Feast of Saints (20 page)

When they got back to Mike’s apartment, he had a voice message asking him to come in to work an afternoon wedding party at the Snake River Grill. Lilly told him to go and promised to hobble the few blocks to the restaurant later for dinner. Deciding to try the sample pills, she gulped them down with some water and settled down on Mike’s couch to elevate and ice her swollen ankle.

She awoke to Mike’s keys rattling in the door, arriving home from his shift. Sleepily, Lilly sat up from the couch, and said, “I’m sorry, I must have overslept.”

Mike, who was carrying a sack of something that smelled delicious, looked around the room like he expected someone else to be with her. Setting the bag down on the kitchen counter, he asked, “Is Durant here?”

“No,” she replied, “Why would he be?”

Mike walked back to the still open apartment door and said, “Because I’m sure that’s his car across the street.”

Lilly hobbled over to stand next to him. Sure enough, the gray Explorer was parked across the street. Neither mistook the tall figure stepping out of the SUV.

She was starting to feel like a paddleball on a rubber band. No matter how far she moved away from him, she somehow bounced back. She tried to remember telling Jake where Mike lived, but couldn’t. She may have told him where he worked. He must have followed Mike home.

Jake stopped on the doorstep and surveyed them. “Sorry to intrude,” he said with a deadly charming smile at Mike, like he hadn’t just stalked them there. Looking at her standing, he asked, “Can I take you two to dinner?” Was he trying to apologize for his rude behavior this morning?

Unexpectedly, Mike, who never turned down a free meal, was the one to decline, saying, “You both can stay and eat here. I brought plenty.”

When neither jumped at the invitation, Mike headed to the kitchen to put away the food he’d brought home, covering any dejection. His face ducked in the refrigerator, he said, “You two go on if you want. I just came home to check on Lilly. They asked me to work a double so I’ve got to head back in a while.”

“Well?” Jake asked, waiting for her to decide their course. She looked back at Mike in the kitchen, then at Jake. “Can you be civil if we stay here?”

Jake smirked derisively at her, “Of course,” he said, in mock offense. Then, with that scary charm, he called to Mike over her shoulder, “You got any light beer in there, man?”

Mike popped out of the refrigerator with a pleased as punch expression. “Absolutely!” he hollered, pulling everything back out, putting the food containers on the counter and opening three beers.

After two days eating camp food, anything would have tasted good, but this food was spectacular. Locally caught trout dusted with almonds and sautéed. Farm greens and organic goat cheese. Buffalo tenderloin with braised French beans. It was a pleasurable feast.

Mike peppered Jake with compliments about his movies. She hadn’t realized what a fan he was. She saw the Jake she’d seen on the phone the other day with Jill and Bridget from Dow Chemical. Graciously, he accepted Mike’s effusive praise and satisfied his curiosity with back-stories about his roles.

When he could, Jake turned the conversation to Mike’s own talents and hobbies. This man had been well brought up with social graces. He was genuinely charming. Why, then, did the two of them have such a rocky time of it?

She picked up the conversation again, which had somehow turned to her and Mike, specifically, Mike’s intentions toward her.

“As if she’d have me,” Mike laughed, packing up the now empty containers. “She’s a user, man. Every time she comes out here, she treats me like her personal belay slave,” he said, referring to their shared favorite past-time, rock climbing.

“You know you do,” he said to Lilly, catching her offended look.

“Well, it’s not my fault you’re so much heavier than me,” she said defensively.

Although they did it anyway, both knew it wasn’t exactly safe for her to belay Mike on the climbing rope. Since he never, ever, fell, they occasionally took the chance. But if he ever did make a mistake and fall, he’d probably end up sling-shotting her into space and find himself kissing the ground.

Looking at his watch, Mike said, “Hey guys, I’ve got to get going.”

Jake stood as Mike headed for the door and surprised him with a friendly clap on the shoulder. “Maybe next time you can take me along. I’ll catch,” meaning he’d belay Mike for a change.

“That would be cool,” Mike said, truly pleased.

Jake shook Mike’s hand. No weirdness this time. Sincerely, he said, “Thanks for looking out for Lilly.”

“No problem, man.” Before heading out on his way back to work, Mike turned toward Lilly, opened his arms wide and said, “One day it’ll all pay off.”

Lilly, embarrassed, threw her napkin at Mike as he ducked out the door. Jake frowned after him, but when he turned to her, charming Jake was back. He looked at her ankle, which the urgent care nurse had wrapped in an Ace bandage.

“Nothing broken, then?”

Feeling eerily touched by repentant, charming Jake, she smiled at him. “No, nothing broken. I’m supposed to take it easy this week, though.” She laughed at the impossibility of that.

“We can make that happen,” he said. “I spoke with Phillip today about getting you some help on the set.”

Lilly squelched her instinct to protest. As much as she hated to admit it, the job was too much for just her. It was only going to get worse when they headed to Italy, where extreme preparation was going to be essential for success.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said, truthfully.

“Don’t say anything. I should have realized how much pressure you were under. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“It hasn’t been that bad,” she lied.

“Can I pick you up for the airport in the morning?” Jake asked.

Their flight was at six-thirty a.m. The airport was close, but he’d still have to be there awfully early.

“It’s really early,” she said.

Jake looked around Mike’s small efficiency apartment, his eyes stopping on the bed in the corner.

“You could get your things now, and come stay with me. It would be easier.” Turning back to her, his expression was unreadable.

When she didn’t immediately respond, he said, “You’d have your own bedroom.”

If she went with Jake, not only would she not have to worry about depending on Mike to get her to her early flight on time, she could avoid any uncomfortableness alone with Mike later. His parting comment this afternoon had her worried he might make another pass at her tonight.

“Alright,” she finally said. “Let me just leave Mike a note.”

Feeling like she might be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, she hobbled to the Explorer.

True to his word, though, she had her own bedroom. Her own floor, actually. Jake was staying at Harrison Ford’s ski chalet. Jake helped her upstairs to her room, brought her a couple of bottles of water and then disappeared.

She was glad for the water. The pills the urgent care nurse gave her had left her feeling muddy and hung over. Although it was still light outside, she laid down on the bed and fell asleep.

She heard him overhead, over her father’s field, above thunderclouds so black she couldn’t see him. The sound of his slowly beating wings as he hovered, just out of sight, was like that of a helicopter recorded and then slowed way down. As the thunderclouds began to swirl in a whirlpool of wind signaling his descent, Lilly ran across the barnyard to the house. She leaped over the first three porch steps, tripping over the last. Her legs felt like they were dipped in molasses, sluggish, not doing anything she wanted them to do. Digging her nails into the splintered floorboards of the porch, she tried pulling herself forward. She refused to look back when she felt the ground shake with his landing, scrabbled forward and reached for the doorknob. It was too far. But then the door opened and there in the doorway stood eight year old Lilly, so tiny she looked like a toddler, peering beyond her into the barnyard. Little Lilly’s mouth fell open in terror that she could not voice, pointing to the barn. Lilly couldn’t help herself. She turned to look at the nightmare she knew was behind her. Dragon Jake crouched, twenty feet from the barn, whipping his tail like a lion stalking water buffalo. A man stood in the shadows of the barn, too far and too dark to make out. It could have been her father, but she was uncertain. The beast had seen the man. He rose to his full height, leaned back on his haunches, shot his head and neck forward and an incendiary fountain of flame engulfed the weathered wood structure. The man never had a chance as the wood and hay caught fire instantly, and flames roared toward the heavens. When Dragon Jake turned his fiery maw toward the house, both Lillies screamed. Little Lilly stepped on to the porch and reached for her, but when the shadow fell over the porch it was too much for her. She backed to the doorway, whirled and ran into the house, banging the door shut behind her.
It won’t help, it won’t help
, big Lilly thought, as the door rattled in the jam, its peeling paint already beginning to bubble, melt and run.

Lilly sat straight up in bed, completely disoriented. Someone was knocking on a door, rattling the knob.

“Lilly! What’s going on? Open the door!” It was Jake. She was in Wyoming. She was hurt. Her ankle was hurt.

“I’m coming, hold on. It’s dark in here,” she said as she scooted to the end of the bed and limped to where she thought the door must be, judging by his voice.

By chance, she placed her hand on the light switch, flipped it on and unlocked the door.

Jake pushed it open, looking her over quickly, then around the entire room.

“You okay?” She clearly was physically okay, apart from the ankle. Abashed, he said, “I thought I heard you calling out. I wouldn’t have bothered you otherwise. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“No, no. It’s okay. You did, but I’m glad you did,” she said, then bit her lip, not wanting to admit her nightmare. “What time is it?”

“It’s a little after three in the morning,” he said. “You’ve got plenty of time. Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you in time.”

“I’ve been sleeping for nine hours. I might as well go ahead and get ready to leave for the airport.”

“We don’t have to be there until six-fifteen,” he said.

“We need to be there before that, Jake. The plane leaves at six-thirty. We need to be there at least by five to get through security.”

“We’re flying back on the studio’s jet. We won’t have to go through general security,” he said.

Lilly’s stomach lurched. She’d planned on being able to sit quietly back in coach, knowing Jake would fly first class. She needed a mental break from him. She needed to prepare for the next day. In coach, she wouldn’t have to struggle to make small talk for three hours.

“I already have a ticket, and your company paid for it. It was non-refundable.” She searched for more excuses not to give up her peaceful commercial airline seat.

“At this point, it doesn’t cost anything more for you to fly back with me on the studio jet. And it’s faster and more comfortable. You can stretch out your ankle.”

When she still didn’t seem enthused by the idea, he added, “Don’t worry about the ticket. It was transferrable. Wil’s using it.”

He clearly saw nothing wrong with what he’d done. It was like the camping trip all over again. Who did he think he was, changing her flight without telling her, making Wil forego the comfy jet?

At her narrow-eyed expression, he asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? Were you having a nightmare when I came up here?”

“No,” she said, tight-lipped, wishing she hadn’t told him about the nightmares.

“I’m going to get in the shower, so you need to leave.”

Jake immediately shut down his concerned expression and walked out of the room. At least he didn’t have to be told twice.

Down the hall, he said in a neutral tone, “Be careful not to fall in the bathroom on that ankle, and call if you need help.”

“I won’t,” she grumbled, not caring if he heard.

The entire cabin on the blasted jet was empty. There were over twenty seats from which to choose, arranged in face-to-face foursomes. Jake sat opposite her and gently lifted her ankle to rest, elevated on a pillow on the seat next to him.

When the jet reached cruising altitude, the flight attendant offered them tea and coffee and a selection of juices, fruits and pastries. Lilly accepted the tea and a cheese danish. Jake skipped the breakfast goodies, opting for water and the Wall Street Journal.

After the attendant cleared away her tray, Jake lowered the newspaper to look at her.

“You want to tell me why you are so mad at me? You’ve got about two hours,” he said.

For an hour and a half, Lilly just looked out the window. She meant to tell him exactly why she was so mad at him. After she marshaled her thoughts.

He was just so high-handed. She felt like she was in a constant tug of war. She didn’t like him taking care of things for her. Organizing her life how it suited him.

Her father had done that. Refusing to let her get a job in town, making her a slave to the farm. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with it either.

Maybe Jake thought he was helping her. But it felt a lot like he just wanted to keep her under his thumb.

She knew some women, and men, liked that kind of dependency on another person. She was not one of them. What do they do when the person they depend on is gone? How do you pick up the pieces after that? She couldn’t help thinking about her father again. He was okay now. Content, even. But there had been some dark years after her mother’s death.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the pilot’s announcement that they would be beginning the descent into Los Angeles. She still had not uttered a word in response to Jake’s question. She turned to find Jake staring at her. Maybe he had been the whole time.

Not taking his eyes off her, Jake got up and moved to the seat next to her. Ever so slowly he took her chin in his hand and raised her face to look at him. He searched her face for such a long time that she started to think he was going to kiss her like he had in the tent. Her cheeks started to flame red, and she found her gaze shifting to his mouth.