Read Online The Finest Line by Catherine Taylor - Free Book Online Page B

pretty dark
place and you got me out of it.”
    “All in the line of duty,” He
smiled back at her but his reply upset her.
    She looked at him sadly, “Does
it always have to be in the line of duty?”
    Her question made him obviously
uncomfortable. His smile was gone and he was frowning and not
looking at her. Mairead immediately wished that she hadn’t put him
on the spot and breathed her relief when his phone rang.
    James stood up as he answered
and she sighed and slumped in her chair.
    “Sir, I really don’t know what
you mean.”
    Mairead looked up to see a
bewildered look on his face, but when his gaze met hers, the
expression changed dramatically. He was furious.
    “If you will excuse me Sir, just
for one moment, I’ll get my laptop.”
    With that he walked to his
bedroom and shut the door firmly.
    Mairead paced the room, tempted
to listen up again his door but the thought of him opening it and
catching her was too intimidating. Eventually she flopped down on
the couch and sulked. Her night was truly ruined.
    An hour passed before James
finally emerged from the bedroom. He came over and sat on the other
end of the couch but said nothing.
    Mairead smiled. “Was that
Daddy?”
    “Yes it was.” James expelled his
breath and he still looked extremely angry. “Mairead, what did you
do while I was out?”
    She shrugged, still gambling on
not having been found out. “I had a bath, read a book. So what did
Daddy want?”
    “He wanted to tell you that,
like five hundred thousand other viewers of You Tube, he was
completely awed and amazed at your gymnastic ability, one hundred
feet above certain death.”
    Mairead swallowed as James
continued.
    “He also concurred that your
perilous act to save a dog was very noble and selfless but if he
could get his hands on you right now, he would atone for the severe
lack of discipline of your childhood.” James was breathing loudly
and his voice was gaining volume. “He questioned my sanity in
leaving you alone and quite frankly I have now done the same.”
    Mairead gulped, “James,
please...”
    His temper exploded. “No
Mairead, you don’t get to talk. You get to listen. I trusted you to
stay in the hotel room but once again you have to find ways to draw
attention to yourself. Do you ever think of anyone else? Does it
ever occur to you that what you are doing is driving anyone who
cares for you completely insane? I have never met anyone so selfish
and irresponsible in my entire life.”
    She was trembling as her tears
welled up, “I didn’t do it to be selfish.”
    “No you did it because you’re so
self-destructive that you repeatedly sabotage anything good in your
life.”
    “Stop it!” Mairead screamed and
jumped up. “You have no right to talk to me like that.”
    He glared at her and walked
away. When he finally turned back she was gone and the door to the
balcony was wide open.
    The night was clear and cold and
Mairead welcomed the soft wind blowing the silk of her nightie
against her skin as she stood on the railing of the balcony. Her
bare feet were planted on two sides where the balcony cornered. She
watched the lights of the traffic below.
    James stood at the doorway.
“Mairead, please get down.” His volume had dropped
considerably.
    Tears were running down her
face. “Why should I? This is what I do. Daddy once told me that I
was walking a fine line between happiness and misery.” She smiled.
“Well you don’t get finer than this. Would you like to see me do
it?”
    James shook his head. “No I
wouldn’t. Please Mairead, I am sorry I yelled at you. I’m sorry for
the things I said.”
    “No you’re not,” she shook her
head. “You just think if you say something wrong I’m going to fall
off or jump, but I’m not and do you know why? Because I am really
good at this and I have absolutely no fear of heights. It’s people
that scare me. Everyone wants to be mean to me, even when I try to
do something good and that’s what I was trying