“You're all I've really ever wanted, Teresa. For
fifteen years, it’s been only you.”
“No Bas, if it had been only me you wanted, you would
not have screwed Sherry on the counter. If I was the woman you
really
wanted, if you truly did 'see me' like you claim, you
should not have been interested in scratching an itch with someone
else.” My voice gentled, “If you
really
wanted me, you would
have waited for me.”
“I admitted, I was stupid,” he grumbled at me.
“I think when I was fifteen, you saw the possibility
of a ‘you and me,’ and over time, you built it up into more than it
is. If there had been a possibility for the two of us, I think we
missed the window.”
Bastian’s tone was frustrated, but controlled, “And,
I don't think you're keeping an open mind. I think your attention
is being split between two men.”
Red lifted his head off my leg and barked,
“Alpha
is here!”
“Speak of the devil,” Bas said, under his breath.
I laughed, “David is here? Ah, Bas, you have no one
to blame, but yourself. You hijacked our date. You should have
known he'd return the favor.”
“It’s a picnic,” David called out with a laugh in his
tone, “is there any food left? I'm starving.” Red stood up to greet
David. “Hey Red, how's my partner in crime? Bas, imagine seeing you
here.”
“Subtle, David,” Bas chuckled, despite his
annoyance.
“Well, you'd certainly know subtle when you see it,
wouldn't you Bas?” David returned with a laugh of his own.
Bas amiably rolled to a sitting position, making room
for David to sit on an edge of the blanket. Soon we were all
picking through leftovers in the food bag. Fifteen minutes later, I
was stuffed and too lazy to move. Bas had talked me into eating two
more cookies. I admit it, I succumbed to peer pressure, but they
were really good.
“Teresa, can I dig through your backpack to see if
Ken has any toys in there for Red. Maybe there's a ball,” David
asked, after he had tossed our trash in a nearby garbage can.
“
Ball?”
Red's head lifted off my ankle.
“I
bet he throws better than you, Teresa.”
“Everyone throws better than me, Red,” I said with a
grin.
“Go ahead and look, David. There may be a ball in the
pack, but we can't let Red off-leash in this park. It’s a
twenty-five foot lead, so he has some room to move, but not enough
for a long chase.”
“We'll manage, won't we Red?” David said. The boys
took off together, bro-mance in full bloom, leaving Bas and me
alone again.
“Do you have another date with David this week?”
“Yes, on Tuesday. I'm not saying where. This rivalry
between you two is getting no help from me. The last thing I want
is to have you showing up. Although, I will admit I got a kick out
of David appearing today. You were so obvious last night, hanging
out at my house and waiting for us to get home.” I laughed at the
memory.
Bas pulled me in for a hug and kissed my cheek, then
my lips. I had expected possessive, but it was a sweet kiss. This
guy had more layers than an onion.
“Do you miss working?” Bas inquired, still holding me
in a loose circle of his arms, leaning me back against his chest.
“Janey told me you'd been bookkeeping for the last few years, then
you two went in together to do some web design business. Any plans
on what you want to try next?”
I shook my head. “I don't miss bookkeeping at all, it
was a steady paycheck, but I was never really excited by the job.
Janey took over the web designing. I get a commission on the
templates I created, but she is doing all the work now. I consider
myself lucky I have supplemental medical insurance, or I would have
lost everything in medical bills. As it is, I don't have to go back
to work for a couple years; I can live off the money from the
policies.”
“I'm glad that's not a worry for you,” Bas said.
“Although, if you have any problems you know Janey and I are here
to help, right?”
I hugged his arms to me. “Thank you. I don't think
I'll need any help, but it’s nice to know I have friends I can call
on.”
“Friends for what?” David asked, coming up from
behind us. The sound of energetic lapping was my first clue Red,
the wonder dog, had arrived and needed a refill.
“Bas was asking about my work, and if I had plans to
re-train or anything,” I answered.
“You should do something with Red,” David suggested,
“Like you did with the police department yesterday. He could open
up some opportunities for both of you to stay busy. Red could even
be a comfort dog at a nursing facility if you want to do some
community service.”
“That's a great idea,” Bas concurred. “A few hours
ago Red was able to diagnose a probable ear infection in another
dog we met coming into the park.”
“I'll have to talk with Red about what kinds of
things he can do,” I answered. “Detective Stephens knows about Red;
maybe he could give us some guidance. I don't want too many people,
outside of family and close friends, to know about him. His safety
is most important.”
“Teresa,” David redirected gently, “as the only
person who can communicate with Red,
you
are at risk too. Be
careful who you tell, and make sure Red knows to alert you if
you're at risk of being overheard. Most importantly, if anyone acts
strangely, be sure to call Bas or me, no matter how stupid. Red has
the potential to be a powerful tool, but the tool only works in
your hands.” As serious as the discussion was, I will admit my mind
wandered, briefly, at how well other “tools” might respond in my
hands.
I think it would be wonderful to share Red's skills,
but I could see the importance of discretion and caution. The four
of us sat in the park for another hour, and had a serious
discussion regarding minimizing risk of exposure, people who needed
to know about our ability, behaviors for Red to watch for, and what
to do in case of an emergency.
We agreed if Red and I worked for the police, one of
them would accompany us at all times. Red would be too distracted
by scent, and solving a puzzle, not to mention his view was
somewhat limited to knees and thighs. Bas and David were better
equipped to make sure we didn't inadvertently give ourselves away
if someone caught us communicating, or saw Red do something out of
the norm.
Sitting between two ex-military guys plotting, and
planning, gave me new respect for their training and skill-sets.
Feeling very safe amid all my men, I gave Red an affectionate
scratch.
If planning in the park had given me a taste of Bas
and David's risk management training, the next two months gave me
an appreciation of their tactical skills. Without exception, Bas
showed up in the middle of every date with David, and David was
usually already seated at events I attended with Bas. It was a
combination, of exasperating and hilarious, to watch the two of
them sabotage each other.
At some point, I began to wonder if they were even
interested in dating me, or if they merely enjoyed the game of
one-upmanship. I was able to test this theory during Week Six of
“The Siege of Teresa March,” during intermission at a symphony
concert, in which Bas sat behind us and talked during the breaks
between numbers. Under the pretense of going to the restroom, Red
and I grabbed a cab home and left them both there.
It was a shame to miss the rest of the concert, but I
thought it was interesting it took forty-one minutes before they
thought to call my cell phone. “You guys enjoy the rest of your
date,” I told them. “Red and I are at home, eating popcorn, and
listening to Rachmaninoff without a running commentary.”
Week Seven of the Siege was actually kinda fun. They
did
get the hint and must have come to an agreement. Dare I
say cease-fire? They were reduced to stalking and guerrilla warfare
tactics. Dates were no longer disrupted in the middle, but the men
had perfected the art of showing up right about the time for the
goodnight kiss. I have to assume one or the other would trail us
all night before, metaphorically, jumping out from behind a bush,
to hijack the end of the date. One night, Bas and I arrived at my
home to find David waiting on my couch. Ken had let him in.
Bas and I developed a comfortable friendship. It was
so at odds with the conflict and animosity I'd felt for him half my
life. If it hadn't been for my blossoming relationship with David,
I might have come to a point where I could look at Bastian as a
possible lover or partner, but there
was
David. Where Bas
was intense, aggressive, and cocky, David was laid-back, confident,
and encouraging. Bastian overwhelmed me with raw graphic words and
passionate kisses. David enticed me with teasing whispers and soft
melting touches. Bas willed me to want him. David seduced me to
need him.
Week Eight was the week I canceled a date for the
first time. Detective Stephens called me as David and I pulled away
from my house on our way to dinner and dancing. He asked if Red and
I could come to the police department for a “consultation.” Since
David accompanied me, maybe it wasn't technically a canceled date,
but it wasn't the night we had planned. He took the detour in
stride and half an hour later, I was passing through the security
screening in my fancy formal wear.
A policeman met us in the lobby and escorted us to
Detective Stephens who waited in a large open space that echoed
when we spoke. To my ear, that indicated the room was uncarpeted,
and probably sparsely furnished.
“
There are other people in the room,”
Red told
me.
“Good evening, Detective,” I said, offering my hand
in greeting. “The gentleman with me is my friend, David Preston. We
were on our way to dinner, when I received your call.”
“David, this is Detective Stephens, the officer I met
at the park when the child went missing.” The men spoke quietly to
each other for a moment so I took the opportunity to pretend to
adjust Red's harness and whisper to him, “Describe the room and the
people to me?”
“
There is a table with paper bags on it. Two of
the people, a man and a woman, are in uniforms. A man in uniform is
sitting in a chair, doing something on a computer. There is a man
and a woman standing next to the table, they are wearing jeans and
shirts.”
David asked in a projected voice, “Can you introduce
us to your associates, Detective?” His voice was very professional
and clipped. I think he realized, as I did, we were going to be
asked to take a test of some kind.
“
The people are moving to our side of the table,
except the guy at the computer. He's still typing.”
Red told
me.
“Certainly,” Detective Stephens replied, “This is
Lieutenant Faber, Detective Jackson, Officers Marks and
Willman.”
Red identified each as I shook their hands,
“Faber
is the woman in the jeans, and Jackson is the man. The uniformed
woman is Marks, the man is Willman.”
When handshakes were completed, I asked, “And, the
officer on the computer, who is he?”
David slipped an arm around my waist. Casual, yet a
show of unity, I think.
After a momentary pause, Detective Stephens answered,
“Officer Blair is at the computer. He is transcribing our meeting
as I preferred no cameras.”
I could hear the tapping of computer keys, so I was
able to look toward the corner of the room where the policeman was
seated, “Nice to meet you too, Officer Blair.”
“Likewise, ma'am,” he replied, without stopping his
work.
“What can we do for you Detective?” I addressed
Detective Stephens.
“We have a task force forming for an issue I can't
divulge until the Lieutenant approves of adding you as a resource,
and we’ve secured your agreement to assist us. Lt. Faber's approval
hinges on me proving to the group you and Red bring unique
abilities. Once she gives the go-ahead, I can disclose enough
information to see if you’re interested, or able, to help. Anything
we talk about in this room must be kept confidential, regardless of
the choice you make.”
Since the police were broaching the subject of
exposure we talked about in the park a couple months ago, I didn't
feel David was overstepping when he spoke up for me.
“We can certainly appreciate your caution regarding
talking about an open investigation. But, we will have to insist,
if Red and Teresa provide sufficient confirmation they have the
needed skills, the details of their contribution will be kept
confidential also. Red, Teresa, and I have discussed this in
detail; both of them risk exploitation, or kidnapping, if too many
people realize they share a special partnership.”
Lieutenant Faber then spoke for the first time, “I
admit we are skeptical of the abilities it is suggested you two
have, but Detective Stephens convinced us to at least see you and
keep an open mind.”
“What do you say, Red? Wanna play with the nice
officers?
“
Sure. Games are fun,”
he replied. I could
hear the excitement in his tone.