by Katie Dowe
“Poor guy. Your job crushes people’s dreams.”
“Some people should not be in the restaurant business,” she said sharply. “Sorry. I am tense.”
“Maybe you should come out to dinner with me,” he said lightly.
“Why, Phil, are you asking me out on a date?” Her tone was amused and for a moment he felt a sense of despair and anger.
“What if I was?”
“Then I would tell you that it is not a good idea. But I know you were not asking.” She looked around and noticed the other cops looking towards their table. “Is there something going on?”
“Why?”
She shrugged and sipped her hot chocolate. “Now here is something I could really write about,” she said closing her eyes as she felt the texture of the drink on her tongue. “How is work?”
“It’s work.” He shrugged a little disconsolately. “Sometimes I wonder why I became a cop.”
“To save the world from criminals and us the citizens thank you and all the boys in blue for it,” she said with a grin.
“Do you?”
“What the hell is up with you?” she demanded.
“We lost a cop today.”
“Oh, Phil, I am sorry.” She put aside her cup and took his hands in hers. “I did not know and Bubba did not say anything to me.”
“He always wants to shield you from things like that.”
“Well, he can’t!” she said a little sharply and then shrugged. “Was it a young cop? Not that it matters.”
“No, it does not and she was a young cop.”
“Lord!” she muttered as she wrapped her hands around her mug feeling chilled. “I used to wonder if I was going to get one of those calls or I would see police officers coming to the door and telling me that Bubba has been shot and he is dead. I used to listen at the door and would be so afraid when the phone rang. He sat me down one day and told me that it was part of the job and I should stop being so afraid.”
“Yeah.” Phil’s dark chocolate face was tense as he stared down into his hot chocolate. “She had a kid and a husband.”
“That’s rough.”
“I think about it and I wonder if it is fair to ask a woman to share a life like that with me.”
Suddenly, Jasmine felt a prickling of warning along her spine. She had told him that she was not interested in him, only as a friend, and he had told her that he was cool with that. “I am sure when you find the right one she will love you enough to want to take the risk.” She got to her feet and he knew she had been reading something into what he had said.
“Hey, I hope I did not creep you out,” he said desperately wanting to make things right.
“With the death of an officer?” she asked him coolly. “I am not creeped out, just sad at the level people will go to and hurt others. I have to go. I will call you.”
He had seen the look on her face and the mask that came over it and knew he had stirred up some very unpleasant memories. He could have kicked himself!
Chapter 2
He noticed her the minute she stepped into the restaurant. He was not the only one. He was used to owning the room as soon as he was in it and he found it highly interesting that he was witnessing what someone else did. She was tall but not too tall and willowy with curves in all the right places. Her complexion reminded him of cocoa mixed with a little bit of cream just enough to give it a smooth flawless look and she was graceful like a swan. She was wearing boots and faded denims that molded to her body. Her sweater was a deep navy blue and just covered the top of her jeans. Her black coat was opened and flew about her like a cape. Her hair was caught up in a neat ponytail and he could see the glossiness of it. Her eyes were dark brown and her lips were full and bare. She was not wearing makeup and yet she stood out in the fancy restaurant with the women there, women who were wearing couture and who had their faces on. She took a seat around a single table which meant that she would not be expecting company. He saw a waiter hurry to get her order and saw him standing there as she made the order. She seemed to be an authority on whatever it was she was ordering and he noticed the waiter looking a bit flustered. Who was she, he wondered as he forced himself to join in the conversation around the table. It was the dinner rush and he had taken out a few associates to dinner. Throughout the evening he found himself distracted by her and wondered why.
Jasmine tasted the wild rice and the chicken basted in pomegranate sauce slowly. Homestyle Cuisine was a fairly new restaurant that had opened two weeks ago and seemed to be getting quite popular. She had come here before to try out their lunch special and had found it to be quite palatable. Now she was tasting the dinner special in order to finish the article she was writing on them. The ambience was quite nice and the music playing discreetly in the background was pleasant to the ear. She noticed a lot of big names sitting around but she generally did not sway her from her objective. She looked suddenly and her eyes met dark green eyes staring at her intently from three tables away. He smiled at her and for a moment the charming smile threw her before she recovered her composure and gave an impersonal nod before looking away. The last thing she needed to be was distracted by a pretty face! She finished the meal and made notations discreetly on her iPad. The dessert was a delicious concoction of fruits! She tasted mango, pineapple, peaches, and a little taste of ginger that rested well on the palate. She had never tasted anything like it and knew she was going to be raving about it! She had just paid her bill and was about to get up when he approached her.
“I could not help but notice-”
“I am not interested in what you are selling,” she interrupted him coolly as she pushed back her chair and faced him. He was tall, she thought distractedly and he was handsome and knew it very well!
“Maybe I am not buying,” he said in amusement, not the least bit put off by her tone and her words. “You seemed to enjoy the food.”
“Are you the chef?” she asked him sweetly. “Because if you are, aren’t you a little overdressed?” She looked at his dark blue suit critically before looking into his eyes.
He laughed softly at that. He had pondered whether or not to come over and had made the decision when he noticed that she appeared to be leaving. “My name is Lucas Henderson.” He expected her to recognize his name but when her expression did not change he felt a little let down.
“Good to know. If you’ll excuse me?” She took up her belongings and made to move past him.
“How about a name?” he asked her as he watched her move past him.
“Leaving,” she told him as she walked away in that graceful looping walk of hers. He stood there watching as she took her coat and had to give her credit for not looking back to see if he was watching her. He watched as the valet brought her car around and she got into it and drove away. He returned to his table slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face.
*****
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jasmine asked him softly as she sat in front of the fire. He had been on her mind for the past two days and she had decided to pay him a visit. The story Phil had told her about the young cop had weighed heavily on her mind. So she had finished her article and had called to find out if he was home and had come over. Bubba still lived in the same neighborhood since he was a boy and knew everyone there. He was well respected and people looked out for him and ‘his daughter’ as they referred to her even though he was not her biological child.
“You did not need to know.” His expression was grim as he sipped his latte. “And that boy Phil has a big mouth.”
“You are no longer a cop, Bubba,” she reminded him.
“I am always a cop, girl. I might not wear the badge and had to turn in my gun and shield but I have cop in my blood.” His voice was passionate as he looked at her. “After Glenna died, you and the job became everything to me and they still are.”
“I am sorry, Bubba.” She reached over and pressed his work roughened hands. He had shown her another side of human nature, a side that cared
and did so without asking for anything in return and she had learned to trust and love him.
“So am I, girl.” He turned to look at her and his expression softened. She was really a beautiful girl and he was extremely proud of her. “So how is work?”
She got that he wanted to shy away from the subject and she followed suit. “I had the most delicious dessert today. It was out of this world.”
“You never described any of the food you eat like that so this must be something,” he said with a laugh.
“It is. When I go back there I will take home a package for you.”
“So I take it that this restaurant will get rave reviews?”
“You know I don’t give rave reviews, Bubba. How else am I going to keep them on their toes and give them room for improvement?” she asked teasingly.
“You are hard ass,” he said with a grin.
“You better believe it.”
*****
Lucas was barely concentrating on what the extremely beautiful blonde was saying to him. He had invited her out to dinner and she had eagerly accepted. Sherona Cartwright was of the ice cream giant and chocolate delights Cartwright and his family and theirs had been friends for a long time. He knew it was their hope that the two families would merge in marriage and he had idly entertained the idea until recently. Sherona was a socialite and her parents had enough money so that she did not consider working for a living but that was not his business. Her brother Craig managed the business with his father and they seemed to be doing very well.
“Darling, am I boring you?” she asked with a pout of her coral painted lips that he could not help but compare it to a pair of full lips without artifice that he had noticed in the restaurant two days ago. He had gone back there the next day to see if he could see her there but he had and he had had to squelch the disappointment.
“I have a meeting tomorrow and I have to go to Texas for a day or two,” he told her lightly as he played with his caviar. He was not particularly fond of the fish eggs but Sherona seemed to thrive on it.
“You work too hard,” she purred as she leaned over to him. She was wearing a figure hugging emerald dress the color of her eyes and her bosom was almost spilling from the material. It should have turned him on but somehow it did not and he just wanted to go back to his apartment and be alone.
“I love to work,” he pointed out.
“How about you come back to my place and we engage in some very energetic lovemaking? You have not being with me since last month, darling.”
“We are not exclusive, Sherona,” he reminded her.
“But I want us to be.”
“I am not changing the rules just because you feel like it.”
“Darling, don’t get upset. I just love the way you make me feel.”
“I have to go.” He gestured toward the hovering waiter and he immediately materialized.
“But it’s only a little after ten,” Sherona protested feeling her plans for the night disappearing like thin smoke.
“I have to be up early.”
“I do not appreciate the way you are treating me, Lucas.”
He leaned into her as she got to her feet and kissed her on the forehead, his hold impersonal. “I will call you when I get back.” And without another word he turned and left her standing there staring after him, her green eyes glowing with anger!
*****
This time the scream let loose from her throat and she jumped up hastily, her heart hammering in her chest and the thin camisole top she had worn to bed last night. She took several deep breaths and swung her legs off the bed to go and get some water. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed that her eyes looked a little wild. It was ridiculous that she was still having these dreams! She was safe now and she was an adult who had her own life, a life that was very good thanks to Bubba. She closed her eyes as snippets of memories came tumbling through the veneer she had put up. The hunger she had endured, the bullying from some of the girls there who had figured her to be a likely target. The bored looks on the faces of the people who were supposed to be taking care of them. Her mother had been a drug addict who had been knocked up by a one-night stand. She had died when Jasmine was six years old and she had been dumped into one of the group homes with little care as to her emotional state. She had been scared out of her wits but had toughened up enough to run away from that awful place when she was only thirteen! She figured that even living on the streets was better than living in a place like that. But she had not counted on the extreme cold of the December weather and had quickly found that the thin threadbare coat she had left with was no match for the frigid temperature! She had been skulking in a dark corner when Bubba who had been patrolling the area had found her and saved her life!
She stepped back from the mirror and walked back into her bedroom. He had suggested she see a shrink but she had scoffed at the idea. No way was she going to bare her soul to some stranger!
*****
”Homestyle Restaurant is not your usual stiff and impersonal eatery but as its name indicates it is a home away from home! The service is exceptional and you are made to feel welcome. The ambience is very good and the lighting of course flattering. There is not the usual long and interminable wait that patrons would find at too many of our places to eat but you are served in record time and your wait staff is very respectful and pleasant. The food is good and I must say a big appreciation for the fruit delight that I had for dessert when I was there. All in all this restaurant makes you want to go back and enjoy a very well cooked meal and a relaxing atmosphere.”
Margaret the editor looked up at her as she finished reading. “You okay?”
“Why?” Jasmine asked crossing booted legs.
“You are never this kind. As a matter of fact, you always write your pieces as if you are at war with all these eateries,” the plump homely woman with the pinched face and heavily streaked grey hair muttered. “Have you found yourself a man?”
“You would be the first to know,” Jasmine said with a level stare.
“I am just saying.” Margaret looked down at the piece. “Either you have found religion or you got laid.”
“I have found a restaurant that I actually enjoy. Why is it so hard to believe?”
“Because this is so not you.”
“I write what I see and eat, Margaret.” She got to her feet. “Now if you will excuse me I have the sudden urge for a hotdog with all the works.”
“You have the piece on the clam place downtown to finish.”
“I know and I am trying my best not to shut the place down. It is a dump but the guy and his wife are sweethearts.”
“See?” Margaret said staring at her. “You are getting soft.”
“I am still hard but I am human and I hate to see people get their dreams dashed.”
“How is Robert?”
“Call him,” she said airily as she took her jacket and slung it over her arm. “I am sure he would be happy to hear from you.”
Jasmine strode out of the publishing house and went outside sniffing the cold sharpness of the air as she stood outside. She pulled her coat closer to her and walked over to her car. Her phone rang just as she entered and buckled up.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. I was thinking we could grab lunch.”
“I was just heading to the nearest hot dog stand if you want to join me.”
“Where?”
Jasmine told him and hung up. She had not called him since the incident at the restaurant where she had gotten the feeling that he was edging to something much more than friendship but she had shrugged it off when he had called and apologized the day after. She found him standing next to the stand with two hotdogs in his hands.
“Thanks,” she murmured as she took it from him. “How are you?”
“Cold,” he muttered as he pulled his jacket closer to him. It was almost two in the afternoon but the place looked very still and white with the snow dumped on the ground. It was a
lmost the middle of January and it had been snowing every day for the past week. “There was a hit and run incident further up the street. Fortunately, the man and his wife were unharmed.”
“You caught the bad guy?” Jasmine asked biting into the delicious dog.
“Five blocks away. He was plastered.”
“All’s well that ends well,” she quoted as she looked around the busy street. The place was lined with restaurants and she wondered how many of them would stay open for the year! She had been to several of them and had given them passably reviews but she doubted that their doors would stay open for much longer.
“Are you okay?” Phil asked her suddenly.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You look a little tired.”
“I have been neglecting my articles lately so I have to be putting in over time,” she said a little evasively.
He knew it was more than that and wished she would confide in him. “My sister Arlene is getting married in February.”
“Good for her.”
“I would like you to be my plus one,” he said carefully.
“I hate weddings and funerals, you know that,” she reminded him.
“And I cannot for the life of me think why you hate weddings.”
“Because it’s all show and does not last,” she said with a shrug. “After the wedding comes the real test and besides I don’t do well in crowds.”
“If you don’t come with me I will be sitting at the kid’s table,” he said persuasively.
She looked at him for a moment and then nodded. “I would not want to put you through that.” She handed him the empty wrapper. “I have to go. I will call you.”
“Okay and thanks.”
“No sweat. You bought me lunch so I owe you,” she said with a wave as she left.
Phil felt his fists clench as he stared after her and refused to think that he was wasting his time!
*****
Jasmine relished the sharp biting air inside her lungs as she jogged along the quiet streets. It was still dark as it was only six in the morning. Bubba had warned her against taking the risk and going out before it was light but she liked the feeling of solitude and the crisp air as she made the run. She took her exercise seriously and made sure she put in at least an hour and a half each day and she also needed to clear her head. She had gotten into the habit of telling herself each day that her life was okay now and the monsters were not snapping at her feet like they were when she was little. She was past that now and she need to let her mind be aware of that fact. She could feel the sweat pooling beneath her breasts and realized that she had gone more than her allotted time. It was Saturday morning and that meant she was free. She had planned to go over to Bubba’s and clean-up for him. He had protested that he could do it himself but whenever she had the time she did it when he was out and maybe cook something for them both. His next door neighbor was back so she figured that his meals were taken care of. He was very stubborn when it came to accepting money from her so she bought him stuff she knew he needed. He had stopped trying to dissuade her after he found that she was not listening to him. She earned a decent salary and had come up as a very reliable food critic. She was more than reliable; her word was becoming very valuable. People read her articles and relied on her to give accurate reviews. She stopped and leaned against a huge oak tree taking in deep breaths and feeling her legs shaking from the effort she had put in the run. A man and his dog ran past her and he waved to her as he passed. She waved back and headed back to her apartment. She was going to take a shower and take a nap before heading over to Bubba’s.
