New York City had been sweltering for days. Citizens pushed their cooling systems to the max looking for an escape from the blistering July weather that seemed to have no end in sight. Unable to keep up with the constant demand for electricity, intermittent black-outs swept through the city.
Tommy had tried to explain it to her. "This sticky heat brings out people's crazy," he had joked. "Just you wait."
Lindy paced restlessly around her apartment. The power had gone out almost an hour ago. She did have some battery life left on her phone and tablet, but she couldn't do much with the cell phone towers down and no wifi. So… she paced.
In an effort to stay cool, Lindy was wearing short jean shorts and a loose razor-back tank. You could see her blue bandeau bra through the large arms holes of the tank, but she didn't care. It let what little airflow there was touch as much skin as possible.
She had always loved computer science, but it hadn't really occurred to her how attached she was to her online world until this moment. She was more surprised than upset by the realization. Then, something else struck her. Something far more exciting…
If she wasn't online then he couldn't be watching her.
For the first time in months, she knew *without a doubt* that she was alone. No GPS tracking her. No unseen camera spying on her every movement. She was free.
It wouldn't last forever, but even the brutal heat couldn't take away her new found glee. She felt like celebrating, but her options were pretty limited. Sophia had gone up to the Hamptons with Connor and some friends fleeing the heat.
Well… she did know one person would be home. "Why not," she thought to herself. "At least he will understand why this is such a relief."
She grabbed a six-pack of beer from the fridge and felt the side of one of the bottles. "Not super cold… but passable… for Tommy anyway," she grinned to herself. She packed it into a large shoulder bag along with a flashlight and headed out of her apartment.
The walk to Tommy's was an unexpected surprise. Without streetlights, she had expected the city to be dark and daunting. Instead, it was full of restless energy. Not unlike Lindy herself.
On almost every block she passed there were people with sparklers or flashlights. Even make shift paper lanterns. She could see candles in windows. It almost felt festive.
She walked the narrow stairwell up to Tommy's apartment using her flashlight to guide the way. She cursed his choice of a top floor apartment as the climb made her sweat in the dogged heat.
By the time she reached the top, her arms and legs were glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. She ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. All of the sudden, this didn't seem like the best plan…
Tommy was grateful for the candles in the emergency kit in his squad car. There wasn't much left in his place after Bubonic's prank. And, if he was being honest, he wasn't sure that he even had any to start out with.
A cool shower by candlelight. Not really his style, but after this shitty week… it was practically paradise.
He pulled on a thin pair of sweatpants and was rifling through a basket of clean laundry for a t-shirt when he heard footsteps outside of his door. Needless to say, the last few months had kept him on edge for anything suspicious.
He grabbed his gun off the milk crate that had been standing in for his stolen bedside table and silently padded towards the door.
He couldn't believe the sight on the other side of the peephole.
"So… how's my dark hallway? Do you wanna come inside or are you good out there?" he smiled, raising his eyebrows sarcastically.
His bare torso still damp from the shower glistened in the candlelight. His lean muscular frame filled the doorway. His sweatpants hung dangerously low, well below his hip bones.
Lindy's gaze dropped to the floor as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, then her dark brown eyes rose up and met his. A small smile spread across her lips. "I brought beer. Interested?"
"Well then… by all means…" Tommy said stepping back from the doorway and ushering her in.
As she walked past him from the dark hallway to the candlelit apartment, her skin seemed to glow in the low light.
"Let me just grab a shirt," Tommy yelled as he trotted into his bedroom. "Make yourself at home," he said awkwardly as he scrambled to find something to wear. He finally found a light grey tank top that seemed to be clean and pulled it over his head. He took a deep breath and headed out of the bedroom.
"You like to travel pretty light, huh?" Lindy yelled from the living room.
Tommy snorted running his hands through his hair. "Yeah … It's a long story," Tommy smiled. "So where's this beer I've heard so much about?"
"Oh right. Let me grab it," Lindy said pulling the 6 pack out of her bag. "It's not the coldest, but it's not warm either…"
"Sweet, I think I have a bottle opener on top of the fridge somewhere," Tommy said placing one hand on the top corner of the fridge and using the other to hunt for the bottle opener.
Since he didn't have any chairs, Lindy hoisted herself on to the countertop across from him.
The hem of Tommy's shirt pulled up as he extended his left arm reaching towards the back of the top of the fridge. Lindy could see the bottom edge of a large purple mark on his back.
She slid down from the countertop and stepped towards him. Her fingers gingerly touched the dark bruise. With her other hand she inquisitively pushed up the hem of his shirt to see how big it was.
Lindy's warm fingers on his skin sent shivers through his whole body.
"Tommy, you're shaking," Lindy said anxiously.
"Lindy. Don't." Tommy whispered breathlessly.
Lindy didn't listen. Her curiosity got the better of her and she pushed his shirt up past his shoulder blades. "Are these from the night at the club? That was weeks ago. Are you okay?"
Tommy didn't dare move. He could sense how close she was to him. He could feel her breath on his skin. Every cell in his body wanted to turn around, take her face in his hands and kiss her.
But, she wasn't his girl.
She was Ben's. She had chosen Ben.
He had to protect her for Ben.
She was so beautiful. So reckless. So stubborn. So… not into him.
"Pull yourself together man," Tommy thought to himself. "You can do this. Just answer her and step away…"
"Yeah. They are from the club. They got a couple of really good kicks in. It looks worse that it is," Tommy lied.
Mercifully, his fingers finally found the bottle opener at that moment. He stepped to his left and then turned, so they wouldn't be face to face.
He popped the caps off two bottles and passed a beer to Lindy. "So, what are we celebrating?"