21

 

Mountain Dew sprayed the kitchen. The coughing fit that followed had Jarek cradling his ribs and praying for death. Cali leaped up, grabbing a dish towel. Her wide gaze flew back and forth between the mess and the tears streaming down his cheeks. When he could breathe again, he pinned her with a baleful glare.

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Looking up from her crouch in front of the sink, Cali shook her head, mouth opening and closing.

He shook his head. Color flooded Cali’s face.

“You asked,” she grumbled, barely audible over the squeak of the spray bottle.

“I didn’t think you were going to say that.”

“I won’t think about it anymore if you’re going to freak out.”

The slight pout twisting her lips as she cleaned the cabinet doors warned that he’d hurt her feelings. What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like his gender had the market cornered on fantasizing. Jarek used his napkin to mop up the soda that had landed on the island. He just hadn’t ever imagined someone thinking about him like that. How did he erase this new awkwardness? Because truth be told, he wanted her to be thinking about him that way.

Putting away the cleaner, Cali stalked into the laundry room to ditch the dirty towel. She didn’t meet his gaze when she came back. Skirting the island, she grabbed her plate and scraped the remainder of her enchilada into the trash. He caught her wrist when she came back for her diet Coke. Her lips flattened into a thin line and she didn’t look up at him. Jarek stroked his thumb over her pulse point.

“You just caught me off guard and I choked like a dope. The pain made me snarky. I’m sorry.”

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, judging his sincerity. He must have passed because she relaxed.

“Me too. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“If you’re going to hurt me I’d prefer it like in the hospital.”

“Masochist.”

“Your kiss was worth it.”

She blushed, but a pleased grin curved her lips. He saw her glance toward the hallway and hazarded a guess at her thoughts. Her pulse jumped under the stroke of his thumb.

“I know I said that there’s no rush in figuring out what we want, but I definitely want you. Make no mistake of that.”   

“We’re both fucked up. How’s that going to work?” she whispered, still staring down the hall.

Jarek wet his lips. It was a good question. But there was something to be said about being with someone who understood the hell he’d walked through. She’d said much the same thing the other day. Wasn’t it worth a shot to see if they could make it work?

“Sometimes when you have two things that are broken, you can put the parts together to make one whole,” he said softly. “Maybe we would be like that.”

The gray eyes that finally turned to him were awash with a kaleidoscope of emotions. 

“You think two scruffy strays can slap a little duct tape on it and make it where half the normal people are failing?”

“They don’t get that broken doesn’t mean useless or unfixable. We know how to fight.”

A glint of admiration lit her gaze and she nodded. “That’s deep. I like that.”

“I don’t know about deep, but it’s the truth. Besides, normal is overrated.”

Cali nodded and looked down at their hands. “Didn’t you ever look at some perfect, sitcom family and wonder what it would be like?”

“I guess,” he said with a shrug. “But not for long. Maybe it’s pessimistic, but dreams like that just set you up for a big fall.”

“I can see that,” Cali agreed, sliding her wrist from his grasp and cupping his hand between her two smaller ones.  “What always got me were the things that were a big deal to them. Not making the cheerleading squad. Not getting invited to, or their parents saying they couldn’t go to, the it party.”

“Someone having newer clothes, cell phone, or car than them,” Jarek added. “No one ever worries about coming home to their mom tripping out, or whether they will eat that day.”

“If they’ll have the money to go on the field trip all the other kids are going on.”

“If their clothes fit and are clean. Fuck if they’re in fashion.”

Cali gasped. “You said the F-word.”

Jarek laughed. “Don’t tell Mrs. M.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Cali promised, though her grin was anything but convincing.

They were both quiet. Jarek searched for something to add to their ongoing discussion on them. Anything he came up with sounded like pushing. He didn’t want that. Her revelation that she was thinking about them, that way, had portions of his anatomy taking notice. Unfortunately, even if she was ready to test her fantasies out, he wasn’t. The spirit and parts of his body were willing, but his ribs were screaming. The pain meds taunted him from the counter next to the coffee pot, but he didn’t want to pull his hand away and break the moment.

“When’s the last time you took your medicine?”   

Her expression reminded him of Mrs. M. There was no point in lying. Women had a sixth sense when men tried to tough it out.

“I’m past due,” he admitted. But added, “I was waiting until I had some food in my stomach.”

“You shouldn’t have waited for me,” she said, looking guilty as she rinsed his plate.

“It’s not a big deal. Sometimes I run late too,” he said, purposely ignoring her side trip to Lucky’s.  

She put a fresh Mountain Dew and a pill in front of him.

“Take that and then go find something to watch. I’ll be there before you’re done surfing all your new channels.”

He opened his mouth to protest but Cali cut him off.

“You cooked. I can clean up. Go.”

Popping the pain pill under her watchful eye, Jarek retreated to the living room. Stretching out on the couch, he tried to muffle a sound part sigh, part groan. He wasn’t going to admit it to her, but being horizontal put a lot less strain on his aching ribs. Tucking a pillow under his head, he reached for the remote. Having television made convalescence much more bearable. He wasn’t one for sitting around doing nothing. It was one of the reasons he’d been in no rush to get the house done. He liked having something to do.  

He flipped through the channels. He needed to remember to mark it on his bill calendar to cancel the premium packages before the three free months were up. But after almost two years without a TV, this was nice. Pulling the big ottoman close to put her Coke on, Cali plopped down on the other leg of the sectional.  

“I told you I’d be done before you decided,” she said smugly.

He stuck his tongue out. Cali laughed.

“Have you ever seen this?”

“Is that Kevin Costner?”

“Yeah. It’s The Untouchables. Awesome old Chicago gangster movie.”  

“Never seen it,” she said making herself comfortable against his shoulder. “If you say it’s good, I’m game.”

She reached behind her and groped down his arm. Finding his wrist, she lifted it over her head so his bent arm was laying across her chest. Scooting a little closer, she pushed her head up on his pec. Her hair still held the faint smell of vanilla from her shampoo. She wiggled and adjusted his arm.

“Comfy?” he asked sarcastically.

Her body shook in silent amusement.

“Yep.”

“Good. It’s all about you, Nurse Nightingale.”

She shook again and stroked the hair on his forearm, making it stand up.

“Now you’re learning.”

Jarek grinned. Sassy little thing. Drawing in a whiff of vanilla, he turned his attention to the movie.

“Is that De Niro or Pacino? I get those two confused,” she whispered.

“De Niro. Pacino is the one in Scarface and The Godfather.”

“Oh. I thought De Niro was in The Godfather.”

“No. Well … not in the original. He’s in the second one as a younger version of Marlon Brando’s character. But Pacino plays the lead, Michael Corleone.”  

Cali snickered. “I told you I got them confused. Thanks for making it worse.”

He looked down at the top of her head, fighting a smile. Her giggle was infectious.

“You’re welcome. I don’t think they look anything alike, but you’re not the first person that I’ve heard say that.”

She shrugged. “Benny used to watch The Godfather movies back-to-back and get trashed whenever the weather was shitty and we were trapped in the house.”

Yawning, he made a note. No Godfather marathon. He nuzzled the top of her head. Between her body heat, a full belly, and the meds, his eyelids were getting heavy.

“Is my hair in your face?” she asked, reaching back to smooth it down.

“No. It just smells good,” he mumbled.

“Ugh! I haven’t taken a shower,” she said, running her fingers through it self-consciously. “It probably smells like greasy restaurant food.”

“It smells like warm vanilla.”

She stilled. He waited for it.

“Really?”

Jarek smiled. “Really.”

“Smart ass,” she whispered.

His sleepy brain couldn’t form a reply to that, so he just kissed the top of her head.

 

 

The TV and house were dark when he woke. Cali’s head was still against his chest but she’d curled onto her side facing the back of the couch. Her breath whispered warm against the side of his neck. Freeing his right arm from the blanket, he checked his watch. It was five-twenty AM. He’d slept through the night. Those painkillers were potent. He glanced at his watch again. Saturday. Did Cali have to work today? He closed his eyes, trying to mentally pull up the schedule on the refrigerator. No go. Sighing, he kissed the crown of her head.

“Hey.” His voice came out in a hoarse croak, heavy with morning rust. Swallowing, he tried again. “Cali.”

The little redhead wiggled closer to the back of the couch, her nose pressing against his collarbone. Moving the arm that was around her, he cupped the back of her head.

“Do you have to work today?”

She rubbed her face against his t-shirt. “Shit. What time is it?”

“Five-twenty.”

“Shit. I have to be there in forty minutes,” she muttered, trying to push herself up.

It took a moment for her to get turned around and for his arm to remember it’s manners. It seemed to want to keep her close.

“I’ll make some coffee.”

“You don’t have to get up. I can get some at work. I need a shower.”

Bumping into the ottoman, she stumbled, reaching for her stubbed toes. An empty Coke can hit the floor, clattering in the quiet. Still hobbling, she pushed hair out of her face and tried to track the rolling can in the gloom.

“I’ll get it,” he said, waving her toward the bathroom. “Go!”

She hesitated but shuffled off when he put his feet on the floor. He was glad she was gone for the low groan of pain that escaped him at the pull to his injured ribs. Cradling them with one arm, he stood slowly. His toes found the runaway Coke can sending it tinkling in a noisy half-circle across the floor. Scooping it up, he groaned again and made a mental note to check for a sticky mess when his eyes were ready for light.

The light above the sink was enough for him to start a pot of coffee. Whether she needed it or not, he did.

Pounding on the bathroom door he yelled, “Do you want a breakfast burrito for the road?”

There was an echoing crash on the other side of the door. He couldn’t make out her muttering, but then she raised her voice.

“Yes. Please, and thank you.”

Wandering back to the kitchen, he grinned. He doubted the muttering had been as polite. Digging two of the frozen burritos out of the freezer, he tossed them in the microwave and pushed the buttons. While they were warming, he looked over the remaining freezer contents for dinner ideas. Nothing jumped out at him. Ordering in sounded good. Pizza maybe. He leaned on the counter. Missing work, splurging probably wasn’t the smartest. He scrubbed his hands over his face. Being a responsible, bill paying adult sucked.

Taking his first precious sips of coffee, he filled a cup for Cali. Heavily doctoring it with milk and sugar, he screwed the lid on the travel mug.  Steam followed her out of the bathroom as she scurried into her bedroom wrapped in a towel. He fought the urge to wander down the hall when her door didn’t close. A mistake the other day was one thing, but their tentative flirtation didn’t give him that much leeway.

He took a bite of his burrito and automatically opened his mouth to cool it. He almost choked as she hurried back out of the bedroom. The black dress pants she wore for work weren’t as tight as her yoga capris, but damn close. Parts of him were waking up without the coffee. He stepped forward to lean over the island. Twisting her hair up into a sloppy knot, she hung her purse cross-body and fumbled in the pocket.

“Take it easy today. Don’t forget to take your meds when you get done eating,” she mumbled, sighing in relief when she pulled out her keys. “Don’t worry about dinner. I owe you a couple. I’ll pick something up for us on my way home. Text me if something sounds good.”

He nodded. His marbles must not have rattled loud enough. She stopped in front of him.

“Did you get all of that?”

“Yep. Take it easy. Take my meds. You’re picking up dinner.”

She reached over the island to pat his cheek. “Good boy.”

He rolled his eyes. She grinned. Snatching up her travel mug and breakfast she headed for the door.

“I’ll see you around four-thirty or five.”

Throwing up the hand holding his breakfast, he waved. “Have a good day!”

The door slammed on his words. Stepping over to the sink, he watched her fumble with the Jeep door and then lean in on tiptoe to put her coffee in the drink holder. Damn, he loved those pants. It felt weird to be standing there in the kitchen watching her go off to work. On the other hand, her reminders and teasing had felt right. She hopped in. He grinned as the Jeep hopped too when she took off. She was still getting the hang of the standard shift.

Stuffing the last of the burrito in his mouth, he fumbled with the prescription bottle. He wouldn’t put it past her to have counted the damn things. Like most kids from the system, she was suspicious. Refilling his coffee mug, he looked around. The kitchen was clean. His cell phone chirped. Patting his pockets, he fished it out and read the text from Cali.

No working! Take it easy!

He snorted and headed for the couch. Add bossy to the list.