by Christina OW
Carson put his hand tenderly on her shoulder, “Right after he dumps the body, he picks up a new victim. The last victim was found yesterday, has someone been reported missing?”
“This morning, Nicole Joseph’s mother went to wake her up and she wasn’t in bed.”
“It’s amazing parents aren’t sitting at their daughters’ windows with shotguns, I would,” Doran said, disappearing in the moment for a second, “Have they started processing the last victim’s room?”
“No. They are waiting for us.”
“Let’s go,” Richard got up, “Audrey tell the Orange County police we’ll be there in an hour.”
She nodded, turning off the screen with slight relief. She turned to Carson before he disappeared out the door, “Does your new girl know about your job, the kind of people you chase down on a daily basis?”
“We’ve talked about her mostly, nothing much about me.”
“If you like her, don’t,” Audrey swallowed the bitter lump in her throat, “tell her you are a plumber or an insurance agent.”
“Why?”
“You seem to really like her and I want this to work out for you, but I don’t think she’ll want to hold her breath every time you leave to find psychopaths who do this,” she held the case file up.
“Richard’s wife seems to be doing just fine.”
“When was the last time he invited us to his house for a barbecue?” Carson didn’t have to do the math, it had been over a year since he last saw Richard’s wife. “Exactly, I think she’s getting tired of holding her breath.”
****
Ellie stared at the color filled canvas in her office, still smiling to herself. She was glad her classes were over for the day because in her state of mind she wouldn’t be able to pay attention to a single student.
“Earth to Ellie,” Kris waved her hand in Ellie’s face, “Hey are you in a coma?”
“Will you stop that,” Ellie laughed, pulling Kris’s hands away, “What do you want?”
“Details,” she chirped excitedly, “Who’s the new guy and how good is he in bed?”
“Kris!”
“That answers my question,” she teased, braiding her long brown hair over her shoulder, “Is it anyone I know?”
“No. He was a blind date, and Ellsa set us up.”
Her face creased in horror, “Oh no. Dump him before he turns you into a snobbish robot!”
Still stuck in her daydream of Dale, “Relax, he’s more our type than hers. He said he doesn’t know her, but guys lie all the time.”
“What’s his name?”
“Dale Carson,” she purred out.
“He sound’s white?”
“Actually his dad is Scottish and his mom is black.” She danced around her office like a giddy school girl, “He’s arrogant, very sure of himself and he has this mystery about him.”
“Ahh!” Kris screeched excitedly, “he sounds so hot!”
“He is,” she exhaled loudly, “That body was made for sin!” She closed her eyes and swayed her hips, back in his arms, “He salsas like a Mexican heartthrob in a romantic telenovela!”
“And yet,” she smacked Ellie on the back of her head, “You still haven’t slept with him! Your stupid policy of three weeks is going to send him running Ellie.”
“It’s not stupid, and I doubt he’ll go anywhere. This is like a game to him and from the little I know about him, he seems the type who loves to win.” She leapt at her phone when the message tone went off.
“You’re texting!” Kris screeched giddily again.
Ellie felt her heart drop once she read his message. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Ellie, you know better! “He’s going away on business. He doesn’t know when he’ll be back.”
Kris moved to Ellie and held her in a bear hug, “He’s blowing you off already? I’m so sorry. Think of this as a good thing. If Ellsa set you up, he had potential of being an asshole.”
Ellie wanted to hold on to some kind of hope. She really liked this guy and she really didn’t want him to turn out to be an asshole. Her phone beeped again. She read the message and smiled, “The arrogant ass.”
Kris leaned forward to read the message herself. “‘Here is a picture of myself just in case you miss my dazzling smile. I’ll call you tonight, it would be selfish of me to keep you craving my voice for an entire day,’ Aww, he’s a hot arrogant ass.”
Another beep pulled Ellie’s attention, but Kris grabbed the phone before she could read it. “I’ll text you every day at eight hundred and twenty hundred. I expect a prompt response.” Kris raised her brow at Ellie, “Is he an army guy?”
Ellie shook her head and took the phone back, “I don’t know.” She read the new message and laughed, “Don’t take any extra students while I’m gone.”
“What?”
“Private joke,” Ellie held it away and typed in ‘goes both ways.'
Chapter Five
Carson walked into the dark strip club with some reservation. He never thought of Ellie as the clubbing type, sure she loved to have fun, but nothing that looked this seedy. This place was more his speed. He weaved through the large dancing crowds keeping an eye out for her. He hadn’t seen her for two weeks, they’d texted and spoken the whole time, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her. He wasn’t the type to admit it, but he’d missed her, a lot. He was getting attached, and that worried him. Usually this was the point he’d cut his losses and run, but Ellie was different. He just wanted more of her and the longing for her wasn’t completely sexual.
“So where is she?” Gwen yelled out, from behind him. She had insisted on tagging along. Carson wasn’t sure if it was out of curiosity or if she was assessing the threat. Audrey was right, he was beginning to realise how much of a mistake their hook up was. They were never going to go back to just being friends.
“She’s close to the stage,” he yelled back.
Gwen laughed, “Close to the stage or on the stage?”
Carson felt offended and a little irked, “Listen, Ellie is not a stripper. She’s an art teacher, and the only time she’s on stage is on open mic night in a karaoke bar, not a....” he stopped once they got to the stage, hushed by what he saw. Ellie was wearing a pink crown and sash dancing in between two guys wearing only what could be classified as a G-string.
“Are you sure about that?” Gwen laughed sarcastically. She pulled at his arm, as she walked backwards, “Come on lets go to my place.”
Carson pulled his arm out of her grip and moved closer to the stage, “Ellie, what are you doing?” he yelled, out peeved.
“Dale!” Ellie chimed, drunkenly. She walked down the stage and leaped on him, locking her legs around his waist, “Today is my birthday!” She rubbed her thumb over his lips, “And I know what I want you to give me as a gift.” She slurred before she planted a long sweet kiss on his lips.
Carson kissed her back; he pulled away after a few seconds and put her down. If it wasn’t for the taste of stale beer on her tongue he would have kissed her longer, “Let me guess, this was Kris’s idea?”
Ellie bobbled her head, “She said we were going dancing.” She snickered, “We are dancing!”
“Hey, you told him about me?” Kris yelled, drunkenly holding onto Carson’s arm. “It’s nice to finally meet you! For a few days there, I thought she was making you up. And she does have an active imagination.”
“Well, I’m very real.” He held Ellie steady against him, as she attempted to climb back on stage, “Kris, did you spike her drink?”
Kris narrowed her eyes at him, as she drunkenly swayed on her feet, “Are you a cop?”
Before he could answer she went on, “If you are... no I did not!” She said sternly, then began to giggle, “If you are not...” she leaned in close as if to whisper, “I dropped a few fire bombs in her beer! She needed to loosen up!”
Carson felt his temper pinch at him. He knew Ellie wouldn’t be at a strip club unles
s she was tricked into it. Or that she’d consciously get drunk out of her mind! The thing that worried him was if those fire bombs were some new street drug.
“Kris what are fire bombs?” He ordered, but she kept dancing and singing along to a tune Ellie was slurring out.
A tall guy with a short army hair cut moved closer to them, “Firebombs are a mix of hard liquor shots. Don’t worry, she only had three.”
Carson gave him a slight nod, as he quickly analysed him and took mental notes. He was about to ask for his name when Ellie jerked against him.
“Woohoo! Take it off!” She yelled, waving her arms around.
He whispered into her ear, holding her arms down, “Babe, there is nothing left for them to take off.”
“I’ll take her off your hands if you’d like?” The man offered, taking Ellie’s hand. He attempted to pry her free of Carson, which pissed Carson off even more.
Carson pulled her hand out of his, “And you are?”
“He’s Daniel,” Kris offered, “he likes Ellie, but she doesn’t like him back. Oops!” She bit her lips shut and placed a finger over them, “I wasn’t supposed to say that.” She waved her hand around, “Forget I said anything.”
“I don’t feel too good,” Ellie moaned, sagging down against Carson.
“Daniel, why don’t you take care of Kris and I’ll take Ellie home. Okay?” He swooped Ellie up in his arms and walked away, not bothering to wait for his response.
Once they’d stepped outside the noisy club, “Do you even know where she lives?” Gwen asked.
Carson had completely forgotten that she was still there, “No.” He took a deep breath, happy to be out in the fresh, quiet, cool air. He looked down at Ellie when he felt her squirm in his arms, “Babe?”
“Dale... I need to...” her face creased and he knew what was coming.
He tossed her up, turning her onto her belly. Then he rushed to the side of the building and knelt down, supporting her lower body on his knee, and freeing his hand to hold back her hair.
She heaved all her stomach content into the grass, inches away from his shoes, “Ow God... never again...” She moaned, slumping in his arms.
He crinkled his nose. The air wasn’t so fresh anymore. “I hope so,” he whined, standing up to meet Gwen, who was bent over laughing. “Save it!” His irked statement only made her laugh harder.
He opened his SUV and placed the now sleeping Ellie gently in the back seat. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed the number of the only person who’d help, “What’s up babe?” Audrey’s voice sang through the receiver.
“Sweet cheeks, I need an address.”
****
Late the next day, Ellie woke up cautiously; steady not to topple over the huge elephant on her head. She hated having a hangover; it was the only reason that kept her from swimming in beer like a fish. “Kris, I hate you,” she whispered.
She stood up slowly and walked out of her room one step at a time, cursing why she had agreed to the party, at a strip club! She stopped when she passed her electric guitar in the hallway, an idea for revenge in her mind. A pan would be best suited for it, but she wanted to make Kris cry. She connected it to the speaker that was in Kris’s room and put her winter ear muffs on before she turned it up to the high volume, she wasn’t about to torture her already panging head. She played a high F and watched Kris fall out of her bed with a loud scream.
She grabbed her pillows and held them tight against her ears, “What are you doing?”
“That is for getting me drunk!” Ellie hit the strings again, “That is for my hangover!”
Kris ducked under the begging, “Ellie, I’m sorry! Please stop!”
Before she could hit the strings again, someone grabbed her hand from behind and pulled her ear muffs off.
“I don’t have a hangover and it’s giving me a headache.”
“Dale?” Ellie turned around to face him. Her eyes were drawn to his beautifully chiselled abs and arms. She was drawn even more by the V on his waist that led to his briefs, exposed by his open tight jeans. Her eyes widened in horror imagining the state she must be in. He wakes up looking so hot and fresh and I wake up looking like the wicked witch of the west! She thought in a moan.
Carson laughed and responded to her thought, as if he could read her mind, “Trust me, I’ve seen you at your worst and this isn’t it.” He turned and walked out of Kris’s room, “You can go get your normal girly morning rituals done. I’ll wait in the kitchen for you.”
“Please tell me I’m dreaming, because I wouldn’t mind a piece of that!” Kris was on her feet and staring out at Carson.
“Kris!”
“I would be dreaming, which would technically make it totally okay!” She defended herself.
Ellie rushed into the bathroom. She rinsed her mouth in mouthwash, imagining how bad her breath must smell, and then she showered, washing away the stale beer and cigarette smell. She smelled her hair, hoping she wouldn’t have to wash it, but the indescribable eye-watering odor didn’t leave her much of a choice. She squeezed half the bottle of shampoo onto her hair, moaning about the pain and time it would take to comb and dry it. She barely got out of the bathroom before Kris had charged in. Ellie laughed. On a normal day, it would take Kris an hour to get out of bed, just to take a shower. On a hangover day, close to three hours, but with Dale here, it had taken her fifteen minutes.
Ellie peeked past their small living room and into the kitchen to watch him; he’d put his shirt on. She hadn’t seen him for two weeks, and now he was in her kitchen cooking for her.
He is in my kitchen, she thought worriedly. Ellie eased forward, “Dale, did you spend the night?”
“Yes. Don’t worry I slept on the couch,” Carson answered laughingly, “You were too drunk to do anything other than sleep.”
“How did we get here?”
“I drove you home from your birthday party. I had to carry you out of the club, and finally up a flight of stairs. You are heavier than you look.”
Ellie breathed a little when she remembered she’d texted him about the party before she got plastered. She never thought he’d come, or that he was back from his work trip, but he still came. And I was too drunk to remember... She felt ridiculous wondering how she’d behaved last night.
Placing a can of beer in front of her, “Don’t worry, you were a very well behaved drunk.”
Ellie looked at him with a raised brow, “Wow Dale, you must really like me drunk!”
“No, it’s not that. It’s good for a hangover,” the expression on her face didn’t look convinced, “Sometimes the cure for poison is the poison itself. Trust me.” He signaled for her to drink it.
“He’s right,” Kris was dressed, a towel wrapped around her wet hair. She walked to the fridge and took out a can of beer for herself. “So Dale, don’t you have work today?”
“No, it’s my day off.” He placed the eggs and bacon on the counter, “Lunch is served.”
“It’s Ellie’s day off too. Maybe you could give her a real birthday present.” Kris hinted winking at Ellie. Ellie exhaled, rubbing her temple with the tips of her fingers.
“What do you mean...?”
“Don’t!” Ellie half yelled, cutting him off, “Don’t ask, don’t ask, and don’t ask.”
Carson chuckled, finally getting the hint, “Kris if you have somewhere to be today, I just might. It could get very noisy,” his lips spread in a cheeky smile.
Ellie bit down on her smile as she walked away, pulling the robe tighter around herself, “You are both incorrigible!” She closed the door to her room, hiding her frantic search for something to wear and drying her hair. When she was done, she stepped out of the room and all she could hear was the loud TV.
She had taken a deep breath before she walked to the living room. Dale was on the couch, switching through the channels, “Where’s Kris?”
Carson smiled as he looked up at her, “She left.” He tapped his hand on the couch,
“She wanted to give us some alone time.”
Ellie’s throat tightened, she wasn’t sure if she should sit next to him or not, but she sat down anyway, leaving a considerably large amount of space between them, “I figured you two would get along. She’s as open minded as you are.”
“About sex?”
“What?”
He had to bite down on his tongue to keep from laughing at her frightened face, “We are both open when it comes to the topic and you are a little conservative about it.”
“I just don’t believe that I have to sleep with a guy the same night I meet him,” she said, defending herself.
He raised his eyebrows, smiled at her, then winked, “So I have to wait one-week and four days before we....”
Ellie felt like she was about to faint, “Lets watch a movie,” she jumped off the couch and sat on the floor, where the DVD’s sat. That one-week and four days were beginning to feel like a century to her and an impossible target with him inches away from her. He wasn’t making it easy for her to stay loyal to her rules, neither were her hormones.
He moved to the floor to sit next to her, “Which movies do you have?”
She whiffed his musky scent. She’d never been close enough or tall enough to be able to smell his after shave. It suited him. “How about, Immortals?”
“Really?”
“It’s either that or the Twilight Saga?”
“Immortals does sound like fun,” he said, pushing the couch back. He pulled the cushions out and arranged them on the floor.
“What are you doing?” She was glad she had carpeting. Cream velvet cushions and dust don’t mix well.
“There is a fifty percent chance I’m going to fall asleep during this movie, so I’m going to be comfortable when I do.”
She rolled her eyes, “You are such a joy to watch movies with. I’ll go get some popcorn,” she stood up and walked to the kitchen. She didn’t like the idea of lying down on the floor with him and it was blowing her comfort thermometer through the roof. She walked back into the living room and sat down next to him, debating on whether to lie down next to him or just remain seated. That decision was made for her when she was tugged back by her shirt.
