Connor jumped up and went around the bar, checking what Dr. Morrison had stocked there. “The Doc has everything still wrapped in the ribbons from when she must have received them as gifts. I guess we can rule her out as a closet alcoholic.”
“Get some glasses and pour us some whiskey over ice. There’s no use in getting fancy. How’s the wound?”
“Hardly noticeable.” Connor filled three ice cube laden drink glasses from a previously unopened bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey by the time Dr. Morrison came down in a red silk robe. Ellie whistled, putting one of the glasses in front of Julie.
“You have that I’m going to flash the girls look on your face, Jules.”
“Do not!” Julie sipped from her glass, grimacing only slightly. “Did you get stitches, Connor?”
“Nope. The EMT believed me when I told him I always get a damn infection. He used the strips instead. The peroxide on the towel you covered the scratch with worked to stop the bleeding and kill any infection.”
“That was a lot of blood for a scratch.” Ellie held up her glass. “Here’s to no more adventures for a while.”
“Amen,” Connor added.
Julie touched glasses with her two friends and sipped her drink. “Aren’t you both interested in how this mess gets straightened out? I mean what about the danger from whatever those people smuggled in?”
“Sometimes we have to admit we’re not up to the mark,” Connor replied. “We’ve got Terrorists, possible WMD’s, murderous Salvadoran gangs, and FBI wankers who think we’re the real enemy. Taking a step back seems like the logical thing to do, Doc.”
“It does when you put it like that.”
“If the MIB’s want our help, Jules, we’ll give it to them gladly. Think about it though. If the ragtag squad sittin’ here’s the only thing between California and doom, we’re in trouble. We can point Headshot here at the bad guys but we only have one of him.”
“Homeland Security will bring in the big guns. I wonder how far they’ll go to find out what the hell was so important that these guys went all in. They revealed a previously unknown cell to take us out.”
“They should let you question them, Opie.”
“No way! I’ve seen ‘24’. Jack Bauer saves Western Civilization and they throw him into a Chinese prison.”
“Jules, this booze is going right to my toes and shooting back up into my brain. Where’s that popcorn you promised?”
Julie giggled. “I’ll get it right now.”
Julie went into her kitchen and started a bag of popcorn in the microwave. She came back into the bar area with a big smile.
“Follow me. I have something to show you.”
With Ellie next to her and Connor behind them, Julie led the way over to a closed door to the right of the bar. She opened the door and turned on the lights. Ellie gasped. Inside the room a Sony fifty inch flat screen TV was mounted on the wall ahead of them. A sofa, love seat, and matching reclining chair were positioned for easy viewing, with matching serving tables and lights. Wireless speakers, mounted in optimum positions around the room for true surround sound completed the home theater setting.
“You big liar! You said you didn’t have a TV.”
“I said I don’t watch TV. I never said I didn’t own one, Ellie.”
Connor rubbed his eyes, seemingly on the verge of tears. “I… I think I’m in love.”
Ellie and Julie laughed. Ellie immediately began checking out the video cabinet.
“The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, Mary Frackin’ Poppins… oh my God! It’s no damn wonder you don’t watch any television. Opie, this is what the video cabinet in hell would be like and everyday for all eternity you would have to cycle through these.”
“I… I like musicals.”
“I knew you were a few pancakes short of a full stack, but Jules, this is just… disturbing.”
“You’re mean. I’m going in and finish my drink.”
“Don’t pay any attention to mean Ellie, Doc,” Connor soothed as he walked along side of Julie with his arm over her shoulders. “This is the same thing that happened to Rick when he had to break up with her. I helped him get over the loss many nights during football season. Do you have TVO?”
“Yes and I have DirecTV with all the channels. I-”
“Opie, you little plasma whore!”
They were all laughing on the way back to the bar. Julie hurried into the kitchen and filled a bowl with the popcorn. Connor filled all their drink glasses and held his up.
“To the good life between terrorist attacks.”
They clinked their glasses together and sipped.
“Hey, Jules has DTV which means she has Pay Per View. Let’s go pick out a movie, drink, and eat popcorn until we pass out.”
“You better sip that one in your hand slowly, El, because I’m cutting you off.”
“This…this is my house, Opie. No one gets cut off unless I say so.”
Ellie laughed at Julie’s increasingly slurred speech. “You tell him, girlfriend.”
“I’m cutting you off right now for your own good, Doc.” Connor reached for Julie’s glass but was pushed away.
“Jules will cut you off from the plasma, Opie.”
“Yeah… in a heartbeat, Opie,” Julie repeated, and then giggled.
“We have to get her into the viewing room with the popcorn, El.”
“I think you’re… right.” Ellie stumbled slightly getting off the barstool. “I think we better get me in…into the viewing room too.”
“Ya think?”
* * *
Julie woke up in a terrified sweat. She looked around in the dim light wildly for a moment until recognizing her own room. Her head ached slightly. Turning the nightstand light on, Julie saw a glass of ice water, three aspirin and a note. The note stated she had fallen asleep and Connor had carried her up to bed, adding that he thought the water and aspirin would help. Julie drank the entire glass of water after popping the three aspirin into her mouth gratefully.
The first signs of light outside did little to dispel Dr. Morrison’s unreasoning anxiety. Every stray sound in the otherwise silent atmosphere grated on her nerves. She tried reclining again while suppressing her jumbled inner thoughts, but no amount of slow controlled breathing or concentrated calming helped. Julie sighed in frustration and stood up. Tightening the belt on her robe she opened the bedroom door and walked quietly down the hall.
Pausing next to Connor’s door, Julie heard a low humming growl and quickly backed away. After listening at Ellie’s door for a moment next Julie opened it far enough to slip inside, hoping Ellie wouldn’t shoot her. She walked over next to the bed where she could see Ellie’s form under the covers, breathing evenly. No notes or glasses were on the nightstand so Julie figured Ellie had made it to bed without assistance. She wondered guiltily if Connor had made love to Ellie before retiring to his room. Picturing the two together erased the anxiety coursing through her, replacing it with longing.
Julie opened her robe letting it fall to the floor. Picking up the covers she slowly lay down next to Ellie. Hesitantly, with feather touch softness, Julie put her left arm over Ellie while sliding against her. She heard Ellie’s breathing change, and felt her friend’s body tense. Heart racing, Julie stroked her fingertips over Ellie’s hand.
“I…I was frightened,” Julie whispered, moving closer.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Jules?”
“Have you… you know… ever been with a woman, Ellie?”
“Once in college,” Ellie replied sleepily, turning in Julie’s embrace to face her. “What about you?”
Julie shivered with excitement feeling Ellie’s body brush against hers erotically. “A few times in college.”
“Did you like it?”
“Yes… you?”
Ellie put her arm around Julie, gently moving her hand down Julie’s back. “Very much so, but not enough to give it any thought. It happened after a party. We were both experimenting.”
“Hummmmm… I’d love to.”
“Do you think Connor will mind?” Julie’s breathing came in short panting intakes of air as she and Ellie feverishly began exploring each other’s body.
“Yeah… if he finds out he’ll be mad he didn’t get to watch.”
* * *
Ellie awoke with slow deliberation, her eyes opening to the unfamiliar setting with a slight feeling of discomfort. The blinds in the guest bedroom made it impossible to guess the time but she knew it must be late morning. She smiled, hearing Julie’s uneven breathing next to her. Ellie had slept on her back with Julie draped along the side of her body. One arm still hung over Ellie’s stomach. Highlights of their early morning liaison flashed through Ellie’s consciousness, awakening a growing desire with an equally disquieting feeling of guilt. As Ellie tried to ease away from Julie, the doctor’s hand tightened on her side.
“Are you trying to slither away from me?”
“I didn’t want to wake you.” Ellie turned under Julie’s arm to face her. She kissed Julie’s forehead, embracing her snugly, tingling with the silky touch of their joined bodies. “I don’t think I even moved after we fell asleep.”
“Thank you,” Julie murmured.
“For what?”
“You made me forget all about our other more violent adventures. I think I broke the doctor/patient relationship codes.”
Ellie giggled, suppressing it with her hand. “I won’t tell. I need a shower again and my toothbrush.”
“Good idea. Want me to come along and help you get clean?”
“Sure, I’ll do your back and you can do mine. How’s your head?”
“Fine. Connor left me aspirin and water on my nightstand.”
“Opie couldn’t wake you up so he had to cart your passed out butt up to bed.”
“What about you?” Julie groaned as Ellie’s fingertips moved down over her side.
“He had to wake me up too but I made it here on my own. I don’t think we stayed awake more than half an hour in your home theater room. Oh… don’t do… well… okay-”
* * *
An hour later, the two women walked downstairs together still damp from the shower. Connor looked up as they came into the kitchen, giving them a small wave of recognition. He had a newspaper open on the table in front of him with a half full cup of coffee next to it. They could tell he had taken a shower too. Connor wore jeans and black t-shirt.
“You two look lovely this morning. I made coffee and found the paper on your doorstep, Doc. They’ve managed to keep everything out of today’s edition.”
Julie walked over and bent down to kiss Connor on the cheek. “Thanks for the water, aspirin, and ride up to bed. That was very thoughtful.”
“You’re welcome. I guess we’ll have to explore the home entertainment center another time.”
“Anytime you wish.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Doc.”
“Aren’t you going to say anything, Opie?” Ellie poured coffee into two cups already set out on the counter next to the coffee maker.
“Nasty likes the room. She slept on my head. I had a few moments of uneasiness as I expect both of you did.” Connor grinned up at Ellie as her facial features tightened over his complete evasion of the elephant in the room.
Ellie brought over the coffee cups and saucers to the table, placing one in front of where Dr. Morrison had sat down at the table next to Connor. Ellie smacked Connor in the back of his head before sitting down next to him across from Julie. She waited for him to react to her playful rebuke, winking at Julie before giving Connor a grim look.
“You killed half of Oakland and found me and Jules sleeping together. Don’t sit there pretending you don’t have some reaction. Prove you still have a heartbeat, Mr. Roboto.”
“I know what I did,” Connor replied seriously. “If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be sitting here at the Doc’s kitchen table sipping coffee. As to you two sleeping together I have no opinion. Was I surprised - yeah, maybe a little. Whatever helps you cope is fine with me. What did you expect me to do, El, give you a lecture?”
“I figured you’d at least have the courtesy to show a little interest.”
“I’m a guy. I think it’s hot.”
“Did…did you wish you were with us?” Julie blushed as Connor smiled at her.
“I’d be a liar if I told you I didn’t think about it.”
“I woke up scared. If not for your cat, I may have walked into your room.”
“I’ll take Nasty to the pound today,” Connor immediately suggested, drawing laughter. “Thanks for considering me. I was so beat I didn’t think of anything. I thought I heard Nasty growl sometime this morning.”
“We’re close enough for me to ask you this. I know the deaths of those gang members and terrorists were completely justified, but do the killings bother you at all, Connor? I don’t mean in some simplistic moral way. I mean do you worry about ever being allowed back on the job?”
“Of course. At some level I’d like to simply patrol Oakland again doing mundane things like traffic stops and graffiti arrests but it doesn’t appear to be in our immediate future. I understand those men were someone’s little boys at some time. It would be disingenuous for me to pretend I regret the deaths of what they had become. If that makes me a monster, so be it.”
“I’ll admit to being worried about my job and even prison time. I’m concerned with whether someone will feel it necessary to hang me out to dry for what I did. As you both know, anything is possible these days. Remember not too long ago when four Oakland cops were gunned down by that scumbag child molester? Some of Oakland’s residents held a requiem for the murderer. You can bet if the whole story comes out about our adventures in the last twenty-four hours along with my actions, there will most certainly be some people calling for me to be locked up. The gang members will instantly become misunderstood, hardworking, undocumented immigrants, while the terrorists will be victims of my Islamophobia.”
“We’re not going to let that happen, Opie. Donaldson won’t let them bury you.”
“It seems you’ve given a lot of thought to the worst case scenarios,” Julie said. “After the way I’ve seen the police treated here, I find it hard to disagree with your assessment. The FBI promised to back you up on the last encounter. I’ll testify to that.”
“You may have to. I wouldn’t take any of it back - not the latest encounter, and not the kidnappers from what seems like years ago now. Looking at the larger picture we have a lot more to worry about than my legal problems.” Connor paused, seeing the grim looks on his companions’ faces as they contemplated what he implied. “Takes the mind off sexual fantasies, doesn’t it? Anyone hungry? I’ll make breakfast.”
“We could go out to breakfast,” Julie suggested. “There’s a nice-”
“The Boss said stay inside today unless we hear from him, Jules. Right now, he’s the only one I know is on our side. Opie knows how to make an omelet. I could go for toast and an omelet.”
“I have lots of eggs and a loaf of rye bread,” Julie said. “No one’s cooked breakfast for me here before.”
“I’ll make it a breakfast to remember.” Connor took his coffee cup with him to the counter where he began gathering what he needed for breakfast.
“You must be very proud of the way you put a fork in our sex conversation without ever saying anything, Opie.”
“I didn’t shut it down, El. I’m listening. You and the Doc draw me a word picture.”
Ellie laughed as Julie blushed. “We were talking about how you felt about it not what we felt about it.”
Connor began whistling a decent version of House of the Rising Sun while fishing out a large fry pan with cover from the cupboard under Julie’s sink. He heated the pan after adding margarine. Mixing six eggs and a little milk in a bowl, Connor continued to whistle while ignoring Ellie. He added the mix
to the heated frying pan, turning the burner down to very low and covering the pan. Connor put four pieces of rye bread in Julie’s four-slot toaster, ready to start. When he looked toward the table, both women were staring at him - Ellie with disapproval and Julie with embarrassed curiosity. He gestured questioningly with his hands.
“What?”
“Quit dancing and tell us how hot you think the idea of Jules and me together is,” Ellie ordered.
“Ellie!” Julie protested but did not take her eyes off Connor.
“So hot I’m thinking of calling Brandy and seeing what she’s doing tonight.”
“If you weren’t making breakfast in that pan, I’d adjust your thinking with it! I should have known you’d throw Whiney in our faces. If it was a ploy to get naked with us, it won’t work, right Jules?”
When Julie didn’t speak, Ellie looked away from Connor to see what had silenced her friend. Julie had her coffee cup cradled in both hands while staring into it as if into the oracle of truth. Ellie stood up and walked around the table. She stopped next to Julie, tapping her foot audibly while crossing her arms in an impatient gesture.
“I said if it was a ploy to get naked with us it won’t work, right Jules?” Ellie repeated the question louder.
Julie began giggling. She put her cup down and leaned back. “Actually, it’s kind of working.”
Ellie snorted in manufactured outrage but couldn’t keep it from turning quickly to laughter. “Jules, you horned toad.”
Julie giggled louder, hanging her head. “I’m so ashamed.”
“Opie, did you put something in the coffee?” Ellie asked Connor but he had turned away toward his unfinished omelet and toast.
“I’m hurt you would even make a joke about something like that, El,” Connor replied without turning.
“Face me, Opie so I can see those eyes of yours.”
“I’m cooking you ungrateful wretch.”
Ellie smiled, putting an arm around Julie’s shoulders. Ellie stooped next to Julie so as to be looking up at Connor with her. “Hey, Jules, how much you want to bet Opie’s got wood? If he turned around right now, I’ll bet there’s a tent party in those pants.”
The Protectors: Vigilante Justice (Vigilante Cops Book 1) Page 26
