Bloodstone Heart (4 page)

Josh woke in the morning to the smell of bacon and coffee, and the sound of dishes clanging.
 
He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so soundly.
 
He sat up on the couch and raked his fingers through his hair, rubbed his eyes then his neck. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, looking at a sight he would not soon forget.
 
There was Lanie, making breakfast, wearing an oversized sky blue chenille robe with little lambs all over it and Eeyore slippers. Her hair was uncombed and in her eyes but she looked absolutely adorable. This picture he would remember for all time.

"Good morning, Sunshine."

"Good morning to you too. Hey look, I'm sorry about last night. I guess I hadn't realized how tired I was, with the beers, I just..."

"Don't give it another thought. You were exhausted. I'm just glad you felt comfortable enough to crash here. How's your neck? You're a pretty big guy for that couch."

"I'm good. Can I use the bathroom?"

"Of course.
 
I left a towel in there if you want to take a shower.
 
Breakfast will be about 10 or 15 minutes."

"You really didn't have to do that. I should be taking you out for breakfast in payment for all you've done for me."

"Don’t be silly. I'm glad to do it."

"I think I will take you up on that shower."

"Be my guest." She smiled at him as he turned away and headed for the bathroom.

The hot water felt absolutely fabulous.
 
Not that the water there was any better than at home, Josh thought, but everything about there was comfortable. He took a longer shower than he probably should have, then got dressed and headed for the kitchen.
 
He lingered in the living room as he walked, noticing all the paintings on the walls.
 
How had he not noticed them last night?
 

All kinds of landscapes adorned the walls, large and small.
 
They looked to be oil paintings.
 
They were good - really good.
 
He'd never been much into art, but there was something eye catching and serene about all of them.
 
They ranged from fields of flowers, seascapes, and mountains with streams to cities and farms.
 
He was no art critic but he knew what he liked and he liked them a lot.

Melanie met him at the doorway of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice.
 

"You seem to be a big fan of this artist.
 
Who is it? They're great, eye catching, but tranquil and soothing," Josh said as he took the little glass of juice from Melanie. He was still looking at the paintings as he downed the juice in two swallows.

"You like them? Hmmm," Melanie said and turned to the counter and handed him a heaping plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits.
 
"Condiments are on the counter along with coffee.
 
I don't have a dining table so we'll have to eat on the couch."

"Thanks.
 
You really didn't have to go to all this trouble, but I'm glad you did.
 
I'm starved and it smells great."

She grabbed her plate and a cup of coffee and left him in the kitchen to add what he wanted to the eggs, biscuits, and coffee. As he walked back into the living room with his meal, he asked again, "So, tell me, who's the artist?"

"I'm sorry I didn't answer you, ummm, I am, actually," she said as she took a bite of eggs.

"Really? They're great. I can't draw anything but stick figures," Josh said. "So do you make a living as an artist?"

"Oh heck no! Just a hobby. Besides, most artists and musicians have their day jobs to pay the bills. It's hard to make a living as an artist."

"So then what do you do for your day job?"

"Web page management and design from home."

"So you too have an isolated job."

"I do." She grabbed the papers she had printed out the night before. "I printed these out for you last night.
 
Some references to books and web pages on controlling your thought volume switch."

"Thanks. Hey, these are great. I'll look into some of these."
 

Melanie got up, setting her plate down.
 
"I forgot to get the paper, I'll be right back."
 
She shuffled to the door in her Eeyore slippers, leaving the door slightly ajar as she went down the stairs.
 
Josh continued eating and looking at the articles she had printed when he heard a man's voice.
 

"Well, if it isn't the prissy little gloved witch that can't be bothered with human kind."

Josh knew this jerk must have been addressing Lanie when he referred to gloves.

"Morning, Stuart."

"She speaks! How gracious of you, princess. I know how hard it is for you to be bothered by us lowly men."

Josh was getting mad.
 
He walked to the door but could only get a tiny glimpse of the guy taunting Melanie. He looked like a regular guy, rather on the nerdy side, and short. His tone with Melanie was getting out of hand as far as Josh was concerned. If this kept up, he might have to show this guy a thing or two.

"Don't imagine you have anything to whisper about upstairs with that get up on."

That was it.
 
Josh took off his shirt, unbuttoned the top button of his 501 jeans, tousled his wet hair, and grabbed the wet towel he’d used and draped it over his right shoulder.
 
In bare feet he went out the door and onto the landing in plain view of Melanie and Stuart.
 
In the deepest sultry voice he could muster up, he said, "Hey Babe, can I borrow your toothbrush, I forgot to bring mine again."

Melanie blushed at seeing him shirtless, but smiled when she caught on to what he was up to.
 
Stuart was floored. He looked at Josh, than back at the blushing Melanie and then back at Josh who was now descending the stairs, barefoot and rubbing his hair with the towel.
 

"I'm sorry, Lanie, I didn't know you were talking with someone. Thanks for getting the paper for me." He came around Melanie, wrapping both his arms around her waist and kissing her on the top of her head. He looked at Stuart and said, "Hey man, I'm Josh." Josh outstretched his hand to shake Stuart's. Stuart slowly extended his hand to Josh's and Josh proceeded to crush the bones in the nerdy guy’s hand.
 
Josh towered over Stuart by at least 7 or 8 inches, looking like a Greek god in comparison to Stuart's gangliness.
 

Awkwardly and a bit in pain, Stuart said, "I'm Stuart."

"Nice to meet you." Josh smiled at him then directed his attention back to Melanie, "Lanie, we have to get going.
 
My parents are expecting us in less than an hour." Josh looked back at Stuart and said, "Sorry, Stuart, I have to steal her away from you, but it was nice meeting you.
 
I'm sure I'll see you again."
 
He smiled at Stuart, and spun Melanie around, leading her to the stairs where half way up he tickled her, to get her to giggle to make the charade even more convincing.

Josh closed the door behind him and chuckled.
 
A flushed Melanie turned around with arms folded and brows furrowed.

"Aw, Lanie, don't be mad. He was being a jerk. Nobody should talk to you like that. I won't allow it."

"You won't allow it? What are you, my father?"

Josh could tell that he had said the wrong thing. "I didn't mean it like that. I've told you, I'm not very good at words, or this kind of stuff. I mean come on, what's the guy’s problem with you?"

She sat down on the couch and said, "I turned him down a few times when he asked me for a date."

"I guess I can see his being bummed, but it's still no way to act. I'm sorry if I made you mad.
 
I just didn't like the way he was talking to you. Maybe I overstepped, but you shouldn't have to put up with his bad behavior.”

"Well, I don't think it will be a problem anymore." Her brows unfurrowed and Josh thought he saw a smile forming on her lips as she tried to avoid his gaze. She grabbed his shirt that had been thrown on the couch and handed it to him.
 
"Maybe you should put this back on.
 
You look..." she looked at his chest, blushed again, and then continued, "You're going to catch cold." She glanced up into his face.

Josh smiled and again felt off guard at not being able to read her mind.
 
Never had he wished so hard that he could hear what someone was thinking.
 
He'd never felt this way before, never wanted his power to work so badly.
 
In the past, when he liked someone, he knew what to do, what she wanted him to do or say, but with Lanie, he had no advantage.
 
It was like poking around blindly in the dark, in search of the light switch on the wall, but never finding it. He took the shirt from her and put it on.

"Can I ask you something, Lanie?"

"Sure. Not sure I can answer, but you can ask anything you like."

"Why can't I read YOUR mind?"

"I'm not sure. Have you ever come across anyone else that you couldn't read?"

"No, but I'm not absolutely sure. I've spent so much time trying to drown the sound out with music that I don't listen to the voices anymore."
 

"There are probably others. In a world with so many people, there are bound to be others. But to change the subject, I was thinking that maybe we should retrace your steps and go back to the alley.
 
Maybe we can find something that will help us with this mystery."
 

"Oh no.
 
I'm not taking you there.
 
I can't protect you from these 'things' and I don't want to endanger you."

"Who says I need your protection?"

"It's not an insult, Lanie. I just don't know what we are dealing with and I don't want you hurt because of me."

"Look, it's highly unlikely there will be anyone there.
 
I'm just worried that you may have left something behind that they might be able to find you with. If they think you have this thing they've lost, you are in danger."

"Exactly, and if I'm in danger, then I can't have anyone I care... I mean, I can't have you involved with something that could..."

"Would you stop it already?
 
I am involved. You can't do this on your own. Besides we don't know if there is anything to be worried about yet. If you won't take me, I'll just hit all the alleys in town by myself."

"You can be a bit stubborn."

"Only when I'm right."

"And how do you know you're right?"

"I don't know. I just know we are missing something. Something big."

"Okay.
 
I have no idea what you are talking about, but okay. I give."

"Good. I'll go take a shower and we can go. There's more bacon and eggs if you want some."

Chapter 4

Their walk was silent, and for the first time in Josh’s life he wished it wasn't.
 
He was thinking nonstop about vampires, alleys, and the man in dark clothing. Before he knew it, he and Lanie were at the corner store.
 
He stopped there. He wasn't sure why, maybe he was nervous.
 
He was still moving in place but he wasn't moving towards the alley.
 
She stood there with the morning sun behind her making a halo around her face.
 
Her brown hair now was lit up like red embers and she smiled at him and put her gloved hand on his forearm.
 

"It's okay, Josh. We are just two people walking along a street and glancing into an alley."

Like an angel, she melted all his worries away and calmness came over him like he’d never known.
How does she do that?
he thought.
 

"Right." He started walking again with Melanie right beside him. When they came to the lamp post, Josh looked around and nodded towards the alley.
 
"This is it."

"Okay. Josh, I need you to open your mind and listen for me.
 
Do you sense anyone in the vicinity?" she said in almost a whisper.

Josh took in a deep breath, let it out, and listened.
 
His eyes were far, far away as he cocked his head and listened to the chattering in his head.

"No. I mean yeah, there a lot of people around, but no one on the street or near us."

"Perfect. Okay, now I want you to think back to the night you left my house and came across this alley.
 
Try to remember exactly what you did and saw."

"Okay.
 
Well I was walking along and I was thinking about y.., well I was just walking and when I came to the alley, something caught my eye and I stopped."

"What caught your eye?"

"I don't know. It was really dark, but whatever it was caught the light from the lamp post and I stopped."