“Liar. I saw the way the two of you looked each other over. I may be old, but I ain’t senile and I ain’t blind. Don’t even be thinking about it. The guy’s cauc, as pure as can be found in this day and time. You promised me you’d give me some beautiful neg grandbabies to dandle on my knee--you and Nigel both. The young shouldn’t have the ability to breed. They’re too thoughtless. Got nothing on their mind but hot blood when they ought to be considering what they’re passing down to their offspring.”
Full fledged embarrassment swept through Lena. Even her eyeballs felt hot. “Morris! I never said I wanted to--uh--I’m not lusting over him, for god’s sake! I don’t even know him!”
Morris snorted. “It’s a chemical bonfire, baby girl. It ain’t got nothing to do with knowing somebody!”
Lena came to her feet and began to pace the room in agitation. Finally, finding herself in front of the couch again, she plopped down on it. It took an effort to paste a smile on her full lips. “Good try. If you’re not up to something, why won’t you come stay with me? I promise not to bother you. You’ll have your own room to yourself and I’m at work most of the time, so you’d have the apartment to yourself except in the evenings. You’re getting skinny. You need somebody to cook for you.”
Morris laughed with real humor. “You got somebody in mind? Cause the last I noticed cooking wasn’t one of your special talents, baby girl.”
Lena gave him a look. “I happen to think I’m pretty good. You taught me to cook!”
“Exactly!” he shot back at her. “So if my own cooking is making me skinny, yours ain’t going to help!”
Lena sighed, but when she’d glanced at her time piece, she got to her feet. “I have to go. But I’ll give you fair warning I’m not giving up on this. I’m going to keep on pestering you till you give in.”
Morris pushed himself from his chair, pulled the antiquated gun he carried around with him for protection from under the chair, and shoved it into his pants pocket. “I’ll walk you to the terminal. You’d make me happier if you’d quit coming here at all. You’re too pretty to walk alone around here.”
Lena didn’t argue with him. They both knew it wasn’t safe. If she looked like the south end of a north bound mule it would still be dangerous. “When you come to live with me I won’t have any reason to come here,” she pointed out as they headed out of the apartment and paused in the hallway for Morris to secure all of his locks.
Morris sent her a piercing glance. “I love you, too, Lena Marie. When I get too old and ornery to take care of myself, I might let you drag me home with you like a stray.”
They met up with the blond stranger when they reached the second landing.
Lena’s heart executed a peculiar little flip flop when she saw him mounting the stairs toward them. Her blood began to sing in her ears and disjointed thoughts collided in her head. Should she just smile politely and nod? What if he stopped Morris to talk? Could she say anything at all without making herself look like a complete idiot?
She was still scrambling for something clever to say when he looked up. Heat flashed through her and then cold, and then heat again as his deep blue eyes locked with hers. A wave of dizziness followed. It was almost like hitting an invisible wall, stunning, completely disorienting.
His gaze flickered over her assessingly as they came abreast and then he glanced at Morris.
The two men nodded and moved past each other as if they’d never met.
Lena was still in a state of shock when Morris shoved her into the car of the shuttle and the doors closed behind her.
* * * *
One month later
Morris was smiling when he opened the door.
Lena felt her jaw go slack as her gaze traveled over the neatly slicked back hair, his clean shaven face, and down the neatly tucked tunic he was wearing, to his shined shoes. “Baby girl! Come in! Come on in. Don’t just stand in the hall.”
Like a sleepwalker, Lena allowed him to lead her into the apartment. The sense of disorientation increased as she wandered into the living room and stood in the middle of the floor, staring around at it as if she’d never seen the place before while Morris secured the locks on the door.
It was spotless. The smell dominating the area was of cleanser, not the musty smell of dust and clutter, and the combined odors of cooked food from many meals.
“I’ve been giving a lot of thought to your invitation to come live with you and it finally occurred to me that that was the only way I could get you to stop risking your neck coming here.”
Lena turned and stared at Morris blankly. It looked like Morris. The man even sounded like Morris, at least his voice did. Nothing coming out of his mouth sounded like her Morris, though.
As stunned as she was, Lena noticed a flicker of something in his eyes that set warning bells to clamoring in her head. She forced a smile. “I knew you’d come around,” she managed to say, though her voice didn’t sound like her own, sounded distant to her ears. She licked suddenly dry lips. “You’re serious? You’re going to come with me?”
He grinned, gesturing toward the packed suitcase sitting on the floor by the bedroom door.
A hard wave of nausea washed over Lena. For several moments she thought she was going to throw up or burst into tears. Moisture flooded her eyes. “I’m so happy,” she murmured when he gave her a questioning look. “This is--this is so great! It’ll be like old times.”
She wished she hadn’t thrown that last comment in for good measure. It brought the urge to burst into tears so close it squeezed the breath from her lungs. Numbly, she watched as he hefted the suitcase and turned to look at her expectantly. “You’re ready?” she asked blankly.
He looked around. “Nothing of any importance around here. I’ve got my best clothes packed and grooming supplies.”
