Enigma (14 page)

I placed her on top of the chest of drawers in the corner. to where it appeared as though she was watching over the room, making sure she was protected from any harm. Though it was not as prevalent as it had been inside the store, a feeling of peace seemed to settle over the room. Even though I knew I had many things to think about and decide how to handle them, I did not feel the slightest bit of stress or worry.

I couldn’t help but think it was because of the beautiful angel watching over me with my mother’s love. For the first time in three years, I did not feel scared to be in the house alone. Even though I now knew the man I had caught in the bushes earlier had been there for the sole purpose of delivering another clue for me to use in piecing together the jigsaw puzzle that had become my life, I had no anxiety about the things that were out of my control. In fact, everything felt so peaceful that after cleaning up the mess I made unwrapping the angel, I turned off the light, settled myself comfortably into bed, and immediately fell into the most restful sleep I had had in years.

As I woke up to a sunny Sunday morning, it almost escaped my attention that I had slept through the night for the first time since my parents’ death. Without torment in my sleep from the nightmare that haunted me every night, I was rested and more energetic than I had been in years. Making my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I noticed my reflection in the mirror even looked different.

The girl who stared back at me in the mirror looked as though she was older. As I touched my face to make sure it was really my reflection that looked back at me from the mirror and not just a dream, for the first time in my life I saw that I had transformed from a pretty little girl into a beautiful young woman.

I chose black pants and a blue shirt that complemented my hair and eyes for my attire for the day and opted not to use makeup with the exception of a light coat of lipgloss. Looking up at my angel, I felt that once again she was responsible for all the wonderful things that were happening. It felt so good not having to hide myself under layers of cosmetics, even though I always kept it looking as natural as possible.

Makeup made me feel like I was in disguise trying to be someone else. I liked this new makeup-free me so much better. Looking in the mirror this morning and seeing the girl who looked back at me, she needed nothing to accentuate her already strikingly gorgeous features.

I slipped on my shoes and started down the stairs, smelling the amazing gourmet breakfast Lorenzo was making in the kitchen. As I inhaled, it hit me that I had never smelled anything as I smelled this morning. I was certain I could tell each ingredient as I walked down the stairs without even seeing what was on the stove. I popped in the kitchen and leaned against the doorway, announcing my arrival with a bubbly good morning to Lorenzo.

As he turned toward me, the spatula he was holding fell from his hand, splattering grease all over the floor. He smiled at me with an expression on his face as if he couldn’t believe his eyes as the word
angel
fell from his lips with a whisper. We stood there in an awkward silence for a moment that seemed like it lasted forever when he realized he was still staring; he bent down to pick up the spatula and clean up the mess it made on the tile floor. I pretended not to notice and acted normal instead. I asked him what was for breakfast, and he stammered out a response. I kissed him on the cheek and made a plate and slid into a spot at the table.

After breakfast, I decided I would run by Spirits to see how Avan’s weekend was going and find out what it was he wanted to discuss. On my way out the door, I was topping off my outfit with Avan’s black leather jacket as Lorenzo had come flying out of the kitchen to tell me that he had forgotten to relay a message. Lena’s flight was delayed, and she would be on the next one that offered an open seat in first class. After all, she would not be caught dead flying coach.

Apologizing for his earlier reaction in the kitchen, he explained that I looked just like someone he had once known. Giving me a tight hug, he told me to drive safely and that he would see me in a little while. I told him I would probably see him at dinner since I would be out most of the day, and he flashed a warm smile, nodding in approval.

On my way to Spirits, everything about the day seemed brighter than it usually did. The colors I saw seemed more vivid as I passed through my neighborhood, noticing all of the winter flowers blooming that the wealthy families of Oceanview had planted in their gardens. Everything was so clear. As I sat at a stop sign, I looked toward the walkway of the house that sat on the corner that had yards of beautiful red tulips blooming on both sides and all the way up and across the front of the flowerbed in front of the house.

Adoring the petals that were such a brilliant shade of red, I began to focus on one in particular. Before I knew it, the flower had magnified before my eyes to where I could see a small ant making its way up the green stem of the flower and onto one of the petals, walking to the tip on the underside and crawling on to the top of the petal, crawling along its curve toward the pollen in the center. I could not believe I was seeing this. Blinking my eyes, everything went back to regular vision; I imagined I must have been daydreaming.

Looking both directions, I pulled out on to the street heading to Spirits. Coming into downtown Oceanview was always a site to see no matter how long you had lived here.

All of the buildings were made of the same red brick built back in the early 1900s, and the streets downtown were still made of brick as well. It was a little bumpy, but it added a nostalgic feel to our town. Most of the second stories of the businesses that lined the downtown area had been turned into storage areas, which held inventory to be used. A few had been converted to living spaces where the business owners resided.

In the center of the town square, the city kept a huge water fountain year round. The concrete dolphins and mermaids looked brilliant as the water danced around them, making light foam on top of the water as it hit and broke into hundreds of little bubbles as they hit the surface of the water that was probably freezing during this time of the year. During the summertime people would stop by to toss coins in, making wishes as they visited the storefronts that surrounded it.

On the eastside of the fountain was Spirits. As I drove around the fountain, it looked empty in the front, which was usual for a Sunday since most people came in for coffee before they joined the church congregations. I slid my Volkswagen into a spot in front and killed the engine. Unzipping my bag, I took out the note that had been left in the sack that held my angel last night. I unlocked the glove compartment, retrieving the other two notes as well to add to the most recent one received.

I was unsure of what Avan would think once I showed him the notes, but I felt I needed to tell someone, and right now he was the most trustworthy person I knew besides Lorenzo, who would only worry himself sick. Sliding the notes into my wallet, I got out of the car, locked the doors and headed for the entrance to Spirits.

I stepped inside to the welcoming aroma of fresh espresso and coffee beans. I had no idea how they managed to do it, but it was always the perfect temperature inside. I was looking over the menu when I knew Avan was near.

I had not looked up to see him yet, but his cologne gave him away. I laid the menu back on the coffee table, looking up to see him leaning forward in the chair across from mine with a serious look on his face that told me he was in a state of excellent shock and surprise.

“Wow!” Avan said as he rubbed his chin with his left hand.

“Wow meaning what?”

“You, I’ve never seen you look the way you do today.”

“Is that a good thing?” I was a little confused. First, Lorenzo had acted strange, and now Avan too. I was starting to feel a little self-conscious.

“It’s an amazing thing. You look like an angel.”

“An angel?” I couldn’t help but notice he’d said almost the same thing Lorenzo had.

“Yeah, angels are beautiful, and you make most of them look mediocre at best.”

“Well, thank you. Believe it or not, you are actually the second person who has paid me the compliment of looking like an angel today,” I said, flashing him a smile.

“Who was the first?” The way he asked was as though it concerned him. Maybe he was scared I had run into Ian somewhere this morning before getting to Spirits.

“The chef that works for Lena and her dad, and I guess me, even though I consider him more as a friend.”

“Well, he couldn’t have been more honest.” His voice had lost the edge it had a few seconds ago.

“So can the angel get a drink?” I could not resist referring to myself in the third person using the description that sounded so amazing coming from his mouth describing me, of all people.

“Anything she wants. Just name it.”

“How about a large peppermint mocha topped with whipped cream and sprinkles,” I said, admiring the way he looked as he tilted his head a little when he wrote my order.

“I’ll be right back with that, milady,” he said as he tore the top slip he’d written my order on off of the order pad.

I could not help but acknowledge the thought in my head that noticed how it never mattered if he was coming or going, he looked good regardless. I think if I had it my way, I could just have him stand and model in the corner of the room as I sat and drooled all day long. The way he moved was just so smooth—everything about him was smooth. From the way his skin looked to the way he walked, there was just something completely irresistible about him that made me putty in his hands. Since I had gotten so close to him over the past two weeks, being with him every day, getting to know him so much better, my simple crush on a cute guy who worked at the coffee shop had transitioned into a not-so-simple case of infatuation with a hot guy who was now basically my only true friend.

I was still unsure how he felt about me to this point, though. Granted, today he told me I make most angels look less beautiful than they should, but that was no indication that he wanted more than a friendship. All that meant was that I looked great today—and Lorenzo had even pointed it out, so I was not so sure that Avan’s compliment had a personal meaning. Then again, he had told me that he liked the way I looked in his jacket and told me I could continue to wear it after the first day we had spoken.

There was also the way he had taken me to school every day, driving all the way to my house to pick me up rather than having me meet him at his work. He sure made it seem like he just wanted me to be more than his best girl buddy for the rest of his life, but considering I never actually had a boyfriend, how could I interpret the signs I thought he was making obvious and full of intent?

“Here’s that peppermint mocha you ordered,” Avan said as he knelt beside my chair with a cup in one hand and napkins in the other, catching me completely off guard, as I had been overanalyzing everything he had said in the past two weeks, trying to find any clue of what he really felt about me.

“That looks and smells amazing!”

“What can I say? I aim to please!”

Smiling and nodding, I took the cup and napkins from his hands as I looked down into his eyes. For a split second, I tried to imagine how he would react if I took the opportunity to lean in and kiss him on those perfect, full lips. He showed no signs of rushing to move from where he was next to my chair, but I was terrified of not knowing how he would take it if I went for it.

Instead I just scooted back a little in the chair and took a sip of chocolate and peppermint delightfulness. He slowly rose from the floor, moving into the chair beside me. I could feel his eyes on me and had no idea what to say or if I should pretend like I did not notice.

“Do I have a booger in my nose or something?” I could not take his silent stare any longer.

“Um no, if you did I would be looking anywhere but at your face, and with every word I said I would be calling attention to my own nose to try and make you get the hint. Then, if that didn’t work, I’d just invite Bradley over to join the conversation, and he wouldn’t hesitate to tell you out loud that you had a big ole boogey about to drop into your coffee!”

“So kind of you! So if I don’t have a booger, why are you looking at me like this is the first time you’ve ever seen me?” I asked as I made eye contact with him.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen you for what you really are.” He said it almost the same way the note from the mystery writer had stated it. Suddenly my breath caught in my throat as fear flooded my mind again. Could he really be the one leaving the notes? Uncertainty and worry crept around into the shadows of my imagination whispering darkness into my thoughts. How could he have used almost the exact words written on the paper I’d found?

My train of thought drifted to what had happened last night with the man hiding in the bushes and leaving the note. Looking back up into his eyes I felt ashamed as I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he could never in any way be the same person sneaking around making me feel threatened with pieces of a puzzle. I wanted to know what it meant, but Avan might think I had way too much baggage if I told him about all the drama I had going on right now.

“So what kind of drama is it that you think is gonna run me off?” He asked as though he’d just read my mind.

“Sorry, it’s just that—” I cut myself off snapping my head up to look at him quizzically. As the thought went through my mind how I was confused when it came to deciding the best way to tell him some unknown individual had been lurking outside my house in the bushes, and left a weird note in my car suddenly it no longer seemed important as I acknowledged the fact that he had just heard my thoughts. Then there was the issue with Lena wanting me to continue to date Ian. I wanted to prevent him from hating her worse than he did now, but I was still mad at her for taking Ian’s side especially if Avan had really just been able to read my mind. Moreover, there was the way Ian had gone crazy with harassing me lately. Suddenly fear was the farthest thing from my mind as complete confusion and disability to make sense of what had just occurred took its place.