BILLIONAIRE BIKERS: 3 MC Romance Books (69 page)

Audra felt the back of her neck as she sat in the seat of the private plane heading for Seattle. Before they had left Phoenix, a female marshal, Deputy Branson, had taken her to a salon to help her find a new look.

She considered cutting her hair pixie-style but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She did allow them to give her an up-do with a dramatic side bang. They showed her how easily it could be shaped back into her normal soft style when she wanted it. They colored her hair a golden brown with eye-catching highlights and gave her very natural-looking green contacts. They had reshaped her eyebrows, her gorgeous arched eyebrows, citing that it would help to change her face. She had reluctantly agreed but was pleased with the end result. They were still arched, but gently, giving her a somewhat softer look. It felt professional, and she was only too happy to leave behind the Goth inspired black hair-pale skin-look.

She walked to the bathroom just to look at herself in the mirror when she remembered her first encounter with Lucas. Even now her cheeks became scarlet thinking about it.
It certainly set the tone for things, but how foolish!

She picked up her Kindle as she slid back into her seat, glad that she could now connect via wi-fi again and immersed herself in a book.

About three-quarters of the way through the journey, she plopped down beside Deputy Branson.

“Michele…” she began. The deputy had insisted at the salon that Audra call her by her first name.

The deputy looked up. “Yes, Elise.”

Audra smiled, trying to adjust to this new name.

“Do you know anything about my new place?”

“I do,” Michele said. “It’s a gorgeous studio in a classic Victorian on Queen Anne Hill.”

Audra’s eyes lit up at the mention of a Victorian. She didn’t know much about Seattle, but she had heard of Queen Anne Hill and knew it was one of the most beloved parts of the city.

“We’ve set you up in a three-month lease there, in case your job takes you too far away from that area, but it’s so convenient to Downtown and to the U that I think you’ll find it a great location.”

# # #

Audra pulled her sweater collar around her as the unfamiliar cold drizzle met her. They climbed into a warm cab though and drove through the city. It was already after midnight. She was delighted to see Christmas decorations everywhere.
Good god
, she thought,
I didn’t even remember it was anywhere close to Christmas
.

Thirty minutes after touchdown, she put the key into the lock of her new apartment. The other deputy came in, but stood by the door, as Audra and Michele took stock.

It was furnished with a few things, but she could see that she would have great latitude to decorate it according to her own taste. There was a Murphy bed with a brand new mattress, a funky easy-chair with a small table and lamp next to it, a small stand with a big TV, a bookcase, and a café table and chairs. The kitchen was outfitted with basic utensils, dishes, and pots and pans. Her favorite thing was the gas fireplace, but it immediately reminded her of their little apartment in the dome.

She put her bags down, opening the closet, the kitchen cupboards, and the refrigerator. They had even stocked it with some cereal and milk, jarred and tinned foods, and a couple of Amy’s Organic frozen meals. She giggled at that, realizing that someone had done their homework somewhere along the line to know that those were the only frozen meals she would eat.

Michele had lit the lamp next to the chair, but Audra gasped as she opened the drapes to see a gorgeous view of the lights of downtown Seattle, complete with the Space Needle. Outside the window was a tiny patio. The roof jutted out over it, and the rain dropped steadily from roof to railing.

She turned to see Michele grinning. “I picked the apartment myself,” she said. She stepped forward and stroked the back of Audra’s head. “You’ve been through a lot, Elise. More than anyone should have to endure in a single lifetime. Be kind to your memories of Audra…but take this as an opportunity to leave it all behind.”

Audra smiled through tears welling up in her eyes. She appreciated the warmth in the wake of the cold process she’d been through today, but now came the letdown, and she realized how incredibly tired she was.

“Okay,” Michele said, returning to her deputy marshal demeanor. “In six months, go to this address and ask them to make contact with the Phoenix headquarters for you,” she said, handing her a card. “Please do not try to contact anyone from your old life. Anyone. I know you’ve been told that over and over, but we seriously have never lost anyone who kept that rule.”

“I understand,” Audra said.

Michele shook her hand, and the two of them walked out. Audra followed them onto the landing and watched as they got in the car and headed out of the parking lot.

She returned to the apartment, flipped on the fireplace, set the timer for it, and stood in front of the window, amazed again at her view. She turned off the lamp, angled the chair toward the fireplace, and sat down, leaning back and allowing the tension of the day to resolve itself.

Being alone for the first time in months felt so strange. She recalled how devastated she had been on the flight to San Francisco all those months ago. Life before that seemed so far away, and yet life before today seemed a world away as well.

Lucas. Was it really less than 18 hours ago that I last saw him? We hadn’t talked about anything pertaining to what would happen after the deposition; we hadn’t said goodbye. It all seems so surreal. Was he really just a “phase” in my life? Was it just because of all we had been through together? Was it just the incredible sex, the tenderness, the pregnancy? But why am I saying “just”?
For the second time that day, she found herself questioning what a relationship really was.

She decided she would give herself some time to regroup and explore the city some. She needed a whole new wardrobe, but she wasn’t going to do that in a day. For now she would just find some practical but stylish things, and then she’d start looking for work clothes.

She looked around the apartment and realized that if she was going to pursue her graphic arts career, the first thing she needed was a computer.

She pulled down the Murphy bed and was relieved to see four sets of new sheets, still in their ribbons. Two of them were cotton percale and two of them were yummy cotton flannel, all in Victorian patterns.
Flannel sheets!
She laughed. She knew they existed but growing up in Tucson, she had never experienced them. They were going to feel good tonight.

Audra quickly discovered the next morning that she would need some rugs for the wood floor—and some bedroom slippers, too. But, for now, double socks would have to do. She turned on the fireplace and adjusted the heat setting.

She opened the drapes and was surprised to see a white world of fog, something else she had never experienced. Only a few lights were visible below, a nearby stoplight and a few others. She opened her patio door, wanting to know what it felt like out there, and heard a sound her mind sought to place.
Foghorns! Foghorns
, she decided.
Wow! Am I really so close to water that I can hear them so clearly?

She closed up quickly. Damp. Cold and damp. It would take some getting used to, but she thought she just might like this totally new sensation.

She fixed herself some breakfast and sat down at the table with her Kindle. It would have to be her guide for now. Michele had told her she would have free wi-fi here. She looked around to see if she could find anywhere the security key might be for it and found it on a card stapled to the wall in the closet.

When she looked at an online map and found her location, she became excited at all there was to see and do nearby. She thought about calling a cab, but she forced herself to pull up the transit authority map and schedule.
Might as well start getting used to it right away. I have a feeling that five thousand a month isn’t going to go as far as I would like.

She stopped to think. She had never had to make out a real budget. Sure, she’d done it in high school, with made up numbers, but this would be a whole different can of beans.

She went back and looked through the cupboards again and was delighted to find a coffee pot and some trial-sized organic coffees. She chose a hazelnut and set it to brew.

By the time she finished her explorations of where she would go and how to get there, and figured out how much she could spend right now, much of the morning had flown. She walked back to the window, surprised to see that the city had reappeared, and the fog was gone.

She smoothed the bed and raised it back into its cabinet. Then, she stepped into the bathroom and marveled at the ribbed glass and gleaming brass. This was the only part they hadn’t attempted to keep Victorian, and that was fine with her. She startled herself looking into the mirror at her hair and eyebrows.
That’s Elise,
she thought.
That’s Elise. Elise. Elise. Elise.

Back in the main room, she opened her second bag that she hadn’t looked into yet and found that someone had the good grace to pack a jacket for her. It was teal fleece with teal and black fleece gloves. It had a fold-over turtleneck collar which would feel good today, she was sure.

She found the bath linens and took a quick shower. Blow drying her hair and trying to emulate the look they had given her in the salon took a bit of doing, but she quickly got the hang of it. She definitely wasn’t used to the contacts, but putting them in and taking them out a few times made her feel more confident.

She had lost nearly all of her things several times over, but she had always managed to keep her basic makeup kit, so at least she could dash on some eyeliner and lipstick and added a bit of brown sable eye pencil, which she had bought yesterday at the salon. She dabbed a bit of lipstick onto her cheeks and rubbed it in. There. Now, she looked decent enough to go exploring.

She looked at her feet and realized she would want some boots soon, too. She laughed. Living in the dome for so long, she hadn’t needed hardly anything other than a pair of tennies. At least they were black and looked okay with her outfit, but maybe, if nothing else today, she would make that purchase.

She looked in her wallet and found the thousand dollars cash she had. She really didn’t want to carry that much, but if she found a decent place to buy a computer, she wanted to be able to do it. She removed the nine thousand dollar check and put it in the drawer in the lampstand. Banking could wait until tomorrow.

It was two o’clock by the time she got on the bus, and she was hungry again. She got off at the Pacific Place Mall and stared open-mouthed as she looked up. She walked through the doors into the main mall and again craned her neck up and around. She felt like such a rube, but she had never seen anything like it. In Tucson, no malls had more than two floors. This one looked like it went on into infinity. She felt so small.

But when she stopped gaping up and looked around, she couldn’t help but smile. Everyone seemed to be in the holiday spirit, and it swirled and sparkled around her everywhere. For a second she forgot who and where she was. She kept expecting Lucas to reach out and grab her hand. When she recalled that she was Elise and that Lucas was far away, her heart skipped a beat. She was completely alone in this immense city.

She found the directory and made her way to a shoe store to start looking for boots. She passed a sandwich shop and went in, downing a six-inch sub and a water, and moved on.

It only took two stores to find the boots she sought, and she bought them as well as several pairs of socks. She browsed computers in another store but decided she could likely do better online. She saw a number of Fair Isle sweaters and knit caps in a window. She found a style that she liked. She probably didn’t need it today, but she planned on getting a bicycle, too, and thought it would come in handy.

She decided to find a coffee shop and sit for a bit. She got a gingerbread latte in honor of the season and moved toward the window. At first she thought the window must be tinted, but when she sat down she realized it was nearly dark. She looked around for a sign of what time it might be but found none. Finally, she asked the person next to her.

“Four-fifteen,” they said.

“Thanks.”
What? Why is it dark at four in the afternoon?
As she thought about it, she had never considered the difference in latitude between Tucson and Seattle. Of course, she knew it was “up north,” but she had just never thought about what that meant.

She turned back to the girl who had given her the time. “I’m not used to it getting dark at four in the afternoon.”

“It’s Solstice,” the girl said. “If you could see the sun, it is setting right about now. It starts getting dark shortly after three.”

“Wow!” Audra said.

“Where are you from?” the girl said.

Oops.
She hadn’t thought that out. Was it okay to tell the truth?

“New Mexico,” Audra said, fervently hoping the person wouldn’t ask her for details.

“Yeah, I don’t doubt this early darkness surprises you then.”

“My name’s Elise,” Audra said, just wanting to hear herself say it.

“Joy,” the girl said. “It’s nice to meet you, Elise.”

Audra smiled then looked back outside.

She looked out the window, as she sipped her latte and saw the famous Seattle monorail.

The girl saw where she was looking. “Have you been on the monorail?”

Audra shook her head.

“Oh, you must,” Joy said. “Especially at this time of year.”

“I’d really like to.”

“Right now?”

Audra looked at the girl and saw she was smiling. “Sure,” she said. “Why not?”

She was able to purchase a ticket and embark near the mall. The sights from the monorail were fascinating, and everything was twinkling. It reminded Audra of one of her favorite Christmas songs about strings of lights blinking red and green. She could barely take it all in.

“C’mon,” Joy said when they stopped at the Space Needle. “Let me show you another treat.”

When they got to the top, Audra was very glad she had her knit cap because the wind was strong.

“There’s not as much to see at night, of course, as there is during the day, but the lights are very cool,” Joy said.

“You should see the lights from my apartment window.”

“Really? Where do you live?”

Again Audra had to think whether or not it was all right to tell. She had to remind herself that this was her life. That she didn’t have to be secretive about what went on here, only what came before.

“I have an apartment on Queen Anne Hill.”

Joy’s eyes flew wide. “Wow. What do you do that you can afford that?”

Audra laughed. “Well, I just got here, so I’m not working yet, but let’s just say I have rich parents.”
Whew. That wasn’t so hard.
She realized she would simply have to invent a few hard and fast lines so that she would never contradict herself. But for now, she changed the subject.

“What do you do?” Audra asked.

“Student at Seattle U.”

“Now who’s got the rich parents?” Audra laughed.

Joy shrugged. “I don’t know about rich. Just devoutly Catholic. I’m a product of Catholic schools, and I got all sorts of scholarships.”

“Wow. You must be really smart.”

She shrugged again. “I guess so.”

“What are you studying?”

“Kind of a weird mix. I’m getting my degree in cultural anthropology, but for fun I’m combining it with a minor in digital design.”

Audra’s eyes lit up. “Digital design? I just got my AA in graphic design.”

“Really?” They fell to talking animatedly then and quickly abandoned the too windy Space Needle.

They went to a favorite pub of Joy’s, which was a first for Audra. She hadn’t realized how claustrophobic her world had always been.

She admitted to Joy that she hadn’t a clue about beer on tap, so Joy described several microbrews to her, and Audra chose a winter stout. She was pleased with its thick, spicy, chocolaty flavor.

She liked Joy a lot--liked her red hair, fair skin, and freckles, the conversation, and the “girlness.” It struck her that she had been surrounded by nothing but men for months. It was good to have a girlfriend again.