Death and Deceit (6 page)

She dreamed of him that night, and only had to wait until noon to see him again.
But instead of lunching at a restaurant, Kent came prepared with a picnic basket.

“Thought we’d go the park, if that’s okay with you,” he said holding out the basket. “And just so you know in case you were worried about it, I paid your lunch tab yesterday.”

Jessie’s hand flew to her face in a surprised manner. “Oh, my God! I guess I just walked out. I…I totally forgot!”

Kent laughed. “So you want to go to the park?”

“Yes, I’d love to. Where is it? And by the way, thanks for taking care of that.”

Kent laughed again. “Not a problem. The park is a small one just a couple of blocks over.” He hung the basket on one arm and held out his other arm for Jessie to link. They walked arm and arm towards the park.
It began with a gravel path between two rows of trees bordered by lawns. The branches were loaded with new spring leaves and the trunks were stained with a plump mossy covering. Flowers bloomed against the dark earth next to the path. Jessie felt exultant. They walked hand in hand down the path separating the lawns. The path turned and a full figure of an old sculpture loomed out from a hedge. It was a lady holding a babe in her arms, almost possessively as if someone would tear it from her at any moment. Jessie stopped in her tracks and Kent had to also, otherwise she would have pulled her hand from his, and he didn’t want that. Not today of all days.

As Jessie admired the Madonna form, Kent’s eyes dropped to the freshly-dug bed
at the statue’s feet. It shone with beautiful petunias ranging from a light mauve to a deep purple. He couldn’t resist bending and plucking the deepest, darkest one for her beautiful shining hair.

“That’s sweet,” she gushed, her eyes moving from the statue and resting upon his face.

They continued down the path, strode off the gravel finally and relaxed on a garden
bench. The green branches of a large willow, now in full weeping bloom, shaded their retreat.

“I can’t believe I’ve never been here before,” Jessie said.

He smiled at her. “You work too hard. The park’s been within your reach. You’re
just down the street.”

“And usually I walk home,” she said. “But my apartment is in the opposite direction.
I don’t often spend much time in this part of town, except when I lunch with Liz.”

Just then a woman walked by pushing a young child in a stroller. Jessie stared at
the little girl with blonde curls that glowed like a shining halo.

“You seem to have a fascination for children,” Kent observed. “Is it your motherly
instinct kicking in?”

Jessie knew she was blushing now. She smiled, still looking on as the mother and
child moved away down the path. “I hardly think so,” she said in defence of her actions. “I like children but I’m certainly not ready for any. The commitment is huge, and I’m still trying to learn how to look after me.”

“You’re doing a good job, aren’t you?”

“Not really. I’m teaching aerobics after four years of university.”

“Getting a job isn’t easy these days. You’ll get into your chosen field soon, I know. What was it you do again?”

“I’m a librarian or should be.”

Kent leaned back and slapped a fly off his knee. “It just so happens,” he said, “that
in a couple of weeks I’m scheduled to do a check on the computers at the city library. I’ve been there before and I know my way around. I could scout for you...see if there’s any openings coming up. Put a good word in, you know? That is if you want me to, Ms Albright.”

His smile was infectious and Jessie found herself giggling. “And what do I have
to do in order to repay you for this kind gesture, Mr. Morgan?”

“I’ll start with a kiss.” He leaned towards her in anticipation, and she didn’t disappoint him. Their lips met in a sweet tremor with Jessie feeling a little conspicuous kissing in public.

Kent pulled back and looked at her. “That’s a good start. A down payment. I’ll
collect more later… I hope.”

Jessie brushed nervously at her hair. “We’d better collect our lunch before I have to get back to work.”

Kent leaned down and picked up the basket. “It’s collected. How about on the grass
over there?”

Jessie nodded and they walked to a grassy knoll.

While Kent opened the basket and distributed sandwiches and drinks on the grass,
Jessie sniffed a subtle scent in the air — a dark, richness of earth like from a greenhouse only headier. The scent of summer. The fragrance pouring from the park was overwhelming her senses, and she felt weightless, light-hearted, and maybe just a little in love.

Kent had parked his car near the restaurant where they’d first met. He walked Jessie
backed to the car then drove her to work.

“See you tonight?” he asked, while sticking his head out the car window as she climbed the stairs of her work building.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she called back.

“I’ll pick you up. What time?”

“Seven?”

“Is that what time you get off work?”

“No. Six.”

“Then I’ll be here. Six it is.”

****

Jessie hurried out the door glancing at her watch. 6:10 and she’d been running
late today. Ever since lunch she’d found it hard to concentrate on her afternoon classes. All she could think of was the park and the heady scent of flowers. She pushed on the heavy door and descended the stairs. It was another hot day. Her apartment would be steaming again. She really didn’t want to go there until the sun dropped.

Kent waited in his silver car. When she got in, the air conditioning blasted her.
“Thank God,” she said. “I’m wilting.”

“Yeah, you look a bit undone. You wouldn’t have a swim suit on, would you?”

Jessie turned and grinned at him. It seemed he could read her thoughts. And the thought right now of a cool ocean breeze was at the top of her list. “Not really. But I have one inside.”

“Go get it. That is if you want to go to the beach.”

“Sure,” she said, her hand on the car door latch. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Jessie was back in a flash carrying a small tote bag. “Got your swim trunks?” She
grinned.

“I’m prepared,” he answered, while edging the car out onto the street and into
emerging traffic.

Jessie leaned back on the soft leather seat. She closed her eyes and listened to the
vocals from a tape Kent was playing.
If not for you I’d be undone. I feel like life has just begun...
She felt a smile play across her lips. This was living. This was life.

Kent leaned back as well, his left hand on the steering wheel, while his right
hand drummed along with the melody of the song. He glanced across at Jessie’s sereneness. He’d take this woman anywhere if she asked to go. He’d go to the ends of the earth for her and that surprised him. He had always been courteous and mannerly, taught by his mom to respect and uphold a woman’s feelings and desires, but he had just never felt it so intuitively before. They climbed the long hill of Pine Street and headed down towards the water. Turning left at Clayton and following the harbour, Kent sped quickly past the city streets and drove into the sandy area of Treemont Park.

Jessie opened her eyes and sat erect. She glanced at Kent, throwing him a huge smile then gazed out at the watery horizon.

“Race you to the change houses,” Kent yelled as he jumped from the car and slammed his door. Jessie grabbed her tote bag and followed him.

Soon they were standing on the shore watching the waves lap gently at their toes.
A white sun danced across the water, as the water rose and fell in great swells in the distance. A sailboat drifted aimlessly and crossed in front of the sun, creating its own reflection there to mingle with the array of deep golds and oranges. The white sails seemed to beckon from the azure distance.

Kent grabbed Jessie’s hand and pulled her into the water. Before long they were swimming and laughing and splashing each other. Later,
t
hey walked to a selected spot on the thick sand. Kent spread a blue blanket and gestured for Jessie to relax. The sun, hot and drowsy, caressed her back as she eased onto
the sand, burying her face into a small, red cushion he’d brought from the car. The next caress she felt was from warm hands slick with sun screen. Long fingers rubbed the lotion in sensuous streaks over the exposed area of her back.

Jessie trembled from his touch. The night before when he had kissed her goodnight she had not wanted to hold back, and that frightened her in a way. To think that someone she had just met had so much control over her emotions. She groaned and turned on her side. “That feels nice. You’re too good to me,” she said to him.

He stopped his massaging and rolled over to lie beside her and face her. She wore
a one-piece aqua blue suit that hugged her where it counted. Such a small frame, yet everything in the right places. “I could never be too good to you. And I mean that.”

He stared straight into her eyes with such sincerity that Jessie had no doubt at all that he meant every word. For some reason she wanted to cry, but held back the tears by sitting up and moving slightly away from him. She braced herself on her arms and stared out to sea. “This is the first time I’ve been to the beach this year,” she said. When he didn’t reply she looked down and caught him staring at her in a most precious way, as if she were something of great worth that he couldn’t get enough of. Jessie blushed and was about to speak, but he reached up and pulled her into his arms. Since the beach was relatively deserted, Jessie let herself fall into his arms and into the kiss that awaited her. She found herself giving back without hesitation.

When the sun began to set, Kent pulled Jessie to her feet and they strolled
along the beach. Jessie didn’t often get to see the backside of the city where wind and fog washed it with salt spray until the whole area, but especially the older part along the harbour line, seemed to take on the same appearance. It looked dull and grizzled like it had seen better times. Jessie herself couldn’t complain. The times couldn’t be better for her than now. Being with Kent Morgan sharing a sunset, a kiss, a wisp of salt breeze, had finally led her to believe that the free hand of romance could and did indeed reach out and touch her.

After the sky paled they picked up their belongings and headed for the car.
“My stomach’s rumbling,” Kent said. “Where would you like to eat?”

“It’s cooler now,” she said. “Why don’t we get some take-out and go back to my apartment?” She knew the game she played was dangerous. She had only met Kent yesterday. Now she was inviting him to her apartment. But she didn’t worry. He was not like Gary Burke. Kent was a gentleman. She somehow instinctively felt that she could trust him.

Kent nodded as they reached the car. This time he unlocked and opened the door for her. Jessie slid inside the warm car.
At the apartment, after stopping for fried chicken, Jessie opened the door to a stifling heat. She rushed to throw open the windows.

“We can’t eat in here,” Kent said. “Let’s go down to the little park until it cools some.”
Jessie nodded and they scooped up the chicken, grabbed a bottle of Coke from the fridge and went back to the car.

The park was even headier at night time. A feeling of light-hearted euphoria
pressed into Jessie once again. After they’d consumed the food, Kent stretched out on the blue blanket and reached for her. Jessie lay beside him on her back and gazed at the heavens. Her eyes fixed for a moment on a sphere of stars that had faintly gathered in the now dark sky. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy.

“Tell me about yourself, Kent,” she whispered.

“Well, you know I’m twenty-eight. I was born in the West and I’ve only lived in Harbourside for a few months.”

“Why did you come here?”

“I always wanted to come East. Now I know why.”

“Why?” she asked, baiting him.

He rolled towards her and kissed her lips. “Because I knew you were here. Something inside always told me that. Besides I have no close family out there, just cousins and such.”

“No parents?”

“No. Both gone. My dad when I was a child. My mom later.”

“Sorry. I lost my dad too. Just a few years ago. I miss him. I have a brother though
but I don’t see him much. He and I aren’t getting along too well right now.”

“That’s bad isn’t it? When you have a falling out with a sibling?”

“Yeah, it’s tough. I miss him. I mean, we were close once.”

There was a far away look in her eyes and a bit of pain too. Kent wondered what
the problem was between Jessie and her brother, but he figured she would tell him when and if she wanted to. He had just met her and he wanted to keep things light. He had a feeling she felt the same way.

“So, why did you become an aerobic instructor?” he asked. “Was it all for toned
muscles and to control your weight?”