by Marnie Perry
But his plans had changed when he had seen her flag down the bus heading to Biloxi. He had left his hotel, got into his car and followed the bus all the way there.
And it was boding well, she had almost literally fallen into his lap and he had to be blind not to see the way she had looked at him. But he also knew he had to go carefully and not frighten her into refusing his offer of a ride back to Eden. She was cautious, not the kind of woman to accept a ride from a guy because she found him attractive or because he had helped her out.
He had to admit he had been very impressed at her daring and the way she had stood up to the rude guy, that and the way she had leapt to the young waitress’s defence. She was quite something this English woman. She was amusing too, quick witted and funny and when she spoke her voice was low and soft but each word was clear and distinct. Then of course there was that damn sexy accent.
Up close she was, as the goons had said, not particularly attractive in the conventional sense, but she had something deeper than beauty, an inner goodness and kindness that radiated in her face.
She was not wearing make up, no blusher or eye shadow or even mascara and her skin was clear with hardly a blemish to mar it, only a few freckles on and around her nose and a small white scar on her right temple, when her face was paler it would be barely discernible but the tan caused it to appear more distinct. She had high cheekbones and nice white even teeth and full lips, and when she smiled one side of her mouth went up further than the other which was cute.
But in regards to her face it was her eyes he had noticed first, they were almond shaped and bright green, clear and shining with good health and her eyelashes were dark and thick. She was prettier than first appeared and prettier than she thought she was. Bonny, that was a good word to describe her, yes, bonny. Under normal circumstances if he had met her just by accident, as he had made it seem today, he might have been interested in seeing her again, if for no other reason than that she made him laugh. But of course these weren’t normal circumstances were they.
They arrived at his car and she nodded at the Jaguar, ‘is this yours?’ He nodded, ‘it’s very nice.’
He smiled and opened the passenger door for her; she thanked him as she got in. He got a whiff of the same scent he had noticed in her cabin and on her sofa cushions, fresh and feminine. He walked around to the driver's side got in and started the engine but before driving off he turned to her and said, ‘last chance to change your mind.’ Her brow furrowed, ‘you know, if you’re still unsure about accepting a ride from a strange man.’
‘Well, if you do have nefarious intentions the police will question Zoë and the manager of the diner, and probably the rude man and his friend, plus the rest of the diners there today, I don’t think you’d get very far.’
He laughed, ‘I never thought of that. But I doubt whether the rude guy would willingly help the police.’
She smiled, ‘probably not. But I’m here now and if we don’t leave soon the bus will get there before we do and my getting a lift from you will become redundant.’
He laughed out loud, ‘hint taken.’ And with that he took off the hand break and moved away.
She turned to him, ‘can I ask what you said to that man in the diner? It must have been something truly terrible to have made him pale as he did.’
‘Did he?’
‘Yes.’
‘I just told him that he was not being very nice. And did his mother never teach him any manners, and if she did she would be ashamed of him about now.’
She gave him a disbelieving look, ‘and that’s it?’
‘Yes.’
‘I wish I’d known it was that easy to intimidate people, I would have tried it myself.’
He shrugged, ‘maybe he just loves his mama.’
It was her turn to laugh out loud. He turned his head to look at her face, he liked the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled or laughed, she looked very pretty when she smiled but really quite attractive when she laughed, it was as good to look at as it was to hear.
She stopped laughing and looked uncomfortable suddenly and he realised he had been staring. He said, ‘sorry, I’m staring, it’s just that you have a nice laugh. Do all English ladies have such a pretty laugh?’
It had been a long time since he had seen a woman blush and it was as unexpected as the woman herself. He shook his head as if to clear it, he must stop this, seeing her as a woman; he knew when he came here what his intentions were. She was a job, a Target with a capital T, worth five million U.S. dollars to him...amongst other things.
She said, ‘don’t be silly.’
Despite what he’d just told himself he couldn’t help it, he laughed. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you.’
‘You didn’t,’ she lied. Then changing the subject asked, ‘do you live here in Mississippi?’
‘No, I was born here but we moved to Louisiana when I was seven.’
‘Oh, I’m going there as part of my tour.’
‘Tour? You a singer or something?’
She giggled, ‘no, I’m just a tourist.’ She told him about her tour and what states she was visiting then asked, ‘where about in Louisiana do you live?’
‘I don't live there now but I lived in Lafayette.’
‘Oh I’ve heard of that, it’s down on the coast isn’t it?’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
‘Is it nice?’
‘He shrugged, ‘some people think so. I left when I was eighteen.’ He had actually been thirteen but didn’t want her asking the question about why he’d been so young when he’d left.
‘Oh, why?’
‘I joined the Marines.’
‘Really? No wonder that guy back there looked intimidated.’
That’s not why he was intimidated thought Hennessey, but of course did not say so.
He said, ‘yeah, I’m just one big tough country boy.’
She laughed, ‘you’re not a Marine any more I take it.’
‘No.’
‘So where do you live now?’
‘In Galveston, Texas.’
‘And what do you do, for a living I mean?’
He wondered what she would say if he said, “I kill people.” Laugh probably thinking he was joking. He wondered if she would laugh if he said and you’re my next target. Probably not.
He said, ‘I’m a terminator.’
‘A terminator, like Arnold Schwarzenegger?’
He laughed, ‘no, he just acts the part, I’m the real thing.’
'Sorry, that was silly.’
‘No, it’s all right, I get that a lot.’
‘Sorry again for being so unoriginal.’
He smiled, ‘no, I terminate things that people don’t want in their lives.’
‘In their lives? Don’t you mean in their homes?’
‘A home is where they live, that’s what I meant.’
‘I see. Well if I have any trouble with unwanted “things,” she made quotation marks in the air, ‘in my life, I’ll be sure to call you.’
He looked at her but didn’t reply and involuntarily his hands tightened on the steering wheel. She stopped smiling suddenly uncomfortable. She said, ‘I’m sorry, you must think I was making fun of your profession.’
He didn’t speak for a moment then turned to her, ‘I think a nice lady like you would never knowingly make fun of anyone, Miss. Faraday.’
Instead of making Adela feel at ease this only heightened her discomfort and she said nothing further. They travelled in silence for a while until he said, ‘I heard you say you were used to cleaning, is that what you do for a living?’
'Oh no, not now, I did, part time only. But I looked after my mother who was very ill, she died six months ago.’
‘I’m very sorry.’
‘Thank you.’
He got the impression she did not want to talk about her mother or her cleaning job, so did not pursue the issue. For now anyway. But he knew now why her cabin had been in such pristine
condition. He asked, ‘so what are your plans for tomorrow, will you be exploring another town or city?’
She was glad of the change of subject he could tell and not just the subject of her mother. She had thought he was being sarcastic when he’d made the comment about her being a nice lady, and she had picked up on his unease with her questions about why he had left Lafayette and about the marines. He could not believe he had told her about that and where he came from, at least the state, it had just come out. Maybe it was the way she asked her questions, so easily and sincerely, not out of mere curiosity but as though she was truly interested. She gave the impression that there was no one of more interest than him right at this moment. It was disconcerting, and in his life being disconcerted was not a good thing.
She said, ‘oh, I’m not sure, I would like to go to Meridian and Jackson while I’m here. As well as explore the woods which surround the cabin I’m staying in.’
‘You like nature?’
‘Yes, very much. I love seeing new things, plants and trees and animals. Everything is so different here than at home.’
‘You should be careful though wandering around by yourself, there are deadly snakes, spiders and animals in the woods all around the south. Stick to the trails and paths.’
‘Oh I do. Believe me I’ve learned my lesson.’
‘Oh?’
‘Yes, I was staying in Alabama as I’ve said; I decided to chase a deer and got lost.’
‘That must have been frightening, what did you do?’
‘Well, there was a kind of hermit living in the woods, he doesn’t like people very much and was rather short-tempered, but he showed me the way out. I almost wandered into the swamp, but for him I would have.’ She did not tell him that he had almost left her there, that he had probably wanted to leave her there.
Jonas Lando, Hennessey thought. So he had spoken to her, more than that, he had helped he. He should be grateful to him, after all if he hadn’t been there to assist The Target he wouldn’t be here now earning his five mil would he?
He said, ‘well I’m surely grateful to him.’
She frowned, ‘you are?’
‘Yes, if he hadn’t saved you from the swamp I wouldn’t have had such an interesting and entertaining afternoon in that diner, not to mention right now.’
She blushed again and he smiled to himself.
She said quickly, ‘and what about you?’
‘Sorry?’
‘What are you doing in Eden?' She grinned, ‘have they got bugs in the Horse and Hind?’
He laughed, ‘well if they have, I haven’t noticed any. No, I’m just passing through on my way to North Carolina for a family wedding. It’s next week but I decided to drive there and see a bit of the old country, take a little vacation.’
‘Oh that’s nice. May I ask whose getting married?’
‘My cousin.’
‘Would you wish her well for me?’
He turned his head to look at her in some surprise before saying, ‘it’s a he, but yes, I will, and thank you.’ He continued to look at her for several seconds longer; her smile wavered a little at the look in his eyes before he turned his eyes back to the road.
Before he knew it they were just outside Eden. He put aside his plan of taking her somewhere here and now, he would wait for a better time. She did not know it, but she was right about the witnesses back at the diner. They would remember him, especially Zoë and the trucker and his friend. No, it was unwise to do anything now, he would bide his time and choose a place and time he could get her really alone, with no witnesses to say that the last time she had been seen was with him.
He said, ‘well here we are, safe and sound.’
She looked about her in surprise, ‘oh yes, that journey seemed to have just flown by.’
‘I thought the same, but in my case I blame the company.’
She looked askance at him, ‘sorry?’
‘I mean they say that time flies when you’re having fun, so if the company had not been so charming and amusing the journey would not have seemed so short, and I could have enjoyed the company for longer.’
He expected her to blush and he was not disappointed. She said, ‘well your mama certainly taught her son good manners, Mr. Hennessey, as well as charm.’
He laughed out loud, ‘I’ll give you the good manners, but the charm is all my own, when complimenting lovely ladies it comes naturally…and sincerely.’
She lowered her eyes and turned to open the door. He knew he might have spread the charm on too thickly and before he could think it through he'd said, ‘have dinner with me.’
She turned back to him in amazement and he could tell she was wondering whether he was joking and was about to refuse so hurried on, ‘look, you missed your lunch back in Biloxi and you must be starving, I know I am. So have dinner with me.’
She stared at him and opened her mouth but the words of refusal on her lips were not the ones that came out of her mouth. ‘There’s a café just over there, ‘she nodded down the street, ‘or there’s the bar, we could have pub grub.’
He looked perplexed, ‘pub grub?’
She grinned at him, ‘that’s what we Brits call food served in pubs.’
‘I like the sound of that, so, er, “pub grub,” it is then.’
‘Good, but I really will have to change first; I’ve been wearing these clothes all day. Of course I could keep these on and we could have the whole bar to ourselves.’
He laughed, ‘sounds good to me, but then you’ll get a reputation for less than perfect hygiene.’
She laughed, ‘and I wouldn’t want that now would I? So I’ll meet you outside the bar in,’ she looked at her watch, ‘say, thirty minutes.’
‘Thirty minutes it is.’
She smiled at him got out of the car and waved as she made her way to her cabin, he returned her wave then leaned back in his seat and blew out his breath. He wasn’t sure which of them had been more surprised by his invitation. He hadn’t intended to do that, but it was certainly a good way of discovering her habits, where she went and when. He might even get the full itinerary out of her which would aid him in his task of getting her alone and questioning her in more detail. But when she had accepted it had come to him that maybe Glissando’s idea of wooing her was not such a bad one.
He was here in his home state, a place he had not been back to in more than twenty years, and she was interesting and amusing company. He could even get her to agree to let him tag along on her explorations of the state. Even if she had planned a trip to Crystal Springs, his home town? Could he go along with that, could he go back there again? For five million bucks? You bet he could. He knew that procrastination was dangerous but perhaps ultimately worth it.
He got out of the car and went to his hotel room where he showered and swapped his jeans for cream coloured chinos and his T-shirt for a dark green shirt. He contemplated a tie but changed his mind; a tie was maybe too much for “pub grub.” He smiled when he thought this. Maybe this wooing thing would not be such a chore after all. The Target was a woman wasn’t she? A pretty, smart, funny woman; it would be no hardship to spend some time with her. And if he could get her to trust him and eventually to confide in him that would be so much better than the second option Glissando had suggested.
As he combed his hair in the mirror, he told himself that he might even get lucky and bed her before he earned his five million dollars, a bonus as it were. But he would go carefully and take his time, worm his way in to her good books; he knew he was charming as Glissando had said, albeit sarcastically, he knew how to wine and dine and entertain a woman.
He knew he was attractive and that he caught the glances of women wherever he went. A woman once told him he looked dangerous, and that there was nothing sexier than a dangerous guy. If she’d known how dangerous he actually was, she might have run screaming from him. Or maybe not, maybe she would have had an orgasm to beat all orgasms; women were hard to figure sometimes. He also knew he was
smart and cunning; he hadn’t lasted this long without being both of those things, and he would use those things to the hilt with this woman. Yes, this would be a nice distraction before he did what he had being paid to do.
When he was ready he looked out of his window and saw her walking up the path to the town. She looked at her watch as she did so and her steps quickened. He looked at his own watch, twenty six minutes since they had agreed to meet in thirty. He was impressed, usually when a woman said thirty minutes, she meant forty five. He smiled to himself, she certainly did not want to keep people waiting, or maybe she just didn’t want to keep him waiting.
He looked at himself in the mirror and caught the smile, it was almost predatory, he would have to watch that tonight, he didn’t want to frighten her off this soon. He tried again and this time his smile was softer and warmer.
Satisfied, he picked up his jacket slipped it on and left his room, he knew it was really too warm for a jacket but he never went anywhere without a weapon and this was the only way to conceal it, he would rather be too hot than dead.
She was looking in the haberdasher’s window while she waited for him. She was wearing white slacks with a very pretty frilly peach coloured blouse and white sandals. She didn’t hear him approach and jumped when he said, ‘hi.’
‘Oh, hello.’
‘Sorry I didn’t mean to startle you, and I’m sorry I’m a little late.’
She looked at her watch, ‘’you aren’t late, you’re dead on time in fact, I’m a little early.’
“Dead on time.” How appropriate he thought, but said, ‘it’s always been my experience that it’s inbred in ladies to be late, it’s nice to finally meet one that’s not just on time, but early.’
She laughed, ‘it’s one of my vices, I’m early for everything, my sister in law says it’s annoying, and that I’ll be too early for my own funeral.’
His laugh was partly at her joke, but mostly at the way she kept inadvertently referring to Glissando’s plans for her. If only she knew just how prophetic her words were.
He told her she looked very nice and she lowered her eyes as she thanked him. She obviously was not used to compliments being paid to her by a man, he would remember that. He put his hand on the small of her back as he had when leaving the diner and guided her towards the bar door saying, ‘shall we?’
