Out Of The Dark

by Arlene Gonzales

  After that day one of us would say the first part, and the other would complete the saying. It kind of became our ritual. People would look at us as if we were the crazy ones, but we didn’t care. We would just stare back at them till they walked away. We knew we weren’t crazy, we just liked to have fun. There was never a dull moment when we were together.

  We always told each other that the three of us would conquer the world. By the three of us, we meant Shannon, Erik, and me. Shannon and I always had fun, but when Erik was with us, we were unstoppable. We were the circus clowns that got out of the car. We were always laughing about something. Yes, Erik had his own friends. That part of his life was separate and we respected that. But when he was with us he was different, he was our protector, a big brother to both of us. Still, he was just as much of a clown as us, maybe even more. In our little group we always covered for each other.

  From a young age, when other brothers would push their little sisters away, he would come play with me. He was the one who taught me how to ride a bike, swim, and ride a skateboard, and he taught both Shannon and me how to drive.

  At first Shannon had the biggest crush on Erik. When she asked me if he had a girlfriend, my reaction was “Yuck and eww. He’s my big brother, Shannon, I can’t and won’t think of him like that.” Besides, we were younger and the only way he saw her was as his kid sister’s best friend.

  The first day that he taught me how to drive, we had an accident not far from home. In fact, the accident was with our home. I thought the car knew what to do, so I just put it in D for drive. I never thought the R was for reverse—in my defense, it was my first lesson. The car went through our living room wall. Actually, it was pretty epic.

  Shannon was in the back seat, but she had been leaning into the front, so in the accident she ended up head-first between us. She looked up at me, then at Erik. I was thankful that since it was an older car, the front seat was a full-length bench style seat. Had we been trying to drive my mom’s newer car she would have hit her face against the gear shift.

  Not a pleasant thought!

  We all started laughing, then Erik grabbed her from the shoulders and threw her back to the back seat. He told me to jump over him and sit in the passenger’s side. I didn’t know what he was up to, but I did as I was told. He settled into the driver’s seat and said, “As far as Mom and Dad know, I was driving. Got that?”

  He took the blame and promised our parents he would pay for the damages to the house and car. Later on, I asked him why he did that. His reply was, “Because I’m your big brother, and I’ll always protect you, Lexie.” Then he put me in a headlock, messed up my hair and said, “Who loves you?”

  Trying to wiggle out of his grip while laughing so hard that I thought I was going to pee, I kept saying “You do, Erik, you do.”

  Yup, this was the way we always were, the three musketeers. Erik, Shannon, and me. We thought we had a lifetime of fun and adventures to look forward to. Little did we know we would only have five short years left with my big brother, with our protector, with the third musketeer. With the only other man besides my father that I could always depend on. And since Shannon didn’t have any siblings of her own, he became her big brother too—well, after she got over her crush. Erik always had a lot of girls after him. My big brother was a good-looking guy, after all. He had the same wavy blonde hair that I do, and the same green eyes. The only difference between us was that he had dimples on his cheeks, while I had one dimple on my chin, and Erik was a little darker. It’s as if he had a tan year-round. We would always joke around, saying I was the day child and he was the nighttime child.

  This memory does two things to me. First, it brings a small smile to my face. Then it makes my eyes shine with tears.

  Shannon notices the shining but doesn’t question what memories caused it, just continues to pull me around the couch.

  During all the dancing around the couch, we don’t even notice how late it has gotten until the late night news comes on. We decide to go to sleep, and leave the movie for another time.

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, I walk in to the office and put my things away. I look in to Mr. Harlow’s office. “You want some coffee?”

  “Oh yes, please, two sugars—no cream.”

  I busy myself getting the coffee. Linda from accounting comes in. She’s in her early thirties, slender, with a light tan, and is recently divorced. She has bangs and long black hair.

  “Good morning, Alexis.”

  “Good morning, Linda.” We talk for a minute about her work as one of the accountants for the firm, how long she has worked here, and how much she loves her position with the company. Eventually, I say, “I have to get this coffee to Mr. Harlow.”

  I walk into his office and place the cup on his desk. He’s looking over paperwork for a new client we’re going to represent, an up-and-coming jazz piano player.

  “Mr. Harlow, can I talk to you about the photoshoot next week?”

  He looks up. “Please, call me Michael. Have a seat.” He waves to a chair in front of his desk and takes off his glasses, then pinches the bridge of his nose. “What’s on your mind, Alexis?”

  I look everywhere but at him. He stands up, comes around the desk, and leans on it, facing me. “Is there a problem with the assignment?”

  Feeling nervous, I say, “I don’t know if I am the best person to go on the location shoot next week with Mr. Steffan. I’m only on my second day here, and well…maybe if you could send someone with more experience.”

  He puts his hand up, motioning me to stop talking. “When you and I met for the first time, you told me to take a chance on you. You said and I quote, ‘I will not let you down.’ Now, was that just a line to get the job, or did you mean it?”

  I sit there thinking of something to say. I guess I must have stayed quiet too long, because again he asks me, “Did you mean it? It’s a yes or no answer.”

  Looking him straight in the eyes, I say, “Yes, I did…and still do.”

  “Good, because with a client like Aiden there is such a high demand for him we like to keep him happy. He knows what he likes, knows what works, so if he wants you to go with him, it would be a good idea for you to do just that.”

  I stand up and try to sound as self-assured as possible even though I am anything but. “Okay, I’ll get the arrangements made right away.”

  I call the airlines and book two first-class seats. Then I call the Bluff House beach resort and book two separate rooms. The rest of the day I busy myself with contracts, meetings, and setting up appointments for Michael with different clients.

  ***

  On Friday morning my phone rings.

  “Yes, Kathy?”

  “Alexis, it’s Aiden Steffan on line two. Would you like me to put him through?”

  My heart races as my hands start to shake. Okay, I can do this. All part of the job, Lexie. Just pick up the phone and talk to him. He’s like any other person or client, right?

  But he’s not.

  Kathy brings me back to the present. “Hello, Alexis, do you want me to put him through?”

  “Oh yes, Kathy please do.” I push line two and clear my throat. “Hello, Mr. Steffan. How can I help you?”

  “Please, call me Aiden. And you can help by telling me why you haven’t called me with the details of the shoot location for next week.”

  I need to sound as confident and calm as possible when talking to him. “I emailed all the information to your assistant, Brandy—”

  Before I can finish he cuts me off. “I thought we agreed you would call me personally.”

  “Well, I wasn’t sure if you were busy and I didn’t want to bother you or anything.”

  “Alexis, trust me when I say you would not be bothering me at all. I was rather looking forward to your call.” He pauses for a second, then changes the direction of the conversation. “Did you like the flowers?”

  How can he sound so casual when he tells me he was looking for
ward to my call and then in the same sentence ask if I liked the flowers? How can he not know the effect he has on women, especially this woman? This man can affect me even on the phone. Just by the sound of his voice, he seems to have a direct line to my thighs. I can’t let him hear the way he makes me feel.

  “Yes, they are lovely.” Again, my stomach ties in knots. I don’t know what to say and silently pray he won’t ask about the note.

  Then, as if on cue, he says, “I trust you read the note that went with them.”

  “Yes, I did. Tell me, do you send flowers and notes like that to every woman you meet?”

  He chuckles. “No, I do not. I meet women on a daily basis and would be sending flowers every day if I did that.”

  Suddenly I feel like he just made fun of me. “Are you laughing at me, Aiden?”

  “No, please forgive me. Have dinner with me tonight.”

  Whoa, this man changes the subject of our talk so easily, I need to stay on my toes when it comes to him, keep my head clear. “I don’t know. You are, after all, a client and we have to work closely together, so having dinner with you might not be the best idea.”

  He takes a deep breath, then lets it out in a loud sigh. “I am a man used to getting what he wants. Having said that, we could go over all the details of the shoot next week. What time do you get off work?”

  I answer without thinking. “I get off at six, but I could just give you the details now.”

  “Alexis, are you trying to avoid me?”

  “No, I just don’t want Michael to get the wrong idea about us.”

  “So you’re saying there is an ‘us.’”

  His words make me tingle between my legs. “No, that’s not what I meant.”

  “I’ll be at the office at six this evening to pick you up and take you home to change for dinner.”

  When we hang up, I wonder how he knew I don’t have a car. I call Shannon right away.

  “Hey, what’s up?” she asks.

  “Shannon, I have a dinner date tonight with Aiden Steffan.” I try not to sound nervous but fail miserably.

  “Oh, that’s great news!”

  “No, it’s not. What if I don’t know what to say or talk about? What if I’m so nervous I fumble my words? I’ve never been out with someone like him before.”

  “Alexis, everything will be fine. Just be yourself. Look, if he didn’t like what he saw he wouldn’t be asking you out.”

  I do my best to relax and just breathe.

  ***

  The rest of the day goes by in a blur and before I know it, it’s six. I’m finishing some paperwork for our newest client when the phone rings.

  “Yes, Kathy?”

  “Alexis, Mr. Steffan is here to see you.”

  My throat goes dry. Boy I wish I had as much confidence in myself as Shannon does. “Okay, Kathy, send him in.”

  Even though the door is open, he knocks as he stands in it. I walk around the desk to meet him but when my eyes fall on him my legs turn to jelly. I have to grip the desk just to balance myself and keep from falling. My heart starts to race and I need to clear my throat just to get the words out.

  “Good evening, Mr—”

  Before I can finish he holds his hand up. “It’s Aiden, remember?”

  “Yes, sorry…Aiden, I am just finishing up some paperwork for a new client, then I will be with you shortly, if you wouldn’t mind taking a seat.” He closes the door and moves oh-so-gracefully across the room to the chair in front of my desk, never taking his eyes off of me. I feel the gravitational pull toward him. He smells so fresh, like he just walked out of the shower. His dark blue three-piece suit and white shirt with a baby blue tie makes his blue eyes pop. The outfit is perfectly tailored, showcasing his lean, firm body. He carries himself like a lion on the hunt, and I feel like I’m going to be the appetizer, main entree, and dessert all rolled into one. Oh man, am I in way over my head or what?

  “So the paperwork you’re taking care of…who is the new client?”

  “Oh, he’s an up-and-coming artist, a jazz piano player, and he is very good. His name is Chris Allen.”

  Aiden shifts in his seat and gives me a look that makes me take notice.

  “Do you know of him? Have you heard him play?”

  “Yes, I know of him, and you would do well to stay away from him.”

  “Why would I stay away from him? He is one of our newest clients and I am the one who will be handling him.”

  “He likes to play with people’s emotions, Alexis. He uses people, or I should say women, and discards them when he is done.”

  “Well, it’s kind of hard to stay away from him when we represent him. Besides, only Michael has met with him. I’ve been too busy working on your contract. Anyway, I’m all done here for tonight. We can leave now.”

  Aiden stands up, walks over to the door, and holds it open for me. We go outside and parked by the curb is a beautiful silver BMW Z4. Of course he drives a car like this. What did I expect him to have? He reaches for my hand and there it is, the electricity between us. He must feel it too. I want to pull away, but there is a part of me that wants to run my hands up and down his chest and have his arms around me. He opens the car door for me, and I slide in. The leather feels so cool and soft. The car has his scent. I let myself sink into the seat, taking a deep breath. He walks around to the driver’s side and, moving gracefully, gets in with such ease. His smile takes my breath away. Taking my hand in his, he lightly brushes his lips against my knuckles. “Are you ready, baby girl?”

  I just nod like a young girl on her very first date. We drive off, and when we reach my apartment building he parks the car in front.

  “How did you know where I live, and how did you know that I didn’t have my car today?”

  He smiles, looks shy for a moment, and then responds, “Alexis, I have been thinking about you nonstop since Monday, and I hope you don’t mind but I wanted to know everything about you.”

  I’m not sure what to say to him. When we walk inside Shannon is beside herself. She can’t stop smiling. Aiden is his usual charming self.

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” he says as he shakes her hand. I just roll my eyes, thinking to myself that he must make all women feel like this—just like schoolgirls seeing a famous rock star.

  “Would you mind taking a picture with me?” she asks. “I just have to send it to my family back home. They will not believe this unless I show them proof.”

  Aiden laughs. “Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

  Shannon goes into the kitchen to get her phone and I follow her. We both silently scream while holding hands.

  “Isn’t his accent so sexy?” I ask.

  “Well of course. He’s Italian,” she says.

  We try to control ourselves before going back out to the living room. Shannon wants all three of us to get in the picture, but I tell her I will take the picture of the two of them. Aiden gives me a look and then smiles.

  In a sexy voice, he says, “After you snap the photo of the two of us, Shannon can take one of you and I.”

  I take a couple of photos and then hand the phone to Shannon.

  “Come stand by me, Alexis,” Aiden says in a deep, commanding voice.

  My legs give out. I don’t know if I can move, but he holds his hand out for me to come to him. I steady myself and walk over. Aiden pulls me in front of him and wraps his arms around me. He is so close I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. Shannon is about to take the picture when his lips pull on my earlobe. A low growl comes from deep in his throat. The room gets warmer, or maybe it’s just me.

  “Take another one of us facing each other,” he instructs.

  She gives a little squeak, winks at me, and says, “Okay, it would be my pleasure.”

  Aiden spins me around and I try not to look into his eyes, but he brings my chin up with his fingers to meet his stare. I gaze into deep blue eyes so intense that it takes my breath away. He wraps his strong arms around me so
tightly that my face is only an inch from his. Our lips are so close if I were to lean in a little we would be kissing.

  Shannon says, “I’m sending these to my family back home.”

  Aiden raises an eyebrow. “Will you be sending the pictures to your family as well?”

  Chapter 5

  Shannon and I look at each other and tears start to sting my eyes.

  “Did I say something wrong?” he asks.

  “Alexis’s parents and brother were murdered two years ago—”

  I cut Shannon off before she can finish. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. Maybe some other time.”

  Sadness fills Aiden’s eyes. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know. Please forgive me.”

  “It’s okay, Aiden. How could you know?”

  He quickly changes the subject. “Alexis, go get changed and I will make a couple of calls while I wait for you.”

  By the sorrow on his face, he seems genuinely affected by the news of me losing my family. I’m grateful that he changed the subject.

  ***

  I go into my room and Shannon follows me to help pick out a perfect outfit to go with his suit. We decide on a black dress that I had purchased for a dance at a country club we belonged to back in Seattle. A dance we were going to after our weekend on the family boat, a dance we never got to attend. The dress still had the tags on it, and when Shannon pulled it out of the closet my first thought was that I couldn’t wear it. She insisted that it was time to put it on, and this would be the perfect night to wear it.

  I remember what my mom said when we picked it out after a whole day of shopping: “When you walk in, there won’t be a pair of eyes in the room not looking at you.” I had never worn anything like it before or since. The dress is short and very low cut in front, so you can clearly see my cleavage, and in back are two straps that crisscross. It’s an elegant yet very sexy black dress. I put it on and walk out, unsure if it’s the right one until I see the look on his face.