Islam Rising

by Johnny Jacks

  Grayson was stunned at her openness. “Shannon, that’s very personal. I’m at a loss for words.”

  For a second, Grayson thought she was going to cry. Once again, silence dined with them. She swallowed and offered a half-hearted laugh. “I’m okay now. Saying that actually felt good. It’s incongruous, but I trust you, even with our disparate histories and the wide gap in our political convictions. Could be the extensive research I did on you before the last trial. Damn you, Grayson Dean!” Or, the alcohol. No! That’s not it. She tried to calm down.

  Grayson flinched and debated whether to push her but decided against it. “Hey, what do you think about taking some of the casino’s money?”

  “Sounds like fun. What’s your game, mister?”

  “I like blackjack and play a little on the craps table every now and then. How about you?”

  “Just slots and video poker on occasion. Let me watch you play blackjack, see what it’s all about.”

  When the waiter brought the bill, Shannon reached for it. Grayson caught her hand and grew serious. He made it clear who was paying, then shifted to humor. The last thing I need is an argument with the Ugly Super-Bitch.

  “Miss Shannon, darlin’, it would be a deefault in me as a Southern gentleman and a threat to mah manhood if ah did not provide imbursement for this wonderful repast. It’s not often that ah enjoy the company of such a charming lady in a fine dining establishment.”

  Shannon joined the game. Head slightly down, right hand on her chest just under her throat, and eyes tilted up, she fluttered her eyelids. “Why I do declare, Mista Dean. It would displease me something terrible if ah caused your manhood impairment. Ah submit to your petition, as ah received equal gratification from your company. Ah’m most grateful for your consideration, suh, and await the time ah can reciprocate with a special reeward for your generosity…in the very near future.”

  This woman is more dangerous out of the courtroom.

  Grayson paid the bill in cash. When they stood to leave, the effects of the wine were evident. They laughed as they staggered toward the casino.

  Shannon led the way, an exaggerated wiggle to her walk. She snapped her head and looked over her shoulder to catch him enjoying her efforts.

  His face crimson, he laughed heartily. “I’m busted; but so is every man we’ve passed. You made that old guy stumble. You should be ashamed of yourself, ma’am.”

  She held her nose in the air and put on a sweet, innocent face. “Why, Mista Dean, ah’m sure ah don’t know what y’all mean.”

  They both cracked up.

  ~~~

  At the blackjack table, exercising his inherent sense of chivalry, Grayson paused for Shannon to sit first.

  “I’ll just stand and watch.” She slid between the seats and closer to his right side. He swallowed hard and forced himself to ignore her revealing cleavage, inches from his face. Both ordered drinks, and he downed his quickly, thankful for an excuse to gulp, and ordered another. She followed suit. After a few minutes, she excused herself to go to the ladies room. She returned to find a voluptuous young blonde in the seat to Grayson’s right, leaning toward him and flirting.

  Shannon stood several feet back and watched. Grayson ignored the woman, but she didn’t give up. Disturbed by an unexpected stab of jealousy, Shannon pushed between them. Her breast brushed against his arm. “Miss me?”

  “Sure did,” he half slurred. What was it with this woman he thought he knew? Grayson would swear the breast brush was intentional. What am I doing in a casino with a married woman? Better yet, what does she want?

  Shannon watched Grayson play blackjack for half an hour, then with her breasts pushed well into his side, spoke in his ear. “This isn’t my game. I’m going to play the video poker machines.” He looked into her beautiful gray-green eyes and felt an intense, penetrating connection. This is not right. Do Not ask her to stay.

  He cleared his throat. “I enjoyed dinner, Shannon. If we get separated, have a safe trip home.”

  “I had a good time, too, and you have a safe trip home as well.”

  He detected a slightly miffed voice but ignored it, and returned to his hand, the ace and jack of spades, the perfect blackjack hand. An omen?

  Thirty minutes later, and a little more inebriated, he ran into her on the way to the craps tables.

  “Hello, pretty lady. I won a hundred bucks. How’d you do at video poker?”

  “A whopping ninety-five dollars.”

  “Let’s put it all on the craps table and either win big or lose it all in a single roll and forget it.”

  “That sounds daring. How does it work?”

  “We take a chance on one roll of the dice to build a good stack of chips. If that works, we bet it all on another single roll of the dice. We win it all and split fifty-fifty or walk away empty-handed. Are you game?”

  She tilted her head and spoke softly. “I’m game.” She interlaced her fingers with his.

  They laughed each time they bumped into each other on the way to the cashier’s window. Grayson added five dollars to purchase two one-hundred-dollar chips. She took his hand again, and he led her to a table with a lively party, evidence of a hot table with big winners.

  At the craps table, the gentleman rolling the dice rolled a seven. The payout man retrieved all the chips from the table.

  “Why did he take the chips?” Shannon asked.

  “Because the guy rolling the dice threw a seven. That means you lose.”

  “I don’t like to lose.”

  “Boy, do I know!” Grayson placed all of their chips on the number three.

  The pit boss, stick man, and payout man looked at him as if he were crazy.

  “I know what I’m doing.”

  Shannon squeezed his hand. “We’re here to win big or give it all away.”

  The next person in line to roll the dice was an older lady. “Good luck, kids!” She rolled the dice and hit a three. The table erupted in cheers. The payout man took their chips and replaced them with three more.

  Shannon looked worried. “I thought we won.”

  “We did. These are thousand-dollar chips.”

  “That’s good, huh?” She giggled and swayed into Grayson’s side.

  He instinctively leaned back and put his arm around her waist to keep her from falling. She clung to him and placed her hand on his, sliding it down to her hip, where he left it.

  “You said we would bet a second time. What else can we bet on?”

  Grayson thought for a second. “Two or twelve.”

  “What would that give us?”

  “With three thousand dollars at thirty to one odds, that would be ninety thousand dollars,” the payout man said.

  “Ninety…thousand…dollars! Let’s do it!” Shannon nervously clapped her hands.

  Grayson warned, “We can also lose the three thousand.”

  Her gaze left no doubt she was in, whatever happened. “I’m still game, one hundred percent. How about you?”

  His passions, assisted by too many drinks, loosened his moral constraints, and he pulled her close. “I’m with you all the way, baby. Pick your number.”

  She turned to the stickman. “Put it on the…twelve…no…no…the two.”

  The stickman looked at Grayson for assurance.

  “Place it all on snake eyes.”

  With shaking hands, the older lady rolled the dice. When they stopped bouncing on the table, one went straight to a single dot and the other spun on one of its corners for what seemed an eternity. When it finally fell, it revealed another single dot.

  “Snake eyes!” The table erupted with cheers and high fives. Shannon jumped up and down shrieking like a teenybopper at a rock concert. She pulled Grayson’s neck and gave him a big open-mouthed kiss, their tongues dancing happily.

  When the long kiss ended, her eyes spoke her mind. “Let’s cash out.”

  “Are you absolutely sure?”

  Her smile and a kiss confirmed her reply.

&
nbsp; An employee escorted them to an office to sign paperwork and receive their winnings.

  They kissed again in the hallway between their rooms. “Give me twenty minutes then knock on my door.”

  Grayson nodded. “You got it.” He took the quickest shower of his life, brushed his teeth, gargled, and dressed in record time.

  He knocked on Shannon’s door exactly twenty minutes later. When she opened it, Grayson stopped breathing. Her see-through baby doll jammies would make a Victoria’s Secret model blush.

  Stepping inside and closing the door, his eyes wide, he could not stop staring. “I’ve got to take this in.” Holding her right hand high, he slowly twirled her, his eyes exploring every square inch of her body. She’s a real redhead and that black dress didn’t have any pushup to it. Wow!

  Shannon wrapped herself around him and drew him into a deep kiss, then led him by the hand to her bed.

  Chapter 20

  Confession Is Good for the Soul

  Year 1

  The sun assaulted Grayson’s eyes, intensifying the deleterious effects of the previous evening’s over-indulgence. As consciousness pushed through the haze invading his brain, he sat straight up in bed, a major error. He grabbed his aching temples and moaned. Squinting, he surveyed the room for his cohort in iniquity; a running shower announced her location.

  When the throbbing in his head slowed, he noticed the partially opened bathroom door. His brain’s synapses fired wildly in every direction. He had made love to a married woman, a woman whom he had despised for years, and for some unknown reason carried a hidden identity. He rubbed his temples again and contemplated his options.

  Would he be a jerk if he left unannounced or a wicked voyeur if he entered the lady’s private domain unannounced? What the hell happened here last night? Speaking to Shannon through the door would make him feel adolescent. With no viable alternative, he floundered around the room holding his head and grabbing his strewn clothes and shoes.

  As he bounced around trying to get a foot in his pants leg, he fell back on the bed. The shower turned off. After a few seconds, Shannon called to him, “Will you meet me in the restaurant for breakfast in an hour?”

  He was on the verge of declining, when he realized her tone carried a plea.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He grabbed his clothes and shoes, got his key ready, peeked out the door, and shot across the hallway to his room in his birthday suit. Grayson Dean, you are an idiot.

  ~~~

  When he entered the restaurant, Shannon was already sitting quietly at the same isolated table where they shared dinner. Dressed in black jeans and a fitted silk cream sweater, she had a cup of hot coffee and a shy smile. She was nervous, a state she rarely showed. He watched her finish doctoring her coffee and sip at the steaming brew. Underneath the tension, Grayson was sure he saw the look of a satisfied woman, a look that bolstered his ego. He wondered if Shannon detected the same in him and instantly felt the pangs of guilt.

  Margaret would be so ashamed of me. My first date, if it could be called that, and it was with a married woman.

  He removed his winter jacket and placed it on the back of his chair, ready for a cold January walk to help clear his brain. “Thanks for the coffee. I’m sorry about last—”

  She quickly raised her hand.

  “Grayson, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. But we’ve added a few more elephants that need to be cleared away.”

  He downed his coffee and a glass of water and called the waitress for a refill, then sat back and let Shannon have the floor.

  “Last night, I didn’t hold up my half of our deal. I wasn’t totally open about my background. Our parents passed away several years ago. Jillian has always been my best friend, the person I confide in. Larry…is not a talker. He shirks responsibility…is passive, so with my…er…rather assertive….”

  Grayson sat quietly and let her work it out. The great Shannon Fisher is actually nervous and lost for words.

  “Anyway, being honest with you yesterday about my lack of children was quite cathartic. Naturally, Jillian knows….” She glanced up at the waitress.

  Grayson waved her away.

  “I awoke wondering why I told you things I have never shared with my sister. I believe I was right when I told you it’s because I trust you, which is peculiar given our work relationship.”

  If what we have is a work relationship, I don’t want to get on your bad side.

  Shannon studied his face and finished quickly. “These are new feelings for me, but I think I like it.”

  Grayson was at a loss, so he bought some time with silence.

  “Damn you, Grayson, say something!”

  “I’m having a little trouble with the changes. Lady, there are two of you. Maybe more. What’s the deal?”

  “It’s a boring story.”

  “Try me.”

  Shannon shook her head.

  “Okay; how about this? Twenty-four hours ago, we hated each other.” Crap. Talk about throwing cold water on a hot flame. “And now, we have a different history, and that’s an elephant we definitely need to eliminate.”

  “Not today.”

  The irritated waitress returned to the table. “Sorry, folks, we’ve got a line. Are you going to order?”

  Grayson barked an order and handed her a hundred. “Two buffets and bring a carafe of coffee and a pitcher of ice water. Here’s a little something for your trouble.”

  He turned back to Shannon. “Okay. I’m glad you felt better, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to become your confidant; although, I might like it.” Where did that come from?

  “That’s not what I’m asking of you. For the few minutes we have left, we do need to discuss last night. What happened was wonderful, but it can never happen again.”

  “You won’t get an argument from me, lady. But I feel guilty as hell this morning. I’d like to think that going without making love for so long, combined with the alcohol, made me susceptible to your feminine wiles; but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t more to it. It’s confusing.”

  She nodded, and then spewed words at him in one breath. “Regardless of your stupid right-wing politics, you are the most honorable and…sexiest man I’ve ever known.”

  Grayson’s mouth fell open and he started to speak, but she cut him off again.

  “Please. Let me finish. Last night….” Shannon hesitated and then looked him squarely in the face. “The love you carry for your wife and daughter is a mystery to me, but it’s what I long for. There’s something exceptional about your ability to work in a job fraught with violence, yet maintain your integrity…and love with such depth. You’re an enigma.”

  “I’m an enigma? You talked to your other self lately?” He picked up the carafe and refreshed her coffee, added a heaping spoon of Sugar in the Raw and a tiny splash of cream.

  She stared into the cup. “See what I mean?”

  “Pouring coffee doesn’t make me an enigma.”

  “We’ve been friends only a few minutes, and you know how I like my coffee. How can I not like you?”

  “Shannon, I’m a cop. I’m trained to notice things. I appreciate the compliments, but I’m just an ordinary man.”

  “One thing is for sure; you are not ordinary! You are not a typical dimwitted cop.”

  Grayson’s eyebrows reached for his hairline. “Thanks?”

  “Yesterday, I planned to play a trick on a dumb cop. I teased you to make you think you were going to get lucky, intending to send you to your room frustrated.”

  Grayson shoved back his chair and stood. “Have a good trip home.” I must be bat-shit crazy to have anything to do with this vixen.

  “Wait. Let me finish. I used it as a strategy in college to get guys to stop asking me out. Please sit down.”

  Grayson sat. “You have one minute.”

  “Once I learned boys only dated me for sex, I devised a plan to set them up for a fall. It was a sure way to earn a bitch label, and get them to
leave me alone. When Larry came along, he never pushed for sex, so I married him. I thought he loved me for more than my chest measurement. Turns out, he’s extremely passive, a real mama’s boy. All he wanted was someone to look after him.”

  “So, your plan was to lead the stupid conservative cop on and then dump me, play the high school prick-tease?”

  She whispered. “It backfired on me.”

  Grayson’s voice bore malice. “Let me guess. You fell madly in love with me.”

  “Yes…no…I mean…I honestly don’t know what happened last night.” She held her head with both hands, elbows on the table. “You don’t have a couple of aspirin on you, by any chance?”

  “Do I look like a man who carries around aspirin?”

  “One thing I know for sure. There’s more to Grayson Dean than I could imagine. Your self-control during dinner and in the casino made it clear you found me attractive, but you wouldn’t act on it. You are not shallow or stupid, but rather a man to be respected.”

  “I’m flattered, but your minute’s up.”

  “Oh, shut up and listen! When I left the blackjack table last night, you told me goodnight and didn’t pursue me. Your senses of decency and self-restraint aren’t the actions of an ordinary man, at least in my experience.”

  Grayson toyed with his coffee cup, feeling vulnerable and confused, and oddly aroused. What is wrong with me? The woman is married!

  “I don’t honestly know who seduced whom, but I had to tell you what I’d done.” She hid her face in her hands.

  Cop radar on high alert, Grayson sat quietly and gave her time to gather her thoughts, or courage.

  “I think I controlled you from the dinner table to the bedroom, but you took over there.” Shannon lowered her voice and leaned across the table. “You produced sensations in me I never knew existed.”

  It was his turn to blush. “Your delightful little screams undoubtedly peaked my performance. You are quite talented yourself. We both lost ourselves in passion.”