By the end of the session, though, she was wet, and not just with sweat. She wished she could control the way rubbing his skin and smoothing oil on his body made her want to stroke the one muscle she had no business even thinking about. She stepped away from the table, saying faintly,
“Okay, that’s it for today. Have a nice day!”
She swiveled away from him, wiping her hands on the towel before turning off the music and packing her gear away. She had forty minutes to get to the clinic and eat something before her shift began. Trying to occupy her mind with the things she had to do, she went to open the door, but Cal was there before her, his hand on her arm, turning her back to face him.
“I’ve missed you, Viv,” he said, and lowered his head. “And I’m sorry I left you.”
Before she could avoid it, his lips landed on hers. It was not a kiss of passion, though she felt the tension in him. But it was as powerful, and the ache it started low in her belly spread like wildfire as he kept his lips there, gently caressing hers, before he raised his head.
“I’ll see you later, okay? I have an invitation for you that I don’t think you’ll refuse.” He must have seen the panic in her eyes, because he hurried on. “It’s not a date. Don’t worry. I know I don’t have that right anymore.”
As apologies went, it was more than adequate between a married woman and her apparently single ex-boyfriend. And yet, Vivica couldn’t help feeling, as she hurried away from him, that it was not nearly enough for her needs and desires. Which was why she was so glad she wouldn’t see him again for the next twenty-four hours, at least. Well, except that he had said he would see her later. And that he had no right to invite her out on a date. What did it all mean? She didn’t know anything except that within the space of two days, she was back to being seventeen, and consumed by thoughts of Cal.
Luckily for her, the work at the clinic was all-encompassing, and she was too busy even to eat, so that by the end of the shift, when she wearily changed into her regular clothes, she was wiped out. It was dark out, but the street lights gave more than adequate illumination for the one block to the bus, which was full of the bustle of people going hither and thither. She sank wearily into the first available seat and fought to stay awake so as not to miss her stop. Finally, after what seemed like an age, she was off and walking the short blocks to her home.
She followed this routine for the next two weeks, making sure to spend as little time as possible with Cal, steeling herself to touch his body in a professional way, when all she really wanted to do, the longer she worked with him, was seduce him with her hands and have her way with him. She needed to keep him separate from her life with Ray, whom she had served divorce papers before she disappeared from his life. Cal didn’t need to know how she had made a bad choice in husbands. He was single, which meant he hadn’t made a piss poor job of a committed relationship. But it might also mean he couldn’t commit, which meant she was safer not getting involved.
Tonight, she got off the bus feeling especially tired. It had been a long day with two difficult clients assigned to her, and she couldn’t wait to get home and soak her feet. She didn’t see it until she was almost abreast of it. The familiar SUV with the flames painted on the sides was dark, with no hint that someone was inside. But Vivica knew better. Snaking her hand inside her bag, she stopped where she was, under the happily convenient streetlight, her heart hammering in her chest. How had he found her? She had been so careful. She inhaled deeply, determined not to let him see how frightened she was. She waited, not speaking. He was the one stalking her. He would be the first to speak.
“Where’ve you been?” Ray demanded, his dark skin helping to keep him hidden from view. “I’ve been up and down this block a dozen times since six.”
Vivica swallowed, suddenly wishing she had taken her sister’s advice and reported him to the authorities. At the very least, she would have had a restraining order against him. As it was, she had nothing but the mace in her purse and a prayer. Where he had chosen to accost her, there were no houses. And her house and Cal’s were around the corner and down the second block, not close enough for her to hope Cal would see them. The houses in between were closed up, though it was clear from the lights that people were home. Maybe she could scream. She thought about it, and decided that it would be her last resort, if he didn’t leave her alone of his own accord, or if the mace didn’t work.
“Where I’ve been is no concern of yours, Ray,” she said boldly, knowing she couldn’t afford to show him even a hint of fear. “Nor is where I’m going now. My life ceased to be any of your concern when you sent me to hospital.”
His pearly whites flashed, but the smile was mean, as his words confirmed. “And yet, here I am, not incarcerated, no restraining orders, nothing. Looks like you knew your story wouldn’t fly, so you didn’t bother to tell it, huh, Viv?”
“Or maybe I was just taking pity on your sorry ass, because I knew if word of this ever got out, you’d be court-martialed and booted out of your precious Army with a dishonorable discharge.” She kept her voice flat, emotionless, and waited.
His laugh was ugly, and he stepped forward suddenly, his face sharply outlined under the streetlamp. “Is that a threat, bitch? You think you can threaten me and get away with it? You forget, I don’t scare easy.”
He stepped closer, right into her personal space, and though she wanted to step back, she held her ground, the mace tightly gripped in her fist inside her purse.
“Now, tell me where you’ve been, and where you’re going, or I’ll make you sorry you walked away from me. And once you’re done telling me, we’re going home.”
Vivica spoke clearly now, her heart suddenly still. She knew she would never return to the house he was calling their home, and she knew he would never find out where she lived from her. She needed to stall him, make him go away, so she could think of a way to protect herself and keep where she lived a secret.
“I have nothing to say to you, Ray. And I’m not going anywhere with you. Now get out of my way before I am forced to take more drastic measures. You have no right to stop me, and you need to stop stalking me.”
She wasn’t prepared for him to grab her and wrench her arm behind her while he pressed his hard body against hers. She took shallow breaths, determined not to wince or moan as the pain hit her. She could still scream, and she would, in a minute, if he didn’t let up.
“Let me go, Ray!” she said, raising her voice. She knew how much he hated being the center of attention, and they both knew if she yelled, people would hear.
“Shut the fuck up and do as I say!” he hissed angrily.
“No!” she yelled, louder still.
A dog in one of the yards close to them barked and ran around to the front to investigate the cause of the disturbance. The street was a quiet one, the neighborhood quite elegant. She imagined dogs didn’t bark at night unless there was something untoward going on. She hoped someone would come to investigate. When he raised his other hand and backhanded her, she screamed.
Chapter 5 - Baby Steps
Cal could see the flush beneath Vivica’s dark skin when he brought a cold cloth for her face, which he was sure must still sting from the slap that had landed there. She had a fair-sized cut on her cheek, right on the bone, but he had let her talk him out of taking her to the ER to have it checked. He had cleaned it with Betadine solution, and covered it with Neosporin on a large Band-Aid. Although she was not fair-skinned and the bruise would therefore not be terribly obvious, he knew there would be enough of one for people to ask questions, if anyone looked at her properly. Already she was having to field his questions, and he hoped she realized that he was not going to let it go until he got some answers that made sense.
“Cal, I’m fine, honestly. It was just an opportunity that he took because I happened to be walking home alone from the bus.” She tried to blow it off, which irritated him.
“And who was he?” Cal asked, leaning against the counter in her kitche
n, watching her face closely. It was clear to him that she knew her attacker.
Vivica sighed. She really had no choice but to tell him, and he could tell that she knew it, but he also knew that, for whatever reason, she wished mightily that she didn’t have to.
“It was my husband.” Her cheeks burned with the heat of humiliation this time, and immediately all was clear. Cal had known all along that she was unavailable, but he had wanted her to tell him so herself. And he had known that she was most likely a battered wife, but she also needed to admit that on her own.
“This wasn’t the first time he hit you, was it, Viv?” Although he phrased it as a question, they both knew he already knew the answer. When she didn’t reply, he continued, “So why are you still married to him?” He knew he sounded angry, but he couldn’t help it. How the hell had Viv let herself end up in a mess like this?
“You have no right to judge me!” she snapped. “You don’t know anything about me, Caleb Appleton!” She stood up angrily and paced away from him. Cal understood her anger, even though her words wounded him. The truth sometimes hurt, he knew. Like now.
“I’m not judging you, Viv,” he said quietly, trying to soothe her. “But this isn’t you. You never took shit from me or anyone when you were a kid.”
He watched her fidgeting in the chair she had sat down in again, her hands occupied twisting the cold cloth she held in her lap instead of on her face. He knew she was agitated, and he wished he could help her, but if she wasn’t willing to open up to him, there wasn’t much he could do.
“What’s his name?” he asked.
“Ray.” She stopped speaking abruptly, as though she didn’t want to give away any more secrets.
“No last name? What does he do for a living? Where does he live?” Cal couldn’t believe she was protecting the man who had attacked her on a public street.
“Cal, please, just leave it, okay? I’ll deal with it.”
She sounded desperate, and Cal bit back the angry retort that sprang to his lips. There were so many questions he had, but it was clear she was done answering them. He would find out her last name from Trey and find this Ray. What he would do when he found him, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to stand by and let the woman he loved...wait, what? He blinked and straightened, suddenly needing to get as far away from her as he could. Thoughts about love had been ruthlessly suppressed for twenty years. He wasn’t ready for them to come rushing back to overwhelm him. He couldn’t possibly love her. She was right...he didn’t know anything about her. It would be stupid to let his unbridled thoughts push him into making a fool of himself.
“Okay. Listen, I’ll be next door if you need me. Here’s my number.” He handed her the Post-it note paper that he had written his number on. He walked past her to the hallway, and then turned when he was almost at the door. “Oh, I almost forgot. This Saturday is my sisters’ birthday, and Sara has asked me to invite you over to celebrate. It’ll be a costume party, for obvious reasons, but I wouldn’t get too bent out of shape if you can’t find a costume. I’m sure they’ll find you something when you get there. If you’d like to come, I’ll take you.”
Pleased at how impersonal he had managed to make the invitation, he waited for her to speak. He half expected her to refuse, and so he was rather pleasantly surprised when she replied.
“Oh, sounds like fun! I remember those from when we were teenagers. I don’t mind dressing up, but I’m fresh out of ideas.”
“I’ll ask Sara tomorrow and get back to you,” he said, and sketched her a brief salute before he let himself out of her house. On the front porch, he inhaled deeply a few times, trying to calm the emotions that were rising in his chest. She had been attacked by a man who was supposed to love her, and he felt helpless, and angry with her for not doing anything more than she had done about it. If he thought it would help, he would have gone to the cops himself, and once again he had let her talk him out of insisting that she do it, saying that she was tired, and would take care of it tomorrow.
He walked over to his front yard and looked around him. The street was empty, and he could detect no sign of movement anywhere. He would watch her house for a while tonight, just to make sure she didn’t get any uninvited guests. As he walked indoors, he thought back to the scene he had stumbled across on his way back from his evening walk. He had just turned the first corner to his block when he heard a scream and hurried as quickly as he could toward the sound. Viv was being held by a bruiser of a black man, shorter than him but just as stocky. The man had her arm twisted behind her back, and Cal saw red.
Before he knew it, he was there, dragging her away from the attacker, who stepped back into his vehicle and drove away with screeching tires. He had been too intent on checking Viv to pay attention to more than the make and color of the car, and the decoration on its sides. She had not said a word, only let him walk her the rest of the way home, and tend to her wounds. Adrenalin pumped in his veins afresh as he thought of what he’d like to do to the man he hoped she was planning to divorce.
Needing to calm himself, or risk not sleeping, he went into his studio, cleaned all his brushes and palettes, and started a new painting. It soothed him to expel his demons in paint on canvas. He didn’t really know going in what he would paint, but when he finally stopped, another portrait of Vivica stared back at him, her full lips curved in a secret smile, like a black Mona Lisa. He had once painted a portrait of her which he had given to her as a birthday gift. He wondered, as he cleaned up again, whether or not she still had it. And he worried that this apparent obsession with rendering her likeness on canvas meant he was far more deeply connected to her than he liked to admit.
He went back to the front and settled himself next to the window that allowed him to see the whole front and left side of her house. He watched for an hour, but nothing moved. The house was dark, which meant she was asleep. He hoped she could get some rest, and he decided that he’d play chauffeur until she reported her attacker and got some kind of restraining order. Then maybe he’d need to persuade her to buy a car, so she wouldn’t be walking around at night alone. She didn’t need to make a target of herself with that man on the loose.
When she arrived at the gym the next morning, he was waiting for her. Her face was still slightly swollen from the blow it had received, and he could see the bruise that had formed around the almost invisible bandage on her cheek. His body clenched with renewed anger, but he tamped it down.
“Viv, how are you?” he asked, bringing his eyes back to hers.
“I’m fine, Cal, really.” She smiled a little, and added, “You always were a worry wart, you know. I see you haven’t outgrown that.”
“I only worry about people I care about,” he answered, and watched as she grew still. He didn’t know what he was doing telling her that, but he hadn’t been able to hold it back. That she was still a married woman was all that was stopping him from pulling her into Trey’s office and kissing her silly right that second. He wished he knew when he had completely lost his mind, but was at least glad he could still control his limbs.
“Thank you, Cal,” she said, and moved away. He let her go, watching until she disappeared into the staff room. Trey’s voice brought his head around.
“So, she’s the mystery woman, eh?” he commented with a sly grin on his face.
Cal looked at him with a frown. “What are you talking about?”
Trey laughed. “Sara told me all about your high school crush,” he said. “I didn’t realize who it was until just now, is all.”
“Just now?” Cal was sure he didn’t want to hear Trey’s explanation.
Suddenly, his friend sobered. “I know it’s been a long time, my friend, but anyone watching you watch that woman can see exactly what you feel for her. Don’t waste any more time.”
Cal didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t particularly like that Trey could see how he felt, but he wouldn’t deny it, either. He settled for avoidance. “She’s a married woman, Tre
y, and I don’t think her feelings have remained the same, do you?”
“Since when does a woman’s marital status change how a man feels about her?” The pain in the words brought Cal’s eyes to his friend’s face. He knew Trey was in love with Sara, but he hadn’t known it had been for so long. Cal pounced on that tidbit that his friend had unwittingly handed to him.
“You’re not the one to talk to me about wasting time, then, are you?” he said with a crooked grin, shoving Trey in the shoulder.
They both laughed at that, and Cal added, “By the way, are you invited to the party on Saturday?”
“Yeah, and I’ve been told to arrive looking like a Marine.” He laughed. “I’m not sure how exactly to do that since I can’t wear my dress blues.”
“Maybe she wants you to go in with camo paint and fatigues,” Cal said with a laugh.
“Not happening,” Trey said. “I’ll think of something. What are you going as?”
“I have no idea,” Cal answered. Maybe I’ll just dress as a chauffeur.”
“Why?” Trey looked curiously at him.
Cal pulled him aside and told him. “Viv was attacked by her husband last night walking home from the bus stop. I figure I can meet her and walk her home from the bus at night.” He paused, then added, “I’ll need some info from you. Sara wants me to persuade her to get self-defense training from you, and I want to find that bastard.”
“Damn! I would never have known if you hadn’t told me,” Trey said. “Let’s meet in my office after your massage.”
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