“You’ve got to be kiddin’ me!” He walks slowly back over to my couch and plops himself across from where his dog is sitting, throwing his head back in the pillows at on the couch and slinging his arm over his eyes. His dog looks up for a moment and then goes back to his rest position.
I can’t catch my breath and my stomach starts aching because I just can’t control my laughter.
“Grace, this isn’t remotely funny.”
I walk to the kitchen and dampen a couple of paper towels, then walk to where he is pouting and start wiping off his face and neck. I can now see that it’s a waxy like substance, almost like lipstick. Lipstick?
“I bet you are wondering why the hell I look like I’ve gone a round with a rabid, lipstick wearing raccoon.” I can tell he’s dreading tell me about what happened. I’m going to enjoy this.
Suddenly his phone rings. He answers. “You will not believe me when I tell you.” I can hear the other voice say something about kidnapped or passed out in a gutter. “Man, I wish that was the case. I can’t talk about it right now. I have to explain it to the lady who owns the house that my dog has taken refuge in.” I hear the person start laughing. “I’ll be home soon. And don’t go down near the pool for any reason. It’s not pretty. Get me?” He pushes end and tosses his phone beside him.
“Well, are you going to tell me what happened?” I ask quizzically.
Already putting it out of his mind, “Excuse me?”
“Rabid, lipstick wearing raccoon.”
“I was accosted by what I assume were two crazy loons from a bachelorette party while walking Thor near the pool. An inebriated, crazy chick named Louise was trying to have her wicked way with me. She ambushed me from behind, grabbed my crotch and before I knew it I had lost my shirt, my dog and my dignity.”
Pulling off the sticker I added, “They probably thought if they whipped ya, and beat ya that you’d beg for them to eat ya.”
“Ha, Ha, Ha…Not cool!”
The smile he gives me sends little flutters to the pit of my stomach.
“Just kiddin’. So how did Thor end up ramming my gate like the billy goat gruff?”
“He must have seen a crack in their defense and took a run for it. I guess he never learned the phrase Leave No Man Behind. I’m so sorry about all this. Now it’s my turn. What happened to you and your boyfriend tonight?”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yea. You and that dude, Nate. You guys skipped out and I was left hanging at the bar with a fruity, chick drink.”
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. And he’s not my boyfriend. He has been my best friend since college.”
“Really? How can a boy be only a best friend with a woman as beautiful and sweet as you? There is no way I could be just a best friend to you.”
There goes my body betraying me with warmth that starts from my toes, bypassing my head and going straight to my heart. “Thank you, I think. Nate and I met when I was a freshman at college. We both had a love of music and we just started hanging out. About a year into our friendship, we received a lot of pressure from people to date. No one could understand, like you, how a boy and a girl could be best friends without benefits. One night after going out with friends we thought maybe we were just ignoring something that others saw in us. That’s when we kissed and instantly we knew that we could never be intimate. It was like kissing my brother. No sparks. No ooey gooey feeling in my soul. Like I said, I love him like a brother.”
Giving me his undivided attention he asks, “Why did you leave the bar without letting me know? I was worried that something had happened to you.”
“I’m so sorry. Nate and I had a little disagreement about how I should live my life. Like my parents, he tries to put me in a little protective bubble so that I don’t fall down, get molested, or get kidnapped by a serial killer.”
Quizzically he looks at me, “A serial killer?”
“Yes, he thought that you were stalking me with your dog earlier today and again this evening like Ted Bundy hunted down his victims.”
“Seriously?” This cute little v forms between his brows that I just want to lightly kiss.
“Oh, Nate was more than serious. I just called him out this evening about the weekly secret meetings that he has with my parents about my welfare. They all treat me like this fragile china doll that is going to chip and break away if not protected at every corner. That’s why I moved here. I need to live on my own and find my way through this thing we call life.”
He eased up off the couch. “May I use your bathroom for a minute?”
Smiling at this beautiful creature, I return with a simple, “Yes.”
It seems as if exhaustion suddenly takes over his body as I lead him to the half bath. “I’m really not a bad guy and I swear my dog really loves me.”
Giggling at the imploring look he’s giving me, I hand him a towel from the laundry room. “I understand. Well… sorta, I guess. Take your time to get yourself cleaned up. I need to go back to consoling the other victim.”
He looks up at me and smiles. Immediately want to run my fingers lightly through his hair and softly kiss him on the cheek just to let him know that everything is going to be okay. Thank goodness he closed the door because I was getting ready to take this somewhere that it I really doesn’t need to be going.
*
I must have drifted off because I’m awaked by something tugging on my lap. I come to and I have this massive body of a dog pushed half way on my lap. Jackson is trying his best to move him without bothering me. No such luck because Thor is not budging. Defeated, Jackson scoops up Thor and heads for the door.
Straining to walk he asks, “Do you mind opening the door for me?”
Thinking for a second I say, “This is nonsense. How about I walk you and him home?” He puts down Thor as I grab my keys. I take Thor’s collar and lead him out the door. Jackson is standing behind me in shock that Thor is actually walking with me without any extra effort on my part. Turning around I ask, “Are you coming? I don’t know where you live. If you don’t start moving, Thor and I are going to walk back inside and cozy on down for the evening.”
Seeming to snap out of it, he quickly closes my door. “I’ll walk you back after I give the big baby knock out drops then lock him in his crate so he cannot escape.”
I’m shocked that his condo is just two units up from me. I wonder why I never saw him the whole week I was moving in. Jackson opens his door and Thor runs in and then shoots up the stairs.
“He knows he’s in trouble,” Jackson says in an aggravated tone. “Please come inside while I get him situated.”
As I scan the room, I see that it’s in a very tight, orderly fashion. I notice Marine Corps memorabilia strategically placed throughout. Nate was right. He must be a Marine. Jackson comes barreling back down the stairs. “Let’s get you in bed.” He stops quick and gives me an abashed look.
Giving a reassuring smile, I say, “I know what you mean.”
Gently he places his hand on the small of my back while leading me out the door. Somehow this seems so natural.
Chapter Ten
Jackson
As I’m walking her home, a light breeze wafts her scent of lemons and sugar which engulfs all of my senses. My heart has this tickling sensation as if it has just skipped a beat, while my breathing hitches just enough to make me a little breathless. I keep my hand on the small of her back to reassure her that I am here to guide and protect her at this late hour. The electricity is ever flowing. Eventually I will have to pull back my hand because it’s just too intense. For now, I need to be as close as I can to her without coming off as a creep. At this moment, I just cannot get enough of this beauty.
As we get to the door of her condo, I see her searching for her keys in her front pocket. As she is straining to get them out, they drop to the ground. Immediately I bend down to retrieve them at the same time she does. When I look up, I am face to face with this beautiful creature. My body takes over and I p
lace a feathery kiss on her sweet lips. What I’m shocked to find is that she doesn’t pull away, leaning slightly in towards me instead. As I pull back, I find that her eyes are softly closed and her face is relaxed. With shaky hands, I place the key into her door. Slowly she backs into her doorway with her eyes never leaving mine.
As she brings two fingers to her lips she softly says, “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’m sorry.”
With my eyes still locked in her trance, I smile. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to apologize. I should be the one telling you that I’m sorry. I was supposed to make sure that you arrived home safely and instead took this a little farther than intended. I will wait right here until I hear your door lock.”
As she gradually closes her door, I reach out and stop it, causing her to jump back a little. “Tomorrow morning I was planning on getting out and taking my kayak up to the beach. I was wondering if you would be interested in joining me. It’s supposed to be awesome weather tomorrow. I could borrow my roommate’s kayak and we can enjoy a peaceful Sunday.”
Searching my face, she replies, “I don’t want to impose on any plans that you may have.”
“It’s no imposition if I’m the one asking. I can make us a small lunch, we can kayak, and maybe take a hike up to one of the trails. You do like the outdoors? I saw that you had a bike on your patio.”
Her face lights up. “Being outdoors is where I go to relax. My parents own four kayaks and I miss going paddling while soaking up the scenery. What time should I come by your condo in the morning?”
“Um, I asked you out so that means that I should pick you up.”
Leaning her head against the door frame, her eyes lower to the floor then look shyly back to me. “I have no problem walking to your condo. I know that it usually takes two in order to load kayaks. Are you going to do as we did tonight, except the opposite? You walk down to get me, and then we walk back up to your apartment? It doesn’t make sense. One thing you are going to find out quickly about me is that I don’t need to have my hand held. I’m not going to get pissed off if you don’t open the car door for me or light my cigarette.”
“You smoke,” I say in disbelief.
“No. I guess what I am trying to convey is that I’m not a high maintenance girl. I’m just practical in my way of thinking. I would rather use those minutes going back and forth between apartments on actually getting out in nature and start enjoying my day quicker.”
I need to pinch myself because she’s unlike any girl that I’ve ever met. She’s definitely not like most of the girls that I’ve met since I have been stationed here. “How about nine o’clock? This gives me time to take Thor for a run and prepare what we need for the day. I’ll get Ben to help me load the kayaks into the truck. By the time you get here, we’ll be ready to set out for the day. I only have one question?”
“What might that be?”
“White or Wheat?”
Shaking her head as if she does not understand, she mimics back. “White or Wheat?”
Laughing, I say, “Bread. White or Wheat Bread?”
“White is okay with me.”
“Good. I only have white.”
“Then why did you ask what I preferred?”
“I would have gone out to get wheat if that’s what you wanted. Now, I have another question.”
Putting her hands on her hips with a slight smile she says, “I thought you only had one question.”
God I love a girl that can tease. “I promise this is the last one. Turkey, ham, or PB&J?”
Grace taps her finger against her lips with a look on her face as if she were contemplating what to do with world hunger. “I’m easy. Just surprise me.”
Giving her a wicked grin I respond, “Easy?”
As a blush crosses her cheeks she laughs and says, “You know what I mean! Now get home. I need my beauty sleep and you need to comfort Thor. He’s had a rough night watching his master get fondled by a couple of dirty old chicks.”
“Good Night, Grace.”
As she slowly closes the door she whispers, “Good Night, Jackson.”
Replaying those simple words of good night coupled with the most delectable smile as I am walking home, signals that I’m in trouble. Trouble in the form of the most intriguing woman that I’ve ever met.
*
“Ben. Ben, I need your help this morning.” I wonder if he’s dead because he is not flinching. Flicking him on the ear, I say, “Ben. I need you to get your sorry ass up right now. I need your help.”
Ben rolls over to his nightstand, picks up his clock and does a double take. “Dude, it’s six a.m. It’s Sunday morning and we don’t have to go to work. You know that you’re not a dog, right.”
Shaking my head, I’m not understanding, “What?”
“I guess I’m going to have to get a doggie door because I am not going to be woken up every freaking morning to let you and Thor out.”
“Ha. Ha. I need your help loading the kayaks this morning.”
Ben starts to stretch and eventually sits up. “Kayaks? As in more than one?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m taking a friend out to the beach today.”
Ben gets out of bed and starts putting on a pair of sweats. “What friend are you taking out?”
I jog down the stairs and Ben is right on my heels. “Dude, what friend are you taking to the beach?” he ask a little louder this time.
I open the back patio and Thor goes running past me to do his deed. Ben and I start untying the kayaks from their holder. I try to open the gate without letting Thor out and decide it’s just best to put him back inside until we get things loaded. As I turn away, Thor starts to paw at the door and Ben starts back in on me. “I refuse to help you go any further until you tell me who will be partaking in the enjoyment of my lovely kayak today.”
Dropping my end of the kayak I turn and say, “You know you are a fuckin’ pain in my ass. What’s with all these questions?”
“I only asked you one. Why are you being so secretive?”
He knows. I can tell by the shit eating grin that he has on his face. He just wants to hear me say it. “Grace is new to the area and I thought she needed someone to show her around.”
“Oh, that’s her name. Grace. If you were going to show her around wouldn’t you take her in to town and do one of those historical tours they advertise? What chick wants to go out kayaking on their first date?”
Putting out my hands I say, “Whoa! Who said anything about a date? I don’t have time to date. She seems nice and loves the outdoors. I thought that since she has been unpacking all week, she would want to get out and enjoy the nice day.”
“When did both of you become acquainted? From what I saw, you only spoke a brief minute and then she didn’t come back. Her and her boyfriend left didn’t they?” With a wiggle of his eyebrows he continues, “What does her boyfriend think of you showing her around?”
“Nate is not her boyfriend. They went to college together and are just good friends. He was just in town checking out her new place. I guess they had a disagreement last night and he decided to cut his trip short. He went back to LA after they left Moon Doggies. She was so upset that she forgot to come back and tell me that she was leaving.”
“And when did you find this all out? Is Grace the lady that your mangy mutt took refuge with last night while you were being accosted?” He leans forward to look at my face and neck. “Dude, you have claw marks on your chest and neck. Who did that? The pool vixens or Grace? Damn, you are marked quite nicely.”
“It wasn’t Grace, even though I wouldn’t have minded it one bit.”
“Reeeally! I need to know more. I haven’t seen you have such a goofy grin ever. Not even with Roxanne.”
What the heck is he talking about? I guess the puzzled look on my face let him know that I have no clue what he is talking about.
“You know. Roxanne. The girl that put out the red light,” Ben starts laughing.
He thinks he’s so funny
.
“Jackass. Her name was Lane not Roxanne. I can assure you that Lane has nothing on this girl. Grace appears to be a good girl, yet has this spunk that makes her irresistible.”
Raising those eyebrows again, Ben replies, “Irresistible? Hmmm. You know, that is the type of girl that you have to watch out for. Angel by day, devil by night. I hear those girls can give a nice lay. They are the girls that you can take home to mom to give a good show, all the while mom isn’t aware that the little angel gives a whole different show between the sheets.”
This is what I like about Ben. He has a crude sense of humor that entertains the Marines during the day and charms the ladies at nights. We walk the kayaks out to my vehicle and get them strapped down tight. As we head back inside I notice Thor is still pawing at the back door. As soon as I free him, he starts chasing a bee. One of these days he is going to catch one and will not like the consequences. Opening the refrigerator, I complete an inventory of items that I can use to make an impressive lunch.
“What are you doing now?” Ben asks.
Bending down to get things out of the crisper, I say, “I have to make us lunch then go upstairs and find an extra camelback for her water. Then I have to find the sunscreen and –”
“Whoa. Wait a minute. You are making her a picnic lunch and putting together a beauty bag. You haven’t been on your first date and she has you wrapped.” Ben holds out his pinky and twirls a piece of paracord around it. “Are you then going to cut and dye her hair as well?”
“Screw you, Ben. She probably has been unpacking all week and hasn’t had time to run to get groceries or even the extras, like sunscreen. I’m not going to have her pass out then burn on my watch.”
Ben stands in the doorway bent over laughing. “Already whipped,” I hear in between each gasp of air.
Chapter Eleven
Grace
I believe this has to be one of the longest nights in history. The anticipation of going out with Jackson this morning had my stomach doing flip flops all night. I roll over to scan the clock. “Six o’clock. You have got to be kidding me.” I slowly ease myself out of bed. As I descend the stairway, I start making a mental list of all that I need to accomplish before cross country practice begins in two weeks. I haven’t even started to unload the box that holds all of my school items; it sits neatly in the corner of my spare bedroom. I need to search for the flash drive that has all my pre-season work outs. Rory Simmons is the head coach of the team, as well as my previous boss’s daughter. She said that she was interested in meeting with me so that we could work out the best possible strategy for tackling this season. She indicated that the team is top heavy on seniors so we’ll need to start grooming the underclassman to fill the void for the following year. Thank goodness she’s a planner like me, always thinking ahead. I can’t work when things are in disarray.
Seeking Me To Find You (Finding You Series Book 1) Page 5
