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Authors: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy
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pointed.
“After, I thought we’d try out the wave pool.”
“Sure,”
he said and hoped she hadn’t realized how close he came to dozing.
In
the wave pool, Cecily plunged out into the deepest area before the first series
of artificially generated waves struck with force. Daniel hadn’t expected such a powerful rush
and lost his footing until he floundered in the water. Cecily, caught swimming, rode the wave with a
triumphant grin. She rolled past him and
waded back. They spent a half hour,
fifteen minutes too long for his taste in the wave pool. After the first two series of waves, Daniel
decided the pool was overrated. By the
time they left it to return to the lazy river, his body ached from being
pummeled with force. They spent the rest
of their time until the park closed on the lazy river, floating in tandem,
close enough to talk and often touch.
At
the end of the day, he bought them each a neon hued bath sheet. After they’d
dried off and changed back into their street clothes, Cecily tied up the wet
suits into a neat package. The warm
seats of the Ford provided comfort. “Ah,” he sighed. Daniel glanced
at her, curled into the passenger seat, head back, eyes shut. “Did you have
fun, Cecily?”
“Oh,
yeah,” she said. “I loved every minute. Thank you, Daniel.”
“Sure,”
he replied, somehow embarrassed by her thanks. “So, what now? Do you want me to take you to get your car or grab a bite or what?”
Her
eyes popped open. “I forgot about my car,” she said with a dazed wonder.
“Shit. I hope it’s still there.”
Daniel
squelched a professional urge to gloat. If she had any clue about the auto theft stats, she’d squeal louder. “It
is,” he said. “I looked when we went past earlier.”
“I
guess I need to go get the damn car or I won’t have a ride to the shop in the
morning,” Cecily said. “Otherwise I’d ask you to come home and I’d fix
something to eat.”
Why can’t she do it anyway? Aloud, he said, “I’d love
it. I’m starving and I’d rather eat at
your house than a restaurant. I live on
fast food, frozen junk, and canned stuff at home.”
“I’ll
do you better than any of that crap,” she said. “The one thing I know I can do
is cook. Why don’t you come on back with
me, then, and I’ll whip up something. It’ll be good, I promise.”
He
should refuse and he knew it. He’d gone
too far already. If his supervisors
should learn of his intimacy and down time with the subject of his
investigation, Daniel’s career would suffer. There’d be a reprimand, at the least. But Cecily intoxicated him like liquor. He basked in her presence and ached for more on both a physical and
emotional level. She reminded him of the
man he’d once been, stirred his ashes back to life. “Sure,” he replied. “On the way I need to swing by the motel and
pick up some clean clothes. My shirt
reeks of sunscreen.”
“No
problem,” Cecily said. “Before or after I get my car?”
“Before,”
Daniel said. “The motel’s on the way.”
Until
he turned into the place he’d almost forgotten what a total dump it was. The single story cinder block structure
might’ve been nice sometime around 1968 or so, but time hadn’t been kind. The place could use a paint job, and Daniel
suspected half the other ‘guests’ lived here, year round. When he checked into room six, dust film
coated the scarred dresser with the beat-up analog television set, and stale
air hung heavy in the space. “I’ll be
right back,” he said as he parked.
Her
lips puckered into a pout. “I can come with you.”
“God,
no,” he said. “It’s a hell hole. I’ll be
right back.”
Two
steps into the room, he heard his cell phone beep and
picked it up to check for messages. His
boss, Special Agent In Charge, Andrew Martin, had left
two and with a guilty twinge for leaving the phone behind, Daniel
“After, I thought we’d try out the wave pool.”
“Sure,”
he said and hoped she hadn’t realized how close he came to dozing.
In
the wave pool, Cecily plunged out into the deepest area before the first series
of artificially generated waves struck with force. Daniel hadn’t expected such a powerful rush
and lost his footing until he floundered in the water. Cecily, caught swimming, rode the wave with a
triumphant grin. She rolled past him and
waded back. They spent a half hour,
fifteen minutes too long for his taste in the wave pool. After the first two series of waves, Daniel
decided the pool was overrated. By the
time they left it to return to the lazy river, his body ached from being
pummeled with force. They spent the rest
of their time until the park closed on the lazy river, floating in tandem,
close enough to talk and often touch.
At
the end of the day, he bought them each a neon hued bath sheet. After they’d
dried off and changed back into their street clothes, Cecily tied up the wet
suits into a neat package. The warm
seats of the Ford provided comfort. “Ah,” he sighed. Daniel glanced
at her, curled into the passenger seat, head back, eyes shut. “Did you have
fun, Cecily?”
“Oh,
yeah,” she said. “I loved every minute. Thank you, Daniel.”
“Sure,”
he replied, somehow embarrassed by her thanks. “So, what now? Do you want me to take you to get your car or grab a bite or what?”
Her
eyes popped open. “I forgot about my car,” she said with a dazed wonder.
“Shit. I hope it’s still there.”
Daniel
squelched a professional urge to gloat. If she had any clue about the auto theft stats, she’d squeal louder. “It
is,” he said. “I looked when we went past earlier.”
“I
guess I need to go get the damn car or I won’t have a ride to the shop in the
morning,” Cecily said. “Otherwise I’d ask you to come home and I’d fix
something to eat.”
Why can’t she do it anyway? Aloud, he said, “I’d love
it. I’m starving and I’d rather eat at
your house than a restaurant. I live on
fast food, frozen junk, and canned stuff at home.”
“I’ll
do you better than any of that crap,” she said. “The one thing I know I can do
is cook. Why don’t you come on back with
me, then, and I’ll whip up something. It’ll be good, I promise.”
He
should refuse and he knew it. He’d gone
too far already. If his supervisors
should learn of his intimacy and down time with the subject of his
investigation, Daniel’s career would suffer. There’d be a reprimand, at the least. But Cecily intoxicated him like liquor. He basked in her presence and ached for more on both a physical and
emotional level. She reminded him of the
man he’d once been, stirred his ashes back to life. “Sure,” he replied. “On the way I need to swing by the motel and
pick up some clean clothes. My shirt
reeks of sunscreen.”
“No
problem,” Cecily said. “Before or after I get my car?”
“Before,”
Daniel said. “The motel’s on the way.”
Until
he turned into the place he’d almost forgotten what a total dump it was. The single story cinder block structure
might’ve been nice sometime around 1968 or so, but time hadn’t been kind. The place could use a paint job, and Daniel
suspected half the other ‘guests’ lived here, year round. When he checked into room six, dust film
coated the scarred dresser with the beat-up analog television set, and stale
air hung heavy in the space. “I’ll be
right back,” he said as he parked.
Her
lips puckered into a pout. “I can come with you.”
“God,
no,” he said. “It’s a hell hole. I’ll be
right back.”
Two
steps into the room, he heard his cell phone beep and
picked it up to check for messages. His
boss, Special Agent In Charge, Andrew Martin, had left
two and with a guilty twinge for leaving the phone behind, Daniel
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