Bear by Lily J. Adams

 

Chapter Seven:  First Date

 

Bear

 

The routine and the discipline acquired from my army days never left my spirit. I was up at six, my feet pounding the pavement, keeping my mind and my heart clear every day, especially following Murphy’s death. Me putting on my sneakers was like brushing my teeth. I’d found a deep satisfaction in it. Once I was certain my legs were hurting enough with the burn, I jogged home and started the push ups, dips, and abdominal workouts.

Thirty minutes later, I was wiping sweat from my forehead and chugging down a much-needed jug of water. After hydration, a food refuel, a hot shower and breathing exercises, I rode on over to my second home at Wheelz. I knew Angie was going to be around somewhere because she was meeting with Mia to discuss the Mississippi case. I wanted to catch her and reconnect on the idea that it might be best if she ran the story through me.

Holbeck retracted its sticky heat for once, gracing us with a mild, sunny day. A welcome relief too, because I didn’t feel like sweating all over again. My Harley powered through the back streets as I enjoyed the sight of quaint houses and clean-cut lawns. Every moment spent on my bike was time well spent in my eyes. Being a road captain gave me a sense of inner freedom and pride.

As I eased into Wheelz and parked, I saw a number of bikes lined up. I guessed at who was inside. Looked to be Bones, Numbers, Mia and Angie. I walked into the dim bar to see that no one was on the floor. Most likely, the crew was upstairs and unless they were having some sort of confidential meeting, I was about to crash it.

At the top of the stairs, Mia and Angie were engaged in conversation. Both of them missed me at the doorway.

“Just the ladies I wanted to see.” I chuckled.

Angie and Mia both glanced up at the same time as Numbers stuck his head out of the boardroom. His suspicious stare changed swiftly to a smile when he saw it was me. “Hey, brother! We are going over financials for the casino,” he called down.

“Cool. Cool. I’m here to see Angie, it’s all good man. Everything good for the casino?” I asked, walking up the stairs as I spoke.

Numbers flipped his thumb up. “It will be. We can win it. We have phone calls to make right now. Keep you posted.”

I nodded as I looked up at him briefly. I wanted to stay focused on what I came for, which was to speak to Angie. “Ladies, are you going back downstairs? I want to talk to you about Delphia. I have an idea,” I pitched to both of them.

“I am all ears for this one. I would love to hear this idea you have,” Angie said with the sarcasm she was known for.

“Then let’s go downstairs and we can talk about it.” I had my own disarming mechanism and it worked fairly well as my cheeks plumped up from smiling at the perpetually disgruntled Angie Carmichael.

“I’m intrigued now. Sounds like you have some new information from the way you’re smiling.” Her emerald eyes narrowed at me.

Mia said nothing and we moved downstairs.

“I do have some. I think it’s going to be very valuable for you,” I teased. The stairs creaked under our weight as we moved down into the open bar area of Wheelz.

Angie slid into a bar seat as her messy blonde hair framed her face. “Straight up, no chaser. Tell us.”

Mia had her purse hitched over her shoulder like she had to leave shortly.

“Delphia is pretty fragile,” I started in. “Rocky is after her. She called me down to the gas station to check it out for her. The back security camera that looks out onto the parking lot was blown out and there was oil on the ground. She told me that the emergency exit was open the previous night she’d worked.”

“How do you know that it’s Rocky though? You can’t speculate,” Mia queried. “That’s the lawyer side coming out in me, but unless you have hard evidence, that’s not going to fly. You need cold, hard facts for the judge. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but that’s the law. You must come armed with facts and then some. The officers absolutely did botch the case… and now we’re in this predicament.” Mia slapped her hand against her thigh. It was obvious that the case had stumped her and caused her some undue stress.

My eyebrows knitted together as I looked at them both. “Mia, I know it was Rocky. It’s a gut feeling. I know the law won’t do anything, but Angie, I think I should be the go-between.”

Angie stood up from the stool, running a hand through her unruly locks. “I knew Rocky would come after her! We have to do something, Bear. Justice hasn’t been served by the law, so it’s time for Rocky to receive the Angie Carmichael version of the law.”

“Are you serious about looking out for Delphia?” I asked sincerely. It was so hard to tell with Angie if she was into a cause for herself or actually caring about the people she was covering.

“I am. This is why I’m a journalist. I do have selfish reasons in regards to Rocky’s guilt, but I care about this case seeing the judge properly and either being reopened… or Rocky going to jail.”

Angie’s somber tone had me convinced she did care this time. “Then let me ease you in and get her to open up to you.”

Mia was growing impatient as she stole a glance at her watch. “Guys, I’m on the clock. I have to go. Bear, I hope you can get her to talk. It could change everything. I’m not directly on the case anymore, but I’m assisting, and I’ve done a lot of legwork on it. Good luck, guys.”

I nodded and waved Mia goodbye as she walked towards the exit.

Angie and I were left alone. She muttered earnestly, “Get her to talk, Bear. Just get her to tell me the details. I want to bring justice to her and her family.”

“It might not be quick, Angie. Leave it with me. She’s traumatized enough, and if Rocky is following her that’s even worse. It’s better if she does speak, though. It will help a lot of things and get rid of him. If I could do it the old school way and pummel his face into the ground I would,” I remarked.

“You can still do that. I would be grateful if you actually did, that’s for sure. But I better get out of here too. I have some other write ups to finish.” She slapped her hands on the table and stood up.

“Cool,” I responded.

“Why is she calling you for the rescue? Why doesn’t she call me?” Angie complained with a sour look on her face.

“We are not fighting over Delphia. I’ve lost someone, and that’s something you don’t understand, Angie. Leave it to me.” We both walked out to the door and into the Holbeck sun to go our separate ways.

Angie shook her head as she pulled her keys out of her pocket. “Alright you win. I’ll follow your lead for once.”

My lips curved upwards at winning a minor battle with Angie. “Thank you, princess.” I was deliberately trying to grate on her nerves.

Angie was anything but a princess. Her squinty eyes and pause to scan me up and down let me know that. “Let me know what you can do, but know that if you can’t get her to talk then I will step in. Since you don’t want that… I suggest you fix it.” As she turned away, her long flowing blonde locks flicked out behind her.

I shook my head at her aggressiveness.

I rode out and picked up a few things from the grocery store. I decided to stop by and see Delphia on the way home. I walked inside the station to her looking fresher and brighter somehow. Her hair even looked shinier or something.

Delphia was stacking orange juice in the fridges and didn’t see me right away, even though she would have heard the double doors open.

“Looks like you’re working hard,” I blurted.

She stacked one more shelf before she turned back to me. “Hey, Bear.” Even the way she smiled looked joyful.

This made me want to know who or what was putting it there. “That smile is pretty wide there. Any reason?” I asked curiously.

“Well…” She shrugged lightly. “You’re here… and I’m trying to be happy even if things around me are shit.”

The fact that she had wanted to see me made a burst of fire run deep in my veins. “You’re doing a great job, by the way,” I said as I stacked the last of the orange juice for her.

“Thank you. I made some plans with friends as well, so I feel better about things.”

“Look at you. I told you it could be done.” I silently applauded her resolve.

Delphia might have been young, but she was a determined and resilient young lady. “It’s a small step, but like you said… you have to live your life, you know.” She again smiled at me.

“Yeah, we do.” I shifted from one foot to the other with my helmet in hand. I was procrastinating on asking her to the movies for real, but hearing that she was moving forward with her life was an encouraging sign. “Speaking of living life, you still in for going to the movies? That Star Trek rerun of films is this weekend. That work for you?”

She picked up the crate beside her and shot me a smile that made me want to kiss her inviting lips. “That works for me. Do you remember where I live?”

“Sure do. I have a pretty good memory. Speaking of memory, did your boss get that camera fixed out back?”

“Yes, he’s working on it and he’s going to put another one there as well.”

“Good, any more interference, or anything going on?”

“No, so far nothing, but I know it’s not done.” The flicker of fear in her eyes was all too real.

“Don’t be afraid to call me, Delphia. Even if you just want to bounce something off me. I’m around.”

Delphia swept her hair behind her ear, giving me a better look at her face. “I know. Thank God. I think I’m going crazy sometimes. I just want peace for my brother.”

“You’ll get it. Trust me you will,” I reassured her. I’d already set my mind to it from the day I dropped my keys at the pumps. Bringing up Angie right now, would not be the right timing, so I talked to her for another couple of minutes and left. I felt satisfied that I would be able to take her on a date and that she was going to be courageous enough to live her life.

The rest of the week went by without a hiccup. I wanted Delphia to have a good time, so I did what any road captain would do and mapped out a scenic route around Holbeck that she might not have seen. By the time I picked her up at 11, I’d planned for us to ride and relax for a while and then finish off in the late afternoon with the movie.

I knocked on her door while feeling a little nervous, which wasn’t like me.

She opened the door with a smile on her face. “I’m ready to go.”

My eyes couldn’t help but to drift to the rest of her body. Those long slim legs were tightly concealed in a pair of blue jeans. She also wore a nice red top with a jacket and boots. I nodded in extreme appreciation. “You look like a biker chick if I ever saw one. I’m impressed. Let’s go ride. I have a spare helmet for you. I was sizing your head the last time I saw you to make sure it was the right fit.”

A look of incredulity crossed her face. “You were sizing my head?”

“Yes. I was sizing your head. Only for the purpose of Star Trek 3D glasses and the helmet,” I said, half joking. Her gleeful laugh was so light and refreshing that I wanted to hear it again.

And she did not fail me, she outright laughed at my explanation. “That makes perfect sense. Is the movie during the day or something?”

I winked at her. “No, the movie will be happening later this afternoon. I’m going to take you on a mystery tour ride around Holbeck. How about that?”

“I would love it! Wow.”

Watching her face transform in front of my eyes made me feel as if things were going right between us. I wanted to make sure she had a good time and take her mind away from the tragedy for a while.

I handed her the helmet, and she took it, walking alongside me to my bike. We walked over to my chrome, pimped-out beast and she slid the helmet on her head. I helped her tie the strap on. With our fingers intertwined we were so close to one another I could smell the vanilla scent she wore. The mix of it with the Holbeck heat and her body made a chemical reaction flow out of the pores of my body. Somehow, she brought an exhilarated feeling to me, and I had to put my helmet on so I wouldn’t try to spontaneously kiss her.

I straddled my bike and patted my hands to my waist. “Put both your hands around here. Hold on tight and lean into the corners with me.”

“Ok, I will. I used to ride on the back of my brother’s bike, so I know the rules,” Delphia reminded me then flipped her visor down and settled in behind me.

“Good news.” I felt the weight of the bike shift upright. It felt good to have her back there. Her hands glided around my waist as a fire activated inside me with her touch. It was getting harder and harder to deny my attraction to her.

Cranking the engine, I reveled in feeling the power of the bike vibrate underneath us as we rode through the sleepy suburban streets. As soon as the taste of the Holbeck air kissed my face, I again remembered the simple beauty of riding. What man wouldn’t want to be riding a motorcycle with a gorgeous woman on the back?

Weatherboard houses whizzed by as we snaked through the backstreets, the thunder propelling us forward. We darted in and out of traffic, flowing like water between cars until I was able to get us onto the freeway and open up the throttle on the bike a little more.

Yeah, I was showing off a little bit, but I wanted her to experience the magic and the freedom of being on the back of a bike. She’d been through so much already, and I wanted her to have a good time. Once we maneuvered onto the freeway, I took the first right off the overpass to a road I knew would lead us to hidden gems of Holbeck scenery. A place untouched, where rolling green hills hugged the outskirts of the town and golden grass fields laid in the foreground. Where the houses were miles apart and it was hard to find a diner, but when you did, they sold good old-fashioned food to truckers passing through.

After riding for close to half an hour with Delphia pointing out scenic highlights along the way, we pulled into a diner spot that I knew. I’d taken the route often enough. I was a fan. Those fancy cafes and pretentious bars weren’t for a man like me. The only high rolling place you would find me would be at the Red Stone Casino.

I rolled the bike to a stop, killing the engine. I waited while Delphia got off the back of the bike. “How was that? Like the ride?” I asked.

Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were sparkling as a touch of wind caught onto her hair. “Revived! That was so cool. I’ve never even been back here, ever. I didn’t know this place existed. There’s not even a real sign. How did you find this place?”

The marvel in her eyes was enough for me to feel like I’d won her over. I put my hands out as I scoffed. “I’m a road captain, it’s my job to know the hidden routes to take. This is one I found riding out a few years back when I got lost. Pays to get lost sometimes. Pretty cool, huh?”

Delphia looked around as the breeze lifted the loose tendrils hanging around her face. “Sure is.”

“This place has decent coffee and great food. I hope you don’t mind an old diner.” I didn’t know what she was used to. It’s not like I knew her to be the bougie type, but still I asked.

“This is perfect. I’m happy to be here with you.”

Her touching my arm with her warm fingers showed me her appreciation. She slid them away and I wished she had kept them there. I swung my legs over the bike and walked side by side with her into the diner. The place was dead and the flies out front were terrible. This is what the Holbeck heat brought: flying insects that you either got used to swatting away or left be. We walked in.

I saluted the person behind the counter, who looked desperate for customers. “Hi, we’re just looking to grab a bite,” I said to him.

“Sure, sure, take a seat anywhere. Today you can take your pick,” he gestured to the open seats with a chuckle.

“Thanks, man.”

“I’ll be right over with two menus.”

I walked Delphia over to a table near the front, so we could look out the window. I thought she might like that.

She slid in gracefully. She was like this precious gift that nobody could see correctly except for me. I valued it. I watched as she looked around the new environment soaking it all in.

By the time she looked back at me, she was smiling.

“It’s nice to see you smile,” I said.

Her eyes shifted to her hands as she ran her fingers over her thumbs. “I feel good that I can.”

“You know you can talk to me. I’ve seen a lot in my life, Delphia. Nothing is off limits,” I assured her. Comfort was what I had to provide her with to open up to me. She paused a bit, and I read her body language. I sensed she wanted to speak but didn’t know how.

The menus came and she tried to distract herself with it. Even if she was a little more vibrant than most days, she was still hiding what she wanted to tell me. “I have to tell you something.” Her nose was buried in the menu as she spoke.

My brow furrowed. “I know.” I tried to comfort her by showing her how well I knew her.

Her head rose as she looked into my eyes and searched for the trust there.

I held her gaze, waiting.

“I know something…” She continued. The whites of her eyes were more prominent now as her fingers trembled on the menu.

I slowly pushed the menu down and put my hand over hers. “Go ahead.”

“My brother knew Rocky was going to kill him. He told me, and he gave me recordings. I was going to give them to the police, but I didn’t. Not after—not after what they did to the case…” She didn’t break when she stumbled, but she was strong.

“Talk to Angie. She’s one of the best. She’s going to help you. Trust me, she can help.” I promised.

“Really? I don’t even know her… she’s just some greedy reporter who wants a story,” Delphia added with enough bitterness to let me know how she truly felt.

“I know you think that. She can be intimidating, but she has your best interests at heart when it comes to stories. She just has her way. She’s been working on this case for a while. She can get it reopened. Rocky came after her too.”

Delphia gasped. “He did? What? Why?”

“Because she had the courage to challenge the police’s verdict. She won’t let you down. Speak to her.”

Delphia picked up the menu again, as she blinked rapidly. “Okay.” A mild reply but enough.

“Okay, it is. Let’s eat.”

Delphia’s expression returned to a smile. “You make things better for me… easier. I feel like I can laugh again.”

“That’s because you should be laughing. I know you think I’m brave, but you’re the courageous one.”

“Thanks, but I don’t feel like I am.” She sighed.

I winked at her and told her a funny story, “Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. Once I knew a skinny and very lean soldier. I mean he had arms like string beans. And everyone teased the hell out of him, called him Slim Dandy and shit like that. Then one day, our unit was pinned down. When suddenly, he shot up, and drew their fire, so we could shoot back. I’d never seen anyone run such a zig zag in my life. Then he hid behind some metal pole on that street and the bullets hit it, instead of him. Just like some cartoon.”

Her eyes were round in her face. “Did he… make it out alive?”

“Hell, yeah. He was even rewarded the Medal of Valor. After that, we all called him Mr. Valor.”

Delphia laughed. A melodic sound that caressed my skin like pure silk.

We sat talking and sharing stories about our lives for the next hour. As we finished up, our bellies were full and the conversation flowed freely between us. We walked back to my bike stuffed to the gills and smiling.

The fire between us was burning and before my mind could pull me back, I locked my fingers through Delphia’s, just steps from my bike. She didn’t pull away, she just linked her fingers deeper with mine. Then she turned herself around and perched against the bike as I rested both my palms on either side of her. Her rose-stained lips were waiting for my kiss. I leaned in ever so slowly, feeling the delicate start of what was going on between us. I grazed her plump lips with mine as she responded with surprising passion, linking her fingers around my neck.

As I stood up from her, we both looked hard at one another.

“Well, that was incredible,” she breathed the words out.

“You are incredible,” I replied. “Maybe, with everything going on, we should keep this between us. See where it goes.”

“I agree. I want it to be between us as well.” She bit at her bottom lip.

So, I dove in one more time to savor the sweetness of her lips.

If me and Delphia were wrong, then I wanted to be all the way wrong… I was getting a second chance at redemption.