Control (11 page)

Alex
sighed and then stood up from the couch.  “This is a bad time to be
talking about this.  We’re on edge and pissed off and it’s probably best
that we just call it a night and talk more when everyone has calmed
down.”  He reached down and grabbed my hands to pull me up from the couch.
“Let’s just go to bed, Paige.”

I
allowed Alex to pull me up and he held onto my hands as we walked to my
room.  Alex shut the door behind us as we walked in and I grabbed some
pajamas from the closet as I made my way to the bathroom.  Alex was
getting undressed as I closed the bathroom door behind me.

I
turned the water on to wash my face and brush my teeth when my phone chirped.

Daemon:  Hey Damsel.  Hope
you made it home safely tonight without need for rescue.

Me:     Oh I
definitely needed rescuing.  But luckily my OTHER white knight was there
to save me.

Daemon:     You
mean your other EX-white knight?

Me:     Has anyone
ever told you what an arrogant bastard you are?

Daemon:     All
the time.

Me:     Apparently
you weren’t fazed by the critique.

Daemon:    
Apparently. 

Me:     Good night
Daemon.

Daemon:     Night
Damsel…dream of me.

I
didn’t respond to his last text.  I’m not sure what to think about what’s happening
between us and I’m definitely not sure that I trust Daemon. However, now that I
had his last name, I could check more into him, but that would have to wait
until tomorrow.  I proceeded to wash up and get in my pajamas and opened
the door to find that Alex appeared to be sleeping.

I
walked over to the bed and switched off the lamp next to it.  I crawled
under the blankets and Alex wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to
him.  I cuddled into his warmth but cringed when he started placing feather
light kisses down my neck.  I tried to pull away but he held onto me
tighter.  “Alex, stop.”

Alex
lifted his head to look at me better.  “What’s wrong?  Are you still
mad about what I said?”

I shook
my head no and responded. “No, but after watching you glued to Jill tonight,
I’m not exactly in the mood to take over where she left off.”

Alex
turned me around to look into my eyes. “Since when do you care about me making
out with another girl?  We’re friends, remember?  You are the one who
wanted it to be like this between us.  I didn’t sleep with her obviously,
so what’s your deal?”

I
didn’t answer him.  I couldn’t.   I didn’t want to admit to
Alex, much less to myself, that my issue wasn’t seeing him kissing Jill, it was
the fact that I had kissed Daemon.  “Just go to sleep Alex, this has been
a long day and I’m tired.”  Alex laid back down, squeezed me to him, and
we silently drifted into sleep.

~

It
was early morning at The Center during the first weeks of June.  As usual,
I was playing outside The Center, chasing butterflies and lizards as the rays
of the sun started peeking over the trees of the wetlands.  Momma and
daddy had come in before dawn and once there was enough light to see, they let
me go outside.  Early morning was my favorite part of the day.  The
light created a magical glow as it softly shown through the tree branches and
the air still carried a cool breeze from the night before. If I got out early
enough, I could play outside for a long time before Momma would call me in to
drink water and cool down.  I was happy at that moment because I knew I
had a few hours before the sun would heat the air to the point where the
humidity would wrap around you, making you feel like you were
suffocating. 

A
green anole crossed my path as I was running around the camphor trees and I
chased it around the base of the tree.  Those types of lizards were my
favorites because they could change to any color they wanted.  Momma told
me they changed color to blend in and hide from other animals that would eat
them. I was jealous that I couldn’t change like they did when I was
frightened.  The lizard ran up the side of one of the larger camphor trees
and I decided to climb after it to see if it would turn from green to
brown.  It didn’t go very high and I only had to climb up three branches
to reach it.  I watched it for a while and laughed at how it would stick
its red neck out and then pull it back in again.  I didn’t know why it had
that silly red skin that it would puff in and out of itself, but I always liked
to watch them do it.  At times, the lizard would bounce its head up and
down like it was dancing and I would bounce mine in response.  I’m sure I
looked stupid dancing with the lizard, but I felt like we were communicating
with one another. 

The
lizard ran to an outer branch and I quickly lost sight of where it had
gone.  I started climbing back down to go chasing after whatever else I
could find when my shoelace got stuck, tripping me as I descended.  I was
at the base of the tree and was able to catch myself before I fell but my knee
still scraped down the rough bark, causing my leg to bleed.  My knee stung
and I sat down on the ground to inspect my injury.

Buddy
ran up to me as I was blowing on the wound trying to stop the sting and I
couldn’t hide the small tears that escaped my eyes.  “Did you hurt
yourself again, Paige?”  I looked up at Buddy and wiped the tears from my
face.  I always hurt myself and I felt ashamed for being so clumsy. 
I didn’t respond, but rather, I just nodded my head to indicate yes.

Buddy
ran into the Center and then came back out seconds later with a first aid kit
and a warm, damp cloth.  As usual, Buddy took his time cleaning out the
scrape and then applying a thin layer of ointment before placing a bandage over
the wound.  He reached up after dressing my knee and used the same cloth
to wipe at my tear streaked face.  I looked up at Buddy and his eyes
smiled as he tended to me.  Sometimes, I secretly wished that Buddy would
hurt himself in front of me so that I could tend to him and not feel so foolish
for always being the one needing help.

Buddy
stood up and took my hands to help me stand with him.  He placed the
washcloth and the first aid kit in the apex of the tree and challenged me to a
race to the water’s edge. I took off after him and forgot that I had been hurt
almost immediately.  Buddy would never let me wallow in the pain of my
injuries and because of him I learned to get up when I fell, dust myself off
and keep going.

We
raced to the water’s edge and laughed as we competed against each other to see
who could spot the most turtle heads before they ducked back down under the
water.  We continued our game for an hour at least and then ran to the
grasses where we could lie down and look up at the sky. 

The
clouds were large and white as they slowly rolled across the sky. We watched
the clouds and we would laugh at the funny shapes we could see in them. At some
point, Buddy pushed himself up on one elbow so that he was leaning over
me.  He looked at me with a funny expression and I stared at him trying to
figure out what he was thinking.  Before I realized what he was doing, he
leaned down and placed a small peck on my mouth, only to pull away again as
fast as he could.  I sat up real fast and placed my hand to my lips not
understanding why that momentary contact made my little heart flutter like it
did.

“What’d
you do that for?”  I looked over at Buddy and he had a smile on his face
like he knew something I didn’t.

Buddy
stared into my eyes for a quick second before he answered me. “Cause that’s
what boys are supposed to do with girls.  Just like your momma and
daddy.  Didn’t you like it?”

I
was quiet while I thought about what he was asking me.  I was only five so
I didn’t know if I should like it or not.  I knew what kissing was because
the older kids at the Center had told me about it, but I never had the desire
to kiss anyone.  Daddy always told me that boys weren’t supposed to kiss
me and that if they tried, I was supposed to smack them and tell them no. 
So that’s exactly what I did.

I
sat up, slapped Buddy on the shoulder and crossed my arms over my chest to
indicate I was mad.  Buddy laughed before he asked, “Why’d you hit me?”

“Because
Daddy told me I’m supposed to smack any boys that try to kiss me.”

I
glared at Buddy, but he only smiled wider, causing his eyes to crinkle at the
sides. “Your Daddy’s right, Paige. I better not hear about you letting any
other boys kiss you because I’ll beat them up if you let them.”

I
was confused why Buddy would kiss me and then tell me I shouldn’t let boys do
that, but before I could ask him, his expression changed and he was back to his
normal self.  He stood up from where we were sitting and as I was starting
to stand up with him, he pushed me back down while pulling my hair and then he
ran off.

I
was mad after he did that and I decided that after that kiss, I wouldn’t be
letting any boys do it again.  Secretly, however, I knew that if Buddy
tried, I wouldn’t stop him.  I liked his kiss and it was the only kiss
that I wanted to try again.

I woke
up early the next morning and was happy to have a job starting so I could leave
the house before everyone woke up.  Alex was still sleeping next to me and
I took a minute to look him over, to memorize him like he was right now. 
I knew that we were nearing the end of our arrangement and I would miss these
moments we had together.  I thought about Jill and hoped that she could be
the person to steal Alex’s heart.  I know it’s selfish, but it would be
easier for him to leave me.  I knew what heartache felt like and I never
wanted to be the one to cause that in him. I remembered my dream last night and
thought that maybe, I was remembering Buddy because I was leaving Alex like
Buddy left me. 

I shook
off my melancholy and slowly stood up from the bed. I stretched out my arms and
started my usual routine.  I threw on a pair of jeans with a green tank
top and didn’t bother with makeup. The only place I would be for the next ten
hours was the inside of a company car and I had no one to
impress.    

While
most people would hate to spend ten hours with only themselves as company, I
enjoyed the hours of introspection and solitude.  It was refreshing to
spend time alone and I was always less grouchy after a job.  My spirit
started to brighten just at the thought of getting some time to myself and I
swiped my bag and helmet as I left my bedroom. 

I
decided to skip my daily stand-off with the coffee maker and hurried out the
front door to go to the local coffee shop on my way into work. With any luck, I
could get to work early enough to grab my gear and scoot out before the other
employees arrived, forcing me to be sociable. I put on my helmet as I was
running down the stairs and I grabbed my sweatshirt out of my bag and pulled it
on for the ride.

Within
seconds I was off and the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. 
The air was crisp and I was thankful for the sweatshirt covering my body. 
I drove downtown and pulled into the parking lot of an eclectic little coffee
shop which was owned by a cute young couple.  I parked my bike in a front
spot and hurried inside to find the small brunette wife tending the
registers.  I ordered my coffee and was standing to the side, waiting for
her to finish my order.

The
bell above the door chimed and I instinctually glanced over my shoulder to see
who had come inside.  I froze when I saw that Chris had just walked
through the doors.  He was dressed in coveralls and had a cap on his head
with the flea market logo written across the front.  His splint stuck out
from the sleeve of his coverall and he had some bruising around his neck. 
Alex must have had him in one hell of a headlock to leave a physical mark as
dark as that.  I panicked when I saw him and I made the tough decision to
abandon my coffee to get the hell out of there.

I
turned toward the door and angled my head down to try and mask my face. 
As I was pushing open the door, the shop owner called out to me. “Ma’am! 
Ma’am!  You’re forgetting your coffee!”

I
shoved the door harder and moved a little faster to get to my bike.  I
grabbed my helmet and climbed on the bike.  Reaching up to put on my
helmet, I turned towards the handlebars.  When I looked through the glass
doors of the shop my eyes locked with Chris’.  His eyebrows were narrowed
and his good hand was balled in a fist.  He was approaching the doors as I
started the ignition.  The door was beginning to open while I hurried to
back up and pull away.  I kicked the bike into gear and took off, barely
avoiding him as he came running at me. 

As I
pulled out onto the street I could feel his eyes staring at me from
behind.  My bike screamed as I accelerated quickly and I was out of his
sight within seconds.  I raced to work and didn’t slow down until I
approached the parking garage.  Luckily there was no traffic and I was
able to race through the streets easily.  I drove into the garage and the
echo from my bike was deafening.  Pulling into a spot, I ripped off my
helmet and dropped it on the ground.  My heart was pounding and my
breathing was labored.  I started taking deep, slow breaths to try and
calm myself down.

After I
had calmed down, I marched into my office and grabbed my assignment and my
gear.  It was almost time for Peggy, our receptionist, to arrive so I only
had time to throw a longing glance at the coffee maker as I rushed out the
door.  I climbed into one of the company cars and read over my assignment
to see where I was heading.  I entered the address into the GPS and drove
out of the garage.

Driving
somewhat
over the speed limit, I reached my destination within thirty
minutes of leaving my office.  The house was in a quaint suburb and I had
to arrive early in case my subject would be leaving for work.  If he came
out the door, I would follow him to wherever he went and hopefully catch him in
some outside activities.  A lot of the time, the subject stays indoors,
either at home or at work, and you often find yourself sitting in your car
staring at buildings.  I parked the car within view of the house and
killed the engine.  I set up my gear to record the front door of the house
and began my tedious wait.

There
are only so many positions you can stay in for any length of time while sitting
in a car.  Those same positions are limited even further when your rear
end starts cutting off the nerve that runs down your leg.  An hour into my
wait and I was shifting my position so often, I looked like I had too much
coffee to sit still.  The pathetic irony was that I had no coffee because
of a certain asshole trying to attack me.  I started thinking about what I
could do to deal with this situation with Chris, but was interrupted when my
phone alerted me to a new text message.

Daemon:    
Morning Damsel.  Just checking in to see if you’ve gotten yourself
trapped, or kidnapped or attacked recently and are in the need of rescuing.

It
pissed me off knowing that he was never going to give this up.  I
considered not responding but then remembered I was stuck in a car in the
middle of normal town USA and I had nothing better to do.

Me:     Well,
well.  If it isn’t the BLACK knight.  How have you decided to piss me
off today?

Daemon:     I
haven’t thought that far yet but I’m sure I can come up with something. 
Tell me where you are and I’ll jump on my WHITE horse to come save you.

Me:     Thankfully
I’m at work so you and your LITTLE PONY won’t be able to find me.  You
have no idea how pleased I am at the thought of not having to see your arrogant
ass.

Daemon:     I
affect you that much, huh?

Me:     I have no
idea what you are talking about.

Daemon:     I’m
taking you out tonight.

Me:     I do
believe you’re a little full of yourself.  I’ll call the pharmaceutical
companies and see if they can come up with a pill for that.

Daemon:     I’ll
pick you up at your place at 6.

Me:     You’re not
going to leave me alone, are you??

Daemon:     No.

Me:     Stalker.

Daemon:     …

Me:     I’ll kick
your ass if you show up at my apartment.  Be afraid.

Daemon:     Can’t
wait.
J

Me:     You’re
sick, seriously.  You should seek professional help.  I’d say I could
refer you to someone but I don’t think there’s a cure for arrogance.

I
jumped as my phone suddenly rang and I checked the caller I.D to find that
Daemon must have been sick of typing.  I hit the little green button and
before I knew it, one of the sexiest gruff voices I’ve ever heard was speaking
to me.

“I’ll
ask you again, Damsel, when and where should I pick you up?” 

I
wondered if he had just woken up because the normally deep timbre of his voice
now had a rough edge to it that sent chills up my spine.  I had to clear
my throat due to the fact that I hadn’t actually spoken out loud for the past
couple of hours. “Hi Daemon.  It’s nice to hear from you too.” 
Daemon must not have been one for polite conversation in the morning because he
remained silent while waiting for me to answer his question.  I sighed and
resigned myself to the fact that small talk was not going to be occurring at
this moment.  “I don’t know, Daemon.  I’m not typically the type to
be told what to do.”

I
didn’t think it was possible but his voice dropped lower as he responded. “I’m
not telling you, I’m asking nicely.”

A laugh
burst out of me almost immediately.  Who is this guy kidding?  “I’m
sorry, but I don’t recall hearing a question in anything you have said so far.”

He
chuckled. “I guess you are not paying attention, beautiful, because I
distinctly remembered asking
when
and
where
I could pick you
up.  Both of those words are indicative of a question.  Wouldn’t you
agree?”

I
couldn’t believe this.  My first conversation with Daemon over the phone
and he was giving me a lesson in grammar.  The only problem was the fact
that he was right.  Apparently, we were playing hard ball.

“Unfortunately
Daemon, I’m going to have to decline.  I don’t recall having been asked
nicely
,
and really, your demands aren’t doing much to make me want to agree to seeing
you tonight.”

He
sighed into the phone. “My Dearest Paige, would you
please
do me the
honor of agreeing to spend some time with me this evening?”

I
couldn’t contain the grin that broke out on my face.  Paige – 1, Daemon –
0.  Unfortunately, I now had run out of reasons why I couldn’t agree to
see him tonight.  I could go for the tried and true excuse of having to
wash my hair, or David’s hair, or both.  Somehow I think that Daemon would
see through that. I stated my demands. “Fine. I’ll agree to a
short
get
together, but you’re not picking me up.  I’ll meet you somewhere.”

I heard
him laugh from his end and my traitorous body buzzed from the sound. The
constant mutiny of everything below my neck was frustrating me to no end. I
couldn’t believe he was affecting me physically just by being on the phone.

“Like
I’ve said before, I’ll accept what I can get with you, Damsel.  There’s a
coffee shop around the corner from my house on 1
^st
and 3
^rd
,
we can start there.  Meet me at six?”  My brain desperately searched
for a witty come back but I was drawing a blank.  “Yeah, that’ll work.
I’ll meet you there.”  I hung up the phone before he could respond and
tossed it on the passenger seat when it chirped again.

Daemon:    
Try not to think about me too much.

And we’re back to Mr.
Egotistical.  I hated to burst his bubble with my response, but not really.

Me:     
What?  Oh, were you still talking?  I had already forgotten all about
you.
J

Daemon
didn’t respond to that jab and I high fived myself in my head.  I’m not
sure that raised my score to the ‘two’ category, but it definitely landed me at
a firm ‘one point five’.

I stuck
around Mr. White’s house for another couple of hours but he never came
outside.  Calling it a day, I drove back to the office to deposit my gear
and drop off the car.  I considered stopping for coffee, but remembered
there would be free leaded goodness at the office. 

My
eyelids were drooping as I pulled into the garage. I really missed my caffeine
and I ventured inside in search of a cup.  I attempted to rush into the
kitchen but stopped short when Peggy called out to me.  Reluctantly, I
turned to wave at her and she immediately started in about her latest boy
problems.  I smiled and nodded at all the right parts but I had no idea
what she was saying.   I could see the coffee maker from where I was
standing and my focus was solely on that machine.  Brad, one of the
managers, walked in as I was staring and my eyebrows narrowed as I watched him
reach for the pot.  The second hand on the wall clock suddenly began to
echo and I watched helplessly as the steaming black nectar poured into his
cup.  I started tapping my fingers to get Peggy to move it along but she
didn’t take the hint.  When she stopped to take a breath, I waved goodbye
and flew into the kitchen.  I have no idea if she was done talking, but I
saw my break and I took it.

Brad
was placing the pot back on the burner when I grabbed a Styrofoam cup and
marched over. 

“Oh! 
Hey, Paige.  Sorry, but I just took what was left.”

I gave
Brad my best death stare but he didn’t drop to the floor like expected.  I
attempted mind control and willed him to give me his cup, but he just looked at
me funny and walked off with the goods.  My knees buckled when I realized
my search for coffee had not come to an end and I berated myself for not
stopping at a store before I got here.

I was
in desperate need of caffeine but I wasn’t about to stop at the coffee shop
from this morning.  The only other place was the one I would meet Daemon
at later, so I didn’t want to go there either.  There was a slight chance
that coffee would be available at my apartment, so I ran to my bike and sped
home.