by D. A. Bale
And this was just a preseason showcase.
Janine needed to experience this firsthand next time Radioman procured extra tickets. Now who could I set that girl up with?
“Looking for someone in particular?” Radioman asked above the din.
“It’s just I’ve never experienced this before,” I yelled.
“I thought you said you were a huge fan.”
Oops. My mouth runneth off without my brain. If I was gonna keep my family connections a secret from this guy for long, I’d better come up with a satisfactory explanation right quick.
“You know, here near the fifty-yard line. These are great seats.”
Yeah, that oughta do it.
“It’s one of my guilty splurges,” he admitted. “Season tickets to the Cowboys don’t come up for sale often.”
I wouldn’t know. “How did you get two more on such short notice?”
“Seth. We snatched these suckers up the moment they went on sale for the new stadium.”
The mention of Seth caught Grady’s attention through the crowd uproar over a bad call on the field. Hey, it didn’t matter if this was a game that statistically counted or not. Cowboys fans were all about sportsmanship and fair play. Well, and a great big ‘W’ in the win column, regardless of whether it came through second and third string players.
I had no clue what Grady planned to do about the information Seth had shared at the bar the other night. For all I knew, the boss had already made contact or was planning to arrest the attorney. With the connection to Radioman, I suspected that was why he’d also readily accepted my invitation to the game – to keep an eye on me while he grilled my date for information.
With my BS meter on high alert the other night, I was pretty sure Seth would play on the right side. By extension, Radioman remained in the clear – at least in my book. Now Banker Boy? For now, I’d leave that man in Grady’s suspicious hands.
That left Radioman’s hands all to me – and this time, I planned to use all my feminine wiles to ensure they got a proper workout.
***
That evening, I got laughs all around as I reiterated events of donation Sunday before dropping Grady and Rochelle off at their cars parked at the bar. At sixty-five dollars a pop, why take more than one vehicle? However, I left out a few things in the retelling, namely that Reggie’s donation had come about because of blackmail.
There was also the fact that I’d stayed a couple of nights with Zeke. I just didn’t think it’d be wise to share spending the night with my ex-boyfriend – as platonic as it’d been – with my new boy – er, friend. New friend. Someone I hoped to see naked tonight. Maybe then I’d do a little measuring of my own.
Think about it.
Radioman escorted me to my apartment and glanced around when I popped the new door open. “Wow, you can’t even tell where it happened.”
I still couldn’t remember exactly where Han’s body had ended up and hoped that memory stayed buried forever. But I got a pretty good idea when Slinky sniffed around the general area where Reggie’s guys had replaced the carpet.
After ballistics verified our stories and the police officially cleared me of any wrongdoing, Reggie sent his team in on Saturday to work round the clock to make it look like it had BHD – Before Han’s Death. They even put new carpet down the length of the hall since Jimmy had bled all over the old.
The holy pillow – and no, I don’t mean saintly – had disappeared forever. Since pillows reminded me of Han, I’d stormed the apartment the moment I’d returned and bagged up every pillow in sight before stuffing them in the far reaches of my closet. Eventually I’d pull some out again, but when that would be was anyone’s guess. For the foreseeable future, the only pillows on display in my home would be the two I slept on in my bedroom. And weren’t those the only ones you really needed anyway?
“I still can’t believe it,” I said. “I mean, someone actually died in here.”
A shiver passed up my spine. Would Han’s ghost return to haunt me? ‘Course I don’t believe in spooks and specters, but that didn’t keep me from getting a little freaked out, thinking of someone dying in my apartment. On my living room floor. Near where I was standing.
The truth? I was a lot more than a little freaked out – hence the real reason I worked so hard to garner some nighttime company. I didn’t expect to sleep a wink anyway, listening to every bump and creak. I half expected to hear chains and moans instead of cat snores and was once again grateful for my kitty’s presence. They say animals can sense the paranormal.
I said I don’t believe in ghosts, didn’t I?
Zeke had offered to let me stay another night, but I was determined not to let my fears get the better of me. I had to get over it sooner or later – I chose sooner. Yeah right, silly me.
Radioman must’ve sensed my shudder and curled his arms around in a firm embrace before planting a kiss on top of my head. I leaned into his warmth and savored the strength in his arms.
It was then I had a realization. I’d gotten my date to cross the threshold from the hall and into my personal abode. First success of the night. I snuggled into Radioman’s embrace where it was safe, and thoughts of ghosts and gunshots soon fled. I turned my face up to meet his lips. Heat plumed in my belly and lit a fire that reached all the way down to my toes.
Radioman spoke around kisses. “Aren’t you afraid…of being here…all by yourself?”
“A little,” I admitted breathlessly and pressed my advantage by sneaking hands beneath his untucked shirttail. Bare skin heated beneath my touch as I stroked up and down his spine.
His voice hitched. “How many dates…is this?”
“Two,” I replied. “Officially.”
“Unofficially?”
“We could always count…” My knees turned to pudding as he trailed kisses to my ear and sucked the lobe between his teeth. “…the times you asked.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“And when you’ve come to the bar.”
“Hell, yeah.”
My wording choice offered a very strong suspicion I’d avoid dealing with those pesky fears a while longer. Avoidance is my specialty, you know, and tonight other sensations took precedence.
“Up for some company then?” Radioman asked.
Up? I let fevered kisses speak for me until his mouth trailed down my neck, he lifted me in his arms, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Then with a free hand I swung the door closed behind him with a satisfying thud before we stumbled to the bedroom.
Saddle up, boy. This cowgirl’s goin’ for a ride. Yee-haw!
About the Author
Sometimes life emulates fiction.
Life is filled with tragedy and Ms. Bale's writing reflects this reality. However, there is always a silver lining...even if one must spend their entire life searching for it.
In her previous career, Ms. Bale traveled the United States as a Government Relations Liaison, working closely with Congressional offices and various government agencies. This experience afforded her a glimpse into the sometimes "not so pretty" reality of the political sphere. Much of this reality and various locations throughout her travels make it into her writing.
She dreams of the day she can return to visit Alaska.
Connect with her online
Facebook: D-A-Bale
Twitter: @DABale1
Blog: DA Bale Publishing
Email: [email protected]
Additional Works by D A Bale
The Bartender Babe Chronicles:
Look Before You Jump
Think Before You Speak
Knock Before You Enter coming Fall 2016
The Deepest Darkness Series:
Running into the Darkness
Piercing the Darkness
Rising from the Darkness
The Study, a novelette
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