Magnolia Blossoms (16 page)

I pull off my wig, and run my fingers through my hair. It’s looking pretty good, so I decide to ditch the fake hair and go short for a while. Everything in Nick’s shower smells like him, but I don’t mind so much. I soap up, rinse off, and slip into the pajama shirt. After smoothing my hair back into place, I check on the patient. He’s still out, so I very gently slip into bed beside him, but I don’t rest until I’m sure there is a channel of pillows protecting his lower half. I definitely don’t want to add insult to injury with an accidental kick in the middle of the night.

I awaken to the sound of Nick whimpering. I slowly pull my eyes open to find him looking my way. “Cover it,” he says, his hands on his crotch. “Owww. It hurts so bad.”

I sit up quickly in the bed. “Cover what? What’s happening?”

He looks like he’s fanning his chest with his hand. “Your body. All of it. Blood rushing to bad places. Hurts.”

“But I’m dressed,” I argue.

He shifts around uncomfortably. “I can see the swell of your breast through the fabric, and now, those long creamy white thighs of yours. Oh, fuck!” he snaps his eyes closed. “Ah! I still see it in my mind. Make it go away.”

I madly dash to the bathroom to put on what I was wearing the day before. “Is this better?”

He cracks an eye open. “A little,” he says, blowing through the pain like a woman in labor. “Maggie, I appreciate that you want to take care of me, but I don’t think it’s going to work. I’m too attracted to you, and when I think or see certain things… Well, you see what happens. I’ll call my mom to come take care of me. It’ll make her day for me ask for her help.”

“But I feel like I should be the one taking care of you since this is all my fault,” I explain.

“No, I bear equal fault in this. I moved things along too quickly.”

“Nick, I…”

He holds up his hand. “We can talk about all of this later. How about you give me a call tonight?”

I nod. “I’ll call around seven.”

“Seven it is,” Nick agrees with a grimace.

I’m feeling a little forlorn when I leave his apartment, but I’m also sure that he’ll be in good hands. If anyone can get him up and around quickly, surely it’s his mother. But what is he going to tell her about the accident? Will she know that I broke her son’s pee-pee? How utterly embarrassing! I may never look her in the eye again.

Honey’s still sleeping when I get back to her house, but I’m too charged to sit around and wait for her to wake up. I change into a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt then make my way to the park that Jace frequents. He says running clears his mind and relieves his stress. Maybe it’s time I give it a try?

I take off at a full run as soon as I hit the path, and I’m a gnarled up, writhing mess by the time I make it to the wooded area. I roll around on the ground, desperate for the muscles in my legs to relax, but it seems like the more I move, the tighter they constrict.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” I recognize his voice instantly. “Magnolia? I should have guessed.”

“Jace, help me. Make the pain stop. Cramps!”

He’s laughing so hard that he starts to cough. I should be offended, but the pain is too intense.

“Jaaaacccceee! Hellllllp!”

“Okay, okay.” He kneels on the ground next to me, takes one ankle in his hands, and props it on his shoulder. He interlocks his fingers and slowly begins to press down on my knee. The relief is nearly instantaneous, and I beg him to do the other side, too.

“Just give it a second. Let’s make sure this one is stretched out good, first.” He manipulates my leg a little more before putting it flat on the ground then he repeats the process with the next one.

“Am I that out of shape?” I ask. “Your legs don’t cramp up like this when you’re running.”

“Did you hydrate and stretch before you started?” he inquires.

“Huh?” I ask.

Jace chuckles as he continues to stretch me. “Oh, Maggie. So much to learn. Speaking of, how’s the boyfriend?”

“In pain.”

“I bet.”

“Thank you for taking care of him.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Yeah, but still…”

“You’re welcome. So, you’ve decided to become a runner?”

“You said it helps you, so I figured I’d give it a try.”

“Well, let me give you a few pointers so you don’t end up like this again. The next person to find you contorted up on the ground while writhing in agony might call a priest for an exorcism.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” I fuss.

He lifts his brows. I hang my head. He tucks his finger under my chin. “Hey, I needed that laugh. I’m glad I found you in the throes of agony.”

“Happy I could help,” I say, sardonically. Jace ignores it.

“I’m starting to sense a theme in our conversations lately, Mags. Let’s talk about what went wrong…” He gives me about a ten minute lecture on running: the before, the during, and the after. Apparently, there is a process to follow, and you can’t simply take off running. Who knew?

He convinces me to try again, but this time, he guides me in some stretches before we start out. I notice that it not only feels better physically, but the time goes by much quicker when someone is running with me. I’m tired, but overall, I feel good when we stop.

“I kept up with you pretty good, didn’t I?” I ask, bending at the waist.

“You did great,” Jace praises.

“One lap around the park. Is that good?”

“For your first time, it is.”

“How many laps do you do?” I inquire.

“Five when I don’t have much time, ten otherwise.”

I nearly fall over. Jace laughs.

“I didn’t start out that way. You’ll build up to it.”

“If you say so.”

He looks down at his watch. “Anyway, I have to get going. Remember to hydrate and stretch before your next run!” he calls as he jogs down the path. “Take care, Mags.”

“Bye, Jace. See you around?”

“Here, fine. Ambulance, no!” he says with a laugh before sprinting off.

Three weeks pass, and I’ve run into Jace a handful of times on the running path. I’m able to keep up with him for three to four laps, but he smokes me after that. Some days he’s carefree and in a great mood, some days he’s quiet and withdrawn. I repeatedly ask him if he wants to talk about it, but he always declines the offer. Those days, we run in silence, simply taking solace in each others’ company.

Nick is well on the mend and feels as though he’s ready to see me. We’ve only talked on the phone since the incident, so I want to look extra special when I see him tonight. He’s taking me dancing at one of the local clubs, and I can’t wait! Honey has given me a few dance lessons, so I’m ready to show off my new moves.

It’s amazing how much my hair has grown out. It’s no longer pixie style but in an inverted bob. I’m wearing a silky garnet colored halter top, dark jeans, and strappy sandals with a kitten heel. My lips match my top, my eyes are smudged smoky black, and I’m sans jewelry tonight. I smile at my reflection.

As usual, Nick is right on time, and he’s all smiles when he sees me. “Wow, you just took my breath away,” he says.

I go up on my tip toes to give him a kiss; then rethinking it, I quickly take a step back. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it’s all good, baby. Come here,” he says, taking me into his arms. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I confess. He kisses me in a way that nearly makes up for the weeks we spent apart, and I want him to take me right then and there.

“You ready?” he asks, still holding me in his arms.

I nod because I’m not capable of coherent speech.

The club is packed when we arrive, and Nick has a hard time getting to the bar for our drinks. “Maybe we should rethink this?” he asks, as we fight our way through the crowd.

“Let’s have at least one drink and one dance, okay?” I ask.

He touches my face. “Anything you want, princess.” Sigh.

We finally get to the bar, and lo and behold, there sits Jace in the arms of three different women. The one on his right is stroking his hair, the one on the left has her head on his shoulder, and the one standing between his legs is playing with the buttons on his shirt.

“Who’d have guessed that driving an ambulance would get someone so much attention?” Nick comments. I stay quiet. I’m not sure why, but that punched-in-the-stomach, heart hurting feeling is back. I try to ignore him, but I can’t seem to break my gaze. Jace finally notices me, and he snaps to attention.

“Mags, didn’t expect to see you here. Good to see you up and around,” he directs towards Nick. “Guess that means Nick’s dick is healed. That was quick, but then again, the smaller the package…”

Nick starts to move toward him, but I put my hand on his chest. I feel a low grumbly growl bellowing in his chest. Jace grins broadly and takes a pull from his beer. A slow song is playing, so I plead with Nick to dance with me. He obliges, and I nestle my head on his shoulder as we slowly sway back and forth to the beat of the music.

I open my eyes to see Jace and two of his scantily clad lady friends practically dry humping on the dance floor. One is in front of him riding his leg, while the other is behind him grinding against his body. I’m repulsed by the sight, so I turn my head to rest on Nick’s chest. He wraps his arms around me pulling me closer to his body. I feel safe, warm, and content. The song ends much too quickly, and I’m sad to hear a high energy dance track pulse through the room.

I’m shocked and appalled by the obscenities that are spewing out of Jace. “Yeah baby! I’m riding you tonight!” he yells. “And you, and you…” He points to each of the scantily clad women around him, and they take turns squealing with delight.

“Real classy, Jace,” Nick scolds.

“I don’t remember asking your opinion, Nick,” he says confrontationally.

“You got it anyway. Consider it a gift.”

“Fuck you and your gift.”

“He’s drunk. Let’s go. I don’t want to be here anymore,” I say, standing between Nick and Jace.

Nick’s jaw is tightly set, and the stare that he’s giving Jace intimidates the hell out of me. His face relaxes; he pops his neck from side to side, then looks to me. “Sure. Let’s get out of here. There’s more privacy at my place anyway, and I’m thinking I want to be alone with you.” He kisses me passionately right there in the middle of the dance floor, and I’m still flabbergasted when he takes my hand to lead me out of the club.

Jace’s face is red, and his nostrils flared, and for a second, I worry that he’s going to go after Nick. Instead, he starts making out with the girl in front of him. I sadly shake my head as Nick pulls me through the crowd. I’m feeling queasy, so I apologize to Nick and ask him to bring me home. He understands, even going so far as stopping at a drug store along the way to buy me some medicine. I promise to call him the next day.

I don’t sleep very well that night, so first thing in the morning I hit the running trail. I know that there is no way in hell that I’ll be running into Jace this time. Assuredly, he’s passed out naked surrounded by a slew of loose women. I’m angry at first. With each step, I gain a little momentum, until I’m finally at a full run. When did Jace become such an asshole? I’ve never seen him act that way, and I wonder if it only happened because he was drinking. My mind plays out other scenarios, but none of them make sense.

After the first lap, my anger begins to dissipate because I think back to my night with Nick. He’s the total package. I broke his penis, yet he still wants to be with me. That says a lot about the man. I’m off basking in my daydream, when I’m suddenly tossed to the ground. A man wearing a hood jumps on top of me, and I’m too stunned to react.

“Money!” he demands, a knife glinting in his hand.

“I-I-I don’t have any,” I say, holding my hands up to try to protect my neck and face.

“Bullshit! Where is it? Shoe or bra?”

“Neither,” I pant because I can’t catch my breath.

The knife is poised to slash my shirt, when the hooded assailant is suddenly tossed off me. Jace jumps on top of him and begins beating the ever living crap out of the guy. The thrashing is so brutal that I have to pull Jace away from him. “He’s out! Jace! Stop! He’s not moving anymore!”

Jace snaps out of it and stares down at the bloodied man while he tries to catch his breath. “You okay?” he asks, standing up.

“I’m fine. Scared, but fine,” I answer. I’m shaking far too hard to call anyone, so I’m glad that Jace decides to call the police. As soon as he disconnects from the dispatcher, I begin to cry.

“Don’t cry, Mags. Come here,” he says, pulling me into his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay.”

Sniveling into his chest, I manage to give him a nod. It takes me about a minute or so to compose myself, and I pull away to dash the tears from my eyes. “I didn’t expect to see you here today,” I comment between sniffles.

“Why not?”

“Last night. The club.”

“What about it?” he asks.

“Seriously?” I fuss.

“Didn’t we discuss this not that long ago? I’m no good for anyone. I work, I drink, I screw, I run—end of story. That’s my life. It’s not a secret, Mags. You heard it straight from me.”

“But Jace, I see something different. I was actually shocked by your behavior because that’s not the Jace I know.”

“No, sweetheart,
that
is the real Jace you saw. Sorry to disappoint you.”

I shake my head while giving him a look of disbelief. As hard as I shake my head, he nods.

“Your boyfriend’s here,” Jace says, signaling toward the road. Nick, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, rapidly exits the passenger side of an unmarked police cruiser. He has a badge around his neck and a gun strapped to his thigh, as does the man who gets out of the driver’s side. They hastily make their way towards Jace and me, where they look from me to Jace to the battered man on the ground.

“You do this?” Nick asks Jace.

“Yeah.”

“You okay?” Nick asks me in a much softer tone.

“Yeah, I’m shaken up, but I’m okay.”

“What happened?” Nick inquires.

“I was here for a run, and this guy knocks me to the ground, pulls a knife, and wants money. I told him I didn’t have any, and he was about to cut my shirt open, but Jace stopped him.”

“I’ll say he did. Is he breathing, Jay?”

Jay, the other police officer, leans down to assess the suspect. “Yeah, he’s breathing. His face ain’t so pretty, but he’s okay. Maybe he’ll learn his lesson about robbing women at knifepoint?” He clicks the bracelets of a set of handcuffs into place before trying to rouse the man. “Hey. Hey dude. Wake up.” He stands and rocks the man with his shoe. He starts to stir a little bit, and when he realizes where he is and what has happened, he tries to jump up to run. He doesn’t get far because Jay sticks out his foot to trip him. He stumbles forward, and hits the ground head first. He comes up with a mouthful of grass and leaves, not to mention the dirt that clings to the bloody mess. He doesn’t look so hot, and I do my best to fight the urge to faint.

“We gotta get this guy processed,” Nick says pulling me aside. Standing close to me, he lowers the volume of his voice. “Are you sure you’re okay? I need to know if he hurt you.”

“My knees are kind of wobbly, but I’m fine, I promise. He startled me more than he hurt me. I’m glad Jace showed up when he did.” A shudder runs through my body. Nick takes my face in his hands and plants a gentle kiss on my forehead. “You did good, Maggie, but maybe we should talk about you finding another place to run or maybe getting you some self-defense items?”

“Okay,” I agree. “We’ll talk about it more later. I know you have to go.”

“Hey, Rocky,” Nick says to Jace. “You think you can bring her home? I’d take her, but we gotta take this trash to the station for booking.”

“Yeah. Sure. No problem,” Jace agrees.

“Good. Thanks. You come down to the station later to give a statement, okay?” He instructs Jace before he turns to me. “I’ll get yours when I see you tonight.” I nod, and he gives me a quick kiss on the lips before joining Jay, who is walking the criminal to the unmarked unit.

“Let’s go. I have to get to my shift,” Jace says, walking towards his truck in the parking lot.

“You’re working again today?” I ask.

“What of it?” he asks.

“You might not be as grumpy if you didn’t work all of the time.”

He rolls his eyes. “Well, by all means, let me quit picking up extra shifts so I won’t be so grumpy.”

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?”

Jace stops the truck and moves so that his face is inches from mine. “For the last time, this is me. It’s not an act. There’s nothing wrong with me. It’s just who I am. I’m sorry if you don’t approve, but to be honest, I don’t care. I’m happy to be your running companion and to patch you up when you get hurt, but I’m no one’s knight in shining armor. You have Nick for that, so how about you lay off the criticism when it comes to my life?”

I set my jaw. “Fine. If that’s how you want it.”

“It’s how it has to be.”

“Whatever.” I can’t get out of the truck fast enough. In fact, I jump out before it comes to a complete stop. I stumble a bit, but don’t even look back as I trudge up the drive to Honey’s house.

I shower, nap, and then await Nick’s arrival once he gets off his shift. It’s dark by the time he knocks on the door.

“Hi, sweetness. Can I come in?”

“Of course,” I say with a smile.

“We have paperwork to do,” he says, holding up a file folder.

“That’s fine,” I answer, pointing him towards the sofa. My statement doesn’t take too long, and once I’m finished, Nick tucks it into the folder and tosses it onto the coffee table. I stretch out, putting my head in his lap, and he kicks his legs onto the coffee table. I close my eyes to better enjoy the feel of him running his fingers through my hair. This feels nice, comfortable, and natural. We’re not speaking, not making out, just enjoying being with each other. He clicks the remote until he finds a football game he wants to watch, and I daydream about a future where we’re doing this in our house. The more time I spend with him, the more I think that he might eventually become “the one.”

After the game, we talk about my running habits, and he runs through some safety suggestions. He wants to teach me how to shoot a gun and to equip me with mace, a stun gun, and a host of other things. I tell him I’ll consider each of them and get back to him. He leaves not long after our conversation, but not before a nice, passionate make out session that leaves us both begging for cold showers.

Later that night, I think of all the options he’s given me, and I decide that the mace is probably my best bet. I could call him, but instead, I decide to surprise him at the station the next day. There’s another surprise for him, too. I’ve decided that Nick should be my first, and I’m ready to take the plunge. I’m almost giddy thinking of what his reaction will be. I know he’s going to be happy about my decision, and I also know that he’ll make my first time extra special.