by L. L. Muir
“But don’t let her contaminate your thinking. What the skeptics and disbelievers don’t understand is that whether we can see it or not, there are strange, wonderful, and mysterious events taking place on this earth all the time. Just because you can’t see something, or it’s beyond your comprehension, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.”
“I agree. Well said, laddie.” Liam’s tone was firm.
Amber glanced at him. “Oh, no. You’re a believer too!”
“Aye. I know strange and wondrous events occur. In some cases, it might take hundreds of years to sort itself out. If ye want to see strange happenings, plan a visit to Scotland.”
“Good man!” Roger turned and lifted his hand in the air.
When Liam didn’t respond, Amber gave Roger a high-five. “All right. Three against one. I know when I’m beaten.”
Liam belatedly raised his hand and high-fived Roger.
Roger and Velma laughed and continued on until they came to a small boulder. Roger sighed. “Okay, it’s either climb it or go back and find the trail at the side of the riverbed and risk being spotted.”
“I say we climb it,” Liam said. “We can help the lasses over.”
“Great! I knew you didn’t lack courage.” Roger scrambled to the top, using the side of the riverbed as leverage at one point. Laying flat on the boulder he held out a hand for Velma and pulled her as she walked up the surface. They both dropped over to the other side. When it was Amber’s turn Liam lifted her until they were face level.
“Oh.” She lost some of her breath. She knew he was big, but was surprised and impressed by his strength. She clung to his shoulders and when he leaned in for a quick kiss, she was more than willing.
The darkness, the moon and starlight, the fact they were on one side of the boulder and their friends on the other had Amber wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back. She brushed her lips against his and he pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her, easily holding her against his body as he pressed a hungry kiss to her mouth.
The world spun away and all sensation narrowed to the point where his lips covered hers, urgent, warm, and at that moment, critical to her survival.
Her blood seemed to sing in her veins, rushing, heated, making her light-headed. She tightened her arms around his neck, urging him closer.
He broke off their kiss, set her down, and, breathing heavily, smiled.
As she caught her breath, she couldn’t help smile back. She liked this guy. She liked him a lot. He was certainly fun to be around, willing to take on any challenge, and their chemistry together was out of this world. All nice personality traits in a boyfriend.
Boyfriend?
Yeah, that worked for her. “We’d better climb over the top before our friends wonder what we’re doing over here.”
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “From the sounds of things, our friends are doing much the same.”
They were. She could hear occasional kissing noises coming from the other side. “It’s actually quite romantic out here in the dark, under the stars. I hate to interrupt their fun but we can’t stay here all night.”
Liam grinned. “Would that we could.” He bent and bestowed a chaste kiss. “Come now.” He lifted her again, easily, and when she almost reached the top, she scrambled the rest of the way. Liam was right behind her, using the dirt on the side of the riverbed to push off with his feet the way Roger had done.
Roger turned on his flashlight so they could see where to jump off, and they quickly shimmied down to the other side.
As they continued to walk up the riverbed, Roger started up again with commentary about aliens, what they could expect if they saw any, and the type of camera most likely to capture images. He was saving for one, of course.
Liam reached out and took her hand again.
She was having all kinds of weird feelings for the guy. He wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met before. There was a toughness about him, like he wouldn’t be the type of man you’d want for an enemy, but at the same time, there was a innocence too. She liked that. She liked him a lot.
Was it possible to fall for a man so quickly?
She wasn’t sure, but decided to do something she rarely did. She was just going to go with it. Relax and see what happened. Liam could leave tomorrow for all she knew, or next week or the one after. But in the meantime, she was going to open herself up to possibilities.
“The brilliant thing about this desert is that it has natural vortexes that attract alien ships and makes it easy for alien craft to come and go.” Roger went into instructor mode once more. “So it’s a great place to spot UFOs. Sort of like if you’re looking for meteorites, you’d want to go to the Sahara, or Antarctica. Here, it’s alien central. This is where you want to be. So keep your eyes up, we don’t want to miss anything.”
They were about to climb out of the wash and suddenly there were two flashlights coming toward them fast.
“Hey! Who’s there?”
All four of them ducked.
“Come out of there, we saw you!”
Roger looked excited. “There must be something going on tonight for them to have spotted us so fast!”
“Stupid alien hunters,” another voice called out. “This is private property! You need to come with us and talk to the police.”
Roger suddenly jumped out of the shallow part of the riverbed. “Government officials!” He yelled. “Run!” And grabbed Velma by the hand and took off.
Amber shrieked as Liam pushed her out of the wash, scooped her up, and started running.
The two men with flashlights ran toward them, but were easily outdistanced. Amber couldn’t help it, she started to laugh. Liam did as well, as the guards behind them continued to yell. “You dorks are imbeciles! There are no such things as aliens! The next time we catch you here, you’re going to jail!”
Roger yelled back, “Don’t let them catch you! They do experiments here!”
Amber was hysterical with laughter when Liam finally set her down, but it didn’t stop her from running as Liam pushed her forward.
When she looked back, the guards had stopped, their flashlights pointing toward the ground. How often did the men have to chase alien hunters away? They all breathed heavily as they slowed. “Roger, how often have you attracted guards before?”
“Just about every time I come out here.”
“And you couldnae have warned us?”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
It had been fun. “Have you ever been arrested?” Amber had to ask. “Put in jail over this?”
“Just the one time, but my friends at Alien Invasion posted bail.”
“I’ve got to get me some new friends,” Amber mumbled.
“I’m your new friend,” Liam said.
She smiled and held out her hand again. “I’m going to write about this, you know? Under places not to go in Las Vegas. I think it’ll make a good travel article.”
“If you want to write articles about this kind of thing, we ought to try Sedona or Death Valley next.” Roger threw the words over his shoulder. “Sedona has the vortexes, but Death Valley has both a tunnel and moving rocks. Well worth the trip, don’t you think?”
“Death Valley?” Liam sounded impressed. “I do like the sounds of that.”
Amber smiled at him. “Why am I not surprised?”
~~~
Back at the trailer park Liam wasn’t quite ready to settle for the night. “Let’s sit out here.”
They sank onto the white chairs outside her trailer and both of them looked up at the stars. Amber settled her head back and he did the same.
“’Twas fun tonight.”
“It was. Roger’s been trying to get me to go forever. I’m glad we did.”
They both watched the stars a long while.
“’Tis not quite as clear as in the open desert, but still bright. ’Tis one of the things I truly enjoy about the place.”
Amber’s gaze continued to sea
rch the heavens. “I love it, too. When I moved here it was more for financial reasons, but I ended up with a few perks.”
“In Scotland the stars are verra bright. We would often ride at night among trees and stars. Though this land is different, the stars are the same. We’d often looked at them, but never to search for space aliens.”
She chuckled. “Scots aren’t into the paranormal?”
He glanced over at Amber. The girl was incredibly attractive, and ever since he’d kissed her earlier, she was about all he could think about. “We have superstitions aplenty.” Her chair was too far away and he wanted to hold her hand again. “The view to the stars is better over here. Why do ye not come and sit beside me?”
She slowly shook her head back and forth. “I don’t think so. As you’re staying in the trailer with me, I’m pretty sure that’s a bad idea.”
“Too intimate?” She might be right.
She lifted a shoulder as she continued to look at the stars.
“So what shall we do then?”
She chuckled. “You don’t think we’ve done enough tonight? You’re still looking for a new adventure?”
He wondered if she’d let him kiss her once again. That would be adventure aplenty for him. “I have to admit I am.”
“Well, this is Las Vegas. There are lots of exciting things to do around here.”
“Such as?”
“You could get certified to scuba dive and go to Mandalay Bay and swim with the sharks. Is that exciting enough for you?”
He didn’t ken her meaning. “Scuba dive? Sharks?”
“Yes. Sharks.”
“What is a shark?”
She turned her head. “Seriously? You don’t know what a shark is?”
“Nae. Should I?”
She sat up. “You’re telling me that you don’t know what a shark is?”
“I’ve never heard the name.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Kidding?”
“Pulling my leg?”
He looked at her leg. “I’m sitting right here. How could I be pullin’ yer leg?”
She studied him a long moment as if trying to discern his truthfulness.
He rolled his eyes, impatient. “What is a shark?”
She sat back. “Only the most fearsome creature to ever exist on the planet.”
That caught his interest. “What do they look like?”
“Sort of like Death. As in the Grim Reaper. Sharks have dead eyes.”
Liam sat up. “Go on.”
She made a scoffing noise. “Fine. Scotland is surrounded by ocean so I know you’ve seen sharks before, but I’ll play along. They are long, gray, and live in the ocean. They have dozens of needle sharp teeth at any given time, but they grow thousands in a lifetime because the teeth replace themselves. Whenever a tooth breaks inside a victim, another one will slide forward to take its place.”
Liam squirmed in his chair. “You’re mistaken. We’ve not such creatures in Scotland or I’d have heard of such.” Uneasy, he glanced around. “Do ye have these creatures living nearby?”
She laughed. “I told you, they live in the ocean.”
“Long and gray, you say? How long exactly?”
“I think they’re from ten to twenty feet or so.”
“Do they eat people who swim in the ocean?”
“Sometimes.”
Liam wasn’t sure whether to believe her. “I’ve never heard of such a creature. We used to fear the sea monsters, of course, and more often than not we stayed away from the shore. But I’d never heard of a creature such as what ye describe. I think, perhaps, ye are the one pulling my leg.”
She laughed and clapped her hands. “You know what, I’ll be right back.” As she stood, he did as well. He didnae ken how she thought, but so far, she always surprised him. He liked that about her. “I thought we were to sit out here and enjoy the evening air?”
“ You wait right here.”
“I’m to guard ye. Yer stay by my side.”
“This will only take a moment. I just have to run to Roger’s house.”
“Why?”
“Because, I want to introduce you to Jaws.”
“Jaws? That sounds ominous. Should I be worried?” He already sort of was.
“If this was my first time seeing him? Well, I would be.”
With a laugh, she ran to the neighbors.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She felt a little bit mean, but not enough to stop. She still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced Liam didn’t know what a shark was, but she was going to take him at his word.
She knocked on Roger’s door.
He quickly answered. “Hey Amber, that was fun tonight, wasn’t it?”
“Way fun.”
“Where’s Liam?”
“Sitting outside my trailer. So, do you have the movie Jaws?”
“Of course.”
“Can I borrow it for the evening?”
“What for?”
“Liam has never seen it.”
Roger chuckled. “Sure, come on in. Velma and I are just planning our wedding. We’re thinking about going for it tomorrow.”
“You always say that. But if you’re serious this time, then I’m in.”
“Okay, we’ll let you know.” He ran his fingers along his extensive DVD collection, and finally pulled out the shark movie. “You have to tell me how he reacts.”
“Oh, I will.”
“He’s a fun guy.”
“He is.” She left, and headed back to the trailer. Liam was still there waiting for her. “Ready for a movie?”
Sure.”
They went inside, she put the DVD in, and turned on the movie.
“It’s called Jaws.”
“Jaws?”
“As in, dun dun, dun dun, dun dun. You’re sure you’ve never heard of it?”
He shook his head.
She pushed play and settled onto the couch to get comfortable. This was going to be great.
~~~
Steven Spielberg was pretty much a genius. Forty years later, he was certainly scaring the non-existent pants off her Highland warrior. Not an easy feat, she suspected.
She had to admit she was watching Liam more than the movie. He grew so scared, but she could tell he was enjoying every moment of it.
He jumped in all the right places.
He yelled when he was supposed to.
He was warning the characters left and right, and, of course it did them no good.
He’d started holding her hand way before Jaws ever appeared, and she didn’t mind in the least.
He was loving every minute of it, and so was she.
When the movie finally ended, Liam was breathing hard, and maybe even sweating a little bit. “That was an amazing adventure, lass.” He shook his head. “I’d not known such creatures existed, and will stay well away from seawater from now on.”
She snickered. “It’s a good thing we live in Nevada. Sharks only live in the ocean.”
“’Tis true I never did see them in any rivers or lochs.”
She really shouldn’t be mean to him but couldn’t seem to help herself. “In rivers and lakes you only have to worry about the piranhas.”
“Piranhas?”
“Yes, you know, those groups of fish that travel in packs and eat the skin off your bones in less than five minutes.”
His expression dropped into horror. “Surely you jest?”
“I do? I wonder if Roger has that movie as well.”
Liam shuddered. “I dinnae believe I wish to know.”
“Well, they mostly live in the Amazon. Mostly. They found one here in a lake a few years ago when a fisherman caught it. They figured someone got hold of one and dumped it in there as they aren’t indigenous to this area.”
He studied her face as if trying to decipher whether to believe her not.
She laughed. “After all our adventures for the night, I’m wiped out. I’m going to bed.”
He
followed her, a little too closely, and she had to chuckle again. “You know there aren’t any sharks in here, right?”
“But ye said they were here at the bay.”
“Mandalay Bay. And they are in a shark tank, so you don’t need to worry about it.” She decided right then and there not to get the movie Sharknado. It would be too mean to show him sharks flying through the air and attacking people in the city.
He nodded. “I’ll have to take yer word on it, lass.”
She stopped at the smaller of the two bedrooms. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight to ye.”
She went into her own bedroom and shut the door. She leaned against it for a moment and realized she was smiling again. Liam was fun. She hadn’t had fun with a guy in a long while. She pulled on her pajamas and when she heard Liam exit the bathroom and return to his room, she quickly went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and was quickly back in her room sliding between the covers. She was just dozing off when she heard a knock on her door. “Yes?”
“Lass, do ye mind if I perhaps sleep in here for just a bit, you ken.”
“Yes, I mind. You’re not sleeping in my bed.”
“Nae, of course not! I just thought ye might not mind if I brought in my blanket and bedded down on the floor for a bit.”
“Are you afraid of the dark or the shark?” She could hear the smile in her voice, and hoped he didn’t. When had she turned into such a sadist?
“A bit of both, mayhap.”
“All right.” She turned on her bedside lamp and watched as he settled beside her bed.
She turned the light off again and they both lay quiet in the darkness. She was very aware of the fact that he was there and suddenly wasn’t tired anymore.
“Are ye still awake, lass?”
She considered not answering, pretending she was asleep, but couldn’t seem to resist. “I’m awake.”
“I’m surprised I’ve never heard of anything such as a shark.”
She was enjoying the intimacy of talking to him in the dark, his low voice making her shiver. “Okay, you need to know that I’m mostly teasing you. Jaws is a Hollywood movie. They make it seem a lot scarier than it really is. For instance, I’m pretty sure there has never been a shark out for revenge. They are dumb animals who are simply looking for food. I’ve heard they can smell blood in the water from up to a fourth of a mile away. So don’t cut yourself and go swimming.”
