Love Story (10 page)

He trailed off and she stopped walking. Turned to him. “Nick, you can talk about your wife. Tell me about her. I wouldn’t be jealous or a stink on about it.”

“A stink on?”

“You
know how some women get.”

“Yeah, but not you. And I’d prefer not to discuss her right now. Can we just have fun?”

“Of course.” But she was disappointed. Because no matter how many times she said this relationship was casual, the sex recreational, she knew in her heart there was nothing casual about her feelings for this man. But she’d be damned if she’d be needy. It was one of the qualities
she most detested in a woman.

They stood in line for the Cyclone, and soon, it was their turn to climb onto the red-padded seats. Every car held several rows, and Nick was able to snag the first one. She snuggled in. “This is super. I love the first car.”

“No surprise there.”

She gave him a sham frown. “Now, Nick, it’s understandable if you get scared. Luke practically peed his pants
not too long ago on this. And if you throw up—”

He laughed out loud. “Hush, I’m not going to wet myself or vomit. You better not, either.”

“
Prosz
ę
. And no hands.”

“Agreed. No hands.”

As always, the first climb was filled with anticipation. Her heart pounded when they reached the top. She lifted her hands up and so did he. The car flew through the air. The next climb was steeper.
Elizabeita screamed this time. Nick didn’t. At the bottom, she teased him. “You don’t have to be macho. You can scream.”

“Next time.”

Several elevations later, Elizabeita’s knees were like wet noodles, her voice was hoarse and her skin wind whipped. She was totally jazzed. Nick had broken down and screamed more than once.

He got out first at the exit. Elizabeita stood abruptly, and…oh,
wow, oh. She dropped back down.

Leaning over the car, his brow furrowed. “Are you all right?”

She put her hand to her forehead. “Yeah, I got dizzy.”

“Sit for a while.”

“No, I’m blocking people. Hold on to me, though.”

“Always,” he said tenderly, and helped her out of the car. She leaned on him till they found a bench to sit on.

“Any better?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe your
blood sugar’s low. You ate like a bird last night.”

She tried for a smile. “I was too tired to eat much.”

“Want to go home?”

“No!”

“We’ll sit here then.”

After about ten minutes, she felt clearheaded. “It’s like the dizziness didn’t happen,” she told him as they walked through the park.

He hugged her closer. She’d never seen Nick so easy with himself and her.

Nick had
never been more comfortable with this woman than he was today. Until they approached the Sling Shot. “No way are we going on this thing.”

“Why? I love it.”

“Your parents or brother let you ride it?”

“No, of course not. But I’ve come out here to challenge myself.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“How many times?”

“Three.”

“I can’t believe you.”

“It’s no big deal, Nick. Don’t
be such an old fogy.”

“Not today, Elizabeita. You had a dizzy spell, for God’s sake.”

She lifted her chin. “Wimp out on me if you want to, but I’m going on the ride.”

He didn’t follow her to the access point. He wasn’t going to encourage her to take a risk like this. Folding his arms over his chest, he spread his legs and tried to control his anger. If she was his, he’d keep her from
zip lining, tightrope walking and race car driving, which she’d mentioned in conversation. But she wasn’t his, and today, he was having trouble remembering that.

The ride was set up with two towers, about fifty feet apart and one hundred and fifty feet up in the air. Each of them fed an elastic rope into the passenger car, which was an open sphere of tubular steel. Another person had gotten
in the car with her.

Nick fumed as the ride began. And got madder and madder the farther the car went up. He knew from reading about this ride that it was based on electromagnetic latches, which stretched the elastic. When the electromagnet was turned off, the car was thrown out vertically and free to rotate side to side or up and down, traveling as fast as ninety miles per hour. When it started
to swing left and right, then up and down, he turned his back.

After what he figured would be several bounces, he pivoted to find the car being lowered to the ground. And bit the inside of his jaw. Nick quite simply didn’t know how to handle this.

The choice was taken from him when the car landed, and he started toward it. The other person with Elizabeita got out. And yelled, “Somebody
help. She’s unconscious.”

Nick’s heart practically exploded in his chest.

As she sat back in the warm bubble bath, Elizabeita was ashamed of herself. Not because she’d lost consciousness; she’d read that other people had blacked out on the ride. And not because the Sling Shot probably
was
dangerous and she shouldn’t have been on it. Her chagrin came from the fact that
she’d scared the hell out of Nick. And he was so mad, he hadn’t even spoken to her on the way back to the condo. When they’d arrived here, she’d tried to talk to him, but he held up his hand to stop her and headed for the living room.

She’d limped her way to the bath, put in bubbles, ran water and climbed in. Her head resting against a pillow, she wondered what to do now. Normally, she would
have ditched any guy for treating her like a child, for trying to make decisions for her. But Nick wasn’t just any guy. She’d come to care for him and wanted the relationship to continue.

The door opened and he walked in with a glass of chardonnay for her. The paramedic at the park said she could resume her normal activities with no restrictions. For himself, he carried a glass with amber
liquid. After putting her drink within reach, he sat on the toilet.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out.

“You should be.”

“I am. That I scared you.”

“I’ve been trying to figure you out since I met you. You have everything—you’re brilliant, beyond beautiful, people like you, you have a loving family, which you yourself admitted would never survive your loss. Why, Elizabeita? Why would
you risk your safety, like today, and on all the other risky things you’ve told me you do?”

Feeling tears threaten, she picked up her glass and drank. When she set it down, she looked up him. “Nobody knows why.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never told anybody.”

“Tell me.”

“We said we wouldn’t share personal stuff.”

His face was deadly serious. “I think we’re well beyond that
now.”

Somehow, this man had gotten to her. And it made her want to share the terrible secret that had taken her years to understand.

“My father died when I was little. The sister closest to me got leukemia when she was sixteen. My brother and sister are or were Secret Service agents and have been shot.” Now the tears started to flow. “I told you about my twin sisters’ husbands dying. And
my niece, who I love to pieces, underwent a rare kidney operation last winter. The Ludzeckys are cursed.”

His eyes burned. “Then why on earth would you tempt fate.”

She bit her lip. “Because I win. I always win. And it makes me feel in control of my life. It makes me feel better. I’ve researched this online, and several psychology articles said risk-taking behavior sparks adrenaline which
releases dopamine and helps people to deal with their feelings of anxiety and sadness. Risky behavior allows me to survive every day when something tragic is waiting out there to happen to us.”

His jaw dropped. “I…I never…I don’t know what to make of that.”

“I don’t, either.” Her voice cracked. “Lots of times, I have clarity and I know I should stop. But then another baby is born who could
die in his crib, or
Matka
gets sick. A fucking crane almost fell on Paulina at a building site. And I have to…reset myself again.”

Speechless, Nick just stared at her.

Later that night, in her bed, Nick took Elizabeita into his arms and held her close to his heart. He hadn’t said much, because her confession threw him, big time. Now they needed to talk. “You can’t keep
doing these things.”

“I know.”

“You have to stop.”

“I don’t know how.”

Long seconds passed.

“What about some therapy?” he suggested.

“I could go. Sofia and Ana have.”

“Then they could help you through this.”

“Absolutely not! They can never know the extent of what I do.”

“Listen to yourself, sweetheart. You understand this isn’t good for you or them.”

“I
said I understood that. I just don’t know how to stop. But, under any circumstances, it won’t include my family’s help.”

Nick told himself not to say it. Told himself he was high on the closeness of last night with her, juxtaposed with stark fear at what she’d done today. But deep down in his heart he knew the truth. He wanted to. So he rose up and leaned over her. Brushed her soft hair back
from her eyes.

“I’ll help you, then.”

“You said this was casual between us. Recreational.”

“So did you. I doubt you can tell me you feel that way now.”

“I can’t. But I wasn’t going to box you in with my feelings.”

“I have them, too. I don’t necessarily like it, and there’s more complications than you can ever imagine, but I want to stick around.” At least until he could tell
her who he was and then see if she’d forgive him the lies. “So, is it a deal? I’ll be here, and no more of these extreme events.”

She cradled his face. “Of course it’s a deal. To have you in my life, at least until we can see where our relationship goes, is worth trying to overcome this.”

“You are so beautiful.”

She sighed. “I love your hands everywhere.”

“Here?”

“Hmm.”

“Here?”

“I could live forever letting you do this.”

He kissed her belly button. “I could
do
this forever. You are so special.”

“Ah, that’s better than what you’re doing.”

“Almost.”

“You woke me up.”

Her hand roamed his chest. They were spoon fashion. “I know. Do you mind?”

“Go a foot lower and you’ll have your answer.”

“I feel
so comfortable with you.” To reflect her words, she cupped his butt. Explored him there.

“Jesus, Lizzie.”

“No, no. I’m Elizabeita today. Hopefully, forever.”

No retort.

“Nick?”

“I, um, I’m moved.”

She kissed his back. “I’m glad.”

The tender, meaningful lovemaking that took place next was without words, but they didn’t need any. For Elizabeita, nothing even came close
to her past experiences. For Nick, it was a reawakening to what it could be like again with a woman.

“I’m famished.” Elizabeita sat in the back seat of a taxi, close to Nick so their knees touched.

“We’re going out to eat?”

She’d said only, “Let’s get dressed. I want to take you somewhere.”
He’d
wanted to stay at her place. After last night, he had to tell her he was undercover at the Met. But she’d practically dragged him out. Because he was dreading the
revelation, he’d allowed it.

“Yep. For brunch.” She squeezed his fingers. They were linked and settled on his knee. Such a little thing, but Nick couldn’t remember the last time he’d held hands with a woman on a Sunday meant for fun.

They entered the Village and took a turn onto MacDonald Street.

“Pull up over there,” she told the cabbie. “The place with the green awning.” Elizabeita
sat forward until it stopped, then paid the driver.

“I can pay, you know.”

“On the way home.”

They got out and Nick read the sign. Bailey’s Irish Pub. “Is this the place owned by your sister’s in-laws?”

“Uh-huh.”

“There’s people waiting to get in.”

“I know. I called and told Patrick, the oldest, we were coming. We’re to go around back.”

Nick didn’t move. “I don’t know
about this. Meeting the family.”

“This isn’t actually my family. And I doubt my sister will be here. But they have a great brunch, a real Irish breakfast kind of thing, until three. Then they close. I thought you might like it.”

He shook off his doubts. “I will.”

She was completely back to normal today, and the sun made her hair sparkle and her eyes shine. Or her feelings did, feelings
that were written all over that lovely face.

They circled around to the back of the pub, and Elizabeita walked into the kitchen. A man caught sight of her. “There’s the baby of the family.”

“Patrick, I’m no child.”

“I know, lass. I like to get that goat of yours.” He crossed to her and hugged her. “Welcome.” When he stepped back, he held out a hand. “Hi. Patrick O’Neil.”

“Nick
Cas…Caseman.”

“You don’t have to stutter, bro. We’re kind here.” He winked at Elizabeita. “Most of the time. And Lizzie rarely brings guests, so we’re already impressed by you.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

“Come on out. We’re serving for another hour, but no hurry. We hang around after.”

“Thanks, Patrick.” She followed him to the pub proper and they took the corner table.

“Is something
wrong?” she asked, touching Nick’s hand when Pat left.

“No. This family’s pretty overwhelming, though.”

“Yeah, but they’re all dolls.”

He pretended jealousy. “Not sure I like hearing that,
lass
.”

“They’re also happily married.”

“Elizabeita, is that you?” Bailey O’Neil had come up to the table.

Elizabeita rose and hugged her. “Hi, Bailey. So good to see you. It’s been a
long time.”

“Too long. We should have the Ludzeckys up to the lake. It’s beautiful there in the fall.” The woman turned a blinding smile on Nick. About forty-five, she was stunning. Her hair black as night, pure, smooth skin and…character. Nick had read the stories about her.

“I’m Nick.”