by Smoke, Lucy
“I’m sorry if I’m not to your liking—” he started.
I scoffed once more. “Oh, I think it’s a little more than that.”
He nodded as if he understood. “Well, regardless, you can’t go stomping off in the middle of the night.”
“It’s not the middle of the night,” I argued. Though in the time Jay and Wren had picked me up from the airport and driven me out here, the sun had begun to set over the distant horizon.
“Jen—I know you hate me—”
“Hate you?” I snapped my eyes to his, really taking in his face. Thin lines had started to form around the corner of his eyes and mouth. Laugh lines, I realized. They only served to make him more attractive than he had been when we graduated from Coolridge University.
It wasn’t fair. Time had made him more successful—a wildlife veterinarian specialist living on the plains of South Africa—and more attractive. All the while, time had made me more of a failure. Six years wasting my time at a gossip rag, trying and failing to get in with a better magazine. And finally, when it looked like everything was looking up—here he was.
I sucked back the tears and faced him. “I hate the fact that you left me without an explanation,” I snapped. “I hate that I trusted you and you didn’t seem to care about me at all. I hate that I—”
“I did care about you, Jen.” Preston’s eyes softened, and he reached for me. “I do, but—” I couldn’t let him touch me. I’d lose my resolve too easily if he so much as brushed against me. I moved back, avoiding his hand. More hurt in his gaze followed. And I couldn’t let that affect me either.
“You sure had a funny way of showing it,” I said sharply.
Preston balled up his fist and let it drop back to his side once more, his throat working as he swallowed. He twisted his face away, glancing out over the road and fenced in area to the side of the building as we stood under the night sky a hundred thousand miles from where we had started.
“Regardless,” he said again, “you can’t leave now. You have a job to do.”
“I’ll quit,” I replied.
He gave me a sardonic look that I knew all too well. It was the look that told me I needed to calm down and think clearly. Well, I didn’t want to. “Jen.” He spoke my name like a curse. “Think about this. This is your job—your profession. Just...take the night or something.” He shoved a hand through his thick hair and grabbed a chunk as if frustrated. That was funny. I was the one that should have been frustrated. “In the morning, if you want to go back to the airport, I’ll drive you myself.”
“I’ll ask Jay or Wren to drive me,” I said.
He released his hair and threw his hands in the air, turning around completely. “Fine.”
“Fine,” I snapped back.
“If that’s how it’s going to be, then at least get your pretty ass inside and eat something. You probably haven’t eaten since you were on the airplane and I can’t imagine whatever they fed you was filling. I’ll make myself scarce for the night.”
“I don’t—” But before I could finish my sentence, he had jerked the building door open once more and strode inside. The door clicked shut behind him, and I barely resisted screaming at it in frustration. Just my damn luck.
Chapter 4
“So, I take it you know each other?” Jay asked when I re-entered the kitchen. As promised, Preston was nowhere to be seen. I plopped down in my seat with a huff and nodded. “Whoa, what are the odds?” Jay shook his head in bewilderment.
“Really fucking bad,” I muttered.
Wren slid a plate in front of me and sat to my side. “So,” Jay started, as Wren pushed a fork in my hand. “Now that we’ve confirmed that Doc knows you, why don’t you tell us what that was all about?”
Wren glanced between me and Jay and then frowned. “Dude. What if she doesn’t want to talk about it?”
Jay lifted an eyebrow at him. “It’s just a question!” he insisted.
I held up a hand before Wren could reply. “It’s fine. Preston and I used to be friends,” I spat the last word, looking away from both of them before I continued, “and now we’re not. That’s it. End of story.” I pushed my fork into the steaming pile of gumbo looking stuff and lifted it to my mouth.
“So, you were friends?” Jay leaned forward, every bit as interested in knowing all about my embarrassing past, and Wren had given up on chastising him.
I shoved the fork into my mouth. Flavor burst on my tongue and I moaned. “Wow, this is really good.” I shoved another bite in my mouth. I didn’t know what it was and I didn’t care. It was delicious. Spices jumped across my tongue, dancing and twirling. I closed my eyes as I swallowed, groaning. I hadn’t eaten a home-cooked meal this good since I still lived with my parents. Noelle and I hadn’t exactly gotten our mother’s skill in the kitchen. I was lucky if I didn’t burn mac and cheese.
“Jenique?” Wren leaned forward and when he realized I was too absorbed in the food, he sighed and sat back. “Well, I’m glad you like it.”
“Jen,” I corrected absently before I nodded and finished the food on my plate in record time. “So,” I said, standing from the table, “where do I stay for the night?”
“Wait, what about you and—ow!” Jay’s question ended in a yelp as Wren made a not so subtle movement under the table, probably kicking him into silent submission.
“I’ll show you,” Wren said, standing as well and sliding his plate towards Jay. “It’s Jay’s turn to do the dishes anyway.”
“What?!” Jay groaned and muttered something under his breath as Wren tugged me out of the room. We moved down the hallway, and he snatched up my bag by the front door of the clinic as we went.
Wren walked me back out into the parking lot and stopped by the Jeep to retrieve my other suitcase from the back before leading me to the neighboring building. He pulled out a set of keys, slid a single one from the circle in his hands, and handed it to me. I immediately tried to give it back, shoving the key into his palm. "I'm not staying past tomorrow," I said.
Wren shook his head and handed it right back. "You never know. If you're not, then you can give it back to me at the airport. But until you walk through the airport doors again, you're keeping this key."
"But—"
"Look, it'll make me feel better, alright?" Wren's honey-warm eyes glittered in the darkness of the parking lot. There were no street lamps out here in the wilds of South Africa. "Just keep it, okay?" He sounded tired, and I already felt like I was intruding on their space enough as it was.
Reluctantly, I gave in and let him open the door and carry my luggage inside. The whole place was a fairly open floor plan with a few rooms off to the side, one of which had a light drifting up over the walls that stopped a few feet below the thatched, cone-shaped roof.
"Your room is the third doorway down," Wren said, starting towards it. I hurried to keep up with him. My gaze remained rooted on his back in order to stay away from the other rooms, avoiding any glimpse of Preston again.
"Here we are." Wren stopped in the doorway of the room. It was so abrupt that I nearly plowed straight into the spot I was fixated on. I managed to keep my nose from hitting his spine and stepped away with a sheepish smile when he moved to the side.
"Thank you," I said, my smile dying. I looked at the floor, feeling a little embarrassed by the whole ordeal of the day. I hadn’t acted like myself since I had run into Preston and found out that he was the vet I was supposed to be following. In fact, I knew I had been a bit rude and short to both Wren and Jay—and none of my reasons for being so upset was their fault. I squeezed my eyes closed as Wren set my suitcase and smaller bag just inside the doorway.
"If it makes you feel any better," Wren said in a quiet voice—probably mindful of how the sound carried up into the cone ceiling, "I don't think Doc knew it was you that'd be coming."
I sighed. "I'm not really mad at him for being here," I admitted. "I'm just frustrated."
"Oh?" He tilted his head to the side and
watched me, waiting.
I rubbed my temple. "This was supposed to be my chance to prove myself to Wilde," I finally confessed, keeping my voice low. I had no idea why I was confessing my thoughts, but the way that Wren looked at me told me that he was trustworthy. The genuine interest in his gaze made me want to spill my guts.
"I just got hired," I said. "I quit my old job to come here and do this and I really wanted to, but now I don't know if I can stay—the stuff between me and Preston..." I lowered my voice even more, "it hasn't really gone away in the six years since we've seen each other, and I doubt it'll go away in the month that I might hang around."
"Do you know that for sure?" Wren's soft voice was calm as he phrased the question.
"Know what?" I asked, confused.
"Do you know that whatever happened between you two won't go away if you stick around?"
I shook my head. He nodded and then looked up at the ceiling for a moment, seeming to contemplate something.
"Answer me this," he finally said. "If Doc hadn't been here—if it had been a different vet—would you be staying?"
"Yes," I answered without hesitation.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because it's my job," I said. "I love my job. I love taking pictures. I've never been this far out of the states before. My passport was for a trip to Canada nearly eight years ago. This is an adventure for me."
Wren smiled and reached for my hands, clasping them in his as he moved impossibly closer. Warmth infused my fingers. Tingles raced up my arms from where he touched me, and my heart began to beat faster. "Then stay," he urged. "Forget about Doc. If you really can't stand to be around him, then why don't you follow me and Jay around? If you absolutely have to have pictures of Doc, then Jay and I will go with you. You won't have to be around him alone."
I sucked in a breath as his fingers squeezed mine. His breath fanned my face as he waited for a response. "Why?" I asked. "Why would you do that for me? You just met me today. You don't even know me."
Wren released my fingers and leaned down. The closer he got, the warmer my face grew. I inhaled a sharp breath and didn't release it until he was so close I could smell the salt on his skin. Shivering under his gaze, I tensed when he brushed his lips—soft and full—against my cheek. "Because, Jen, I want to get to know you, and if you leave, I can't do that, now can I?"
Breathing became increasingly difficult—the air shuddering in and out of my chest as he pulled away and gave me the type of crooked grin that had my heart tapping out an uneven rhythm. He turned, sliding back through the doorway, calling out a 'goodnight' over his shoulder and leaving me with erratic breathing and a stumbling heartbeat.
"Night," I croaked, stepping back until I could sag onto the small mattress in the middle of the closet-sized room. Just one chaste kiss against my cheek and Wren Martin had my heart ready to speed right out of my chest. What would it be like if he did more?
Chapter 5
The next morning, I had made the decision to stay. I recognized that the pattern of my thoughts when it came to Wren Martin—and if I was being honest with myself, Jay too—was completely unprofessional. But Noelle had encouraged me to have an adventure, hadn’t she? There were no rules stating I couldn’t have a little fun while I was working. I couldn’t be out there taking pictures twenty-four-seven. There was bound to be some downtime. And if Wren was as interested in me as he seemed to be last night, then what harm could there be? I was only staying for a month anyway.
Jay noticed my lack of luggage as I came outside with my camera strapped around my neck. He grinned as he called out to me and waved. I squealed as he came close and scooped me up in his arms spinning me around as I clutched my camera to my chest to keep it from banging something. I couldn’t help but giggle at his antics—so childish, but fun. It was a little odd that he was already acting so familiar, but I knew some people were like that.
"You're staying!" he whooped, depositing me back on the ground.
I laughed, a furious blush heating my face at his attention and excitement. "Yeah,” I said, tucking a long tendril of hair behind my ear. “I decided to just say ‘to hell with it’ and stay. Why not, right? I mean, I may never get a chance like this again."
"That's awesome! We're going out to the plains today. Are you coming, then?" The front door to the main clinic building opened and Preston walked out, pausing when he saw me. I froze as well, especially when Preston's eyes narrowed on where Jay's hand remained on my arm. I moved even closer to Jay and glared back at Preston.
"I thought you were leaving today," he snapped.
"I changed my mind. Problem?" I replied with ice in my eyes and my words.
Preston kept his eyes glued on Jay's arm until Jay finally moved it and slid away from me. Only then did he sigh and shake his head. "No," he said, "no problem. You going to the plains with us?"
I really didn't want to spend any time with Preston McConnell, but when I made the decision to stay, I knew that I would have to. I needed to suck it up and deal. At least I wouldn't be alone. That was a small consolation. And if this was to be my adventure, then I shouldn’t let Preston’s presence interrupt my work or my enjoyment.
I nodded in answer.
"Awesome." Jay laughed and scooped me up once more, despite Preston’s narrowed glare. This time, instead of spinning, Jay jogged to the Jeep parked where we left it the night before and deposited me at the passenger side door. "Help me roll down the top?" he asked, a wide smile planted firmly on his mouth. His smile was infectious, and I found myself responding to it with one of my own.
Together, Jay and I opened up the Jeep, rolling back the fabric top and tucked it towards the rear of the vehicle. Preston met us at the car and opened the side door just as I moved to climb in. I stared down at the hand he held out, offering to help me inside with suspicion before I took it. Ignoring his burning blue gaze, I crawled into one of the back seats, leaving the passenger side door ajar, while Jay cranked the car. I paused, looking around as he upped the staticky radio, trying to find a good station, only to stop on the Golden Oldies. Preston turned around and jogged back to the clinic.
"Where's Wren?" I asked, following his movements with my eyes—remembering how I had always done the same when we had been friends in college. How he would run on the school’s workout track while I used the exercise machines. How his stomach would tighten when he laughed or pulled off his shirt. I shook my head, chasing away the vague memories that started to resurface.
"He's working today—got a group of tourists out on a safari," Jay answered.
The passenger door jostled as Preston climbed in with a large bag in tow. He tossed it on the floorboards by his feet before settling in.
I sighed but didn't say anything as he buckled up and faced forward. Jay acted as if the tension between us wasn't palpable and, instead, cranked the oldies station higher, singing along to every lyric. I giggled when he tried to hit a particularly high note and his baritone voice cracked under the strain. The Jeep bumped and jarred as we slid out onto a dirt road and roared forward.
Trying to ignore the extra man in the front seat, I set about taking pictures of everything that captured my attention. A distant copse of trees with a half-dozen giraffes gathered nearby became the center of my focus as I zoomed in with my camera. Noticing my fascination, Jay was kind enough to slow down and keep the rocking to a minimum until I had taken a dozen or so pictures. I shot him a grateful smile and reached up to hold onto the roll cage with one hand while I clutched my camera in my lap with the other as he pressed down on the gas once more.
The land was beautiful, the sun hot as it beat down on us. Everything in sight felt so new, unique. It was nothing like I was used to. Even the heat was different. Heat in Florida was swampy, humid. The heat here was dry. So dry that my sweat practically matted against my skin as soon as it popped up.
“How can people live here year round?” I wondered aloud.
Preston turned around in his seat as the Jeep
bumped and jostled over the uneven terrain. “The human body is amazing,” he replied to my rhetorical question. “It can acclimate to nearly any climate in the world when given enough time.”
A part of me wanted to disagree if for nothing more than just to disagree with him, but I knew he was right. Otherwise, how else could we explain people living in deserts and on icy terrain? I turned my gaze back to our surroundings. South Africa might not have been my original goal, but it was a start to the world I craved to explore.
Chapter 6
With my chest pressed to the rough ground, my legs crossed at the ankles and raised in the air, I pointed my camera and pressed the button, capturing a series of images containing Preston and Jay as they attended to a small meerkat. There was no breeze—hell, there was no shade either—and my whole body was sore and sunburned, but I hadn’t felt this accomplished in months. Chasing around corrupt government officials and public figures to see who was sleeping with who. Which man was cheating on his wife with the secretary? Who was taking bribes? That was anything but fulfilling.
I swiped my hair out of my face and adjusted my camera angle, capturing another picture, this time a close up of Preston’s gentle hands on the animal as he injected it with a round of antibiotics. He had explained earlier that many of these meerkats had recently visited him when a few of the locals had brought them in. They had then been brought back to be released back into the wild.
When Jay stood up, followed soon after by Preston, I took that as my cue that we were leaving. I got to my feet, brushing off dry dirt and dust. The meerkat took off once more, running to meet his little family waiting nearby as we made our way back to the Jeep. I turned and took another few shots, just in case. And, also, because I couldn’t help myself.
