Chapter 138
After they all had dinner that night, Embry stayed long enough for everyone to watch a movie together. Magnificent Seven was playing and Levi and Caleb were eager to see it although Heather and Evalynn were not interested in the movie. The only reason they were downstairs watching with everyone was because Heather wanted to stay downstairs while Embry was over. She even sat next to him, but since the movie was playing he wasn't talking to her. It was only after the movie that Embry got ready to leave, taking a plate of leftovers with him.
"Oh, Heather," Embry said.
"Yeah?" Heather asked, running over to the door eagerly.
"Our last flipping product just sold," Embry said and reached for his back pocket while Heather's shoulders slumped a little. He took out his wallet and pulled out $400. "Not a bad return on investment."
"Yeah," Heather said and accepted the money. "Um…when are you buying another house to flip?"
"Not for a while," Embry said. "As soon as we find a nice fixer upper that'll bring a good return, I'll let you know."
"Thank you," Heather said.
"Put that aside, okay kid?" Embry said and patted her shoulder. "Alright, Kevin, I'll see you next I see you."
"Fine by me," Kevin answered before Embry walked out the door. Now that Embry was gone, Heather and Evalynn went up to her room.
"$400 isn't half bad," Evalynn said as Heather put her money in her tiny safe that Embry had given her for her 14th birthday. "Are you planning to invest it again?"
"It's what I've been doing. No reason to stop," Heather said and then sat on her bed near her pillow and Evalynn sat on the bed on the other end. "Do you think it's possible Embry imprinted on me?"
Evalynn looked at her a moment and then shrugged, "I suppose he may have. I don't know if you having a crush on him is definitive proof he imprinted on you or vice versa."
"You don't think so?"
"I have a huge crush on Elizabeth Taylor; doesn't mean I imprinted on her."
"You'll never know unless you meet her," Heather smiled. "He doesn't date. At least, I've never met anyone that he was dating. If he'd not imprinted on me, he'd be dating someone right?"
"I don't know," Evalynn shrugged. "Just because we've never met anyone doesn't really mean he's not dating. Embry strikes me as the type that would only introduce someone if it was serious."
"Exactly!" Heather said. "If he's not talking about anyone being in his life, then she either doesn't exist or it's nothing serious." Her excitement at the prospect waned quickly as it dawned on her that it didn't really matter if he was seeing someone or not. "Do you think I should ask him? I mean, if he did imprint on me, he'd just tell me if I asked him right?"
"I guess so, but what good would it do you? At this point, it's just platonic. For him it certainly is."
"How do you know?" Heather asked, a little dejected. "Maybe he already feels romantically for me."
"You're 14."
"That doesn't mean he can't love me," Heather protested.
"You're 14," Evalynn repeated with greater emphasis. "Frankly, Heather, if he is attracted to you now, then that's really gross."
"It's not gross if he imprinted on me."
"No, a 62 year old man being attracted to a 14 year old is really, really gross. Actually, no matter what it'll be really gross. No matter how old you are, he's still 45 years your senior."
"He doesn't look like he's in his sixties," Heather defended.
"My point, Heather, is that if he did imprint on you, then it'll work itself out. It may mean you need to be patient, but hey: if he imprinted on you then he'll be worth waiting for right?"
"I guess so," Heather sighed and glanced at her hands. She looked up again when Amber opened the door to her bedroom.
"Heather, Evalynn, it's time to get to bed," Amber said. "Levi and Caleb are done so the bathroom's all yours."
"Thanks mom," Heather said. Heather and Evalynn got themselves ready for bed but they didn't go to bed right away. They turned the light off in Heather's room, but instead of going to sleep, Heather and Evalynn got under the covers with a small flashlight. "Do you think I should at least start hinting?"
"What?" Evalynn asked.
"Do you think I should at least start giving Embry hints?" Heather clarified.
"Oh," Evalynn said. "I don't know. I feel like that might be inappropriate."
"Really?"
"I think so," Evalynn said. "I mean, if he has imprinted on you, then he would come around eventually anyway. The whole point is the wolf is what the imprint needs, right? So if he's not attracted to you or doesn't see you as an adult, then maybe that's not what you need right now."
Heather sighed a little, "I hate it when you make sense."
"It's a curse, really," Evalynn teased. "If you are so inclined to do anything, I say ask if he imprinted on you and make that the end of it for now. I say try getting it out of Uncle Kevin first, though. That way, if you're wrong it can be just a silly misunderstanding that's kept between you and Uncle Kevin."
"I guess so," Heather said and then started blushing. "I don't know if I want to ask daddy, though. What if I am wrong and then I cause something between daddy and Embry?"
"You think you wouldn't if you went straight to Embry?" Evalynn asked and Heather groaned a little in frustration.
"Embry's less likely to say anything….I think. Wouldn't he?" Heather groaned again. "You're right: what would he want with a kid like me?"
"I said 'what would you two have in common', not 'what would he want with you?'" Evalynn sighed. "I really think you're stressing too much over this."
'That's easy for you to say," Heather whimpered with frustration and took a deep breath. All Evalynn did was shrug.
Eventually the two of them finally went to sleep for the night. Evalynn and Caleb stayed at Kevin and Amber's house until midday when Evalina drove up to Seattle to bring them home. On Monday after school, Heather was walking home from school. Her high school was further from the house but it was also closer to where Embry had his office. She'd normally walk past, but as she was walking by, she saw Embry's car was outside. She hesitated briefly but decided to go inside before she could over think the matter. When she went in, Gaeli was at the desk in front on the phone with someone.
"Yes, ma'am, that would be the quote for laying down the tile," Gaeli said to whomever she was speaking to just as she noticed Heather step in and waved at her. She covered the receiver with her hand and whispered, "Embry's in his office," before removing her hand and continuing her conversation with the customer. Heather went to the back where Embry's office where he was filling out something.
"Embry?" Embry looked up a when he heard her.
"Heather? What brings you here?"
"I was just walking by on my way home and I saw your car outside so I thought I'd step in to say hi. So what are you doing?"
"Right now, I'm placing an order for some hardwood," Embry said. "A client we're placing this down for didn't buy enough and the store they bought the wood from doesn't have it in stock anymore so we have to specially order it. The only store that has this specific wood left in stock is all the way in Portland."
"Portland, Oregon?" Heather asked with a raised brow. "They must really want that specific wood."
"In all fairness, it'll look fantastic in the family and dining room," Embry said.
"Is it too soon to enquire as to when you'll be buying another flipping property?"
"Just a bit," Embry chuckled. "I haven't had a chance to check the market for another fixer upper yet. Most likely, the next place we invest in will just need to be upgraded so I don't imagine the profit will be quite so high."
"Well, make sure my $400 investment counts," Heather smiled. "I'll expect my 35% return."
"And how much will you be entitled to if you invest $400?"
"$540," Heather smiled.
"Exactly," Embry smiled back.
"So do you have a work site you need to go to or are you here the rest of the day?"
"After I give Gaeli this order, I'll be off to the Windsor site. We're almost done with their bathroom remodel. We got their sink this morning and Taraq and Bayaq were getting that and a mirror installed."
"Is that the house that you were saying had the ugliest carpet on God's green earth?"
Embry chuckled, "So ugly I offered to redo their floors for free. Did you want me to drive you back home beforehand?"
"Sure," Heather smiled. Embry finished filling out the form he was working on and handed it to Gaeli before he and Heather went outside to his car. It was a little silly for him to drive her home since it wasn't that far, but she was happy to have some time with him. "So how was your Monday?" Heather asked once they were in the car.
"Busy, but alright. We've gotten used to having Anatoli around so being down a man makes things busier."
"Does this mean you'll never be giving him a month off to visit Ivory in Las Vegas again?"
"Tempting as that is, I'm not a total asshole," Embry joked. "Though I won't be above nudging Anatoli towards getting her to move up to Washington permanently."
"Would Ivory want to move here?"
"Honestly, I don't know. That girl's a homebody, but maybe Anatoli could convince her to move here. It would certainly make Nathan happy."
"Ivory imprinted on Anatoli, right?" Heather asked.
"Yep," Embry said. "Only reason I said yes to giving him a month off to visit her."
There was a brief silence in which Heather battled with whether or not to ask, but she finally forced herself to ask, "Have you imprinted on anyone?" Embry glanced at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
"I did, actually," Embry answered rather matter-of-factly, but he didn't say anything else. That silence made her too nervous to ask him to elaborate.
"That's good to hear," Heather finally said. "Is she..uh….is she pretty?"
"I think so," Embry said, again staying rather blunt. "She's a beautiful young woman that's a lot like her father in the best of ways."
"Really?" Heather asked hopefully. With renewed confidence, she said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Embry said.
"Who…um…." Heather started but got nervous again. Embry seemed to hesitate a moment while keeping his eyes on the road. He was debating if now was the time to tell her, but he really wasn't sure if it was. "What's her name?" He was quiet again and Heather was getting nervous again. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me," Heather backtracked with a forced smile. "I shouldn't pester."
"You never pester me, Heather," Embry reassured as he was pulling up to the house. He pulled into the driveway and parked so she could get out. "Watch your step, okay Heather," he said.
"I know, Embry. I'm not a kid," Heather said, perhaps with a hint of frustration that she knew Embry didn't deserve from her, but she couldn't help herself.
"I know," Embry said, sounding reassuring. Heather looked up at him and his smile to her was the same reassurance she heard in his voice. She felt her cheeks start burning and averted her eyes from his before opening the car door. She took the step down from Embry's truck and was about to shut the door. "Heather?" Embry said.
"Yeah?" Heather asked, turning to face him. Embry hesitated again and she noticed. All the same, Heather waited for him to speak, but he remained quiet, appearing unsure. When he finally did speak, he smiled gently at her and it was a friendly smile.
"I'll see you again soon, okay?"
"O….okay," Heather stuttered. "Um….Good luck at the Windsor site I guess."
"Thanks, Heather," Embry said before Heather closed the car door and walked into the house. Embry quickly got the truck in reverse and made his way to the property but once he was there, he parked his car and stayed there, trying to think. After several minutes of sitting in his car, there was a knock on the glass that made him jump, but he calmed down when he saw it was just Peta and he rolled down the window.
"You alright, Embry?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Embry said. "How are we on that bathroom remodel?"
"Done," Peta said. "I'd told you we would get it done. You didn't need to come by."
"Mr. and Mrs. Windsor are happy?"
"Extremely," Peta nodded.
"Alright, good. I guess…..you know what, can you call Gaeli and let her know to lock up when she leaves work today?"
"Sure, I'll call her. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to go talk to Kevin."
"We'll see you tomorrow then," Peta said and patted the door of Embry's car before walking back inside. It was still early in the day, so Embry was hopeful that Kevin was in the office and wasn't in court. He made the drive downtown to the Law Firm. At the entrance were two secretaries, both of whom stood up to greet him politely.
"Good afternoon, sir," the girl who's desk was closest to him said. "May I have your name and I'll let your lawyer know you've arrived?"
"No, miss, I'm afraid I don't have an appointment. I'm actually here to talk to Kevin. I don't suppose he's free is he?"
"Um," she hummed while she looked down at the calendar on her desk, "he has an appointment in about half an hour, but I can check if he's free now. What's your name, sir?"
"Embry Call," he answered. The young woman at the other desk went to the door to Kevin's office and gently knocked. Once she had the affirmation to do so, she poked her head in and a moment later she returned.
"Mr. Black said to send you in," the young woman smiled.
"Thank you," Embry replied and walked past them to Kevin's office, closing the door behind him once he stepped inside.
"Hey, Embry," Kevin said as he stood from his desk.
"Hey, Kevin. Sorry to bother you at work, but I think we really need to talk," Embry said.
"Define, 'talk'," Kevin said hesitantly and walked around his desk. "Is this something we can talk about here or should we go out tonight?"
"Well….it's about Heather," Embry said and he noticed Kevin instantly get tense. "I guess we should go out tonight."
"Yeah, we should," Kevin groaned and rubbed his face. "You realize she's-"
"Relax, Kevin, it's not like that," Embry said defensively and then groaned. "It's really not like that; I promise. At least…for me it's not. Heather I'm not so sure." Kevin was quiet a moment before stepping away from his desk and then to his door to poke his head out.
"Emily, do I have any other appointments today after Mr. Hoffman?"
"No, sir. Rest of the day is clear," came the young woman's voice.
"Thank you, Emily. Something important came up, so after Mr. Hoffman, I'll be leaving for today, so any messages put on my desk and I'll call first thing in the morning."
"Yes, sir," the young woman answered and Kevin came back in his office closing the door.
"I'd rather we talked later when we won't be interrupted."
"Same," Embry answered. "Anywhere in particular you want to go?"
"The Tavern's fine," Kevin said. "I'll get done with Mr. Hoffman as fast as I can and meet you there." Kevin checked his watch. "I should get out of here by five at latest."
"That works for me," Embry nodded. "I'll meet you there then."
"Yeah," Kevin nodded and opened the door for Embry as he walked out of Kevin's office. A few hours later, Embry arrived at The Tavern and got a table for himself and Kevin. To get things started on a more comfortable note, Embry ordered a beer for himself and a glass of Brandy for Kevin, though he asked the waitress to wait to bring out the brandy until his friend arrived. Kevin arrived another fifteen minutes later and sat down with Embry. "Alright," Kevin started and took a deep breath. "So what happened?"
"Heather came to my office on her way home from school and when I drove her home, she asked me if I'd imprinted on anyone. It wasn't just curiosity though. I think she has a crush on me and she was trying to determine if I'd imprinted on her."
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her that I had imprinted but I didn't say it was her. Then she asked if my imprint was pretty. I hadn't realized at the time what she was doing so I just said she's a beautiful young woman that's a lot like you. Or, a lot like her father is what I'd said specifically. By the time I realized what she was doing, I wasn't really sure what to do next and I think I upset her. I almost told her I'd imprinted on her, but it didn't seem like the right time."
"I see," Kevin sighed a little as the waitress brought over the glass of brandy. Before continuing, he took a sip of his drink. "So Heather's got a crush on you?"
"I think so," Embry said.
"You said you don't feel that way?"
"No," Embry said. "For fuck's sake, Kevin, she's fourteen. She's still a kid as much as she doesn't think so."
"We'd gone to war by the time we were her age," Kevin shrugged. "Although I appreciate your agreement that now's hardly the time for anything romantic."
"God, Kevin, don't say it like I'm choosing," Embry said. "I just don't think of her that way. She's too young."
"I agree," Kevin said.
"So what should I do? I mean, what did you and Amber do?"
"Embry, Amber and I had an ocean between us, so by the time she'd fled to Berlin and I could see her again, she'd grown up on me and my feelings had changed for her. There was no opportunity for this awkward transitional period like this. There was certainly a period in which we weren't sure if what we felt was completely mutual but it didn't take long."
"Great," Embry said sarcastically. "I can't shake this feeling that she's upset with me."
"Hell, she might be if you weren't straightforward with her. But then, I don't know if being straight forward would have done much good anyway. Hell, I'd been straight forward with Amber and all I did was upset her. I made it up to her with a love letter and that did the trick."
"Are you telling me I need to write her a love letter?"
"Christ, no," Kevin said. "Even if she was an age where you writing her a love letter wouldn't be grossly inappropriate, you aren't exactly the most gifted writer to e blunt."
"Not all of us can write like a romantic hero, Casanova," Embry grumbled.
"This is a talent only I have; this is true," Kevin joked. "If Heather's upset with you, I'm sure there's something you can do to make things right with her but for the record, if you do write her the type of love letters I wrote to Amber, I will kill you." Embry's shiver at the notion was enough to lighten the mood and the two of them laughed.
"Don't worry Kevin: I don't feel that way about her." Embry rubbed his face and groaned a little. "So I'm fucked regardless is what you're saying?"
"You're dealing with a teenage girl, so yes. 'Fucked' is a good word for it."
"Great," Embry said.
"And Embry?" Kevin said making Embry look at him, "Thanks for letting me know."
"I promised I would, didn't I?" Embry smiled lightly. "I just wish I knew how to handle this."
"I wish I knew what to tell you," Kevin said. "I guess the best advice I can offer is to take it slow and let her dictate the pace. Within reason," Kevin said, raising a brow. "Obviously she won't be dictating anything right now."
"No kidding," Embry said. "I just wish there was a way to tell her that I love her, I'm just not in love with her. I'm sure it won't be long before that changes, but it just hasn't yet."
"Honestly, she's not likely to understand that either until she's older or she shifts herself. For how many vampires are in the family, I suspect she'll shift sooner than Amber would like."
"Take it one day at a time I guess," Embry sighed. "You're not angry?"
"Angry isn't the word," Kevin said. "I was surprised, but I really shouldn't be so that wore off pretty quick. I'm more so relieved that there's nothing romantic on your end."
"No," Embry gently shook his head.
"Well, the moment that changes, let me know, okay?"
"Don't worry, I will," Embry said.
Since they both had work the next day, the two of them stayed at the bar for one more drink before calling it a night and parting ways. When Kevin made it home, Heather and Levi were both downstairs in the living room with Levi Sr. and Anna. Levi Sr. and Jr. were playing chess together while Heather was reading The Catcher in the Rye and Anna was talking to Amber. The twins were on the floor atop their little blanket playing with a mobile Jacob had made them. He could still smell dinner from the kitchen.
"Is that roast beef I smell?" Kevin asked.
"With roasted potatoes and carrots," Amber smiled. "It was on sale when I'd gone grocery shopping Saturday."
"Even better," Kevin said.
"Where'd you go, daddy?" Heather asked.
"Embry and I just went out drinking for a bit," Kevin said. He couldn't help glancing at Heather and notice she appeared slightly nervous and even, perhaps, a little frustrated. "Tristan and Lilliana look like they're behaving," Kevin turned his attention to the twins and kneeled down to the floor the pick them up one at a time to cuddle them.
"Don't jinx it, Kevin," Levi Sr. joked.
"I'll grab a plate for you," Amber said as she stood from her chair. She got some food plated up for Kevin and he got the twins back on the floor on their blanket so they could continue to play. He went to the table where Amber had placed his dinner and Amber sat at the table beside him. "Is everything alright with Embry?"
"Yeah," Kevin said and glanced over his shoulder at Heather to make sure she wasn't listening. Thankfully, by now, she'd returned her attention to her book. "It's about Heather. We'll talk about it tonight."
"Alright," Amber nodded in agreement.
Another hour or so later, Levi and Anna returned home and the children retreated to their own rooms for the night. Kevin got some work done in his office and held Lilliana on his lap to help calm her down when she started getting fussy and before he knew it, Lilliana had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Once he'd heard her breathing even out in sleep, he smiled at her and kissed her head. "That a' girl," Kevin whispered and continued working until it was time to *gently* put the twins to bed for the night. Once all the kids were in bed, Amber and Kevin retreated to their room together and, since Amber was taking a shower, Kevin decided to join her.
"So you and Embry went out drinking to talk about Heather you said?" Amber asked once they were in the shower.
"Yes," Kevin answered. "It seems Heather's developed a crush on Embry and he wasn't sure how to deal with it."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I wasn't really what he should do," Kevin admitted. "Our circumstances were a little different so I didn't really have any personal experience to offer him. Our transitional patch ended rather quickly. The issue for us wasn't that you had a crush on me and my feelings for you hadn't changed yet."
"The issue was you thought I was too young," Amber remembered. "That didn't last very long either as I recall."
"Like I said: our circumstances and progression was different. Embry's in a different situation."
"I suppose that's true," Amber said.
"Embry's concerned he's upset Heather on top of it. As I understand it, she more or less came out and asked Embry if he'd imprinted on her and he wasn't sure how to answer her, so he just didn't."
"Oh boy," Amber sighed. "She's definitely upset. I recall you doing something very similar and I don't mind telling you I was not terribly happy with you after that."
"Hey, at least I gave you an answer," Kevin defended.
"It certainly wasn't a romantic answer," Amber said.
"At the time, it hadn't been meant to be romantic," Kevin said. "I was just trying to be truthful."
"You could have been much nicer about being truthful," Amber said with a gentle smile.
"I gave you a confession that was pretty damned nice if I do say so myself."
"After the fact, yes," Amber said and leaned up to give him a kiss before getting her shampoo in her hand. "I'll talk to Heather. I suspect she'll need it."
"Thanks," Kevin answered.
After they had their shower, the two of them went to bed together. The following day went by normally. When Amber returned home from the shop, her parents were already at the house with Heather and Levi. Tristan and Lilliana were crying when she arrived so she went right to her mother to help calm them down. Anna got started on dinner while Amber tended to the twins and dinner was ready by the time Kevin returned home. Once it was getting time for everyone to go to bed, Amber got the twins to bed a little earlier than usual. Amber had made a point to get the twins tuckered out so by the time she'd put them in their cribs, they went straight to sleep. After the twins were put to bed, Amber waited for Heather to finish getting ready for bed before she knocked on Heather's door and stepped in after Heather said it was okay.
"Do you mind if we talk?" Amber asked Heather.
"Sure," Heather answered and Amber sat at the of the bed. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Well," Amber started and get herself comfortable, "I actually wanted to talk to you about Embry."
Heather stared at Amber a moment suspiciously before finally saying, "Why?"
"I just wanted to clear the air around it. What happened when you and Embry talked yesterday?
"Nothing really," Heather answered. "I asked him if he'd imprinted on someone and he told me he had. I tried to ask who it was, but he went quiet so I told him not to worry about it."
"I see," Amber said. "If it makes you feel any better, when I realized I was in love with your father, he wasn't very romantic about it either."
"Daddy wasn't?" Heather asked, not believing it.
"Not at all," Amber said.
"So wait…Embry did? Imprint on me I mean?"
"Yeah, he did," Amber smiled and patted Heather's knee. "So don't worry, honey. The beginning was awkward for your father and I too. It'll be awkward for you and Embry too."
"Why didn't he just tell me?"
"Because as I understand it, it's not romantic for Embry now. He didn't want to tell you because he doesn't think it's the right time."
"So….he doesn't love me?" Heather asked sorrowfully.
"It's not that, Heather," Amber said and rubbed Heather's cheek.
"He just doesn't see me as a woman," Heather said more bluntly and sourly.
"Not as an adult," Amber said in the hopes to lighten the accusation. "Heather, you need to remember you're still very young. You may be a woman according to Jewish law, but you're still very young by all other accounts."
"I'm not that young," Heather said indignantly.
"You're young enough," Amber said. "When the time is right, Heather, Embry will see you as a woman. For now, though, just remember that he is what you need him to be. You're his imprint after all."
Heather sighed a little then said, "Alright."
"Just be patient, Heather," Amber smiled and took Heather's chin gently in her hand affectionately. "When the time's right, everything will work out."
"When will the time be right?" Heather asked.
"When you're older," Amber said and stood from the bed placing a kiss to Heather's forehead. "Good night, Heather."
"Night, mom," Heather groaned with a touch of annoyance. Amber continued to smile at Heather until she left her daughter's room and returned to her own. Kevin was in the shower, so Amber got into bed and waited for him to come to bed. When he finally did, Kevin wrapped his arms around her under the covers and gave her a kiss.
"Did you talk to Heather?" Kevin asked.
"Yes, I did," Amber said. "She's still frustrated but I think I've calmed her down a bit. Embry will just need to tread lightly."
"I'll warn him," Kevin said then pressed another kiss to Amber's head. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Amber smiled and gave Kevin a kiss back.
The following day, after having slept on it, Heather felt extremely silly. Throughout the day, her mind kept wandering back to Embry. She kept replaying her mother's words in her head: that Embry had imprinted on her and did love her, but he wasn't 'in' love with her yet. Then that word kept playing in her head. 'Yet'. The implication of a possibility left her feeling a little giddy and by the end of the day she had a little skip in her step. After school, she made the walk back home and came across Embry's office. She noticed Embry's truck outside and decided to step inside. Gaeli wasn't at her desk, but her purse was there. Heather glanced back to Embry's office but he wasn't in there. She went back and eventually found him in the little kitchen watching some news coverage on Vietnam.
"Any good news?" Heather asked and Embry turned to look at her, surprised. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I saw your car outside and wanted to pop in to say hello."
"It's alright," Embry said and glanced at the television again. "It's really nothing new right now. They're still talking about the student marches in Time Square."
"I remember one happened downtown too," Heather nodded. "I guess the war in Vietnam isn't gaining much in the way of public support."
"They're kids," Embry said and rubbed his face. "They're kids safe at home that don't know the full scale of what's going on. They're ungrateful."
"I don't think that's it," Heather said. "They just don't want to see their friends and loved ones dying overseas for nothing."
"Nothing?" Embry repeated with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Embry, compare the war you and daddy fought to the war we're fighting now. You and daddy knew your enemy and so did we: The Nazis. They were a clear and evil force and when you and daddy stormed Dachau, you saw just how evil they were and what they were doing. There was no grey: it was good versus evil. Now? We don't fully know who our enemy is."
"The Viet Cong," Embry answered easily.
"Yes, but who are they?" Heather persisted. "I've read the accounts from the troops same as you. Based on what I've read, our troops are being made to fight conventionally against a gorilla army. That wasn't what we were facing in Europe and it's not what we faced in Korea. Hell, we didn't even win Korea."
"No one did," Embry said.
"Exactly," Heather said. "You don't think that's a touch demoralizing? Is it a wonder that with so little happening after being there for so long, people wouldn't get sick and tired of being there?"
"And how the fuck do you think the troops feel? You don't know what it's like to fight in the field and to know your enemy's just a breath away and could kill you at any moment. You just know the safety of your own home. A safety, I'll remind you, that was made possible because of the sacrifices your father made. That he and I both made. That your uncles and my brothers made." Heather backed away when Embry started to raise his voice. When he saw her back away, Embry groaned and took a seat at the small table. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't mean to yell, but you need to understand something. All those cushy little brats need to understand that what the troops need is support. They don't need a bunch of college kids that think a few years of higher education makes them smarter than the rest of the world telling them that all our troops' hard work isn't worth anything."
"But Embry, if men die in war, it should be because it's worth the fight," Heather said. "I mean, when Jae died, it was-"
"Don't bring that up," Embry stopped her, staring right at her with a serious look. "My brother died a hero. He died saving another man's life: something none of those little fucks would ever have the courage to do."
"That was going to be my point," Heather said. "I think rather than villainies the protesters, it might be worth it to realize they're protesting because they don't want their loved ones dying for a war they don't believe in. I mean, when you and daddy fought, you believed in your cause."
"We fought to save your mother's life."
"And I'm grateful," Heather was quick to say. "I know mom is grateful too. Same with grandma and grandpa. It doesn't change the casualties, but it definitely wasn't for nothing. This – Vietnam – it feels like it's for nothing, Embry. Why is it so wrong to want your loved ones home when it feels like we're fighting for nothing?"
"It's never for 'nothing', Heather," Embry said. "There's always something."
"Is it worth it?" Heather asked.
"If it ensures that you get to stay safe at night, then yes: it's fucking worth it," Embry answered. Then he went quiet a moment as he looked at her. It was such a strange stare: it was the type of look that Kevin might give her if he felt she needed a firm talking to. Yet she didn't see a father figure in Embry. She really never had. She saw something else entirely and having that clarification from Amber made it clear why that was.
"Don't stare at me like that, Embry," Heather finally cut the silence.
"Like what?"
"Like you're my dad," Heather answered. "Don't stare at me that way."
"I'm not staring at you like I'm your dad," Embry said, but then stopped himself and sighed a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Embry glanced at Heather suddenly feeling really uncomfortable but for a different reason. "Listen, Heather, about the other day-"
"It's okay, Embry," Heather said. "I understand. I promise I do."
"You do?" Embry asked and Heather looked up at him so she could nod with a gentle smile. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's alright. I feel better," Heather said.
"Okay, good," Embry said in a relieved voice and stood from the chair to hug her and then pat Heather's back. "Let me get you home." With that, they left the office and Embry drove her home. Once in front of the house, Embry parked the car so Heather could get out. "Watch your step, Heather," Embry said.
"You don't have to remind me every time," Heather said.
"It's a high drop for you. I just want you to be cautious."
"I will be," Heather said and, to Embry's surprise, leaned over to give Embry a kiss on the cheek. Embry gawked at her in shock while she just smiled at him. "Have a good rest of your day, okay Embry?"
"Sure," Embry mumbled as Heather got out of the car. He waited until she got into the house but before she did, she turned to wave at him and Embry waved back limply just as she stepped into the house, unsure exactly how to react to what just happened.
Back in Las Vegas, the night after the encounter Anatoli had with Ben, the two of them were content not to talk about it. Ivory slept on the couch until her mother's activity woke her up. As soon as she did, Ivory got off the couch and went to her room. Tamara did not bother scolding her since she could tell the girl was exhausted and Ivory snuggled into bed with Anatoli staying in bed with him until it was time for her to wake up and get ready for work. Right before leaving, she pressed a kiss to Anatoli's chin while he continued to sleep and made the trip to the casino. As soon as Ivory got herself punched in for work, she went straight to the Wild West room and found Joe to get her table assignment. They didn't talk about what happened last night at, frankly, that was dandy with her. Joe had reassured her previously that he'd talked to Ben and they left it at that. Once at her table, Ivory had her share of patrons and got them enjoying a game of Roulette.
During the game, one patron lost a great deal of money and was, as a result, extremely angry and had drank enough to become violent. The moment he had, Ben came over to reprimand the man and force him to leave, making a point to look at Ivory while he was dragging the man away. Ivory offered a polite half smile and left it at that, continuing the game as soon as it was calm. When her dinner break finally came, Ivory got her usual from the kitchen and went to the cafeteria with it. There were a few people there but most were taking a nap before returning to their shift.
"Ivory." Ivory looked up when she heard her name and saw Ben approach her. In one hand he had a bottle of beer and the other he had a martini with olives.
"How did you get the bartender to give you drinks? Aren't you on the clock?"
"I snuck the drinks in from home," Ben said and took a seat next to her placing the martini beside her and sipping his beer. "I made sure to put extra olives in there for you."
"That's sweet of you Ben but if we're caught drinking on the clock, we'll get in a lot of trouble."
"Don't worry about it. I've been caught and not once been written up or reprimanded."
"I don't think I would be so lucky," Ivory said and gently pushed it towards him. "Put it aside for me and I'll drink it later."
"Alright, I'll put it aside for you," Ben agreed and took the glass. "So who's that guy that was hanging around you yesterday?"
Remaining polite, Ivory answered, "He's my boyfriend."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Ivory answered. "We met over Christmas while I was visiting family in Washington."
"And this is the first he's come to see you since then?"
"He got the time off to come visit me, yes," Ivory said.
"So...is it serious?"
"Yeah, it's serious."
"Huh," Ben said, sounding thoughtful and looking off for a moment like he was recalling something. "Does he think it's serious?"
"He drove 2 days to come see me, so I would think so," Ivory answered, once again remaining polite but becoming extremely frustrated with the conversation.
"I'm only asking because he didn't seem to think it was serious. He said you were fun and all but didn't say it was serious. He seems to think you're just a fling."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah," Ben said. "I told him he shouldn't be taking advantage of you like that. He came just short of calling you a whore. He said he could do what he wanted so I told him he didn't deserve you and to back off. After that he stormed out all pissed off."
"Really?" Ivory said and Ben nodded. Ivory sighed a little. "Anatoli said you had told him we're dating."
"He said I claimed we're dating? What a piece a' work." Ivory looked at him debating if it was worth it to argue. She decided it wasn't and shrugged.
"I guess I'll just have to talk to him," she finally said. She finished her dinner and took the plate as she stood from the table. "I'd better get these dishes back to the kitchen then I'm back on the floor."
"Ivory," Ben said, "You want me to teach that asshole a lesson? Just tell me where to find him and he'll get what's coming to him."
"That's alright, Ben. I'll talk to him," Ivory said. "Enjoy the rest of your break."
Ivory left the break room and brought her dishes to the kitchen, but she went behind the bar where Drake was instead. She still had another 35 minutes left of her break.
"Can I help you?" Drake teased.
"A hard drink would be fantastic."
"Come back when you're off the clock and I'll make it happen," Drake smiled and placed a margarita on the bar before moving on to another margarita order for the same table.
"Will do," Ivory said.
"You alright? You look distant."
"I'm just frustrated. Ben just tried saying the reason Anatoli stormed off last night was because he was defending my honor," Ivory said the last part sarcastically.
"How does he figure that?"
"When I'd talked to Anatoli he'd said Ben claimed we were dating and that's why he'd gotten upset. Ben's trying to say Anatoli was saying our relationship is just a fling and Ben accused him of taking advantage of me."
"Yeah, sure," Drake huffed condescendingly. "I can tell you that's definitely not what happened."
"I know it's not," Ivory sighed. "I don't know what to do. I can't be any clearer with Ben that I'm not interested without getting rude, but if I get rude than he might make my job harder and I can't go to the boss because he'll just tell me I need to learn to take a compliment."
"You can talk to Joe," Drake said.
"I know, and I have but Joe's way of handling this is just giving Ben a stern talking to and that's the end of it and frankly it's not working. And I don't want to have to quit. This place pays really well."
"It does," Drake shrugged. "You can't beat well tipping customers either."
"I don't really get tips," Ivory smiled.
"I do," Drake chuckled and moved on to a third drink order for the table. He popped open a bottle of champagne and poured it into a flute glass part way and then topped it off with orange juice and a splash of grenadine. "Table eight!" Drake called and placed the order tab on the platter. Then he moved on to another ticket. "Have you tried going to the boss? You never know: they may be more helpful than you're giving them credit for."
Ivory looked at Drake with a specific look of irritation and implication he should know better. She remembered when she'd had her interview with the supervisor that managed all the gambling rooms. She still remembered when the man had flirted with her when she'd gotten an interview with him and how disappointed he'd been when she'd said she really wanted to work in the Wild West room instead of the Arabian Night room where the uniform showed off midriff and all the girls wore obnoxious coin belts and braziers that left little to the imagination. After their interview ended was the last she'd ever seen of the man but in that single encounter, Ivory knew he was not the type of man to be terribly sympathetic towards such conduct.
"I take that as a no?"
"That's a firm no," Ivory said and sighed. "Hell, Ben's claiming that he's been caught drinking on the clock before and didn't get into trouble for it. He brought alcohol from home and tried to give me a martini with extra olives."
"He's trying hard," Drake said and rang the bell, "Table four!"
"Bartender, can I get a Budweiser?"
"Coming right up, sir!" Drake said and grabbed a beer out of the cooler and opened it before handing it to the man who handed over a five dollar bill.
"For the beer and the rest is tip," the man said and looked at Ivory. "What's the matter, Doll? You look upset. Such a pretty face should never have a reason to frown."
"I'm alright, sir, I promise." The man came a little closer so he could hear her better.
"Tell me about it, Doll. Maybe I can help," he said.
"You're too kind, sir," Ivory said sighed a little. The man was clearly already a little drunk but he seemed to mean well. "I'm seeing someone but there's a guy at work that's been asking me out for a long time and I keep turning him down. Last night, he tried to claim to my boyfriend that we were dating and I had to defuse the situation."
"So you've got a man already but another man wants you?"
"Exactly," Ivory said.
"Tell me about this man of yours? Is he a strong man?"
"Yes," Ivory answered, raising her brow at him not sure where the man was going with this.
"Sounds to me like that man of yours needs to show the other man who's boss," the man said. "He needs to let that other guy know that you're his girl."
"What are you trying to do, Tom? Get her boyfriend blacklisted from the casino?" Drake teased the man.
"Who says he needs to do anything that'll get you blacklisted? All I'm saying is maybe this other guy just needs a 'gentle' reminder that you're taken."
"I'll make sure I tell him," Ivory smiled and Tom lifted his bottle to her before walking away.
"If it helps, I caught Anatoli flip Ben off yesterday," Drake said.
"Did he?" Ivory asked and giggled a little. "That sounds like something he might do."
"I'm surprised he didn't come in to visit today," Drake said.
"By the time I left for work he was still asleep and I didn't want to bother him," Ivory said. "Besides, tomorrow and Tuesday I have my days off so we'll be able to spend all of those days together."
"Any specific plans? Besides fornication I mean?" Drake teased.
"There will be plenty of that," Ivory smiled. "I'd really like to take him camping in the desert. I'll need to go to Uncle Bradley's house to burrow his rifle."
"Doesn't your mom have one?"
"No, that was grandpa's and now Uncle Bradley has it," Ivory said. "I'll need him to remind me how to use it. It's been a while since I've shot a gun."
"Much less against a rattler," Drake said. "You planning to make deep fried rattlesnake?"
"Grandpa's recipe," Ivory smiled. "I already had mom write down the spice ratio for the batter."
"Just don't do that store bought shit you did with your brother's eggnog recipe. I'm still mad at you about that by the way."
"You make it if you're so mad at me, then," Ivory said.
"I will recreate it and I'm not going to let you have any," Drake said then thought a moment and shrugged, "okay, maybe I'll let you have a little."
"Yeah, exactly," Ivory smiled. "I'll need to go to the liquor store and get us some beer."
"It has to be Corona. That's the beer your grandpa always used for his beer batter and it was the best!"
"Of course," Ivory said, "but I want to get a variety. Anatoli's the type that likes drinks that are full bodied and I think Corona would be a little light for his liking."
"You should be able to get a decent variety pack from the liquor store, although based on what he'd ordered the times he's been here, I suggest getting a small bottle of Whiskey too. I always give him Jack Daniels and he seems to like that."
"Okay, that's what I'll get then," Ivory said. "Shit, I think Uncle Bradley has the tents and shit too."
"If your grandpa had them before then probably," Drake said. Ivory glanced at the clock to see how much time she had left of her break.
"I'd better give him a call now, then," Ivory said. "Thanks for the talk, Drake."
"Not a problem," Drake said and then rang the bell and he'd finished putting down a large order of drinks. "Table three!"
Ivory left the bar to go to a phone so she could call her uncle. He didn't answer, but her cousin did so Ivory asked her to confirm if they had all grandpa's camping gear so she could burrow it. Her cousin confirmed for her where those things were and that she was welcome to come get what she wanted out of the shed once she got off work and promised she'd warn Uncle Bradley that she'd be there to get the camping gear. Ivory got through the remainder of her shift at the Craps table. Ben kept passing by her table, but she always either ignored him or if she had to acknowledge him she would give him a brief polite smile before returning to her work. She finally left the casino around 1 in the morning, but instead of going straight home, she drove to a liquor store close by to get Corona, a variety pack of beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels, then to her uncle's house for the things she needed from the shed in his backyard. On the door of the shed was a note that read, "Bring this stuff back before next weekend. We're planning to go camping. And any bullets you use from the rifle you REPLACE. Love, Uncle Bradley."
Ivory smiled and folded the note before getting the things. She put everything in the trunk of her little used car and grabbed the rifle and one pistol as well as some ammo. Once she had everything she needed, Ivory drove back to her house. She got the camping gear out of her trunk and put it all in the bed of Anatoli's truck except the rifle, pistol and ammo. That she bought inside with her. When she stepped inside with the rifle on her shoulder with the bag of ammo hanging off it and the pistol in her other hand also holding the large bag of alcohol, Anatoli was in the kitchen cleaning their coffee pot. He looked up to see her and smiled.
"We go into battle?" Anatoli joked.
"Close," Ivory said, "We're going camping in the desert. I ran by my uncle's house and got my grandpa's tent and guns so we can go into the desert. We can hunt rattlesnake and deep fry it. My grandpa's recipe."
"That sounds like fun," Anatoli smiled and put the pot on the mat to dry before coming to her. "You know how shoot a rifle, yes?" Anatoli asked.
"Yeah, I know how to shoot a rifle. Do you?"
"I'm afraid so," Anatoli smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips before taking the rifle to inspect it. "Is different than what I shot, though."
"I would assume so. I've got everything we need from the liquor store for the beer batter to put on the snake and I bought you some Jack Daniels bourbon and a variety pack of beer."
"Sounds like a party," Anatoli said. "So do we leave now?"
"I'd love to," Ivory smiled. "Just let me grab a few more things and we'll get going. I already put the camping gear in the bed of your truck if that's okay."
"Okay," Anatoli said. "Is there anything I can help you pack?"
"Can you get a container of coffee grounds ready? Then pack a change of clothes. I'll fill the cooler with ice and get the ingredients I need for the beer batter."
The two of them gathered up what they needed and Ivory wrote a note to Tamara to let her know where she and Anatoli would be. Once they had everything, they got their things into the bed of Anatoli's truck and in the dead of night they drove to a different spot that Ivory had liked camping at when she was younger. Once they arrived to the spot they wanted, the two of them worked together to get the tent set up in just the right spot. They set up the bedding inside the tent and while the moon was still up, they got into Anatoli's car, turned the key so the radio was playing and enjoyed some beer together.
"Have you ever gone camping before?" Ivory asked.
"No, this is my first time," Anatoli said. "I take it you go camping a lot?"
"I used to, but I haven't been able to do it as often as I used to since I graduated High School. My first job out of high school was at a casino and I've always worked weekends. I switched to the casino I work at now because it was better pay. I'm considering trying to find a new job, though."
There was a brief silence of Anatoli looking at her before asking, "Was work alright today? Or..yesterday I guess."
"It was alright," Ivory said and looked up at Anatoli. He reached over and touched her cheek. She leaned into his hand and then he trailed his hand up into her hair. He ran his fingers through her hair and then came back up to her cheek.
"Are you sure everything is alright?" Ivory took a deep breath and came closer to Anatoli so she was right next to him. Anatoli wrapped his arm around her and she moved her legs so she was partially in his lap.
"When I was having my dinner break, Ben came to the break room to talk to me. He tried telling me the reason you stormed out was because you insulted me and he was standing up to you or something."
"Really?" Anatoli answered in a bit of a growl and sipped his beer.
"I didn't argue with him. I don't want to start a confrontation with him because if I do, he'll just make my job difficult. I'm already thinking I should find a new job but if I start something then I'll have to find a new job."
"He came up to me and told me you were taken. I told him yes, you were and by me," Anatoli said and Ivory smiled a little, "then he tells me no, you're taken by him. He said you were dating about two years and I ask him if he always let his girlfriend sleep with other men. He told me to let him worry about that and I need to back off. That's what happened."
"I know he was lying," Ivory said. "I know what he's trying to do and it's not working. I just wish I wasn't the one that had to find a new job."
"I thought Joe help you with him."
"He does, but whatever Joe's telling him either isn't sinking in or isn't clear enough," Ivory said.
"If he do anything, you tell me. I will take care of it," Anatoli said.
"It's okay, Anatoli. If he does anything else like the other night, I'll look for a new job. I don't want you starting anything that might get you blacklisted from the casino."
"Is not up to you to find a new job. You did nothing wrong," Anatoli insisted. "Do not worry, if I have to talk to him, that is all I do. I cannot be banned from the casino for talking, yes?"
Ivory smiled at him, "That depends on your definition of 'talking'."
"Is the right definition," Anatoli smiled back and pressed a kiss to her lips. The two of them kissed a moment before Anatoli pulled away and kissed her nose and then her forehead.
"Let's not talk about him, okay?" Ivory said. "I just want us to have a good time."
"You want a good time?" Anatoli asked with a light chuckle and then chugged the remainder of his beer. The placed that empty bottle on the dashboard of his truck and opened his driver's side door, then hopped out.
"Anatoli?" Ivory said as she pulled herself towards the edge of the driver's seat.
"You say you want to have a good time; I give you a good time," Anatoli said, then grabbed her from the car.
He brought her over his shoulder making her squeal and then start giggling. She dropped her beer bottle but it didn't break thankfully. She kept giggling as he plopped her gently on the little bed in the tent with the music still playing in his car while they made love and ended up falling asleep. They didn't wake up until well into midday and Anatoli's car radio was still playing when they woke up. Once they were awake and had individually taken care of their business, they gathered the rifle and pistol and went into the desert to hunt rattlesnakes. Anatoli wore jeans and a white wife beater wearing a brand new pair of sunglasses while Ivory wore her torn up shirt and shorts that she wore 'when going to the pool'. This time she wasn't bothering to wear a bra underneath everything so as Anatoli followed her lead through the desert, his eyes kept going to her bare back. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail that left her neck and shoulders mostly bare as well and the site had Anatoli salivating.
"So Anatoli," Ivory said, "are you excited to hunt rattlesnakes?"
"What?" he asked. Ivory turned to look at him and giggled. He couldn't see her eyes through her own pair of sunglasses, but he knew there was a playfulness in her eyes.
"I asked if you're excited to rattlesnake hunting," Ivory repeated.
"Oh, yes, I am," Anatoli finally answered. "I assume you just shoot head, yes?"
"Yeah, you need to aim for the head and only the head. Do not shoot the body. That's what you want. So how many do you want to make? I have enough oil and batter for three snakes."
"Let's hunt for three then," Anatoli smiled. "Now, as far as I know, Arizona has a lot more species of rattlers than we have here in Nevada. Here, we only have the Great Basin rattlesnake."
"Do you only deep fry them?"
"My Uncle likes turning the snake into jerky and I've heard of baking them. There's a woman in our tribe that passed away a few years ago who had a rattlesnake stew recipe we all loved, but she wouldn't give the recipe to anyone, and I mean anyone! She wouldn't even give her son the recipe! So when she passed away, the recipe went with her. Her son's still trying to recreate the recipe and he's getting close. I like my grandpa's deep fried rattlesnake best, though."
"I cannot wait to try it," Anatoli said.
"We need to find us some rattlers first. You've got to keep your eyes peeled and see them before they see you. If you're close enough that they start rattling their tail, it may already be too late."
"They are not social, yes?"
"Exactly, they're typically far away from one another so we can take our time," Ivory said and returned her gaze ahead. Anatoli followed Ivory and looked around hoping he'd find a snake. Then he noticed a spot in the sand that looked to have dark brown spots.
"Ivory," Anatoli said, "is that a rattle snake?" Ivory looked where he pointed.
"Sure is," Ivory smiled. "Do you want to shoot or should I?"
"May I?" Anatoli asked. Ivory handed over the rifle and Anatoli made sure it was loaded and aimed. He took a moment to find its head, but it was difficult. The snake was curled up at a resting position. "Is there a way to make it lift his head?"
"We could throw something small in its direction to agitate it," Ivory suggested and looked for a tiny rock that would agitate the snake but would not hurt it. Then she tossed the rock at the snake and that got it to lift its head and start shaking its tail. "It's in attack mode," Ivory said.
"Got it," Anatoli said and shot the gun, hitting the snake's head in one shot. The body went limp and Ivory cheered.
"You got it!" Ivory said and took a cautious look around before going to the snake and grabbing it. "We'll need to get the last of its head off, but that's a pretty clean shot," Ivory said.
"Not bad for first hunt, yes?" Anatoli said.
"Not bad at all," Ivory praised. "Just two more to go." They walked further into the desert looking for more rattlesnakes and eventually noticed another one. This snake wasn't curled up. Rather, it was slithering along the ground at a leisurely pace. Ivory aimed the gun and was about to shoot but she stopped herself when she felt Anatoli's lips against the back of her neck. "Anatoli," Ivory chastised but couldn't fight the softness in her voice, "I'm trying to aim."
"I couldn't resist giving you a kiss," Anatoli said. He pressed another kiss to the back of her neck and grinned when he felt her shiver. She did her best to ignore him for now and took aim, shooting once she'd locked on. She got the head and the snake stopped moving. "Good shot," Anatoli said.
"No thanks to you," Ivory teased as she turned to face him and give him a kiss before going to the snake.
They wandered the desert another half hour to find the last snake they wanted. Ivory shot the third snake and once they had three, they walked back to their camp. Ivory asked Anatoli to get a fire started in a large pit that would be able to accommodate the cooking rack and cast iron skillet she'd brought while she cleaned the rattlesnakes. Once Anatoli had the pit set up and the rack and skillet situated, he got a fire going and added oil to the skillet as Ivory directed. Once the snakes were cleaned and cut into sections, Ivory mixed up the beer batter and they got a station together and once the oil was hot enough, Ivory got the pieces of snake in the oil to fry, doing no more than five pieces at a time so as not to reduce the heat of the oil.
"It smells amazing," Anatoli said when she removed the first segments once they were crispy and then get the next five segments in.
"Wait until you taste it," Ivory said. "After I make you this, you need to make me cabbage rolls."
"I will make it for you tomorrow. I will make it with pork just like Baba used to do."
"And I promise not to tell your mother," Ivory smiled and leaned over to kiss him.
After all the segments of snake were deep fried and ready, Anatoli got his keys in his car to turn on the radio and the two of them enjoyed their dinner together savoring that last few hours of the afternoon sun before it was nightfall and cold again. Anatoli was certain to compliment Ivory on the snake she'd prepared and they ate most of it between the two of them saving some for the following day. When it was the evening, the two of them brought out the marshmallows to roast over the fire and enjoyed s'mores together while staring up into the moonlight. At a point, the fire started going soft but they didn't bother to stoke it. Instead they lay down on the ground staring up at the moon in each other's arms while the radio continued playing. It was easily the most romantic experience of Ivory's life. She looked away from the moon and shifted her gaze to Anatoli. Anatoli looked down at her when he realized she was staring at him and smiled gently at her. He leaned forward to give her a tender kiss that made Ivory turn gently to place her hand on his chest then trail it up until she was touching his face enjoying the scratchy feel of his short facial hair that had not been shaved since the day before. His hand was gently stroking up and down her bare back and it made her tremble. She lifted her leg so it was resting on top him, her foot between his knees and her calf was cradled at his crotch where she gently rubbed her leg up and down to coax his erection. His other hand took a hold of her thigh so he could squeeze it and run his hand up and down it. After they kissed for several minutes, Anatoli turned her over so he was on top of her and started kissing her neck. He got to a spot where she was especially sensitive and Ivory released a slight whimper when he tickled her.
Anatoli pulled her shirt to the center so her breasts were in view and once they were, he took one of her nipples in his mouth sucking tenderly and causing Ivory to moan. Soon he moved his attention to her shorts, unbuttoning them and tugging them off her before tossing them off to his left. Ivory took that time to undo his pants and pulled them down. He reached into his back pocket to grab a condom and got their protection in place before he came down to her. Once he was inside her, they started slow but that pace was brief and Anatoli sped up. Soon he sat up and brought her legs up so they were situated on his chest. Once she was there, he moved faster and with greater force until Ivory was practically crying. She grabbed a hold of him and pulled Anatoli back down on top of her wrapping her arms around his neck and taking his lips into a passionate kiss. She took her lips away when she was getting closer and closer to her release and started sucking on the skin at his neck while she moaned. He kept going harder and harder and Ivory's grip around him tightened until her nails were digging into his skin. When she finally reached her orgasm, she went completely limp and savored the feel of him while Anatoli kept going until he finally achieved his own orgasm. The two of them started kissing tenderly and lovingly after they'd both reached their release. While they kissed, Ivory felt the slightest movement in her hair, but she didn't have the strength to care about it. It was probably the wind. After their lips parted, Anatoli sat up a little and started kissing Ivory's leg. Ivory opened her eyes and smiled at him. She was about to tell him she loved him, but then he glanced at her and suddenly his expression changed from loving to gawking.
"What?" Ivory asked.
"Um," Anatoli started. He gestured with his hands like a crab's claws. "In your hair…I think is a bug." Now it was Ivory's turn to gawk.
"What bug?" she asked.
"It has…" Anatoli continued the motion with his hands, "claws I think. It is long with black back and a tail."
"Does that tail have a pointy end?" Ivory asked.
"Yes," Anatoli said.
"Oh, fuck, there's a scorpion in my hair," Ivory cried and was about to sit up but immediately thought better of it. "Anatoli, get it off. Grab it by the tail so it won't sting you."
"Just stay calm; give me one second," Anatoli said and reached over Ivory as carefully as possible so he could grab the scorpion. He grabbed the bug by the tail as Ivory instructed and it put up quite a fight. "Fuck, this thing is heavy. Are they always this heavy?" Anatoli brought the scorpion into her view and Ivory squealed.
"Oh, fuck, it's the giant scorpion," Ivory said. "Get rid if it! Get rid of it!"
"Okay, okay, don't worry, I get rid of it," Anatoli told her. The Scorpion continued to fight while Anatoli was holding it and he stood away from her removing the used condom while he was at it and got rid of the scorpion somewhere far away. When he came back, he tossed the used condom into the fire and sat back down next to her on the blanket. "I got rid of it," Anatoli said.
"Good," Ivory sighed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Anatoli answered and leaned down so he could kiss her. After a brief kiss, he lifted his head again so he could look at her. "So do all bugs get that big in the desert?"
"It's not uncommon," Ivory said. "I think that was a giant hairy scorpion too. Figures the scorpion that's the meanest in America decides to crawl into my hair."
"Do you want to go back in the tent?" Anatoli asked.
"Yeah," Ivory answered. She was getting ready to sit up so she could walk to the tent, but Anatoli intercepted her and lifted her bridal style into his arms. Ivory kept her surprise to herself and wrapped her arm around his neck lovingly. Once they were in the tent together, Anatoli placed her down on the little bed that they had set up and laid down beside her. He took a hold of her so she was against his chest and Ivory snuggled up to him. The smell of his skin intoxicated her and all horror from the scorpion in her hair passed. She looked up at him and he was looking at her too. "I love you," Ivory finally said. Anatoli smiled at her and his smile left her breathless.
"Aš tave myliu," Anatoli said to her in a quiet voice.
"That means you love me too, right?" Ivory asked. Anatoli chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, it means I love you," Anatoli said and leaned forward to kiss her. She reciprocated, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. "I love you, Ivory Dahlia."
"I love you too Anatoli," Ivory answered and then thought briefly before saying, "You don't have a middle name do you?"
"No," Anatoli chuckled, "Just Anatoli."
"Well, I love you too Just Anatoli," Ivory answered and made Anatoli laugh again before he pressed another kiss to her lips.