Brown Eyed Girl (47 page)

Something in her voice made him think about the situation he’d found her in last night. After an attack, a woman’s first instinct was to scrub all traces from her body. “Annie, are you all right? I mean, that guy...he didn’t...did he...I got there before he had a chance to...hurt you, right?”

“
I’m okay,” she said quietly. “Just mad at myself.”

“
Why?”

“
Because as soon as I saw him I should have turned to go back into the club, that’s why. That migraine came on so suddenly. Usually I have time to get home.”

“
Can you talk about it, Annie?”

She nodded slowly and began to tell him what had happened. “After he threw me in that truck bed, I made myself take a good look at him so I’d be able to identify him in a line up if I got the chance. When I looked up, I saw you next to him. That’s when you—”

“
Proceeded to beat the crap out of that son of a bitch,” Drake seethed. “God, I can’t believe I didn’t, at the very least, go back and get some ID out of his wallet. But, you were in so much pain, and I just wanted to help you.”

Annie turned slowly toward him. “And I thank you for that, but I’m asking you again not to breathe a word of this to Red.”

Drake took her gently by the arms and turned her to face him. “Why, Annie? Somebody needs to do something about that guy. What if he tries with someone else and succeeds?”

Annie pulled away from him then froze, as though remembering something. “Or what if he already has? Oh, God, what have I done?”

Drake frowned at the despair in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

Annie looked up at him. “I think he’s done it before and got caught. Something he said...something about them not finding any evidence on his truck
this
time...in Arkansas...he’s from Arkansas. Oh God, he’ll keep on doing that. We might have been able to put him away.” She looked up at Drake, her eyes brimming with tears. “If he does it again, it’ll be my fault.”

Drake pulled her close and held her. “If he does it again, it’ll be his fault, not yours. You were in too much pain to think.”

“
No, I was being selfish. I didn’t want Red to know because he would have told dad, and they never would have left me alone about it. They’re always so over protective because I was the baby of the family, and because of what hap...well, just because I’m the youngest,” she said, uneasily.

Drake’s people reading skills were too sharp to miss her confession’s obvious change in direction. “What happened to make them over-protective of you?”

She frowned up at him and turned to walk away. “I need to go pick up my truck. Can you drop me off at the club on your way home?”

Drake frowned at her dismissal of his question. He followed her steps into the kitchen. “I’ll just ask Red—he’ll tell me, you know.”

Annie swung around to face him. “If you’re trying to score points with me that sure as hell won’t do it.”

The acid tone of her threat left no doubt that she meant every word of what she said. His dad always told him he had the patience and diplomacy of a jack ass caught in a hail storm. It looked like he’d have to work on that. He sighed, temporarily accepting defeat before he approached her. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I know it’s none of my business, but maybe it’ll help to talk about it and get it off your chest.”

“
Trust me when I tell you it won’t,” she said flatly.

“
How can I trust you, when you won’t trust me?” he asked.

Annie’s blue eyes pinned him in place. “Are you going to take me to pick up my truck, or not?”

He nodded slowly. “Could I have that cup of coffee first? I’m seriously addicted to caffeine.”

She turned back toward the coffee maker. Drake could tell as soon as the tension eased from her shoulders.

“
I was about to cook myself some breakfast. How do bacon and eggs sound?”

“
You really do cook in your kitchen?” he asked.

“
What’s the matter, Drake? Don’t people in Houston cook?”

“
I used my kitchen occasionally.”

“
How about the women you dated? Didn’t any of them ever cook for you?” she asked, placing several thin slices of bacon in a preheated pan.

Drake snorted before bursting out into laughter. “Honey, the women I dated survived on green salads, fat free yogurt, and Evian. They probably use their ovens for storage.”

Annie shook her head. “That is so sad.”

He grinned. “I can’t argue with you, there. It
is
sad, I don’t know how they survive.”

She frowned at him. “I mean, it’s sad that you’re actually attracted to those women. It doesn’t say much for your tastes.”

He shrugged. “Tastes change. Even before I met you, I’d gotten bored with that type. I don’t know why.”

“
You know it won’t happen with me, don’t you? How do you like your eggs?”

“
Scrambled is fine—and I don’t know about that. I’m determined.”

“
So am I.” Annie cracked five eggs into a bowl and whisked them with a fork. He watched her flip the bacon with a pair of tongs. When it was cooked she emptied the pan, and poured the eggs in, scrambling them up like a head chef.

Minutes later, they sat eating their morning meal. He glanced up at the fresh faced beauty seated across from him. “Happy New Year, Annie.”

She met his gaze. “You too.”

“
You know,” he drawled. “It’s customary to kiss whe...”

“
Forget it.” She bit into a slice of bacon.

He sighed. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

“
I can do anything I want to. I am woman, hear me roar, remember? I am strong...I am invincible.” She put her fork down and flexed both her arms.

He reached out and squeezed her significantly defined biceps. “That’s impressive. You’ve got serious muscle definition for as tiny as you are. Do you lift weights?”

“
Some, but my work is my real strength training.”

“
Speaking of strength training, I find myself without a gym membership. Do you have any suggestions?”

She pointed her fork at him. “You’ll need a hair stylist. I’ve noticed your hair’s longer than you used to wear it.”

He laughed at her attempt to change the subject. “Haven’t had time for a haircut, besides, I’m not at the firm anymore. I can be a little less strict about it. My main concern is a gym…any suggestions?”

<>

Annie stared at the sexy dimple in his chin, letting her gaze fall to his full lips. When she saw one side of his mouth curve up seductively, she forced herself to look into his eyes. “Did you say something?”

“
Suggestions...on a gym I could join?”

“
Um...Guys on Enterprise is supposed to be pretty good.”

“
Is that where you work out?” he asked.

She cleared her throat, got up quickly from the table, and placed her dishes in the dishwasher. “You finished?” she asked.

“
I’ll load them myself,” he said, meeting her at the appliance.

“
No, let me.” She nervously jerked the plate out of his hand and dropped it noisily into the dishwasher before closing the door. “Are you done, or do you need more coffee?”

“
I could use another cup.”

“
No problem. I have a travel mug you can use. Are you ready to go now?” she asked, anxious to get him out of her home.

“
I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes,” he said.

She watched him walk into the guest bath and headed to her own to brush her teeth. When she came out, Drake was standing in front of the birdcage trying to converse with Lewis, without success.

“
He doesn’t like strangers, do you Lewis?” she commented.

“
Stranger Danger! Aaa-nnie!”

“
Yes, Lewis?” she asked.

“
I lo-ove Annie!”

“
I love you too, Lewis.” She stuck her face to the bars and Lewis gave her smooches on her lips.

“
Ugh! That’s disgusting,” Drake said, his face twisted with disapproval. “You don’t know where that beak has been! He could give you some kind of bird disease.”

“
Sshh, he’s sensitive. You’ll hurt his feelings,” she whispered.

Drake rolled his eyes. “Oh, please!”

“
Aaa-nnie!” cried the bird.

“
Yes, Lewis?” she asked.

“
Who’s the prick?” Lewis asked, with a flutter of wings.

“
Oh, oh…too late,” Annie said.

“
Oh, now that’s just
wrong
! Why would you teach him something like that?”

Annie laughed. “I didn’t. He heard Red ask that about one of my dates when he came to pick me up. He’s a very intelligent bird, aren’t you Lewis?”

“
Lew-is...Sharp as a tack!” the bird replied.

Drake put his head back and laughed. “That’s amazing! How old is he?”

“
Chad gave him to me for my fourteenth birthday, and he was about a year old when I got him, so around seventeen years old. African Grey Parrots live to be around fifty and are very intelligent.”

“
Aaa-nnie!”

“
What Lewis?”

“
Lewis wants a coookk-ie!”

“
Okay, baby.” Annie went to get a cookie from the plate covered with plastic wrap.

“
Those are good,” Drake told her. “I had one last night—hope you don’t mind.”

She looked at him in surprise. “You ate one of these?”

“
Yeah, I’m sorry, were you saving them for something else?”

She smiled and shook her head. “I make these for Lewis. I put bird seed in them and...other things.”

Drake’s eye narrowed suspiciously. “What other things?”

She put her head back and laughed. “Okay, Drake. This is one of those times when you really need to trust me. You don’t want to know.”

Drake placed a hand on his stomach and shook his head slowly. “One question...were those really chocolate chips?”

“
No.” She laughed at the look on his face and took pity on him. “They were carob chips, which is completely fine.”

He breathed a sigh of relief then narrowed his eyes again as he seemed to remember something else. “Okay, bird seed I can handle, but, those weren’t pecans, were they?”

She bit her lip and tried to keep a straight face, as she shook her head no.

He closed his eyes and shook his head again. “Oh, crap.”

Cajun French

Words and Phrases used in “Brown Eyed Girl”

Beau –
Handsome

cher ami –
dear friend

Comment ca va?
– How goes it?

se beausir
– to become more handsome

mon vieux monde –
my old folks

mon pere
– my father

ma mere
– my mother

allons danser!
– let’s dance!

Non, non, non
– No, no, no

Allons piquer, oui?
– Let’s make love, yes?

Arret ca
– Stop that

Cher –
dear

Moi? –
Me

Je connais pas –
I don’t know

putaine
– prostitute, hooker, whore