Tracey H. Kitts - Lilith Mercury 1 - Red (11 page)

“Oh, no. You’re not changing the subject. You’re going to explain what just happened here.”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? It didn’t look like nothing from the view I had.”

“Yeah, well, your view was blocked a bit by the roses.”

“Not blocked enough to miss him pinching your
ass
or calling you
sugar pie
, in Italian, no less. He was in your room, and it’s too damn early for business.”

“So what, it had to be pleasure?”

“Well wasn’t it?”

“No,” I laughed, “but it might have been if someone hadn’t started throwing
rocks
at my window.”

“Oops,” she giggled. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” I said, getting two mugs out of the cabinet, “seriously.”

“Wait a minute. He spent the night with you?”

“Yes.”

“And nothing happened?”

“Depends on what you’d define as nothing,” I took a sip of coffee and managed to burn my tongue. Kat raised her eyebrows. Alfred walked back in suddenly, going straight for the refrigerator. We got suspiciously quiet.

He looked at us briefly before commenting, “I see the subject hasn’t changed.” He walked around Kat, leaned over her shoulder and said, “You know, curiosity killed the cat.”

“Is that a threat?” she laughed.

“No,” he smiled, “But a lady never asks, and a gentleman never tells.”

Kat seemed to regain some of her composure along with her wicked grin as she said, “Ok then, show me where I can find a lady and a gentleman, and I won’t ask them to tell me anything.”

I laughed at the look on Alfred’s face. “Well, you’ve got me there, Kat. But, Alfred really is a gentleman.”

“I thought those were extinct,” Kat said skeptically. “Shouldn’t he be on display somewhere?”

“Maybe,” I said as I imaged him ‘displayed’ across my scarlet bed sheets. The honeyed bronze of his skin looked good against red. Alfred picked up the cream he’d taken from the fridge and left the room with a smile.

“You really didn’t …,” Kat began.

“No,” I interrupted.

RED

Tracey H. Kitts

53

“How disappointing …. He’s not gay is he?”

“No!” I looked as scandalized as possible. “He really is a gentleman … although, I might have changed that in a few more minutes.”

“Well, next time you plan to seduce someone before nine o’clock, leave me a message.”

“Don’t think I won’t,” I threatened with a laugh. “So, what brings you here?”

The smile faded from her face. “I just wanted to warn you to be expecting another visit from your new neighbor.”

“What?” I was horrified at the thought of having to endure that woman’s presence in my house again. “What for?”

“She stopped by my shop yesterday after I left here, wanted me to decorate for her party.”

“Party?” I felt nauseated.

“Yes, and you’re invited.” She giggled, doing a really good impression of Marcy Johnson.

“Why?” I asked, still hoping this was all a bad dream.

“She wants to get to know everybody. She’s invited half the town.”

“Great, more people to make me feel like a weirdo,” I said sarcastically. “I’m not going.” My mind was made up.

“Well, she was real keen to invite Alfred. Asked me all sorts of nosy questions.”

“Such

as?”

“Like, if you two are a couple.”

“And what did you say?” I asked as I put down my cup. I’d lost my taste for coffee.

“I told her that I didn’t pry into your personal life, so I really wouldn’t know.”

“Good answer. It’s bullshit, but good answer.”

“So, what will you say when she stops by?”

“No, thank you.”

“What about Alfred?”

“I don’t own him,” I said. My blood boiled at the thoughts of Marcy even speaking to Alfred.

“No, but you could.” I was surprised to hear Alfred’s thoughts coming out of Kathryn’s mouth. “Don’t look so surprised,” she mistook the reason for my shocked expression. “The way he looks at you, it’s obvious how much he cares.” Was it obvious?

I’d never noticed before.

“If he wants to go, I can’t stop him. He’s a grown man.” I tried to sound as if I didn’t care.

“Sure. You can stop a pack of werewolves from killing my ex-boyfriend, but you can’t stop one scientist from attending a party. That’s completely believable.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “You know, those silver blades are not your only weapons.”

I laughed. “That’s my line, remember? I told you about saying that to someone one time.”

“Yeah, you did, but I don’t think you took it to heart. It’s true, you know. All you have to do is say, ‘Alfred, don’t go’, and he won’t go.”

RED

Tracey H. Kitts

54

“Yes, and that’s exactly why I’m not going to say anything. It’s his decision. If he stayed here, I’d always wonder if he stayed because I’d asked him, or because he wanted to.”

“Wow. Too deep for me,” Kat said while she took a sip of coffee.

“When’s the party?” I asked, not able to change the subject yet.

“This Friday. You’ve got two days to think about it.”

I laughed bitterly as I said, “There is no thinking. I’m not going and that’s final.”

“What will you do then? I mean, if Alfred does go ….”

“I’ll find something else to do.”

Kathryn’s wicked grin returned as she said, “As opposed to doing Alfred?”

“Oh, give it up.” I laughed. “If it happens, it happens, but I refuse to rush into anything,” my expression turned serious, “not again.”

* * * *

I only had to wait until later that day for Marcy to stop by. I was outside pruning my roses when I saw her drive up. I watched as she reapplied lipstick to her thin lips and gave a quick fluff to her frizzy blond hair before ringing the door bell. My pulse raced with the urge to crack her in the head with my garden shears. To say that my mood was suddenly foul would be like saying that milk that expired last year was bad.

Understatement didn’t begin to cover it.

Just as I was toying with the idea of walking in the house holding the garden shears, only to see the look on her face, of course, I had an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Elijah Jasper was making his way up the front drive. He came to a stop just underneath the arch with the big white Queen Anne rose. As I walked over to his car, I was overcome by the sweet smell of the roses in full bloom. I stopped to take a deep breath, closing my eyes.

“Never miss an opportunity to smell the roses.” He smiled as he rolled down the window.

I walked over, propped on the car, and leaned in as I said, “They really shouldn’t allow cute cops out in public like this.” I smiled. “I have a weakness for bacon.” He had a genuine heartfelt laugh that did me good to hear. I felt my mood lighten as Elijah smiled up at me through the car window. “Would you step outside the vehicle please?” I said in my best cop imitation voice. He smiled, but didn’t ask questions. As Elijah got out of the car, I tossed the garden shears near the bottom of the roses and began removing my leather gloves. “So, what brings you out this way? Please tell me there haven’t been any more animal attacks?”

“No,” he said, glancing at his feet, seeming more nervous than he had a minute before. When he looked up at me with those incredibly deep blue eyes, I couldn’t help but smile. The smile seemed to encourage him, but not enough to speak.

“What can I do for you Officer Jasper?”

“Please, call me Eli,” he said, his bright smile reaching his eyes. “You’ve heard about Marcy Johnson’s party, right?”

Well, that was a subject I hadn’t expected. “Yeah,” I was barely able to keep the full extent of my dislike for Marcy out of my voice.

“I assume you’re not going?”

RED

Tracey H. Kitts

55

“You got that right.” I glanced at her car. “Would you arrest me if I ran my garden shears down the side of her car?” I asked, half serious.

“No,” Elijah smiled. “I can’t stand her.”

I looked back at him, obviously shocked. “Officer, are you contributing to my delinquency?” I joked.

“Maybe. So, if you’re not going to the party, what are you doing Friday night?”

I turned back to him. The fact that Elijah looked good in uniform was not lost on me. “Are you coming on to me …
Eli
?”

He smiled at me in a way that no longer looked innocent and I wondered if I hadn’t underestimated him. “No. But, the thought had occurred to me.”

I smiled, despite my best efforts to control myself. There was something about Elijah and his blue eyes that just made me want to smile. The man was just so damned cute, I couldn’t help myself. I looked back at the house and could see Marcy and Alfred talking through the kitchen window. From the bewildered look on his face, I had no doubt that she’d suckered him into going to her party. I sighed. Nope, I couldn’t make Alfred stay at home, but that didn’t mean that I had to sit around waiting on him either.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Honestly? I didn’t get past convincing you to put down the shears and step away from my window.” We both laughed. “Do you like sushi?”

“I love it,” I said, thinking that spending time with Elijah might not be so bad.

“I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie,” he said.

“The only problem with that is there’s nothing playing that I want to see,” I said.

“I suppose we could always rent something.”

“Hey, why don’t I get take out, rent some movies and just come over here?” he suggested. “Unless you prefer to go out?”

“No. That sounds like fun. What time should I expect you?”

“When would you like me?” he asked playfully. Elijah was much better at this flirting thing than I’d given him credit for.

“I’d like you on time,” I said, not about to be outdone. “But, leave the handcuffs.” I smiled.

He laughed. “Are you sure?”

“I never use restraints on a first date,” I said as I picked up my garden shears.

“How’s five o’clock sound? Without the handcuffs, of course.”

“Alright.”

He got back in his car and smiled at me through the window. Yet again, his smile reached the deep blue of his eyes, causing them to twinkle in a way that was nothing short of adorable.

“I’ll see you then.” He winked.

I walked to the shed in the backyard, thinking to myself that two could play this game. From the self satisfied smirk I’d seen Marcy wearing, I knew where Alfred would be Friday night. If he wasn’t man enough to turn her down, I saw no reason why I should refuse Elijah. Besides, with Elijah there were no mixed emotions, no confusing feelings to sort out. He was nice. He was cute, and seemed like he would be fun to spend some time with. He was also the only person other than my father who had never looked at me RED

Tracey H. Kitts

56

in fear. Even Alfred had been afraid the first time he saw my partial transformation. Not that I could blame him, but it meant something to me that Elijah had never looked at me that way. He knew who and what I was when we’d met, but he never looked at me as if I were any different than the girl next door.

I waited until I heard Marcy’s tires crunching on the gravel before I went inside. I walked past the sitting room and found Alfred waiting at the foot of the stairs. He looked as if he was preparing to go to war.

“Let me explain,” he began.

“There’s nothing to explain,” I cut in. Truth be told, I didn’t want to hear it.

Childish perhaps, but true. “Like I said last night, I don’t own you. If you want to go then go, but I won’t be there.”

I tried to walk past him, but he stood in my way, using his considerable height to try to intimidate me. “And where will you be?” he asked.

“Will you be at her party Friday night?” I asked as blandly as possible.

“I said I would … I had no choice, she wouldn’t go away otherwise ….”

“Then kick her ass out,” I interrupted again. “You worry too much what other people think.”

“So, I’m beginning to see,” he said coldly. With that, Alfred pushed past me and stormed off toward his downstairs bedroom.

“Damn it,” I shook my head at my own stupidity, went upstairs and got in the shower. I wondered how the day might have turned out differently if Kat had shown up only an hour later. I wasn’t angry with Kat. She had no way of knowing. I was angry with myself for letting the day’s events stop me from picking up with Alfred where we had left off that morning.

I rested my forehead against the cold stone of the shower wall. The fact that I could be touching Alfred’s warm skin at that very moment made it seem even colder. I couldn’t keep letting my fears push me away from him. So I’d been hurt. Who hasn’t? I couldn’t let my past stop me from ever having a future. Besides, I loved Alfred, in my own way. He’d been a friend of my family for years, and I cared for him. I kept telling myself that I should go downstairs and apologize. I stepped out of the shower, dried quickly, and snatched on my robe. For once, I was going to admit that I’d been wrong.

RED

Tracey H. Kitts

57

I went downstairs and found Alfred asleep on the couch. My heart fluttered as I watched the even rhythm of his breathing, and wondered how I should wake him. “I’m sorry I was an asshole, would you like to come to bed with me?” didn’t seem quite adequate. How was it that a poet stood there at a loss for words? That was it. I’d wake him and say that I was at a loss to describe what I felt when I looked at him … but I knew that I did not want to spend the night alone. I reached out to wake him, but before my hand touched his shoulder, he spoke. As he rolled away from me, still asleep, one name was clearly audible, “Marcy.”

The anger that I would have expected did not come. My knees felt weak and my chest hurt, but I had not misunderstood him. My senses were above and beyond what they should have been. I’d heard him correctly. I stumbled backward, feeling foolish.

Here I was about to confess that I had feelings for him while he lay on my couch, dreaming of another woman. I backed out of the room quietly. I did not want Alfred to know I’d been there, no reason to add insult to injury.