I dipped my chin. “Allow me to return those
sentiments with you and Dax.”
Her lips curved in a hopeful smile.
It wasn’t radiant, but as with any time hope
made an appearance, it still had a magnificent gleam.
I returned it and walked out of the room,
closing the door behind me.
“Am I released from my enforced role as
fashion critic?” Valentine asked the moment the door clicked.
“Indeed,” I answered.
She didn’t hesitate to stroll out of the
room.
I watched her contemplatively as she did
this, wondering if there was aught to be done about her
heartbreak.
After she’d disappeared from sight, Josette
began speaking.
“Back home, when one of the other maids had
her heart broken, the girls would request free evenings. We’d then
take her to the local pub, pour ale into her and help her find
someone to bed her in order to erase some of the pain and remind
her that her prospects were not limited to just the one who
foolishly didn’t take care of the gift he’d been given,” she
noted.
And in her noting this, I noted Jo was far
more perceptive than I imagined (and I knew she was perceptive),
for I had not breathed a word about Valentine’s predicament.
“I do believe that Valentine is not just one
of the girls,” I replied.
“Too bad,” Jo muttered, looked to her watch
and shot off the bed. “Glover’s to be here to pick me up in five
minutes! I need to go check my hair!”
And with that, she darted out of the
room.
Although happily available to give fashion
advice, Josette had long since had plans with her Glover. They were
going to a park and having a picnic, Josette’s request for their
Sunday afternoon and evening. And Glover, who did not strike me as
a picnic sort of man, had acquiesced.
Noc was not a picnic sort of man either but I
knew he’d not delay even a second to give me that should it be my
desire.
These were my thoughts as I walked into the
kitchen to see Noc sliding the steaks we were to consume into some
kind of container filled with some sauce that looked revolting but
was making the kitchen smell divine.
“Shit,” he said as I appeared, and I focused
on him to see him focused on me. “Not good you’re coming from Circe
and you got that look on your face.”
“Circe will be attired charmingly and is
quite all right,” I informed him.
His mouth quirked before he asked, “So what’s
with that look on your face?”
“It has occurred to me I might be forced to
actually like this Glover man for Josette.”
Noc burst out laughing.
I slid on one of the stools, enjoying
watching him doing this at the same time deciding that it was most
assuredly a day where an early glass of wine was in order.
I then watched him put a lid on the steaks,
still chuckling, and continued watching as he turned to the
refrigerator.
His manner was relaxed.
His expression was not content, not with that
smile.
He was happy.
But as I watched, and did it closely, after
having the conversation with Circe that I’d had, I noticed
something for the first time. Something that my dearest love had so
deeply hidden, the glimpses he’d given me of it had not penetrated
my conscious. Something that made my stomach twist so violently, it
was a struggle not to jump from my seat and rush to the
bathroom.
Because what I saw was that it was not I who
was convinced I had a midnight soul.
It was my love who was drowning in the
darkness of what he thought was his.
* * * * *
I was impatient.
And angry.
What on earth was the man doing?
I didn’t care.
I’d had enough.
“Noc, my dearest, I’m worried about the
potatoes,” I declared.
I sat with Circe at Noc’s attractive outdoor
table that was made of iron and had striped pads. A Circe who had
long, slender fingers to the stem of her wineglass, twisting it
this way and that. A Circe who was sitting with me—
alone with
me
—while the men stood by Noc’s gleaming steel grilling
apparatus on the other side of what Noc called his “deck.”
Dax had been there precisely twenty
minutes.
I’d counted.
And he’d said precisely twenty-nine words to
Circe.
I’d counted those too.
The rest of the time, he drank from the
bottle of ale Noc had given him and chatted.
With Noc.
I stood as Noc turned his gaze to me.
“The potatoes?” he asked.
“Indeed,” I snapped, glaring at him, then at
Dax.
I rearranged my expression to give a
reassuring look to a visibly stricken (from fear at my leaving as
well as taking Noc with me) and anxious Circe (making me consider
magical castration or at the very least impotence if Dax didn’t
pull his bloody finger out
). Then, trying not to stomp (and
failing in this endeavor), I moved into the house.
I did not go to the potatoes, which I was
sure were roasting splendidly in the oven where Noc had placed
them.
I went to the living room, whirled, put my
hands to my hips and tapped my toe, watching Noc approach me
slowly.
Noc got close and asked, “You okay?”
“No, I am not,” I stated the obvious.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
What was the matter?
Was he blind?
“That’s the matter,” I bit out, lifting an
arm and pointing a finger toward the back of his house. “Dax has
barely spoken to Circe. And, I don’t believe I have to impart this
information on you, but I shall do it regardless, he’s not here to
fall in love
with you
.”
Noc got closer and dipped his voice lower.
“Babe, he’s playing it cool.”
I felt my eyebrows shoot up. “It’s hardly
time to do that!”
He got even closer, putting a hand to my
waist, ordering sternly, “Calm down and keep your voice down.”
“You’re a very good cook, but I’ll also share
that he’s not here to partake of your talents in the kitchen.” My
voice rose again. “Circe is freaking!”
He did one of his
eyebrows-raising-slow-blinks and asked, “Freaking?”
“Yes. Freaking. She’s being quiet about it
but I can feel her unease.”
“Freaking,” he said again, his lips
twitching.
Was I seeing what I was seeing?
My brows snapped together. “Did I miss
something amusing?”
His lips were still twitching when he lied,
“No.”
I couldn’t be dealing with Noc’s
inappropriate humor.
I had bigger things to deal with.
“Speak with him,” I demanded.
He slid his hand from my waist to the small
of my back and got even closer, taking my hand in his other and
lifting both to set them on his chest.
“Okay, you were there the other night and
that night, Circe
really
freaked.”
“Yes, indeed, I
was
there so you don’t
have to remind me of this occurrence,” I agreed.
“You think his best play is to get here and
come on strong?”
I’d not heard the terminology “come on
strong.”
Still, it was not lost on me.
Neither was his point.
I pressed my lips together.
“He’s giving her some space,” Noc told
me.
“He needs to stop doing that,” I told
him.
“He will, when the time is right,” he
said.
“That time was fifteen minutes ago,” I
retorted.
“Just let them play it out,” he advised.
“Noc, my darling, if he thinks she’s going to
approach, he’ll be waiting until the world stops turning.”
He bent his neck so his face was close to
mine.
“He’s not waiting for her to approach,
sweetheart, he was waiting for us to check on the potatoes.”
I stared at him.
“You think he’s not in her space right now,
or as in it is he can get without flipping her out?” Noc asked.
I leaned a bit to the side to look down Noc’s
long house toward the back door. I could see nothing from there. I
could hear nothing.
I looked back to Noc. “Let’s go to the window
in your bedroom and peer through to check on them.”
More twitching of his lips before he denied,
“We’re not gonna spy on them.”
It was then, something else occurred to
me.
“You’ve put the meat on the fire. What if
what they have to do takes too long and the steaks burn?”
“Babe, do you give a shit you eat a burned
steak tonight?”
Of course I did. Steak was delicious, I liked
my food and I particularly liked a medium rare steak.
Burned would be abysmal.
Of course, I would eat a burned steak should
Dax be seeing to things.
I just wouldn’t like it.
I made a decision.
“You may not wish to spy on them but I’m
going to,” I declared, pulled from his hold and moved around
him.
“Frannie,” he called.
I kept walking, careful to keep my eyes on
the back door should one of them appear in it and see me.
This didn’t happen so I was able to duck into
Noc’s room.
I quickly made my way to the windows, and
just as quickly—and expertly—situated myself in a location where I
could see but it would be difficult to see me.
I lifted my hand and parted the slats on
Noc’s blinds.
I peered out.
Noc was correct. Dax was no longer standing
by Noc’s grilling apparatus. He’d gone to the table where Circe was
sitting.
He’d not only gone to it, he’d pulled a chair
around the table so that it was near hers, and sat in it.
And he was not only sitting in it, he was
turned at the waist, his intent to share she had his entire
attention, as she continued to fidget with her wineglass shyly but
appeared to be doing this while speaking to Dax.
This being a Dax who was very much all ears,
appearing like every word she spoke was a Sjofn ice diamond
dropping from her mouth.
My.
I felt Noc come up behind me, seeing out of
the corner of my eye as he opened his own slats to peer out.
He did this grouching irritably, “I can’t
believe I’m doin’ this shit.”
I ignored that and whispered, like we were
out on the deck and not separated by distance and the outer wall of
a house, “He’s made his approach.”
“Told you,” Noc did not whisper back.
“He appears enamored,” I noted.
“Are you surprised?” Noc asked.
“No,” I answered. “Just pleased he’s no
longer ‘playing it cool’ and is now showing his interest.”
Circe stopped speaking, Dax’s lips moved as
he said something, and we watched as Circe’s body gave a surprised
start before her head bowed back in a graceful way and we heard the
dulcet tones of her humor drift through the windowpane.
Excellent.
Dax grinned at her as she did this and his
grin did not waver, nor did he hide the intensity of his pleasure
when she ceased laughing but did so turning more fully to him,
adding leaning toward him in her chair.
Dax reciprocated this gesture by leaning
toward her.
At this, she seemed to brace but visibly
forced herself to relax as they continued conversing.
“The steaks are totally gonna burn,” Noc
muttered.
“We’ll leave them be and go buy more,” I
suggested.
Dax said something amusing again, for Circe
laughed again, this time doing it reaching out a hand to touch his
forearm that was resting on the arm of his chair.
He did not grin as he watched her laugh.
He looked down at her hand on him and
immediately twisted his arm so he could lace his fingers in
hers.
In return, Circe instantly stopped
laughing.
I held my breath.
“Fuck, bold move and too soon,” Noc remarked
tersely.
I let my breath loose on a chant, “Don’t let
her go. Don’t let her go. Don’t let her go.”
Circe stiffened, moving her torso away a
bit.
Dax did not let her hand go and leaned in
deeper, pursuing her, even seated.
She dipped her chin, turning her head and
further hiding her face with a fall of hair.
Dax was speaking to her as she did this and
continued to do so as she kept her face averted.
He did this for some time.
Noc and I remained silent and watchful for
that time.
And then I drew in a sharp breath as Dax
lifted his hand, touched gentle fingers to Circe’s jaw, and forced
her to face him.
“Fuck,” Noc growled.
Dax kept speaking.
I held tense.
After moments that felt like eternities
passed, she nodded, a warm, relieved look washed over Dax’s face
and he dropped his fingers from her jaw but continued to hold her
hand and his place in her space.
“Now we really gotta check on the potatoes,”
Noc muttered.
I took my hand from the slats and turned to
him.
He was so close I felt my arm brush his chest
as I did so. Also as I did so, he took his hand from the slats and
looked down at me.
I gazed up at him, all of a sudden
stunned.
He was so beautiful. Sheer perfection in
every way.
It wasn’t the first time I’d noted that, but
now that I’d sensed his pain, I couldn’t help but feel the silenced
throb of it beating under the surface.
This made me sway into him at the same time
wrapping my arms around his waist.
Noc returned the gesture.
“A few more minutes and I’ll go out and
intervene. Give her some respite so she can catch her breath,” I
told him.
“Think that’s a good plan.”
I nodded and rolled up to my toes to touch my
mouth to his.
When our lips parted, I didn’t roll
completely back.
I held his gaze and shared the love I had for
him in mine.
“Thank you for your patience with this,” I
whispered.
“Baby, do anything for you, but helping you
guide Circe to happy is not a hardship.”