by Debbie Behan
Kev shook his head. ‘Girlie stuff isn’t my thing man. Catch you both later. I have my own fun waiting upstairs.’
Jay punched his arm. ‘Save some for me. I’ll be up later.’
Ricco stood and eyed Jay. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’
‘Up to see Robo-gem for a massage and pedicure. We want the works hey Ali.’
She shrugged her shoulders as he dragged her out. ‘Sounds fabulous.’
He looked back as he closed the door. ‘My girlfriend.’
Ricco chucked a shoe at him, just missing him. He heard Jay laugh and Alina squeal when he must have grabbed her, excited to escape for a while.
As he got changed, Ricco worried how boring it might be for Alina here. He knew that Jay with his playful soul would always find ways to keep her amused. He should be grateful, but was ticked off he hadn’t suggested it. If he hadn’t been so busy laying the law down he might have thought of it first.
Even so he enjoyed the rivalry with Jay. He never met anyone game enough to stand up to him on any issue, never mind a woman that he, they both, cared about. Only half his size, Jay had stood up to him from that very first day they met. His guts and determination were commendable and that was after knowing her only a few days. Now I reckon I could break his legs and he’d crawl to her on his hands and still ignore me.
Later it played on his mind while he worked on the computers. A couple of times Kev shot Ricco a look. Kev guessed why Ricco grinned. Ricco read his mind but didn’t have to. Kev was getting used to the way they were with each other.
He scolded himself. He should switch off the mind reading power, using it now for his entertainment. Maybe I will after I annoy Jay just one more time. He had a glint of mischief in his eyes.
~ Chapter Nineteen ~
Day Spa
Jay activated Robo-gem when he and Alina entered the day spa.
‘Give us a full massage, a manicure and pedicure,’ Jay instructed the robot.
‘Nail polish?’ said the robot.
‘Yes please and Jay wants it too.’ Alina chuckled.
‘I do not!’ Jay eyed the robot.
He whispered, ‘Cut it out. This thing is a robot and might take you literally. Most likely dog-tie me and do just that.’
Robo-gem plucked a couple of towels from the shelf. ‘Very well.’
Alina hugged him and her softness relaxed him but not for long. Robo-gem interrupted them by taking her arm. What is it with these big, overgrown bullies? They insist on taking my girl. I wonder what the robot might do if I pinched her. Jay decided to for fun and the robot turned around and slapped him lightly on the face. ‘Behave young Jay or your massage will not be as enjoyable as you first hoped.’
‘No! Surely not! The big guy has given her his personality.’ Jay scowled at Alina but she still hadn’t stopped laughing from him being slapped.
‘Mean girl.’
‘Funny man!’ she said as Robo-gem got her to undress and she lay on the massage-table.
‘Now this is better. I’m happier already,’ Jay said as he checked out Alina’s slender thighs and tight butt.
‘I still believe you should have stayed a man.’ Jay stirred her.
She laughed as she lay on the table and Robo-gem tutted him and covered her with a towel that spoilt his fun.
Robo-gem told Jay to go have a spa and loosen up as he was next. He told her he wasn’t leaving his girl alone with anyone while she was naked, even a pervert robot.
‘Jay, she’s going to give you hell if you don’t stop calling her names.’ Alina slapped at him.
Jay watched for a while then got bored. ‘Let me try Robo-friend stealer. Move over, I want to do it, go work on her hands or feet.’ He nudged her out the way.
Jay rubbed the oil on his hands and moved them over her back as the robot had done and Alina moaned. ‘See, she likes my massage better.’ Chuffed, he grinned.
The robot gave him instructions as it worked on her nails. He ignored most of the instructions as he talked to Alina. When it was time for her to roll over, he gave her privacy. ‘Robo-perve can do the front.’ He handed the robot the oil.
‘Would it have made you sexy?’ Alina stirred as he moved to take over from the robot and massage her feet.
‘Shit girl, for a hundred-years-old you keep in damned good shape, but no, sorry. I just don’t want Ricco kicking my arse. Instead I look forward to seeing the robot cop a punch. ‘Can’t wait to tell him.’ He smirked at the robot.
‘You’re so mean Jay. You keep forgetting you’re next.’
Alina sounded relaxed, enjoying the pampering.
He smiled playfully and picked up her first foot, kissed it and gave her toes a light lick under them. Alina closed her eyes as he did it, giggled and wiggled them.
‘You’re a sick little puppy Jay.’
The robot gave him a stern look. ‘Stop that or I will tell on you too.’
‘Robo-dobba,’ he sniped at her for spoiling his fun, again.
Alina was right, his turn was getting close and the robot had been given bitch skills, so he tried to behave.
Last was a face mask. Jay talked the robot into letting him put it on Alina.
‘I said small circular motions and gentle movements,’ the robot sniped, smacked his hands and showed him again, and again.
Jay eventually got it right after calling her for everything. The robot finally left to get the other table ready for him. Alina sighed as he rubbed.
‘You love this, girl, tell me the truth. I’ve missed my calling hey.’
‘Your hands are weapons of pleasure.’
‘I know. All the better to seduce you with little red riding hood. I’m learning off Robo-fool and then you are mine.’
‘If I remember correctly the woodsman chopped up the naughty wolf in that story.’
‘It would be worth losing a limb or two for the pleasure you would give me my fair maiden.’
‘Don’t make me smile or I will crack the mask. Go get your own enjoyment now for being such a perfect friend.’
‘Rest, Sleeping Beauty. I will return.’
Jay removed his shorts and shirt and got comfortable on the second massage-table.
‘I’m all yours honey,’ he said to the robot. ‘Firstly though, there’s a rule against being mean to humans, right? Like in the movies? Or are you one of those mean ones that get all red eyed and red upper body and then try to kill.’
‘I only know what I’ve been programmed to know. If I am annoyed, I am allowed to cause real pain.’
‘Hey.’ He went to sit up and she forced him backwards.
‘Your tush is mine now Jay, behave or else.’
‘You sound too much like Ricco. Now I’m worried. Alina help,’ he called out, but she just opened her eyes and laughed.
‘I told you,’ Alina said, lying backwards, not lifting a finger to save him.
Robo-gem started to massage him and surprised him when she was gentle. In fact it was so nice that when she did his front he fell asleep. Or did she put me to sleep so she could get off her Robo-rocks?
When he woke he felt better. The robot had just finished his nails. They were painted. Worse than that, each finger was a different colour and his toes were the same.
The mask he had on had dried hard. Unable to yell at her he scrambled off the table, ran and dived into the spa, and roughly rubbed at his face in the water to remove the dried cement.
‘Look what Robo-bloody-Da-Vinci did,’ Jay complained as he ducked back under the water a second time.
When he came up for air he noticed Alina had the same colours on her nails. ‘Not a good look for me, but on you Ali it looks great. Now stop laughing and tell her to take this nail polish off me. Please! Ricco will never let me live it down, and I mean never.’
After nagging for a long time Robo-nightmare gave in and removed it.
Dressed, they made cocktails in a big shaker to take up to their partners. Jay had enjoyed his time with his beauty
, even though it had started off as a way to annoy Ricco. The rules he implemented had got on Jay’s nerves, but it was time to hand her back. He hadn’t laughed so much for a while and it lessened the stress that weighed on his mind. To be himself again felt good and after so much female company he looked forward to seeing Kev.
They were still grinning at each other when the lift opened. Jay watched as Alina walked seductively over to Ricco. With him she was playful and girlie, but with Ricco she was all woman. If only she were still the man she was when I met her, it might have been me she walked towards. I’d fight him for her then. Ricco glanced at Jay with a weird expression. What’s got him, hot under the collar? That was not a look Jay wished to see again. He had pushed it too far this time. Ricco was jealous. It was time he backed off and found other ways to stir Ricco. He walked towards Kev. It was time he started paying more attention to his partner and oldest, dearest friend.
Kev caught his look and gave him a wink. Jay put the beverages on the bench and grabbed Kev’s hand and they left, neither interested in drinks and small talk.
As soon as Jay left the room, Ricco placed his drink down with a clunk on the table, dropped his arm from around her and stormed out of the room. Alina blinked. What the hell was wrong with him?
~ Chapter Twenty ~
Giving Up
Alina followed Ricco to their room to find out what was going on and why the sudden mood swing.
‘What’s wrong Ricco?’ Her words met with silence. ‘Ricco, talk to me.’ She took hold of his arm. His mood was livid so she let him go. ‘I don’t understand; tell me you’re not jealous of my friendship with Jay.
This struck a chord and he spun on his heels and stomped from her and in the bathroom she heard the door latch lock.
‘Fine! Be grumpy.’ She flung herself on the bed, hands placed under her head and waited. The massage relaxed her and in the quiet she dozed. She sat up with a start. It was dark in the room and with a flick of the light Alina realised she was alone. It was morning and a glance over at Ricco’s side of the bed told her he’d not come to bed. In the hope Ricco was ready to talk she straightened her clothes and went upstairs to find him.
The lift doors opened and she spotted Ricco working with Kev on one of the wall monitors.
‘Hi guys.’ Her tone was cheerful. ‘Miss me?’ She walked to Ricco and put an arm through his.
He turned and cleverly slipped out of her clutches and headed over to the computer on the desk. Kev gave her a shrug, letting her know Ricco had been fine around them. ‘We’ve got coffee coming if you want some.’
‘Sure.’ Alina eyed Jay and ambled over to him. ‘How’s it going?’
‘Good.’ He moved from her as well and went back to Kev. ‘Where you up to, need help?’
Ricco left Kev holding wires. ‘You’ll need the ladder.’ Kev told him and waited while Jay positioned himself.
With them busy she went back to Ricco. Was it possible he didn’t want to talk in front of Kev? It confused her why Jay had avoided her too. What’s going on with these men? ‘Are you talking to me yet?’
He wore headphones and made a gesture he was busy.
Alina gave up after a while and left them to it. Her plan was to give him and Jay space. Let them come to her when they were ready.
To make matters worse Ricco didn’t come to bed that night. His own rule broken, he worked through the night. Stunned at his brashness she assumed it was jealousy of Jay. But Jay was not his happy self either and gave short answers in an unresponsive voice. They must have had words. Until he was ready to discuss it she didn’t know for sure.
To make amends she attempted many times over the next few days to tell him of their day to stop his idiocy but to no avail. His response was always the same. ‘I’m busy. We’ll talk later.’ But later never came.
To sit in silence and have no one speak to her became upsetting. The guys had put their differences aside and worked well together. They spoke of the job at hand, never about anything she could engage in. The days rolled past and each was the same. They worked and Rob-ecca kept the food and drinks coming. They stopped for breaks as Ricco had insisted. Jay and Kev would spend breaks together. She got a nod and an almost forced smile as they left, but was never included in their activities. Ricco would go to their room, shower and go to bed. He’d fall asleep before she joined him.
At last the room was finished. On every wall was a screen and above each desk top computer was a screen. It looked similar to a scene out of those spy movies.
Things didn’t improve between Ricco and Alina. Ricco did not reach for her and hadn’t done since the first night they arrived. Alina expected their love to last an eternity. She guessed this was the real Ricco. His moodiness must be the reason why he’d never married before. As for Jay, she expected more from him. She knew him better than he knew himself at times, and yet this threw her. It must have been fun for them only while they competed.
* * * *
Alina began to blame herself. If she wasn’t with them they’d be safe. Maybe that was what was wrong. They hated living underground too and blamed her. The detective chased her, not them. Alina came to the only conclusion she could, that they were better off without her around. The detective hates me, not them. A wave of sadness swept over her. She practically got the three of them killed and for what, for love. What love? Had they ever truly loved her? If they honestly cared they’d see how miserable she had become.
Alina watched them for the last time wondering what turned them off her so easily. Now their efforts went into another love, the love of the game, setting up a method to track the enemy and spend endless hours observing and working on strategies. They were good at what they did, worked well together; it was her that seemed in the way. This may be fun for them but not her. Like a trapped animal caught and now left to die, she paced and worried for her future with them. Sadly she knew it was time to leave them both. At one hundred years old she was tired of being trodden on by men, and treated poorly. If she wasn’t running from them trying to kill her, she wanted to kill them. Her mood became explosive. Looking at Ricco and Jay, she knew love didn’t live there anymore. In her time Alina expected she’d leave many a love in the centuries to come. These two impostors were yesterday’s fun and in time she’d get over them too.
They stopped for a break and she took this time, while they slept and ignored her further, to leave. Ricco as usual was asleep as his head hit the pillow. Alina listened to his heavy breathing and then picked up the pills next to his side of the bed. He was knocking himself out to avoid being with her. With tears in her eyes for the neglect and sadness in her heart for what might have been, she pulled on jeans, slipped into a thick warm jacket and left.
The vault door unlocked with ease, once the code was entered; it gave her enough time to slip through it before her past closed securely behind her. The lift was just as easy to activate and soon she stood on the surface above. Runners pounded the dirt track as she jogged. The exercise helped to untwist her muscles. It was best to break ties now and end their sham of a marriage before it destroyed them both. She was sickened with hurt. Even the slightest smile might have been enough to stop her going. Kev made an effort but he too looked confused when nobody but him answered her. Not wanting to get involved, his head would go down and he’d go back to what he was doing. Did they want her to beg? Well that was never going to happen. Her step faltered as a sob escaped from her. Toughen up stupid. She growled at herself as she ran. She avoided thinking while around Ricco and now it poured from a mind confused with anger, love and fear. If Ricco heard her thoughts he might have tried to pretend to care and she didn’t want that either. It’s over. I’ve had–over, many times in my life. This is the same as the rest. Only today she wasn’t as brave and tears sprang from her eyes at the sadness of losing loved ones again hit her.
* * * *
A small town that Alina saw from the air made her turn sharply through rocky terrain and head towards it. The i
dea of a phone or a way to connect to the outside world kept her hopeful and she began to form a plan. She figured if she was lucky and quick enough, by the morning she’d no longer be Alina. A new disguise will give me freedom. What was I thinking that I, the living dead, could ever find happiness? Shit I’ve lived long enough to know better. Again with the self-pity–stop it! She growled.
* * * *
The town was quiet, although to her surprise there were lights on at the police station and when she turned the handle, the front door opened. She thought this a great idea. Get an officer to make the call! Nobody would think to trace that voice.
At the counter sat an oversized bald man, reading a book while sipping out of a large, dirty mug. ‘Can I help you miss?’ He looked her up and down.
‘Hi Officer—’ She looked at his badge. ‘Lee! My mobile isn’t working. I have to ring my mum. Could you by any chance give her a call, tell her where I am and ask her to come and get me?’ She acted young and coy. ‘Name’s Chadalina.’
‘Sure love, but you shouldn’t be roaming around at this time of night on your own. What’s the number? I’ll get the call out of the way first.’
Thank god. Alina gave him the number for him to dial.
He sighed and shook his head at her as he rang the number. ‘This is Officer Martin Lee from the Whittaker police station. I have your daughter Chadalina, here and ready to be picked up.’
‘Her voice sounds too young to be your mother.’ He held his hand over the mouthpiece, ‘Are you sure you gave me the right number?’ he questioned.
Alina nodded so he continued the conversation then replaced the receiver.
‘She said she’d be here in half an hour. Your mother sounded surprised to hear from you.’ He looked inquisitively at her, typical she thought.
‘Mum’s like that when you wake her. She drinks and gets things muddles up, but don’t concern yourself. She has a driver. She won’t be behind the wheel.’
