Chapter 7
An attractive young man stared back her with features made grotesque by concave lens. "It's the damn bogeyman. Open the door, Einstein."
She let relief wash over her. Calm down, she told herself. You are awake. It was just a dream. Dreams can't hurt you. The soreness throughout her body told her otherwise.
Her brother knocked once more on the door she now had her head rested against as she caught her breath.
"Sara? It's me. Open up."
She drew a steadying breath and opened the door. A small forced smile appeared on her face as she took in his appearance. "Jamie. What are you doing here?"
Jameson Sidle was at least six foot two with strong square shoulders. A battered black leather coat hid his toned torso and arms but the strong jaw line enforced what was hidden. The unshaven hard face appeared angry at the world, the eyes as dark as night and just as mysterious, the haircut short but not short enough to suggest any strong authority or control in his life, and a smile that wouldn't do justice to his kind nature.
"Are you okay?" He asked with concern. "I've been knocking for a while now."
"Huh? I'm fine. What are you doing here? Are mom and dad okay? I didn't get a call."
He ignored her questions while he sized her up and down. He could take one look and know something was wrong. She was a little thinner than he remembered and a distant look replaced the warmth in her eyes that he was usually accustomed. He wasn't the genius of the family but knew and read people well; something which his sister lacked.
Her brow furrowed. "Well, are they okay?"
"Yes, but you aren't looking too good."
She subconsciously tugged at her sleeves. "Never-you-mind."
"Hey it is my business to know how you are." He tried a small reassuring smile. "But I won't hold your lack of enthusiasm to see your favorite brother against you."
"You're my only brother. I don't really have a choice."
A hand quickly materialized with flowers. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"They're beautiful." She said letting herself get wrapped in his sturdy embrace. "Is this better?"
"Yes." He squeezed her heartily lifting her feet from the floor and forcing the air from her lungs. When he released her, he noticed a painful expression on her face as she straightened her shirt. He made a mental note to ask later.
"Are you going to invite me in or what?"
"Ohum sure, come in."
He stepped over the threshold as she moved to the side. "Oh this is nice, very very nice."
"Yeah a little better than the place back home." She said distractedly closing the door. "So don't keep me wondering. What are you doing in Vegas?"
"I wanted to see you." He discarded his coat. "Dad told me to tell you he misses his assistant bookkeeper and mom...well just misses you. You should call more often, but they wanted you to know that visiting wouldn't be such a bad idea either."
She looked away. "Things have been busy and I know they're busy with the B & B."
"I tried telling them that but you know how they are. They like to keep in touch with the offspring."
She nodded. Her parents could be a handful sometimes, which was partly the reason she managed most of the accounting matters, or bookkeeping as her father called it, and made sure things were done in an organized timely fashion. In a small nutshell, the Sidle parents were the exact opposite of their daughter. Jameson was the renegade and often getting into trouble so he fit in more than Sara, but he also had his limits.
"Anyway they're never too busy to talk to you."
"That sounds like their words, not your own." She walked into the kitchen to put the flowers in water. "I'm fine and you can tell them that."
"Oh no the hell I won't." He said from behind her. "Last time I got between you and mom, I damn near lost my head. Not to mention dad wouldn't talk to me for three days. So if you want them to know how you're doing and why you haven't called them, then you're going to have to tell them yourself."
"Fine, if you're going to make such a big deal about it."
"Yes I am." He said finally sitting down. "Besides I don't have the heart to lie to them."
This made Sara roll her eyes. "You lie to them all the time."
His dark brown eyes lit up and a sly smile crossed his face. "I lie about me, not about you."
"What lie? I'm not lying."
"You're not fine and frankly I'm beginning to wonder if you're even aware of it."
She turned away from him pretending to be busy. "Don't try some Psychology 101 on me, especially since you didn't even pass it."
"Has anyone in the Great City of Las Vegas ever told you, that you can be the biggest pain in the ass?"
"Really funny, but let's talk about you since you just show up whenever you like."
He allowed a long quiet pause. He didn't like being the topic of conversation, and Sara knew this as a fact. "I'm doing fine. Same ole, same ole."
She nodded but remained quiet, distracted.
"What's for supper?" He asked in a bright voice.
She blinked back to life. "A hundred restaurants in this city and you come to the one person that doesn't like to cook. Plus you haven't answered my questions yet?"
"Yeah but you need money for those places. I'd much rather mooch off of you and save a few bucks."
She frowned. "So how's work then?"
He ran a hand through his hair. "I have money Sara. I was just kidding with you."
"I know but I you are here by your own freewill in the middle of the week, plan to stay for a few days, and still haven't told me why."
"A week actually." He corrected.
"Which brings us back to why you are here, right?" She pointed out ignoring the flip her stomach did when he told her how long he would be staying.
"I came to see you. Do I need a permit to visit my baby sister?"
She snorted fighting sarcastic laughter. "Wellyes you do. At least a call would've been nice."
"Yeah, well then there would be no element of surprise. I had some vacation time coming up and I felt like a road trip."
"Seriously, Jamie. You don't just drop by without reason." Her voice touched the edge of annoyance. It was true her brother could read people well, but it wasn't true about himself. He really had no direction in his life and seemed to be afraid of finding out where he belonged because that meant he was bound to something. The thought terrified him. Most importantly, Sara knew and could see through the humor and the white lies like glass, which was now annoying her due to lack of sleep.
"Okay, the truth is I was suspended by the newest fat prick overseeing my collections."
"What?"
"Look I didn't come to get the third degree by the same little sister I used to torture."
"Mom and dad don't know." She said knowingly.
He sighed. "You and I both know I would never hear the end of it. They bought the vacation lie and seemed to be happy with it. Listen Sara, I've had my share of screw ups, but I did not mess up those collections. Let the bastard fire me. I know I'm right."
She barely resisted a huge sigh. This really couldn't come at a worse time, but turning him away wasn't really an option.
"You're staying a week?"
"If that's okay." He said quickly giving her large puppy eyes. "I really didn't want mom and dad to find out and I thought if I stayed I might do something stupid."
"You can have the couch and stay as long as you like on one condition."
He smiled. "Name it."
"You're buying dinner every night you're here. I don't have the food for a carnivore..."
"You don't eat meat anymore?" He interrupted.
"No. Like I was saying I don't have the means or the time to make supper after work."
"Okay it is a deal." He crossed over to her and kissed her forehead. "Thanks."
"Oh no problem."
TBC
