The Power of a Name
Chapter Five
He was back again. Why wouldn't he just give up and go away? But no, day after day he came and sat and talked to her. She never knew a man could have so much to say. He went on and on about anything and everything. Most of the time, she was able to just tune him out, but there were times it was absolutely impossible. Like when he talked about his cabin in the mountains. The way he described it made it sound so peaceful and serene. Peace and serenity, two things she had always searched for and never found.
And she owed him a debt of thanks. She finally knew what she was going to do when she got away from here. She'd buy herself a nice little cabin far away from everything and everyone. She'd never have to see another man again for as long as she lived. Brady's little visits, however unpleasant, were helping her come ever closer to that goal. A few more weeks of this would give her enough money to leave this business behind her forever. She reminded herself of that constantly, whenever her ability to shut him out failed, whenever he said something that made her armor show its cracks.
Nothing did that better than his use of different names for her. Whether Tempest, Acacia, or one of a dozen others, he made sure she knew the meaning behind the name, the reason it applied to her. He never once called her Sapphire. He never once looked at her the way other men did, like she was something to be used and then thrown away. He never once tried to touch her, and she had made it clear that he could anytime he wanted. He never once said anything to hurt or degrade her. He didn't play by her rules at all, and that frightened her more than anything else.
Her headache hadn't gone away since the first day he came, either. His words, his insistence that there was more to her life than this, his pleas to come away with him were reigniting that long-dead and much-feared spark of hope. But she knew better than to encourage it. She tried to stifle it as much as possible. It was the only way to survive, to just live her life and do what she did without thought of anything beyond.
Brady was running out of things to say. For all the interest she showed, he might as well have been talking to a blank wall. She just sat there on the bed, swaying her foot and staring through him as though he wasn't even there. How was he supposed to get through to her when she refused to acknowledge he was even there? She had even gotten used to the names he called her. They had ceased to faze her. Nothing got through to her. She was like ice.
No, not ice. Ice could be melted. She was a solid stone wall, completely impenetrable. He felt like grabbing her shoulders and shaking sense into her. But that would just push her farther away from him. If that were even possible. He was at a total loss. He still didn't know anything more about her than he had when he began. Part of him just wanted to give up. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was only a physical attraction to her that had brought him here. Maybe he should just use her body and let that be enough.
But something held him back. Perhaps it was only pride, the inability to admit defeat. But Brady refused to accept that. There was more to this than his ego or his libido. He loved her. For reasons still unknown to him, she had captured his heart the first moment he'd looked into her eyes. And fool though he was, he couldn't give up on her.
Of course, that didn't solve the problem of how to get her to open up to him, of how to make her trust him. At the moment, it would be enough to get that glazed look out of her eyes, to get her to really look at him. Brady looked around the room, trying to think of anything at all to say to her. He tried to ignore the implications of various objects thrown about the room. He tried not to imagine what they were used for.
She saw the direction his gaze took and smiled bitterly. Of course. It had just taken him much longer to come to the point than others. But all men were alike. She was glad she hadn't let herself truly believe the things he said. He was just like all the others. As the silence lengthened, she knew it was time to go to work. "So, mister, finally run out of things to say?" she taunted scathingly.
"I'm getting tired of the sound of my own voice," Brady admitted, not the least bit rattled. "I don't suppose you'd like to try carrying the conversation for a change." He studied her face intently, hoping for any reaction. He got none. The bland, bored expression she habitually wore remained firmly in place.
"What would you like me to talk about?" she asked tonelessly, knowing her indifference got under his skin more than anything else she could do. Well, maybe not anything, she thought, a plan forming in the back of her mind.
Brady felt his frustration growing by the instant. This was a lost cause. He was never going to get through to her. "You," he said, unable to keep the edge from his voice. "I want to talk about you. I want to know you, Tempest."
She smiled, a cold, predatory smile as she got off the bed and walked towards him, every step designed to draw attention to the flawless curves of her body clearly visible through the white satin lingerie. "There's an easier way to get to know me, mister," she purred, as she sank onto his lap, her legs draped over the sides of the chair. She could feel his arousal hard beneath her and knew that her moment had come. She would finally be able to prove to him and herself that he was just like any other man. "Just say the word, mister. Whatever you want."
Brady's brain was officially overruled as the dictator of his actions. She was completely in control of him. Her mouth had made its way down his jawline and to the sensitive spot on his neck, where her tongue was doing wild and wonderful things to him. Her hands had made their way under his shirt and were caressing his solid chest and abs. The scent of lavender that clung to her was assaulting his senses, drowning rational thought. Of their own volition, Brady's hands reached out to touch her, desperate for the feel of her satiny skin.
Nothing in the world could have stopped him at that moment from raising her mouth to his, from devouring those strawberry-flavored lips, from plunging his tongue into the silky recesses of her mouth and memorizing every inch of it. But when she started to take back control of the kiss, when her teeth bit down gently in an invitation to rough play, when her nails dug sharply into his scalp, sanity came rushing back to Brady. If he didn't stop this now, he would lose any small chance he might have with her.
Gently, Brady disentangled himself from her. She looked at him with annoyance, and he understood then that she had planned the whole thing. She had known exactly how to evoke every response she wanted from him. She had wanted to seduce him, not only to keep her heart safe but also to make a fool out of him. Swift rage filled Brady as he unceremoniously dumped her out of his lap, walking quickly away towards the only window in the room. He opened the blinds and looked out, facing away from her so she wouldn't be able to see his still obvious desire for her. "Did that make you feel any better, Acacia?" he asked, his voice shaking as he struggled to get control of his overpowering emotions.
Her eyes narrowed to slits as she hissed, "Yes! You see? You're exactly like the rest of them. You're just too much of a hypocrite to take what you want. You're pathetic, mister. Oh, so self-righteous and heroic on the outside, when inside you're as much of a bastard as all the rest." She saw by the way his jaw clenched that she had finally done it. She had made him angry, angry enough to hit her or screw her. Either way, it would end with him leaving, which was what she had convinced herself she wanted.
Brady jerked his head around to face her, his blue eyes glittering with rage. "I never denied wanting you, Sapphire," he spat out. She hid the stab of pain she felt when he called her by that name. She knew it meant he had finally given up, he was finally looking at her like the rest of the world did. It was what she had wanted. So why did it hurt so terribly?
"I admitted from the beginning that I wanted you, but you use that desire that men have for you as a weapon," Brady went on, too angry to care if his words hurt her, hoping they did. At the moment, he didn't want to see her as the victim. "You twist something that should be beautiful into something that only corrupts and blackens the soul."
She glared at him, her eyes shooting a fire equal to his own. "I never lied about what I was, mister," she returned defiantly. "You're the one who tried to imagine me as someone else. Well, I'm not. I'm a whore, mister. Get used to it. That's what I do. That's who I am."
Her words broke through Brady's rage. He recognized them for what they were, an attempt to push him farther away. "That's not who you are," he said softly. "There's so much more to you than that." He left his spot at the window and approached her, watching the anger in her eyes dissolve into fear. He stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles, the action devoid of lust and full of tender love.
She yanked away from his touch, unnerved by the way he was looking at her. He looked at her as though he thought he knew her, and he didn't. He didn't know a damn thing about her, and she had every intention of keeping it that way. Believe what you want to, mister," she replied, with a failed attempt at indifference. "It doesn't matter to me. You'll realize the truth sooner or later."
"I already know the truth, Tempest," Brady countered, still looking at her in that unnerving way. "The truth is that there are so many scars in your past that you're afraid to let anyone close. You're afraid that I'll hurt you even more if you give me the chance. You're afraid to let me understand your pain, afraid to leave yourself vulnerable like that. But, beloved, you don't have to be afraid. I'll make you see that. Just give me time. I love you, and I swear I'll never hurt you."
His words merely hit her ears and bounced off. I love you. She heard that every day. "Oh, Sapphire, I love you." "Ooh, baby, I love you when you do that." "I love how beautiful you are." She had heard those words a million times in a hundred different ways. This was just one more. It didn't mean anything. She laughed derisively. "Love? You've been watching too many old movies, mister. Love doesn't exist. 'I love you' is just a phrase people use because it sound nicer than, 'Let's have sex.'"
Brady studied her with pity. How much hell had she been through to make her this jaded? How could he possibly make a woman who'd seen only the darkest aspects of human nature understand that not everyone in this world was out to use and abuse her? One thing was clear. He wasn't going to get anywhere today. "You're wrong, Acacia. I'll prove it to you someday." There was a determined look on his face that let her know he wasn't going to give up anytime soon.
She sighed in defeat. Her wonderful plan had failed miserably. He was just that much more intent on getting to her. "I think you should go now," she decided, glancing at the clock. His hour had been up ten minutes ago, and she hadn't even noticed.
Brady nodded, heading obediently towards the doorway. She knew even before her stopped and turned towards her what he was going to say. "Come away with me," he whispered, as he had every single day. Was she not being clear enough in her refusals?
"No," she said, as resolutely as ever. Why wouldn't he just quit asking? And why did it get harder and harder to say no? She expected him to say goodbye and leave as usual; but this time he lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching her. She shifted uncomfortably. Had he picked up on her growing doubts? "Goodbye, mister," she prompted.
Instead of leaving, Brady leaned down and kissed her lips softly. The kiss was tender, and like his earlier caress, saturated with love. Alarmed, she tried to deepen the kiss, arouse his passion, and kill that disquieting gentleness. But the moment she tried to take control, he pulled away. Brady smiled at her obvious confusion. That would give her something to think about until he saw her again. "Goodbye, Tempest. I'll see you tomorrow."
She shut the door behind him, breathing a sigh of relief that he was finally gone. But he would be back tomorrow and the next day and the next, until she weakened and went away with him. And then he would have all the power, and he would use it to hurt her. That's what men did. She had learned that a long time ago. Filled with sudden resolve, she headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower, before she started packing. The only way to assure herself of not falling victim to Brady Black was to get away before he had the chance to hurt her. She was leaving Salem. Tonight.
~~*~~
"I've had just about enough of it," Susan ranted to Mimi as the friends shopped for prom dresses together at the local mall. "I mean, we're not even allowed to bring nail files to school anymore. And now, these new security guards are watching us all day long. Having to pass through metal detectors every time we enter our own school. It's so humiliating. We're being treated like common criminals. Our civil rights are being violated, and I think we should do something about it."
"Uh-huh," Mimi agreed absently, not having heard a word out of Susan's mouth past "security guards." She hadn't told Susan about her second encounter with the mysterious stranger and finding out that he worked at the school. What was the point? Susan would just laugh at her. She almost couldn't help laughing at herself. She had built up a whole romance in her mind with a man whom she'd had all of two brief conversations with and had been gawking at from a distance ever since.
"Hello! Earth to Mimi. Are you listening to me?" Susan waved a hand in front of her best friend's face to snap her out of her trance. She watched in mild annoyance as Mimi's eyes regained focus. It was just one of those things you learned to deal with when your best friend had her head in the clouds half the time. "Did you hear a single word I said?"
"Huh? Um, of course I did," Mimi retorted defensively. "You were talking about how you hate the tighter security at the school." She smiled smugly, sure that for once she wasn't totally out of it.
"And…" Susan prompted. Mimi just stared at her blankly. Susan sighed, resigned to repeating herself. "I asked if you'd be willing to sign a petition asking the school board to remove the security guards."
"No!" Mimi exclaimed, before she had the sense to stop herself. Susan raised an eyebrow, staring at her in bewilderment. Mimi blushed. "Um, what I mean is, there's less than a month before graduation, so there's really no point. Besides, I feel safer knowing they're there. I don't mind the inconvenience. Really."
Susan continued to eye her with suspicion for a moment, before shrugging the matter aside. She would never understand the inner workings of Miriam Lockhart's mind. "Okay," she relented. "It was just an idea." She surveyed the rows of prom dresses in front of her, before grabbing one and holding it in front of Mimi for effect. "Oh, Meems, this one would look so great on you."
Turning around to see her reflection in one of the large store mirrors, Mimi admitted to herself that Susan might be right. The bodice was a shimmering light-green, sleeveless with the exception of inch-wide shoulder straps that flowed into the V-shaped neckline. The skirt of the dress was a rich emerald green satin that flowed elegantly down to the floor. "Wow," she breathed, immediately falling in love with the dress.
"I'll say," Susan agreed, smiling, as she pulled out a sky blue dress for herself. "Go try it on."
Mimi nodded, not even glancing at the pricetag. Her parents had given her their credit card and told her to buy herself the most beautiful dress in the world, and this was most definitely it. Once she had tried it on, she was even more convinced that it was made especially for her. The green in the dress accentuated her eyes, and made them seem to dance with emerald fire. If only she had the perfect date to go with the perfect dress.
She bought the dress and was waiting for Susan to find the one for her, when she caught sight of a familiar figure through the glass front of the store. Her pulse raced at the sight of him. Maybe this was her lucky day. The luck of the Irish, as her mother would say. Without taking time to think about the repercussions of her actions, Mimi practically ran out of the store and down the crowded passageway in the direction she had seen Mr. Right walking.
Mimi caught sight of his sandy blonde hair through the press of teenagers. Even from the back, she'd recognize him anywhere. He had a magnetic pull on her that surpassed human understanding. She hurried after him, though restraining herself from actually running and bowling him over. She had to admit the thought did cross her mind though.
Finally, he stopped and went into a shoe store, giving Mimi the chance to catch up to him. He was examining a pair of Nikes when she summoned all her courage and approached him, both hands clutched her garment bag impossibly tight. "Hey," she managed to squeak out, her face flushing instantly. Hey? What kind of opening line was that?
He turned around then, flashing her that unforgettable smile she was already so addicted to. "Hi," he said. The sound of his voice made her heart turn cartwheels. "Do you have this in a size ten?" He held out the shoe for her examination.
Abruptly, Mimi's smile gave way and her blush deepened even further. He didn't remember her. He'd been her never-ending fantasy since the moment they met, and he didn't even remember her. "Um…I don't know," she stammered. "I don't work here."
He frowned at the crestfallen expression on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry," he muttered, studying her intently. Why had she come up to him if she didn't work here? Did he know her? Her face looked vaguely familiar, but he'd seen hundreds of teenage girls walk past him since he got that blasted job. Their faces blurred together after awhile. He couldn't be expected to actually remember them. "Was there something you wanted?"
Mimi winced at the bemused tolerance in his voice. She was nothing to him but a momentary annoyance. Nice going, Meems, she berated herself. Loser Lockhart does it again. "No. I just…I…well, I thought I knew you. Sorry to bother you." She turned to walk away.
"Hey, wait a minute," he called, his hand reaching out to grasp her arm lightly. Mimi felt the touch flow all the way through her body. Not caring anymore how much of a fool she made of herself, she turned around, her guileless eyes looking straight into his. He dropped his grip on her arm as though she had burned him. He had felt something he couldn't define at that moment, and he didn't think he wanted to feel it again. But he suddenly remembered. "I do know you, don't I? I bumped into you my first day of work. "You're…" He paused for a minute, searching for a name. The only thing that came to mind was Fifi, but he knew that wasn't right. That girl was definitely no Fifi.
"Mimi Lockhart," she provided helpfully, her eyes twinkling with mirth as a bright smile lit up her face. "At least it's good to know that I'm not entirely forgettable." She laughed then, a light, melodic sound that briefly warmed his frozen heart.
Almost involuntarily, he smiled back at her. She was the kind of person you couldn't help smiling at. Like Belle had been. The thought sobered him, and his face settled back into his habitual scowl. "So, now that I remember you, Miss Lockhart, was there something you wanted?"
"Well, I…" Mimi ransacked her brain for a reasonable excuse for approaching him. Damn her impetuosity. It got her into way too much trouble. Her mind drifted back to Susan's previously ignored words in a last ditch attempt to find something to say. "I wanted a chance to thank you. Ever since the school got that bomb threat earlier this year, I haven't felt safe coming to school. But now, thanks to you, I feel wonderful. I mean, I feel safe. Coming to school, I mean. Because of you. Well, not just you, obviously. The other guards, too." Her brain had told her mouth to shut up a long time ago; but as usual, her mouth wasn't listening. She could only listen in growing horror and embarrassment as she babbled on mindlessly.
He listened to her prattle on, torn between amusement and confusion. Who exactly was this girl? He'd never met anyone quite like her. Was it some mental defect that made her go on this way? But she seemed intelligent and sane enough. He could only conclude that she was on some sort of sugar high or caffeine rush. Nobody was that bubbly without outside stimulus. At least no one he'd ever known. He smiled reassuringly, noticing she seemed embarrassed. "Well, thank you and you're welcome, I guess," he replied, not knowing what else to say.
Mimi smiled, content to simply be able to look at him and talk to him in reality for a change. A sudden thought made her start alert, however. "Oh, before I forget, I've been meaning to ask you, what's your—"
"There you are!" Susan exclaimed loudly, coming up behind Mimi and spinning her around. Her bad temper seemed to have increased, despite the fact that she had found a dress too, judging by the bag she was carrying. "I thought you were going to wait for me, and we were going to go shoe shopping together. Why did you leave without telling me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Su," Mimi apologized. "I didn't even stop to think. You know how I am. Little Miss Scatterbrain. Anyway, Susan, I want you to meet…" She turned back around, only to find her mystery guy had disappeared again. "Where did he go?" She frantically looked in every direction for some sign of him. He was gone.
"Where did who go?" Susan asked, staring at Mimi like she'd lost what was left of her already unstable mind.
"The guy. My guy," Mimi cried nonsensically. "The guy I told you about, remember? The one I bumped into in school. He was here. I was talking to him. Don't you see? That's why I left you in the store. I was following him." She was verging on hysteria as she realized that after her third encounter with the man she was almost certain was her soulmate, she was still completely clueless about everything about him, even his name.
Susan's eyes widened in horror. "Meems, don't tell me you've become like a stalker now?" Mimi opened her mouth to defend herself, but Susan raised her hand to stop her. "I said don't tell me. I don't want to know. You've got to get a grip, Mimi. Now, come on. Let's find some shoes."
~~*~~
Jason frowned as he watched Mimi Lockhart and her friend disappear into the back of the store. He didn't know why he had left like that, except that there was something vaguely disquieting about her. She made him feel something unidentifiable, something he didn't want to define. Shaking his head, he tried to push her from his thoughts. She was just another average teenage girl. He chuckled at the obvious lie. Nothing about that girl was average.