A Beat in Time (10 page)

I left my parents’ house in the early afternoon and headed for my god mother’s. She wanted to read my cards again after the whole Jensen fiasco. My phone rang and I looked at the caller I.D. My cousin, Christine, was calling. Well, I called her my cousin. Her mother and my mother went WAY back, like Algeria back. I grew up with Christine and her family, so they were my family too.

“Yo, Cuzzo!” I laughed.

“What’s up, girl? Where the fuck are you?”

“Headed towards your part of town. I’m seeing Tata Ann Marie.”

“I’m off tomorrow. We need to hang out in the old neighborhood.”

“I’m there. Text me.”

I hung up and watched the traffic on I-10 in front of me. As always, it was moving freely and I thought about how many times I cursed driving in New York or L.A. I swung by the house I was living in when I met Jensen. It looked so small. I got out and took a walk around the cul-de-sac. The first guy I ever kissed lived kitty-corner from me back then. I was twelve and I think he was fourteen. I smiled thinking about it, his name was Joel. Life was so much simpler back then.

My godmother was waiting for me out front when I pulled up. I got out of the car and she hugged me immediately. She palmed my face, took my hand, and led me inside. The dining room table was already set up, the cards were wrapped in their silk swath and a bowl of water was off to the side.

“The bowl of water?” I asked.

“Keeps the bad spirits away.”

She went about setting the cards down and closed her eyes. I didn’t know if I really wanted to know what was coming my way. What I did know was that I was not going to be one of those sniveling women who whined about a man. Fuck that shit. My godmother began turning over cards and nodding her head. I sat quietly just waiting for her to do her thing.

“I’m sorry, sweet pea, but Jensen is still in the cards,” she finally revealed.

“Well, that doesn’t make any sense now, does it? He basically chose Noelle over me, and you know me, Tata. I don’t play second.”

She took my hand and regarded me seriously.

“I think Jensen is confused and maybe a little scared.”

“Of what? I basically told him I wanted him.”

“I think he is afraid to be happy, that maybe he doesn’t deserve it.”

I got up from the table and went outside. I closed my eyes as a breeze lifted my hair. Whatever the cards said didn’t really matter. I wasn’t going to pursue Jensen. If he wanted me, then he had to come to me. I hadn’t come this far in life because I was weak. I was a fucking survivor, dammit.

“Serena.”

I opened my eyes and turned to face her.

“He
will
come to you, but you must be patient with him.”

“In how long? A month? Two months? A year? Just how long am I supposed to wait for Jensen to pull his head out of his ass?”

“How long are you willing to wait?”

“I just told him I wouldn’t. I can’t. Don’t you understand that? I offered him my heart and soul and he chose her.” I ran my hands down my face and exhaled loudly. “Can we stop talking about this? I feel like a broken record.”

“Dinner?” she smiled.

“Mexican?”

“You got it.”

~*~

Lightning woke me from my sleep and I crawled out of bed, making my way through the house. My godmother had long ago gone to bed and I was the only one up. I slid the back door open and walked out onto the patio.

Across the way was the golf course. I stepped onto the grass barefoot and tipped my head up as rain began to fall. I inhaled the scent and felt my contentment in every breath.

I really had missed Arizona.

The full moon was out as I ran across the grass in my PJ’s, getting soaked in seconds. I was sure if anyone saw me, they’d think I escaped the mental ward. Lightning struck a house a few feet away from me and I yelped in surprise. Flames went up almost immediately and I ran forward as shouts and screams crossed the golf course. An older woman was helping her husband out of the house as I approached.

“Are you all right?” I shouted.

“Our dog is still inside!”

“Stay right here! Where is he?”

“I think he hid under the bed, the lightning scares him!”

“Which bed?” I asked. “Never mind, I’ll find him!”

I ran into the house and covered my nose and mouth automatically. I tried to stay low as I navigated a house I’d never been in. Barking was coming from my left and I squinted as smoke began to billow around me. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled toward the barking. In the corner of the room was a small poodle. I reached out to it and it snapped at me.

“Listen here, Q-tip. If I don’t get you out, you’re going to become ash!”

I gripped the poodle by the nape of the neck and dragged it over to me. I backed out of the room and crawled my way back to the open door. Sirens filled the air as I exited the house, Q-tip in tow. I fell to the grass and promptly began hacking up my lungs. I vaguely heard the older couple talking to someone and then a hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped to my feet and whirled around. A fireman stood there with his hands up in defense.

“Sorry, Ma’am, just checking to see if you were okay. That couple said you went into the house to get their dog?”

“Well, yeah,” I coughed.

“Not too many people would do that.”

“Well, I would. I love animals.” I crossed my arms, trying to look serious, and then I started hacking again.

“I’ll need you to see the medics.”

“I’m fine.” I narrowed my eyes to slits. Who did this guy think he was?

“Ma’am—”

“It’s Serena,” I scowled.

The fireman tilted his head, assessing me, then he took me by my bicep and dragged me towards the ambulance that had just pulled up.

“Excuse me!” I pulled my arm back.

“Serena!”

I turned to see my godmother jogging towards us.

“I’m fine!”

“Leave it to you to get involved in this.” She chuckled. “I heard the commotion and went to find you in your room only to find you out here. Why is it when it’s the police or fire, you are involved?”

“I’m not getting arrested.” I grinned.

“Is this your daughter, Ma’am?” the fireman asked.

“Goddaughter. And yes, she will be seen right now.” My godmother placed her hands on her hips, giving me “the look.”

“Ugh!”

I allowed myself to be put in the bus while the EMT’s looked me over and gave me oxygen. The older woman came over to me with her dog and smiled.

“Thank you so much, young lady!”

“You’re welcome.”

“Snow White,” my godmother snickered.

“What can I say? I love animals,” I shrugged.

The fireman that had found me walked up to the bus and placed his hand on the door.

“I don’t have to tell you that what you did was reckless and stupid, right? Next time, leave the firefighting and dog rescuing to us.”

“By the time you got into the house, the dog would be dead,” I shot back.

“Your brother-in-law neglected to mention that you’re a firecracker.”

My jaw fell open.

“Serena Devane, correct? I don’t know of any Serenas except for the one I was supposed to be set up with.”

“You’re…the firefighter?”

“I’m him. Vince Rossetti. I have to say, I’m very sorry I got called in that night. Remy didn’t tell me how beautiful you are.”

I looked down at my soaked pajamas with black soot all over them and put a hand to my head. I must have looked like something out of a horror movie. I looked up to see Vince smiling at me. I couldn’t see much of him in the dim light from the ambulance, but he looked well put together. He had really shiny teeth, too.

Shiny? Uh oh, I think I might have inhaled more smoke than I thought.

“I think she’s going to pass out,” my godmother announced.

“Adrenaline is wearing off.” Vince nodded his head in agreement.

“I’m sitting right here,” I slurred.

And then everything went black.

I opened my eyes to see dull white tile above me. I was pretty sure I wasn’t dead, there was beeping off to my right. Damn, how the hell did I land in the hospital? Movement sounded across from me and I sat up a bit, trying to get a good look.

“Really, Serena? You would go into a burning house just to get a date?” my mother smiled. I could tell she was scared, though.

“I didn’t know that he would be the firefighter that showed up!” I balked.

“Well,” Remy sauntered into the room with a grin. “I didn’t say where I met him, either. I just so happened to be on his side of town.” Remy sat on the end of the bed. “Seems you made an impression.”

“Are you kidding me? I wasn’t trying!”

“I believe his word was ‘spunky.’” Remy chuckled.

“Are you all enjoying yourselves?” I pouted. “No one bothered to get me an
eegee’s
sandwich? Who are you people and what have you done with my family?”

“As it so happens, your brother is out right now getting you one. You can eat it on the way home.” My mother came to the side of the bed and caressed my cheek. “You had us worried.”

“I’m fine. Just a little smoke inhalation.”

A doctor chose to walk into the room at that moment with a clip board in his hands. He looked up and eyed all my family before turning to look at me.

“Well, Serena. Seems you got lucky,” he said. “I’m Doctor Maddison and I’ll be signing off on you to go home. Please try not to run into any more burning buildings.”

“How is the Q-tip?” I snickered.

“The dog is fine, from what I hear,” Remy chimed in. “Vince said they got the elderly couple checked out, as well as the dog.”

“I will take you home with me,” my mother announced.

“Mom, I’m supposed to go visit Christine!”

Speak of the devil, the door to my room opened and my cousin walked in, all grins. She shook her head and came to the end of the bed.

“Leave it to you, Snow White.” My cousin glanced over at my mother with a smile. “I’ve got it from here, Tata.”

“You make sure she rests!” My mother pointed at Christine.

“Yep, we’ll play
Cards Against Humanity
while suckin’ on hookahs.”

“You’re going to suck on hookers?” My mother’s eyes widened.

“Mom! Just…no. I’m fine. I love you and thank you so much for coming.”

“I’ll be at your sister’s house. No sucking on hookers!”

There was a soft knock on the door and Vince poked his head in. He took one look at the crowd in my room and put his hand out.

“I can come back.”

“The hell you will.” Christine snorted. “Get in here. You better get used to us French/Italian folk.” Christine leaned into my ear, “Take your time, I’ll be in the waiting room.”

She turned and ran right into my brother, who was holding a sandwich.

“And who is this?” my brother motioned to Vince.

I gave my cousin a pleading look and she placed the sandwich on the table near the bed, shooing out my family. The door finally closed behind them and I took the time to check out the fireman in front of me. He was wearing faded jeans with a firehouse T-shirt. His hair was dark black, cut regulation military, short on the sides with a bit of length on the top. His eyes were what caught my attention, a very light grey with a hint of blue.

“So, you lived.” Vince sat down in the chair next to the bed.

“Yep. I guess I’m getting out of here, too.”

“No more wild rescues?” Vince chuckled.

“You never know,” I shrugged. “Sometimes I wonder how I get myself into these situations. I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I thought it was one of those weird twists of fate that I got called in on my night off, only to find the woman I was supposed to go out with half dead on a golf course.”

“I was not half dead.”

“Do you normally run around in the rain?”

“As often as possible.”

Vince leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner this week.”

“Um, okay. I’m going to be with my cousin probably tonight and tomorrow, but after that I can.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Vince winked.

My brother came back in the room and eyed me. He looked from me to Vince, and then back to me.

“You going to eat that?” he pointed to my sandwich.

“Yes I’m going to eat it!” I laughed.

~*~

After getting Vince’s number and saying goodbye to my family, I headed to my godmother’s house to pick up my Jeep. We stopped by one of our favorite restaurants and got Chinese food before heading back to Christine’s house. I had my sandwich still, and now five cartons of Chinese food. The smell was making my mouth water. We passed by where Jensen’s father used to live and I closed my eyes.

“What’s up, Cuzzo? The firefighter was hot.”

“Remember Jensen Pratt?”

“I remember the name.”

“He’s back in my life. Well, was.”

“What happened?”

I went into the sordid story about Jensen. I was so tired of rehashing it, I really didn’t want to have to go through it again. Christine bobbed her head up and down as she drove, listening to me vomit my woes. When we finally pulled into her driveway, she cut the engine and turned in the driver seat to face me.

“So now what?”

“Now I try to move on with my life.”

“Well, let’s go drink and start forgetting.”

I sat on her back porch watching the sun set. I needed to start writing the hetero book, I knew how it was going to end, the way all my books do.

With a happy ending.

It didn’t matter if I got mine or not, my readers would get theirs. My phone pinged and I checked the caller I.D. My editor was calling. I also noticed I had two voice mails. I answered the call to an already talking Joelle.

“I haven’t gotten anything from you! Did you get writer’s block?”

“No. Not that, thank God. I’m starting the hetero book tomorrow and sending you the finished male romance tonight.”

“Thank God! I thought maybe you’d lost your mojo.”

“Nah, I’ll send the manuscript and you can add your Joelleisms.”

“This is why we work so well, you know? I can add all sorts of shit and you just accept it.”

“Because we are like minded, darling.” I chortled.

“Are you okay? It’s not like you not to call me.”

“I have a lot to tell you, but can I do it over the weekend? It’s been one hell of a busy couple weeks.”

“You bet. Take care!”

I hung up and checked my voicemails. I had two from Wyatt. It occurred to me that I missed our guitar lessons. I called him back and got his voicemail. I explained the situation and hoped like hell he wouldn’t quit on me. Christine came out with an overflowing plate of Chinese food and handed me a fork.

“I’ve got your favorite ice cream.” She smiled.

I rubbed my hands together and groaned. I absolutely loved Baskin Robins Daiquiri Ice, and get it as often as possible. It was like cheesecake, though. I didn’t share it, either.

“So, the fireman?” Christine sat down and dove into her own plate of food.

“I said I’d go out to dinner with him.”

“Check out his hose first.”

I chuckled.

~*~

Christine and I hit our old stomping grounds the next day. We went to the park where we used to play and ate lunch at the chicken place on the corner. Overall, I was having a blast revisiting my childhood. We sat on the swings at the park, drinking sodas.

“Why does it look so small?” Christine mused.

“Everything looks small to me now. We’re growing up,” I pouted.

“I don’t want to adult.”

“I can’t even,” I chuckled.

“Things seemed so simple back then. Now we have bills and work.”

“I love my job, though. I can’t see myself doing anything else and believe me, I’ve tried everything else.”

“You were never a doctor,” Christine pointed out.

“I was when I was younger,” I laughed.

“We were all doctors. It was the easiest way to grope someone.”

“When did things get so complicated? Why can’t life just be simple? I just want someone to love me and share a life with me.”

“Well, you can grope the fireman and find out if he’s life material.”

I turned on the swing to face her. “You really should come up and visit me. The weather is so much cooler up there and we can go hang out at one of the bars.”

“As long as I can get a college guy for a night.”

“I’m sure we can make that happen.”

Christine smiled and took my hand. “I think you should give the fireman a go. Anything to make you smile again.”

“I smile all the time.” I kept my face rigid.

“You’re a freak.”

“Yep.”