Duly Noted Read online

  He crouched down beside her, his hand rested on her shoulder, and sincerity on his face. “Okay. Duly noted.” He stood and extended his hand. “What would help?”

  “Xanax.”

  He laughed, stopping only when she didn’t return his grin. “Oh, you’re serious?”

  “Like a heart attack. Which I may have soon if I don’t get some relief.” With her eyes fixated on the ceiling as though a lightning bolt would strike her down, she quickly limped her way into the back room where her locker was. Breathing heavy as her heart pounded in fear, she poured two pills out, catching them in the nick of time as they bounced out of her shaking hand. She let them melt under her tongue.

  Another loud boom rattled the building, and cowering she found herself wrapped in Nate’s strong arms. “Easy there,” he smirked, which irritated Aurora, although he did not lessen his hold on her.

  She pushed out of his embrace. “I’ll be okay now, thank you,” she said as she stumbled backwards and fell with a thud onto the nearby bench.

  “Sure you will.” Relaxing on the seat beside her, he said, “I’ve never known anyone as terrified of a thunderstorm as you are.”

  “There’s lots you don’t know about me, Nate.” She bit her lip and kicked the door of her locker shut.

  “I’m sure there is.” His smile widened, showcasing a dimple on his left cheek. His chocolate brown eyes twinkled under the florescent lights of the staff room. “However, I kind of like that the storm bothers you.”

  “You’re a very strange man.” She pushed herself up and staggered for the door, pausing as the door creaked open. Curiosity overcoming her, she turned and asked, “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why do you like the fact that it bothers me?” She hoped he couldn’t see her veins pulsing beneath her skin in such close proximity to him as he closed the distance between them.

  “Because, it’s neat that I can… umm…” He shrugged a shoulder. “Never mind.”

  “You are a strange man.”

  “Duly noted.” He held the door for her. “Ready to head back out?”

  She nodded, and as another clap of thunder boomed overhead, Aurora only flinched moderately.

  Nate whistled. “Wow, that stuff works well.”

  “It would fail cataclysmically if it couldn’t do its job, and therefore wouldn’t be an effective means of reducing my anxiety,” she said as she exited the room.

  As he walked beside her to the special Matthew James area, he never said a word. Another bang, and instinctively, she cowered a touch. Nate stepped a little closer to her, but he never touched her. Almost as if he understood her. But he couldn’t because he’d only met her a week ago.

  Aurora, Nate and a few staff members were almost finished decorating when the branch manager came rushing over. “No, no, no,” he bellowed as he waddled his girth over to the stage and removed some of the potted plants from it. “No. Didn’t anyone read this?” He waved around a thick booklet of stapled pages bound in purple with gold writing across the cover. “This is his rider. If we don’t have everything set up exactly as dictated, he’ll cancel on us.”

  Aurora stole a glance at Nate who was trying to hide a laugh under his hand. He caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.

  “There can only be two planters on the left, not three.” The manager balanced on the edge of freaking out and maintaining control as he speed-wobbled across the small stage, flicking his gaze between the rider and what the crew had done. In haste he threw the papers on the table nearest Aurora which she immediately peeked at.

  The requests made her eyes jump out of their sockets.

  Pursuant to section 15.1, the following agreements shall be in place before Mr. James is to take the stage. These will be expertly combed through by his assistants, and baring no ‘mistakes’ Mr. James will follow through with the meet and greet after the show. Failure to provide the details, and the event will be cancelled without further notice. Everything must be in place no less than five hours preceding said event.

  • All plants on the stage must be real, and only two can be on the left-hand side.

  • A purple, coil bound notebook of 80 pages must be on the table with the names (last, first) of the winners of the prize draw(s)

  • A gold bowl full of purple M&Ms must be available for Mr. James to munch on prior to taking the stage.

  She wanted to continue reading, but the manager snatched it from her hands. “You’re free to go, Aurora, and re-stock books or something.”

  “But I–”

  “Thank you,” he said curtly.

  She wanted to give him the one-finger salute but thought the better of it. After all, no matter how much she wasn’t enjoying her job, at least she had one. Forcing herself to behave, she bit her tongue to put up with a little attitude.

  She laughed though as he also dismissed the rest of the staff, and muttered something about “Doing it all himself.”

  “Good luck,” Aurora said as she hobbled away. At least the problem was out of her hands and nothing could be blamed on her.

  Moments later, Nate leaned on the cart she’d propped against a shelf of romance titles. “So, did I call it?”

  “What’s that?” Pretending to be absorbed in reading the back of a novel, she avoided eye contact. She knew he saw her read the rider.

  “Mr. Rock Star God of Teenage Boys, is he overly pretentious or what?” He flipped through a book on her cart. “I mean really. Only two plants on the left side? Who does that?”

  Aurora placed a few books on the shelf. “He really does a lot of work. You’re just seeing what you want to see. You think he’s an ass, so you’ll see every little thing that makes him one. However, if you saw the good in him, and the wonderful work he does, perhaps you’d change your mind.”

  “And perhaps you should really listen to the words that escape your mouth.” He arched an eyebrow and tipped his head back.

  She gasped and slammed a book harder than she wanted onto the shelf, admitting to herself that he could be right, as she never had done any deep-seated research on him. However, she’d never give him the verbal satisfaction of saying it aloud, so she continued to re-shelve books with covers of half-naked people and ignored his smirk. That smug little smirk she wanted to kiss off his face.

  “What? No smart-ass comeback?”

  She shook her head. “Must be the Xanax.”

  “Ah yes, perhaps.” He stood close. Too close. Close enough to breathe in a heady mixture of cologne and sweat. Nate nudged her arm, and broke the spell.

  She stepped to the side when a group of giggling girls walked by holding a pair of books with half-naked men on the covers. “Girls,” she said, as they covered their mouths and tried to act casual in flipping the pages, probably trying to get to the good stuff. A fit of giggles erupted from the young girls.

  “What they want to find out about love, they’ll never find in a book. They need to experience it in the real world.”

  “And why not? Some of these books help young girls figure out what they want in a man. Whether he be dashing and daring, or strong and domineering–” She trailed off in a dreamlike state.

  “Is that what you look for in a man? Strong and domineering? Or do you prefer dashing and exceedingly handsome?” He swished his hair off his face and leaned on the shelf, striking a pose like one of the models on the nearest book cover.

  “Not funny,” she said, although it was. Endearing almost, and most definitely charming. “What I look for in a man, I’ll never find. So there’s no point in even trying,” she added without filtering, and she said it in a way that caused the corners of Nate’s mouth to turn down.

  “Ouch.”

  “Well, it’s the truth,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Guess I’ll have to prove myself to you.” His fingers steepled together in thought.

  “You’ll need to do more than that, because I’m not interested.” She turned around and walked away, hoping her wobbles ap
peared sexier than they felt.

  Later, after Aurora finished her shift up, she sat outside under the overhang of the building, waiting and willing the rain to pass. The thunder and lightning had thankfully finished their dance, but with the absence of an umbrella, she preferred to wait until the rain stopped. Otherwise, she’d be a drowned rat of a mess when she finally made it home.

  Tucked under the canopy, the cool concrete snuck through her thin pants, chilling her to the bone. Nate emerged from the building, laughing with a small group of guys while she continued to shake. He seemed relaxed and clapped another on the back before rushing out to his car – an older red one that seemed well cared for. About to open his door, he glanced in her direction and jogged over.

  “I thought you left hours ago.” His fingers slipped through his rain-slicked hair.

  “Hah, not quite. More like half-an-hour ago. I just finished up the Matthew James exhibition area.”

  “They let you back in? Lucky you.” An arched eyebrow created her as he stepped under the canopy. “What are you still doing here? Waiting for a ride?”

  “Nope. Just waiting for the rain to let up a little before I walk home.”

  He cocked his head towards his car. “Don’t be silly, I’ll drive you. C’mon.”

  “No thanks. I’m good.” She gazed out beyond the overhang. The rain wasn’t falling in sheets, but it hadn’t let up either.

  “I promise, I don’t bite.”

  “Whew, that’s a relief.” She mockingly wiped her brow. “See, it’s letting up.” Scratching her nose, she rose, gathered her purse and tucked it under her jacket.

  Nate shook his head. “I don’t think so. C’mon, I’ll give you a ride. You can’t live far if you’re walking.”

  “No, you’re right. I don’t live far, but I’m not getting into a car with you.” I don’t have the right medication and there’s not enough Xanax in the world to make a ride home bearable.

  “Okay.” Pouting, he thrust his tongue stud against his teeth. “You sure are a strange duck.”

  “Duly noted.” She winked, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat.

  He studied her, and opened his mouth. Instead of speaking, he sighed as he held back whatever it was he wanted to let roll off his tongue.

  “It’s okay,” she said earnestly. “There’s nothing you can say that I haven’t heard before.”

  He tipped his head to the right, and studied at her. “Well, that does raise some concerns about what you may have heard. But what I was going to say had nothing to do with your comment.”

  “Okay, so spit it out.”

  “Wow. You are direct, aren’t you?” A slight flush crawled up his neck and covered his face.

  “Always.”

  He stared at his hands and kicked at the ground. “I was going to ask if you wanted to go out tonight. With me.” His chocolate brown eyes latched onto hers.

  Her eyes widened. “I can’t.” Rejection fell across his face, and she raced to explain, “I’m meeting my bestie at Urban DC, you know that new dance club that opened?” Smiling, she added, “You’re more than welcome to meet me there.”

  His face lit up as his dimple deepened. “Okay, where do I meet you once I’m there?”

  With a wink she said, “You’ll find me.” Aurora stood with a smile on her face and pointed it towards the sky. “See? The rain’s letting up. Time for me to go.” Hobbling away, she hummed.

  “What time?” he called out from behind her.

  She turned and shrugged. “After nine?” Raindrops cooled her hand as she waved and walked away.

  Chapter Six

  Aurora snuggled onto her worn-out brown sofa, and held her phone in her hand. Time for another check-in. Dialling, she waited for a man’s voice.

  “Hello, Princess.”

  “Hey, Daddy.”

  “How’s my little girl doing? No more back problems?”

  The pill bottles on the coffee table stared at her. “No, it’s all fine. Had a bit of anxiety at work today over the stupid storm.” Lifting a container, she counted the pills inside.

  “Well, Dr. Roberts said that would take time to get over.”

  “I know, I just wish–”

  “I know you do. I do too.” Cole MacIntyre had lost his wife and a daughter that night, and nearly lost Aurora too. “I’m coming to town on Monday.”

  “Great. I’ll get the place cleaned up for you.” She glanced around the tiny apartment, eyeballing the space. Everything needed a shine and polish to help it look less… unwelcome. A stack of unread mail sat near the door, and a basket of freshly washed laundry begged to be put away. “And I’ll make dinner too.” She made a mental list of groceries to pick up on her way home from work tomorrow.

  “How’s work going?”

  She huffed, not completely hating her job. “Great. Been putting together an event for a huge, well-known author, so that’s been a lot of fun. I’ve made a new friend there, but since he works in construction and is part of the renovations, he’ll likely only be there for a little bit.”

  “A guy? Who?”

  It’s what fathers were supposed to do, right? Check in on their daughters. “Nate.” Unwillingly, her face lit up at the mention of his name. She liked the way it naturally rolled off her tongue. Her tongue. His tongue. That barbell stud in his tongue. Mmm.

  “Nate who?” He sounded agitated. Had he already asked?

  “Nate Somebody, Daddy.” She heard him growl in his paternal way. “But he seems nice, and he’s a hard worker too. He’s going to meet Kaitlyn and me at the new dance club.”

  “Have you had any pain pills today? You know what happens if you mix them and alcohol.”

  “Yeah, because I’m a heavy drinker.” She’d never had a drop of alcohol. It was the drink that poisoned the mind of the asshole who ran the stop sign and killed her family. And she had enough problems within her own life without adding alcohol to the mix.

  “Princess, you remember what the doctor said, right?”

  “And you should know, Daddy, that’s not who I am. That shit can mess you up.” Or kill innocent people. “I’m many things, but I’m not stupid.”

  “Never said you were. I just want you to be safe.”

  “I know,” she sighed. There was a long pause, common when they chatted on the phone as they both wanted to say more, but knew it would be difficult. Both had a bad habit of holding back.

  “See you Monday.” Cole hung up.

  Aurora put her dance club outfit together, and threw that and her shoes into a backpack. Makeup on and hair styled, she hobbled out the door in runners and jeans.

  It didn’t take her too long – about thirty minutes – to walk from her apartment to the mall where the new dance club was located. The walk would be hard on her body, so she took a Percocet. The pain receding, she popped into the nearest bathroom on arrival and removed her runners and jeans, opting instead for the silver high-lo dress and matching heels, and took another perc to keep the pain away. Heels were always painful, and as sexy as she felt in them, they made her hips ache in new ways. But dance night was a night to escape who she was. A night to be free, thanks to the drugs, and unhindered.

  Tonight, she resembled her mother; her long, brown hair piled up on her head, with a wispy hint of bangs. Her eyelashes long enough to touch glasses, if she wore them, paired with eyeliner made her blue irises dance. A touch of gloss was enough to cover the pale pink pout of her lips.

  “You rock it, girl,” a voice echoed throughout the bathroom, and Aurora stared at the reflection in the mirror.

  “Kaitlyn,” she said, surprise in her voice as her girlfriend strolled into the bathroom, always as fresh as a model off the cover of a magazine. “Thought we were meeting at the club?”

  “Pee break, couldn’t wait,” the gorgeous blond said as she squeezed her way into a cubicle and locked the door. “I’m so glad you decided to stay this summer. It’ll be a lot of fun, us going clubbing like this.”


  “I’m glad I stayed too.” Being home means seeing reminders, and not being able to discuss it because that’ll never happen.

  “When’s your dad coming to visit?” Her voice echoed throughout the tiled bathroom.

  “Monday.”

  “That’ll be nice, no?” A loud, pleasant sigh escaped the stall before the toilet flushed.

  “I suppose. It’s been a couple of weeks.” She leaned against the counter, waiting for her best friend. Kaitlyn understood. She knew all about the accident and her subsequent fears.

  One night in a drunken stupor, Kaitlyn confessed she harboured a huge crush on Aurora’s father, blaming the whole widow thing he had going for him. That thought gave Aurora the heebie-jeebies. Cole was approaching his fifties, and Kaitlyn was in her twenties. Too much of an age gap in Aurora’s mind. Plus, it was creepy as fuck.

  Kaitlyn emerged from the stall with relief on her face. “That’s better. I swear that cabbie hit every red light.”

  Aurora laughed. “That’s why I walk.” She dabbed a little more gloss on her lips. “Shall we?” They linked arms together and sauntered over to the dance club.

  After dropping her backpack at coat check, Aurora surveyed the floor. Lights twinkled in a rainbow of colours as the music boomed beneath her feet. Crowds of people mashed together on the tiny dance floor, grinding and moving in time to the beat. A cluster of men and women lined the edges, drinks of stupidity held in their greedy little hands.

  “Let’s dance,” Kaitlyn screamed into her ear, her blond head cocked towards the floor.

  The ladies strutted their bodies, slinking through the crowd to a less compacted area on the dance floor, where there was a little more than a knife’s edge to dance in.

  Kaitlyn turned towards Aurora, and whispered, “Let’s pretend and make heads turn.” This was a fun game for Kaitlyn when they went out – playing pretend. Kaitlyn always wanted people to think she was gay, and maybe she was. Aurora had often wondered if she wasn’t a bit bisexual. After all, she harboured a crush on her father and often flirted with him, but she loved women too. Aurora was completely confused by the whole thing and wondered if Kaitlyn was too.