apparently alone on a Saturday night. Especially one like that.
