Thanks for all the legendry reviews - so good for my ego. especially since i should be doing my english essay. Or at least writing my actual novel and not this silliness, but what can i say, i'm an addict.
Anyway, enjoy!
When they stopped at a deserted dark beach Elizabeth had to swallow her disappointment. He'd got her hopes up. They got out of the cab and then rather than crossing the road and going to the beach as she expected, Robert walked up to a very-much closed shop. It was an old place – with a flat above the shop. The signage was meant to look old and quaint – despite the new paint. Robert boldly knocked on the door.
Nothing.
He knocked again.
Again, nothing.
Then he picked up a stone and threw it up at the flat windows.
"Hey." A muffled voice yelled inside. The window was thrown open and a head poked out, "What the hell do you think you're doing."
"I'm serenading you, what do you think?" Robert threw back.
"Rob!" the man in the window recognized his brother.
"Ten points Jem. And a shot at the grand prize."
"Fine, I'm going back to bed." Jem pretended to go inside.
"Goodluck, there's plenty more rocks down here. We'll break in if necessary. You can climb drainpipes right Elizabeth."
"Oh, quite the gentleman Robert, expecting your girlfriend to climb a filthy plastic pipe."
Elizabeth jumped in, "You'd be surprised what they teach you a boarding school."
Robert laughed, "Would you let us in already?"
"Yah, I'm coming." Jem disappeared for a few minutes and reappeared at the shop door. "So what's happening?" he let them inside.
"Oh, you know, we decided this was the best place for a free cup of coffee in the greater Chicago area." Robert made for the kitchen.
"You got me out of bed for that?"
"Well, that and the pleasure of your company." Robert teased when Jem and Elizabeth entered the kitchen. Robert busily got out 3 mugs and got to work like an old pro at Jem's espresso machine. "Oh, sorry, Elizabeth, my brother Jeremy. Jem, likewise. Got any cinnamon sticks Jem?"
"No, we're out. But there's syrup in the cupboard…"
"Yah, I know." Robert cut him off.
"So, Elizabeth, what do you do?" Jem leaned back on the counter in his t shirt and shorts.
"I'm a surgeon."
"Oh, you're that Elizabeth?" Jem was quite proud of the blush spreading over Robert's face.
Elizabeth laughed. "I wish I could meet you with some recognition but Robert doesn't say much."
"Now I know better than that – he says a lot. Just not about himself."
"True." Elizabeth nodded.
"Hey – I'm in the room." Robert turned to face them and handed Elizabeth a hot frothy cup of coffee.
"We know." Jem and Elizabeth chimed teasingly.
"So you two, finally… Eh?" Jem asked
"Ah, no. Just friends." Robert cut him off, deciding he was at his limit as far as embarrassing moments for the evening.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Why?" Jem got straight to the point.
"Good coffee?" Robert asked Elizabeth.
"Fantastic."
Robert lifted his cup to his lips, "Indeed."
"Where's mine?" Jem asked.
"Oh, you didn't say you wanted one? And weren't you trying to sleep?"
"Thanks for looking out for me bro." Jem patted Robert on the shoulder, just a little harder than Robert appreciated, but he managed not to spill his coffee. "And on that note I have to start at eight tomorrow, so bed it is. But feel free to use my coffee, kitchen, whatever."
"Oh, we will." Robert grinned as Jem disappeared up the stairs. "Thanks. Sleep well."
Jem thumped the floor upstairs as if to say 'keep it down'.
"Music?" Robert pointed at the radio/cassette player on the window sill.
Elizabeth laughed.
Robert pressed play. He was kinda hoping Jem had a metal/rock tape in their, would have been much more annoying. But soft guitar strumming resounded in the silent kitchen.
'If I needed you, would you come for me?
Would you come to me and ease my pain?
If you needed me I would come to you
I would swim the seas to ease your pain.'
Elizabeth looked into her half empty coffee. Robert pressed stop.
"Come see the beach." He put his mug in the sink and she followed him outside. "Leave your shoes here – we can come back, you know, if we need more coffee – we could even raid the fridge."
"Jem seems like a good guy."
"He is. You'd never know we were brothers hey?"
"I didn't say that." She shut the door behind them and they crossed the road. "So how come you never mentioned him? And how come he never came to the hospital – all that time you were in there?"
"I didn't tell him what happened till after I was out."
Elizabeth looked at him quizzically. "I don't get it."
"He's my little brother – you know? I don't need him looking after me. Plus he's had enough on his plate – his wife died last year, just before the accident. I mean he would have been there if I'd asked him but I didn't want to."
"What did he say when you told him?"
"He was furious. But he's a good guy – he forgave me. He's good at that. Practice makes perfect."
"So you're good friends then?"
"Yep. Weird huh?"
"No, I'm jealous. Always wanted a brother."
"Well, I'll lend you Jem. But I get the espresso machine."
"It's a deal. I can't believe you never told me about him though."
"Someone's interested." Robert teased.
"Hardly." She laughed. Robert didn't reply and her laugh hung in the cold air. She wanted to explain. "I mean he's great, he's just not my type."
"So what is your type?" Robert asked, fully aware he was in dangerous territory.
"Um, strong – I mean he needs to be able to fight for things, fight with me, you know, and he's got to be true to his word. You know, I'm sure Jem would be but I'm not really looking."
"Too soon?" Robert dared
"No." she whispered and shook her head. He couldn't ask anymore, he didn't trust himself not to ask her the one question burning in the back of his throat. She knew his question. But was she ready to answer it? Was he the reason she wasn't looking? "What's the point in looking if you think you've found what you want." She forced herself to say. Honesty is the best police – she could hear her mother saying that, though she was pretty sure her mother had never said that.
"Oh." Robert sounded defeated. "He's a lucky guy." No point pretending now.
"Who?" she stopped walking, confused.
"Dorsett right?"
"Oh, gosh no. Plus he's married. I was a fool – but I wasn't even that interested, I don't care. I mean I'm pissed, he played me, but I don't really care. I ran out of that bar after you and I don't think I've stopped yet."
"You want me?" he could hardly speak but he had to be sure.
She nodded, then realized he couldn't really see her in the moonlight. Words weren't coming so she took his hand and squeezed it. When she let go he ran his hand up her arm, up her neck, until he was holding her face.
"I need to know Elizabeth."
"Yes." She whispered hoarsely. As her lips brushed his. He was paralyzed – fear this was a dream, or that she'd change her mind. She pulled him closer and kissed him softly. "I need you Robert." She kissed him again. He finally reacted. She was worth the risk.
Anyway, enjoy!
When they stopped at a deserted dark beach Elizabeth had to swallow her disappointment. He'd got her hopes up. They got out of the cab and then rather than crossing the road and going to the beach as she expected, Robert walked up to a very-much closed shop. It was an old place – with a flat above the shop. The signage was meant to look old and quaint – despite the new paint. Robert boldly knocked on the door.
Nothing.
He knocked again.
Again, nothing.
Then he picked up a stone and threw it up at the flat windows.
"Hey." A muffled voice yelled inside. The window was thrown open and a head poked out, "What the hell do you think you're doing."
"I'm serenading you, what do you think?" Robert threw back.
"Rob!" the man in the window recognized his brother.
"Ten points Jem. And a shot at the grand prize."
"Fine, I'm going back to bed." Jem pretended to go inside.
"Goodluck, there's plenty more rocks down here. We'll break in if necessary. You can climb drainpipes right Elizabeth."
"Oh, quite the gentleman Robert, expecting your girlfriend to climb a filthy plastic pipe."
Elizabeth jumped in, "You'd be surprised what they teach you a boarding school."
Robert laughed, "Would you let us in already?"
"Yah, I'm coming." Jem disappeared for a few minutes and reappeared at the shop door. "So what's happening?" he let them inside.
"Oh, you know, we decided this was the best place for a free cup of coffee in the greater Chicago area." Robert made for the kitchen.
"You got me out of bed for that?"
"Well, that and the pleasure of your company." Robert teased when Jem and Elizabeth entered the kitchen. Robert busily got out 3 mugs and got to work like an old pro at Jem's espresso machine. "Oh, sorry, Elizabeth, my brother Jeremy. Jem, likewise. Got any cinnamon sticks Jem?"
"No, we're out. But there's syrup in the cupboard…"
"Yah, I know." Robert cut him off.
"So, Elizabeth, what do you do?" Jem leaned back on the counter in his t shirt and shorts.
"I'm a surgeon."
"Oh, you're that Elizabeth?" Jem was quite proud of the blush spreading over Robert's face.
Elizabeth laughed. "I wish I could meet you with some recognition but Robert doesn't say much."
"Now I know better than that – he says a lot. Just not about himself."
"True." Elizabeth nodded.
"Hey – I'm in the room." Robert turned to face them and handed Elizabeth a hot frothy cup of coffee.
"We know." Jem and Elizabeth chimed teasingly.
"So you two, finally… Eh?" Jem asked
"Ah, no. Just friends." Robert cut him off, deciding he was at his limit as far as embarrassing moments for the evening.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Why?" Jem got straight to the point.
"Good coffee?" Robert asked Elizabeth.
"Fantastic."
Robert lifted his cup to his lips, "Indeed."
"Where's mine?" Jem asked.
"Oh, you didn't say you wanted one? And weren't you trying to sleep?"
"Thanks for looking out for me bro." Jem patted Robert on the shoulder, just a little harder than Robert appreciated, but he managed not to spill his coffee. "And on that note I have to start at eight tomorrow, so bed it is. But feel free to use my coffee, kitchen, whatever."
"Oh, we will." Robert grinned as Jem disappeared up the stairs. "Thanks. Sleep well."
Jem thumped the floor upstairs as if to say 'keep it down'.
"Music?" Robert pointed at the radio/cassette player on the window sill.
Elizabeth laughed.
Robert pressed play. He was kinda hoping Jem had a metal/rock tape in their, would have been much more annoying. But soft guitar strumming resounded in the silent kitchen.
'If I needed you, would you come for me?
Would you come to me and ease my pain?
If you needed me I would come to you
I would swim the seas to ease your pain.'
Elizabeth looked into her half empty coffee. Robert pressed stop.
"Come see the beach." He put his mug in the sink and she followed him outside. "Leave your shoes here – we can come back, you know, if we need more coffee – we could even raid the fridge."
"Jem seems like a good guy."
"He is. You'd never know we were brothers hey?"
"I didn't say that." She shut the door behind them and they crossed the road. "So how come you never mentioned him? And how come he never came to the hospital – all that time you were in there?"
"I didn't tell him what happened till after I was out."
Elizabeth looked at him quizzically. "I don't get it."
"He's my little brother – you know? I don't need him looking after me. Plus he's had enough on his plate – his wife died last year, just before the accident. I mean he would have been there if I'd asked him but I didn't want to."
"What did he say when you told him?"
"He was furious. But he's a good guy – he forgave me. He's good at that. Practice makes perfect."
"So you're good friends then?"
"Yep. Weird huh?"
"No, I'm jealous. Always wanted a brother."
"Well, I'll lend you Jem. But I get the espresso machine."
"It's a deal. I can't believe you never told me about him though."
"Someone's interested." Robert teased.
"Hardly." She laughed. Robert didn't reply and her laugh hung in the cold air. She wanted to explain. "I mean he's great, he's just not my type."
"So what is your type?" Robert asked, fully aware he was in dangerous territory.
"Um, strong – I mean he needs to be able to fight for things, fight with me, you know, and he's got to be true to his word. You know, I'm sure Jem would be but I'm not really looking."
"Too soon?" Robert dared
"No." she whispered and shook her head. He couldn't ask anymore, he didn't trust himself not to ask her the one question burning in the back of his throat. She knew his question. But was she ready to answer it? Was he the reason she wasn't looking? "What's the point in looking if you think you've found what you want." She forced herself to say. Honesty is the best police – she could hear her mother saying that, though she was pretty sure her mother had never said that.
"Oh." Robert sounded defeated. "He's a lucky guy." No point pretending now.
"Who?" she stopped walking, confused.
"Dorsett right?"
"Oh, gosh no. Plus he's married. I was a fool – but I wasn't even that interested, I don't care. I mean I'm pissed, he played me, but I don't really care. I ran out of that bar after you and I don't think I've stopped yet."
"You want me?" he could hardly speak but he had to be sure.
She nodded, then realized he couldn't really see her in the moonlight. Words weren't coming so she took his hand and squeezed it. When she let go he ran his hand up her arm, up her neck, until he was holding her face.
"I need to know Elizabeth."
"Yes." She whispered hoarsely. As her lips brushed his. He was paralyzed – fear this was a dream, or that she'd change her mind. She pulled him closer and kissed him softly. "I need you Robert." She kissed him again. He finally reacted. She was worth the risk.