by Turner, Xyla
Her.
What I found almost had me committing murder. There was a man with my light in his arms and he was descending for a kiss. I hadn't moved that fast in the past few years. I wasn't someone that believed in fate but when I saw him about to kiss her and I just happened to be there; I knew. That wasn't going to happen and if it did, it'd be over my dead body.
For the first time in a month, I slept through the night with no problems. I didn't wake up, I didn’t have any bad dreams, and I didn't toss and turn. Phoebe was there and for once all seemed right in the world.
Wait, where the fuck was she?
I couldn't feel her next to me which caused my eyes to shoot open in alarm.
“Phoebe,” my raspy voice called. “Phoebe.”
My door was closed and a slight panic ran through my chest. Had she left me? I told her not to leave. Not that she listened to anything I ever said, except the things I wanted her to forget.
In an attempt to calm myself down, I rationalized that since she left, I'd go and knock on her door until she opened it.
When I opened the door, the overwhelming smell of bacon filled my nostrils. At first, I was taken aback then warmth filled me. Quickly, I walked into the kitchen and saw a barefoot Phoebe standing at the stove flipping pancakes.
She was beautiful even in her shorts and t-shirt from yesterday. She looked like she belonged there or had been there forever.
Making my way to her, I pulled her from behind against my body and kissed her head of hair.
“Morning,” I said in her locks.
“Oh,” Phoebe yelped. “Good morning, sleepy head.”
“What's for breakfast?” I asked as I released her.
“Pancakes, bacon and an omelet for you.” She turned and smiled.
“Thanks,” I said as I sat down behind the already prepared table with plates, silverware, and a carton of orange juice.
When she finished putting the food on the table, she sat down and said, “Dig in.”
We ate in silence and after too much of it, I put my fork down and looked at her.
“Thank you,” I nodded.
“For what?” she asked.
“For staying,” I said, then gestured towards the food, “and for the meal.”
Phoebe nodded her head and said, “It's no problem.”
We ate some more and this time, she broke the silence. “So, I've got to go and take care of my car. Remember I said it rides funny in sand, well it looks like I need new tires. Go figure.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Tommy is expecting me in the next thirty minutes.”
“Who is Tommy?” I asked.
“The mechanic.” She pointed to the west. “He’s over near the big park.”
“I'll go with you. A lot of times those guys take advantage of women since they don't know much about cars,” I informed her.
“No, Tommy is a good guy,” she argued.
“Yeah, I'm sure,” I laid on the sarcasm. “I'm still going with you.”
She shrugged and said, “Okay.”
After we finished, I followed in the truck as she drove her nice, luxury car that rode on bald tires, dangerously in need of a new set, to Tommy’s shop. Everything else about the car looked great.
Phoebe and I walked inside the garage and she told one of the guys she was here for Tommy.
He yelled and I quote, “Tommy, your girl is here.”
She laughed and it was just as I thought, the son of a bitch was trying to snag her. Good guy my ass.
“Ahhh, that must be my Phoebe,” a voice, with a slight Spanish accent, rang out but he wasn't visible.
“Tommy, you're so funny,” Phoebe called out.
A mid-size, caramel-colored man emerged from around the corner with the biggest smile on his face. Well, the smile was there until he saw me.
“Phoebe, who’s this?” he asked as his pace slowed.
“Oh, this is Goliath my…”
“Goliath,” I interrupted her. “So nice to meet you. Heard you were one of the good guys.”
“You heard right,” he said with a slightly more jovial tone. “Phoebe is such a joy to have around. So let's see these tires.”
As we followed him towards the car, Phoebe stood on her toes and whispered, “See told you he was a good guy.”
“He hasn't done anything yet,” I said.
I sat down in the waiting room as she made her way around to the various men working in the shop, smiling, talking and being friendly; spreading her good cheer which bothered me to no end. When she made it to the seventh guy, I nabbed her and made her sit on my lap.
She pouted a bit and asked, “What?”
“Just sit here,” I said.
“I'm making my rounds,” she looked at me with that pouty bottom lip poked out.
“Don't pout.” My hand rubbed her back. “Just sit.”
Now they were all glaring at me but she was none the wiser as she read through every magazine and commented on every outfit. She either wanted them or thought they were hideous. This is what she called window shopping.
Two hours later, Tommy found all four tires needed to be replaced. The alternator was making weird sounds and had all types of explanations about that. He saw one of the wind shield wipers was slightly bent, she needed an oil change that required a certain type of oil because her car was a luxury vehicle, and her air filters needed to be changed.
Good guy?
Bullshit.
Once he quoted the price, she gasped and said, “Okay.”
When she tried to stand up, I kept her down, looked at him and said, “Okay, sounds good. I'll be right over.”
“Good, Papi,” he greeted me, then turned and went behind the counter.
“Go to the car, I'll handle this,” I told Phoebe.”
“Oh, no. I couldn't ask you to do that. I've got it.” She smiled at me. “This is the cheapest I've ever had to pay, actually.”
“Right!” I nodded.
“Told you he was a good guy.”
“No, babe. Good guys don't overcharge women who don't know shit about something. If this is the cheapest you've had to pay, it was because I'm with you. I can promise you that shit. If I wasn't, you'd be fucked,” I said. “Now, go. I've got this.”
“I got it, Goliath. Promise, I do.” Her eyes pleaded with me.
“I'm not bending on this. Please, let me do something for you.” Her hand touched my chest, then she nodded and went towards the car like I asked.
When she was gone I said to Tommy, “You know she thinks you're one of the good guys. Whatever you say, she'll just go along with. The woman makes jewelry and sells produce for a living. She's by herself and has been handling everything on her own. This bill should not have been her cheapest and you fucking know it.”
“Papi, all bills need to be paid. Like I said she's a good customer and …” Tommy stated.
“No!” I stepped forward. “She doesn't get the all bills need to be paid. If you want, I’ll make it a point to let the women of this town know how dishonestly you deal with them.”
“No, no. Papi. No need for that. Phoebe is a good customer. We’ll treat her as such.” His arms were waving. “No need for that.”
I nodded.
“Let's hope so, for your sake. This is a small town and news travels quickly. More importantly, fucking with her is a guaranteed way to piss me off.” I dropped the money down on the counter. “That is not what you want.”
Then I grabbed her keys, turned and met her at the car.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Yeah, I'm ready.” She clapped once. “I know the perfect place I want to go.”
Oh shit.
She got in the car as I went to my truck, shaking my head.
This woman.
We drove out of town to an Amish market. It was a huge place and packed from the amount of cars parked outside. Phoebe jumped out of the car and yelled, “I haven't been here in a long time. They have the freshest food and I swear their cooked
food is to die for.”
She was nearly jumping up and down so I nabbed her arm, pulling her to me and said, “Okay, are you going to stop bouncing now?”
“Oh,” she noted then smiled. “Probably not.”
She leaned against me then grabbed my hand to pull me along. She was like a kid in a candy store. Loved everything, wanted everything, and I had to taste every fucking thing. Their chicken was the shit and their pretzels were like no other, but that was all I had. Their wood work was impeccable and the craftsmanship was top notch. She had at least four bags of mostly food and a few little knickknacks.
When we arrived back home, it was dusk.
“Thanks so much for going with me, Goliath. I had a swell day.” She carried all of her bags in both hands.
I nodded and followed her to the front door. Phoebe nodded back, turned to go upstairs and I followed her.
“Goliath, you don't have to come up with me. I can get all this upstairs and in my place okay.”
“Hmm,” I grunted and pushed her up the stairs.
“Goliath,” she sang.
“Hmm,” I repeated.
She shook her head as she walked up the steps. Once we made it inside, I proceeded to the couch, while she put everything away.
“See, I'm good now,” she said before I turned on the television.
“Good,” I mumbled.
“What's up, Goliath?” she asked me.
“Nothing.” I patted the couch cushion for her to sit down. “You got something to do?”
“Well, no. But you've never come to my place. What's the occasion?”
“No occasion. Just trying to watch some TV. I don't have one.”
I patted the seat again.
“Oh, okay.”
She shrugged her shoulders and sat down next to me.
The channel flipped on a medical show and Phoebe yelped.
“I take it you want to see this,” I said while I put the remote down.
“It's the season finale,” she bounced once on the couch. “Peter is about to get married and Danny is going to propose. I think.”
I had no idea who these people were but she was happy so that's what mattered.
When that show was off, she started to get excited about the next one which had to do with lawyers and then one dealing with interns until she fell asleep on my shoulder.
I carried her to the bed and crawled in behind her. After a little stirring, she settled in my arms and shortly after I went to join her in dreamland.
* * *
“Goliath.”
“Goliath.”
My eyes popped open and saw Phoebe staring down at me.
“You fell asleep in my bed, silly.” She smiled.
I growled and wrapped my hand around her neck to bring her back down to the bed.
“Come back to bed,” I said. “I'm tired.”
“What? I have to get on with my day,” she said in my chest. “I've got jewelry to make, fruit to pluck, and a few other errands. Kevin is coming with me, so it should be quick.”
“Who is he to you?” I asked.
“A friend,” she said.
“He wants more than that.”
“I'm not offering more than that.”
Her eyes were on me.
“Why?” I asked.
“I'm not interested in him in that way.” She shook her head. “He and I have had that discussion.”
“Did he hear you? Because if he tries to put his lips on you again. I'm ripping them off.”
“You're so silly,” she laughed.
“Phoebe, I need you to hear me. I'm not playing.”
“Goliath.” Her eyebrow rose as she pulled from my arms. “Just because that's your name doesn't mean you need to live up to the biblical character.”
At first, I looked at her, then I burst out laughing.
Phoebe’s face went pale as she stared at me while I got my shit together.
“What?” I asked.
“I’ve never seen you laugh like that, is all. Come on, seize the day!” She hopped up and went to the bathroom.
The shower turned on but I had to take a piss. The apartments weren’t as modern as some so the one and only bathroom was in her room, so that’s where I went.
“Phoebe, should I flush?”
The shower turned off and she said, “Yeah, I'm done. Can you hand me my towel?”
I passed her the towel and left so she could get ready. While I was putting my boots back on, Phoebe walked out in the fuchsia-colored towel in her bare feet.
“What's on your agenda today?” She started going through her drawers and throwing clothes on the bed.
“Nothing.”
“Want to come with me and Kevin? The more the merrier.”
“I don't like him,” I informed her.
“Stop being a grouchy bear,” she scolded me. “He's a great guy.”
“Like, Tommy is a good guy?” I leveled my eyes on her.
She slid on her panties, then turned around and dropped the towel to put on her skirt.
Her skin was a creamy, russet complexion and she was simply flawless. There wasn't a mark in sight and I scanned almost every area I could lay eyes on. Once her bra was on, she turned around and asked, “What?”
I’m certain my mouth was parted and my eyes glued to her body. She was beautiful. There was no doubt about it.
“Come here,” I said.
She teasingly shook her head in a negative motion and walked towards me unashamed in her bra and panties.
My hands rested on her hips so I could pull her closer to me.
“His lips touch you in any way, he’ll answer to me.”
“Why?” She laughed. “I can fight my own battles. Thank you, Mr. Bodyguard. I'm tough.”
“Sure you are.” I stood, pulled her in, kissed the top of her head and said, “I'll see you later. Come to my place when you get back.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Get out today.”
I nodded, left to go to my apartment and tried to continue my sleep but I couldn't.
Looked like I could only sleep with her.
Chapter 7
No Dates
Phoebe
The past month, Goliath was either in my bed or I was in his. We had fallen into some sort of routine. Whoever was up first in the morning cooked breakfast. Whoever’s apartment we ended up in, that person would cook dinner. We started and ended our day together every day. The times he did come with me, he would just chill if I was making jewelry and come watch me tend to the garden. Ollie thought it was weird but I figured he was a little sour about my not hanging out with him so much.
“So, are y'all a couple?”
I laughed and said, “No silly. We just hang out a lot.”
The older man rolled his eyes and murmured, “I'll say.”
“Yes, you do.” I shook my head.
“Just be careful, okay!” he called as I was leaving to finish making my jewelry.
When I closed Ollie’s door and turned around, I saw Sandra running her hands down Goliath’s chest in his entryway.
What in heaven’s name?
“I guess I've been so busy, I never noticed the new neighbor,” Sandra purred.
“I'm not new,” Goliath pulled back.
Deciding I didn't want to disrupt the two of them, I pushed off Ollie’s door and started to climb the stairs.
“Phoebe,” Goliath called.
I turned around and said, “Hey, Goliath. I'll talk to you later, okay?”
“No.” He closed his door, went around Sandra and was right behind me on the stairs. “Need to talk to you now.”
“Oh, okay.” I kept climbing and then we heard, “Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Goliath.”
He didn't answer her and just kept following me to my apartment. Once we were safe through the threshold, Goliath said, “I thought you were going to stop by before you started making jewelry today.”
“You were occupied. I didn't want to disrupt an
ything. “
“There was nothing to disrupt.” He was emphatic.
“Still, I'm not rude. If you're occupied, then you are. It's no big deal, Goliath.” My voice was firm.
He stalked toward me and said, “You're not getting what I'm saying. I don't give a fuck how occupied I look, if you need me, we planned something or whatever, you stop and say something.” Goliath’s words were measured and slower than normal.
Therefore, I mimicked his pace and said, “Again, I’m not a rude person. I will wait my turn or talk to you later unless there is an emergency.”
His hand rested on my hip and Goliath stared at me for a beat then he said, “You're my priority.”
O-Kay.
I wasn't quite sure what to say to that comment. Goliath has always been intense and protective. I think he feels like he needs to protect me from something or other people so that's why he keeps a close eye. I don't know or I was probably afraid to know. He just says odd things and I have no idea where to put it, so I let it be.
“Fine, Goliath. The next time some woman is feeling you up, I will interrupt and let her know you are my friend and I need you now.” I laughed.
He shook his head with an upward smirk across his lips. He had to know how ridiculous that sounded.
For lunch, one day, he and I went in town to get some burgers from the diner. Winston decided to sit with us at our booth because he hadn't seen me in a while.
“Who do you have here?” he asked me and gestured to Goliath.
“This is my neighbor, Goliath.” I raised my hand to him. “Goliath, this is Winston.”
The two men shook hands and greeted each other.
“What are you two lovebirds going to get today?” he asked us.
“No, no.” I corrected him. “We’re not dating. Just here to get some food.”
“Say what?” Winston moved his face towards me and pointed to his ear. “Say that again?”
Goliath laughed.
“It's clear as day you two are in love. Spare an old man his sanity.” He slid off of the bench and said, “Give me a second and I'll be back for your orders.”
I looked to Goliath who was looking at his menu. This was getting a little weird.
During dinner that evening, I decided it would be a good time to discuss a few things.
