Chapter 21

"Horatio, come in. I'm so glad you could come."

"So am I." For some reason, he wanted to say more and didn't dare.

"I have everything ready."

Solange stood aside to let the man six inches taller than she enter her small home. The double doors to the small massage room were open showing the inviting sight of the table covered in a white sheet. Beyond the table, the door to the patio in back stood open and the rumbling sound of the hot tub could barely be discerned.

"I still feel almost guilty about this Solange."

She reached up and rubbed his shoulder blade. "No need, I assure you. I'm absolutely fine. Besides, I asked you, didn't I? If I were suffering, you'd be at home with a cold pack on your back. I know how to take care of myself."

"I'm glad to hear that. Then let's get on with this."

"By the way, I forgot to mention something this morning. Mr. Souza may have had to go see his doctor or maybe to an emergency room after what I did to him."

Horatio turned, his eyes wide and full of interest. "Oh? It was that serious?"

"Yeah, I was so full of my own guilt for hurting him and all, I forgot what effects that kind of shock to the body could have. Sharp blows to nerve centers can send the body reeling. It's been so long, if he did get attention, he's probably been in and out so I don't know what difference talking about it now could have."

"It could be important. We'll see."

Excusing himself, Horatio pulled his cell out. "Detective Malarosa? This is Horatio Caine. I'd like you to run a check on the ERs in the area between Brickel and Little Havana and 6th and 26th to see if anyone came in suffering from shock caused by bruises to the outer left thigh and the solar plexus. If you find anything, get the medical report and leave it on my desk. Thank you."

He turned to face Solange. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow to check on private doctors."

"So this was important?"

"We never know. It's another lead, thank you."

"Meanwhile, he's still out there."

Horatio shook his head. "Meanwhile I'm here now and an MDPD unit will arrive and park across the street shortly after I leave."

Then, slumping ever so slightly, Horatio smiled gently. "And now, if you don't mind, I'd like to crawl into that tub of hot water."

Solange slapped her forehead. "Oh, of course! Come on let's get you tended to."

Ten minutes later, Horatio, up to his neck in water that had turned his pink skin a deep shade of carnation, wondered dreamily whether it was the Greeks or perhaps some other civilization that had discovered such a wonder. When he felt fingers kneading into his shoulders and neck, he found he no longer cared.

He heard a giggle close to his ear. "I think you're relaxing faster each time."

"I'm in love with those fingers."

"I love hearing that."

In the enchanted silence that followed, Horatio wondered how it was that some people had this gift of touch. This also led him to consider his growing attachment for this woman. Perhaps it was nothing more than the syndrome that led men to fall in love with nurses when they were ill. For the moment, it didn't matter. He was in heaven and that was all that mattered.

An hour and a half later, the two were facing each other over a cup of herbal tea. The table in the nook on one side of her tiny kitchen was so small, their knees nearly touched.

"Are you sure my staying isn't a bother to you?"

"As relaxed as you are, there is no way I let you drive until you're more alert. It's just part of the routine." She paused, looked into her cup of greenish liquid, smiled and said quietly, "Besides, I like the company." Looking up she went on, "And I don't mean because of the feeling of protection."

"Thank you. A police officer doesn't often hear that."

Solange looked up, disbelief written plainly on her face. "What? Oh please, Horatio. A man as good looking and charming as you not having women all over you? I can't believe that."

Horatio thought for a moment. "More years ago than I care to count, perhaps that was true. I think I was too focused on my work to do other than take women's company for granted. Now, well, there seems to be more work and far less company."

Solange sat back grinning. "Well, go out and socialize or something once in a while. Get yourself few women!"

"One will do, thank you."

For a reason that Horatio couldn't fathom at that moment, Solange fell quiet as she stared into his eyes.

To break through the sense of invasion he felt, he turned the tables and asked, "So, how did you get into doing massage? Wanting to help people?"

Solange rolled her eyes as she pursed her lips before answering. "Not really. Like so many people, this is one of many reinventions of myself. I started out life as an archeologist studying ancient Egyptian art. After about five years of brushing dust off of old stuff, I went into geology and was on a team looking for shale oil in the mid northern states. Each time the math courses I had to take nearly put me in the mad house. Then I tried art for a while, working at a small museum here in Miami. I finally figured out that as much as I like people, I'm not great at working 'for' people. By pure happenstance I went to a job seminar where people were giving talks on what they did. Lo and behold, there was this guy talking about massage. I went to a trial class at the massage school this guy had attended and, after the first day, I knew I had to do it. I paid for the first basic class and found the whole discipline fit like a glove, and no math required! Better yet, starting a massage business could be done on a shoe string. I went on to get the full course and the rest, as they say…"

"And how do they teach you to do it the way you do?"

Solange looked at the table without seeing. "They don't. I found out early on that you either have 'the touch' or you don't. No amount of good intentions or training gives it to you. I've had really awful massages from people with years of training and experience and really good massages from people just starting out, not knowing what they are doing."

"Well, you sure have the touch."

Solange giggled. "And if I lose it, I'll never know where to look for it because I have no idea what it is."

Impulsively, Horatio reached out for one of Solange's hands. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all." Her eyes opened wide in surprise at the gesture.

Taking her hand gently, Horatio examined it. "Somehow I thought your hands were larger."

"When I was a child, I thought I had big hands. Don't ask why, I don't know. I guess that since then, I just used them like big hands."

"They are definitely strong."

"Comes with the territory."

Horatio was captivated by the tools that had just spent an hour reviving him back to wholeness. Finding all he could in the hand, he carefully laid it down. "Amazing."

Solange looked across the table and smiled in pure delight. "Thank you."

"And now, I have to go." He rose more easily than he had in days.

"Of course. I'll walk you to the door."

Before she could open the front door, Horatio reached for Solange's chin, raised it and bent down to kiss her on the lips. "You are a very special woman."

Several seconds passed before Solange could find her voice. Swallowing hard, she replied, "Yeah, you too."

Ten minutes later, Solange was on the phone talking with her best friend, a fellow massage therapist. "I mean, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it but, wow! 'W'-'O'-ow, wow!"

Her friend reminded her of the general code of ethics they'd long agreed was the only way to survive in the strange world of such a personal service.

"Yes, I know that. It's not like I crawled into bed with him or anything. Besides, I don't think he meant anything by it. He's just one of those very kind men who express themselves that way."

She listened a moment longer.

"I don't think so. Natalia has always said he's always on the up and up when it comes to his working relationships. She's also mentioned that he was dating a fellow cop. I'd hate to think he was making advances while involved with someone else."

"Would I get involved with him if I could?"

Solange laid back in the deck chair and stared at the black sky overhead. She could barely make out the brightest stars through the bright glow of Miami's riotous night lights. "You know what? I don't know. Yes, I'm attracted to him yet…"

"No, I'm not 'gone' on him, not yet, anyway. Look, just tell me the man was carried away by the great service I'm known for and I'm being totally silly."

"Good, I thought so. Now, how are you doing?"

Half an hour later Solange pressed the off button on her phone and laid back to think.

Across town, Horatio was lying back on his condo patio in nearly the same position and doing some thinking of his own. For one thing, he was wondering what in hell had gotten into him for that damn fool kiss? Not only had it been improper under the circumstances, he wasn't at all sure he was ready. It had been only less than a week since he and Yelina had agreed to stop seeing each other.

And yet, and yet there was something about Solange. Was he just more appreciative of her services than he should be? Wasn't it no more than that, services rendered and paid for? For certain, as long as he paid for her to give him the best massages he'd ever had, he could not get involved with her. The laws were very clear on that point.

More, what was so attractive about her; well, aside from having that dark eyed Latina look he liked? What was it about her caring manner that differed from what Yelina had shown? Was he going to bite Solange's head off at some point? No matter how long it took to build a relationship with Solange, it would never be as old as the one between him and Yelina, yet he had turned on Yelina when she came near him in his most vulnerable state. He hadn't asked for help!

Suddenly a flash of connections making contact blazed. That was it, or at least part of it. People who reached out to help without knowing what he wanted drove him crazy. Good intentions or no, if he didn't look for help when he was perfectly capable of requesting it, then he resented the hell out of any attempts. With massage, he was in charge and if he wasn't, he could get up and leave with no personal feelings about it.

The problem now was that he was letting personal feelings get mixed in with the services. Here he was, hiring Solange to give him care, putting himself into her hands and he was thinking of taking into a delicate level.

He rose abruptly chiding himself, "You ass!"

That night he had a dream of a woman giving him a massage that turned into more than that. She was clearly propositioning him with her hands. She was so expert at what she did he couldn't help but respond. He reached for her and before he knew it, she was on the table with him, naked. The table became a bed, a space of joy. When they were done, she was suddenly dressed with the folded table by her side and her bag. He then got confused about how to properly reimburse her. His team was waiting for him to get dressed and go to a crime scene with them. Not only was he unsure of what to do, he was still undressed. He wasn't nearly as concerned with being naked in front of Calleigh or Natalia as he was with the dilemma over the law. The next morning, it took two cups of coffee to clear the foggy feeling the dream had left.

xxxx

In yet another location, the night before, Yelina found herself in a very interesting position. Ryan had walked her to her front door. She wasn't at all sure how she wanted to end the evening. They both agreed they'd had a nice dinner and that he'd been more than charming in payment for being charming to Trixie. On the porch, he had taken her in his arms and kissed her and in doing so, had moved her so her back was pressed against the closed door. Parting from her, he then planted his hands on either side of her head and then leaned closer. He wasn't quite rubbing against her and yet there wasn't much space between them either.

"Yelina," the tone of his voice was heavy with emotion. "I know this is crazy, probably more for you than me. I mean, a few days ago you were with Horatio and then last night, you were in bed with me. How nuts is that?"

Smiling, Yelina answered, "I thought you said you had no regrets about last night?"

Ryan's jaw dropped. "Regrets? No, not that. It's just that, well, I'm finding myself with an incredible amount of feelings for you. That's what's nuts. We've been working together maybe four days on this case and, well, look at me!" He dropped his hands. "I'm trying to keep you captured like I'm afraid you might fly away. It's too much, too fast."

"You're talking to me but you're also talking almost as if I'm not the one involved here."

Ryan looked alarmed again. "I know and I'm sorry. This is the first time this has ever happened."

"And since it's me you're involved with, you figure you should talk it over?"

"Not a good idea? Maybe? I don't know."

Yelina looked long and deep into Ryan's eyes. "I have to admit, I'm surprised by all of this. Yes, I'm still coming down from being with Horatio. We avoided being together for so long and then when we were a couple, we realized we shouldn't be. Still, now that it's officially over between us, I'm still reeling. On the other hand, what you and I have done hasn't hurt one bit. And yet, maybe we could slow it down a bit. After all, there's no hurry, is there?"

Again Ryan turned and planted his hands on the door and leaned in to face Yelina. "Yeah, but I so want to come in and ravish you."

"And you know you shouldn't."

Growling, Ryan stepped back and whirled around as if trying to dance around his feelings. "Damn the human male body!"

Yelina took that moment to turn, open her door and slip in. Standing at the small opening, barring entry, she whispered, "I'll see you at work tomorrow, Prince Charming."

Before Ryan could move forward to catch a last kiss, she closed the door.

TBC