Finding Divine (2 page)

“Thank you.” She kept her head down, still unable to look him in the eye lest she got tongue-tied.

“You’re welcome,” he said, then held out his hand to her.  “My name is Simon, by the way, and you are?”

She finally lifted her head but kept her gaze focused on his chin as she took the offered hand. “I’m Jessica. It’s nice to meet you.” When their palms touched an electric spark shot through her body, making her snatch her hand away.

His smile widened deepening the gorgeous dimple in his chin.  “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

“I’m not really sure what you’re talking about.” This was unfamiliar territory to her. She’d never had such an instantaneous response to anyone before and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.  Jessica decided to steer the conversation to safer territory. “Look, I really need to do something about my car. I hate to ask, but do you have a phone on you that I can use? It seems I’ve left mine at home.”

“How about I call the tow truck for you? I have a cousin who owns a service in town.”

“I’d appreciate that. Hopefully this cousin won’t cost an arm and leg. I guess this is my punishment for letting my AAA membership lapse.”

“Pete’s pretty reasonable with his rates. I’ll give him a call now.” Producing a small phone from his pocket, he punched the numbers with long, diligent fingers. He had nice hands. Everything about him was nice. “Hey Pete, this is Simon. I need a huge favor, man, could you bring your tow truck to the Merriman Park Cemetery?” There was a brief pause as he listened to his cousin’s response.

“No, my car is fine. It’s not for me. It’s for a friend. Her car won’t start.” Another pause was followed by a chuckle. “You know it, man. The car is parked at the front entrance, a black sedan. I’ll stick around so you can spot us. Thanks a lot. I’ll see you in a bit.” He pressed a button to end the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. “There, it’s all taken care of. My cousin should be here in a half-hour. In the meantime it’s getting kind of chilly out here and you’re not wearing a jacket. If you’d like, you can sit in my car and I’ll turn the heater on.”

The thought of being in close proximity to Simon made her heart skip several beats.  He made her unsure of herself, and when she was nervous and uneasy, an attack wasn’t far off. “I appreciate your calling the tow truck service for me, but I think I should stand outside and wait, so he’ll see me.”

“I won’t bite, I promise…that is unless you want me to,” he grinned wolfishly at her. “Come on, Pete will notice my vehicle if he doesn’t see you so he’ll figure it out. If you need references, I’ll let you call my aunt. She seems to think I’m tops.” He pulled out his phone and held it out to her.

Despite the onset of nerves, Jessica smiled. She wasn’t sure why but something told her to trust him. It was still light outside and she had a small vial of pepper spray attached to her key ring. Another gust of wind blew their way, sending a chill right through her bones. That made the decision for her. “Okay. But no funny stuff.”

He snapped his fingers. “Damn, there goes all my plans up in flames.”

She chuckled, allowing him to lead her to a cream-colored luxury SUV. She’d figured he was well off when she first saw him just by the way he dressed, but this only confirmed it. “Nice car.”

He shrugged. “It’s okay, but thanks.”

“Just okay? If I had a car like this, I’d say it was more than okay.”

A smile briefly touched his lips as he unlocked the car door for her. “It’s a means of getting from point A to point B.” She got the distinct impression that he was uncomfortable talking about his vehicle. It was weird to find a man who wasn’t crazy over cars.

She slid onto the soft, cream-colored leather seat, imagining what it would be like to own a vehicle like this. Maybe in thirty years, she thought with a shake of her head.

Simon got in next to her and turned the car engine on before turning on the heat. “If you need some added warmth, flip the button on the side to your right to heat the seat up.”

Jessica was impressed. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a car with heated seats before.”

“Then by all means, you should definitely go for it to get the full experience.”

Unable to resist the temptation of flipping the switch, she wiggled her bottom against her seat when the heat surged up. “Nice.” When she turned to him, he had a thoughtful, faraway expression on his face. “Are you okay, Simon?”

“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine, thanks.”

“You seemed to drift away for a second.”

“I generally do around this time of year.”

“Why is that? Never mind, it’s none of my business.”

“I don’t mind talking about it if you want to know.”

“No, that’s okay. It was rude of me to ask such an intrusive question on so short an acquaintance.”

Simon finally turned in his seat to fully face her. “But I’m hoping that can change because I’d certainly like to get to know you better.”

CHAPTER TWO

Simon’s pulse quickened.  Over the course of his thirty years, Simon could say he’d grown knowledgeable about the art of love, but he had still yet to meet a woman who made him feel such an instant pull that he had to know everything about her. Want to be with her. Want her. Until now.

He didn’t know what it was about Jessica that attracted him to her, but from the moment he laid eyes on her, with her teeth nibbling a full bottom lip, and her large dark eyes clouded with what looked like a cross between agitation and worry, just hearing the sound of her voice had become his number one priority. He probably could have given her car the quick fix that it needed to get started; just enough for her to make it to a shop, but the need to get to know her drove him. By hook or by crook, he’d find out what it was that made her different from the rest.

Jessica wasn’t what one would classify as typical in looks. Her beauty was more ethereal in nature, untouched and innocent. Her eyes were amazing, so large and expressive, framed with long thick lashes that went on for days. When he looked into her dark brown gaze it felt like looking into the window of her soul. He’d never seen anything quite like them.  She sported what appeared to be an abundance of hair, pulled back in a bushy ponytail that he wanted to touch and stroke. As her tongue darted out to moisten her full lips, Simon felt the sudden need to taste them. From the creamy expanse of her blemish-free cocoa brown skin to the way her bangs fell haphazardly over her forehead, she intrigued him.

He couldn’t see much of her body because of her conservative style of dress, a peasant skirt and blouse, but it looked slender and fit. Perhaps she wasn’t the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but Jessica definitely had that certain something that would make a man look twice, and a third time.

He probably should have been more help to Jessica with her car, but he couldn’t let her get away. Besides, today was the day when he’d decided to start living life to the fullest again, and not merely existing.

When he’d made that decision, he didn’t know how he’d go about doing it, but when he saw Jessica, he knew that she was somehow the key.

It took her a moment to respond to his last statement. “You…you want to get to know me better?” she asked with skittish laugher.

He smiled at her. Damn, she was adorable. “Of course. I think I’ve made it pretty obvious I’m attracted to you, and at the risk of sounding conceited I think the feeling is mutual. So, why not?”

She looked down at her lap with her palms clenched tightly together. “Why? Do you always go around picking up random women in cemeteries?”

“I don’t make a habit of picking up random women, let alone in a cemetery. You’re definitely the first. Now random men, that’s another story.”

That last remark seemed to catch her attention as her head came up sharply as she started at him with widened eyes. She then smiled at him which turned into a laugh. Jessica had a great laugh. “I see you have jokes, but you have to admit, these aren’t exactly normal circumstance.”

“What’s normal?”

“Not meeting in a cemetery. What if we did get to know each other better as you suggest and people ask us how we met? What would we say?”

“The truth of course. I’d tell them when I saw you, you were the liveliest person around.”

This time when Jessica laughed she didn’t seem to hold back. “You are crazy!” she chuckled. “Wow, if your day job doesn’t work out for you, you can always take a turn at stand-up comedy.”

“I guess that comes from being a bit of a class clown. I made a few trips to the principal’s offices for my antics.”

“And what did your parents have to say about that?”

The subject of his parents was always a sore spot for him, but she couldn’t know that. “They didn’t care.” Having lived up to his parents’ impossible standards most of his life, he realized he’d never be what they wanted. His good grades had never been good enough. His athletic achievements never raised more than an eyebrow, and the girls he dated were never beautiful enough or had not come from a good enough background.  It took a major life-changing event for him to realize that he’d never measure up to what his parents felt was their ideal of the perfect son. 

He never did understand why his parents had sometimes acted as though they hated him, particularly his father. How ironic it was that only once he’d decided to cut ties with them did they finally realize that they cared.

“Sounds like you had very tolerant parents.”

Simon laughed with a snort. “Hardly, but I stopped living my life for them a long time ago.”

“Oh, I take it that you’re not close to them?”

“Not really. I don’t think I’ve ever been close to them.”

Cocking her head to the side, she frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. Things haven’t always been perfect with me and my parents, but we all still love each other. Sometimes it’s difficult to show it but we find ways.”

“Don’t be sorry. I don’t lose any sleep over it.” Wanting to change the subject, he turned the conversation back to her.  “So tell me, since you’re not used to men picking you up in cemeteries where do you like to hang out to meet guys?”

Though Jessica had relaxed since they began their conversation the invisible barrier she’d had up earlier was back. “Honestly, I don’t really get out too much. You’ll probably laugh, but I haven’t been out on a proper date in a couple of years. I hung out with someone my mom tried to fix me up with but I wouldn’t call it a date. I’ve gotten used to being on my own, so I haven’t had much interest in dating.”

“But could you see yourself dating?”

The vague smile tugging at the corners of her lips didn’t give him much hope. He was sure when their eyes had first locked she was interested in him, too, but he could have been mistaken. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t been wrong before. Except this time he desperately wanted to be right.

“I guess I could if the right person asked me.”

He let out a deep breath, not realizing he’d been holding it in while she answered him. “Would you like to have coffee with me while my cousin tows your car back to his garage?”

Jessica’s eyes darted away from his, and he wondered if his invitation was welcome. A look of apprehension wrinkled her forehead. “Well, that’s awful nice of you, but didn’t you say he wasn’t too far from here. Maybe we should just wait it out.”

It wasn’t that he’d never been rejected before, but her hesitation cut him. Maybe she just needed a little extra coaxing. Deciding to change tactics, he picked a safer topic. “Do you live here in the city?”

This seemed to be the right thing to do, because Jessica unclenched her hands in her lap. “No, actually I moved to the suburbs a couple of years ago, although I was born and raised in the city. Funny thing about is, that they say you can take the girl out of the city but not the city out of the girl. I don’t really miss it that much.”

“Well you haven’t moved too far away from it. You can drive down here anytime you want.”

“This is true.”

“Why the move?”

“I needed to be closer to my job. I co-own a thrift shop that also specializes in gently used high-end items and hard-to-find books. Do you live in the city?”

“I’m also in the suburbs. I have a shop not too far where I live, but I do most of my work out of my workshop on my property. Can I tell you something, Jessica?”

“Okay,” she said with more than a little caution in her voice.  Simon couldn’t help but laugh at her wary expression.

“It’s nothing bad. Actually, I was going to tell you how beautiful I think you are.”

His comment seemed to catch her off-guard. Her mouth opened and closed as though she was going to say something but changed her mind. When she finally did speak her voice sounded a little wobbly. “Thanks, but I’m sure you say that to all the women.”

“Only if I mean it.” On the verge of telling her more, he caught the site of Pete’s tow truck out the corner of his eyes. His cousin’s timing sucked. She must have noticed the tow truck as well, because the next thing he knew she was scrambling out of his vehicle. He reached over and caught her wrist, reluctant to let her walk out of his life. “Wait. You don’t have to rush away just yet. It’ll take him a few minutes to hook your car up to his tow truck.”

Jessica looked down pointedly at his hand and Simon immediately let go, not wanting to cause alarm. “Yes, I understand, but I really think I should be there to meet him and you’ve been very kind.”

“You said that like this is the last time we’ll see each other. What about our coffee date?”

“You…you were serious about that?”

“I’m not the type of guy to make that offer casually.  Of course I meant it.”

“I’d…like that, but with my car the way it is, my mind wouldn’t be in the right place. I’m a bit of a worrier.” Again she nibbled on the bottom of her lip, tempting him in ways she probably had no idea about. Simon was beginning to think Jessica was a shy woman. He didn’t mind a woman who took the initiative to approach a man first, but it was a refreshing change in this day and age to do the chasing.

“Pete could take a peek at your car at his garage. Don’t worry about the cost—the family discount, remember?”

“This must be a heck of a discount if you don’t expect me to worry.”

“Look, I know we just met and maybe I have no business asking this question, but will you trust me?”

When her big brown eyes collided with his, Simon’s breath caught in his throat, and his body tightened with awareness.

Jessica swiped at her bangs. “I’ve been wrong before.”

“Not this time. What do you say?” He dared to touch her hand, hoping she didn’t pull away as she did before. When she didn’t Simon took that as a good sign.

She nodded as a smile curved her lips. “Yes, I think I will.”

“Really?” He couldn’t remember being this eager for a girl’s attention since grade school.

Jessica giggled, a cute sound. “Yes, really. But first let’s go talk to your cousin and see what he has to say.”

With a sigh, Simon shut off the engine and reluctantly slid out of the vehicle. He would like to have had a little more time with Jessica, but that wasn’t to be. At least she’d agreed to coffee.  Pete was just getting out his truck as they walked over. “Hey man, thanks for coming out on such short notice. This is Jessica—I’m sorry, what’s your last name?”

“Smith.” She nodded in Pete’s direction, not moving too far from Simon’s side.

“Nice to meet you,” Pete smiled at her in greeting before getting down to business. “So what seems to be the problem with your car?”

“It won’t turn on. I don’t know what it could be because the battery and the spark plugs should be in order. When I turn the key in the ignition, my car makes this really funky sound like it wants to start, but doesn’t quite.”

“Hmm,” was Pete’s response. Simon could almost see the cogs working in his cousin’s mind. The last thing he wanted was for it to be something so simple that it could be taken care of right then and there, because then his time with Jessica would be cut short.

“Uh, Pete can I talk to you for a second.” Shooting Jessica an apologetic look, Simon ushered his cousin out of Jessica’s hearing distance.

“She’s not your usual type,” was Pete’s first comment.

“I hope it doesn’t mean what I think it does.”

“Settle down. Take what I said at face value. She’s cute and seems like a nice lady. She’s not as obvious as the other women you tend to date.”

“Obvious?”

“I dunno, flashier I suppose. Jessica seems more like the girl next door type. But if you like her, more power to you, man. But you know these good girl types are the ones you introduce to your parents.”

It pleased Simon to hear Pete’s verdict. Pete was more like a brother to him than a cousin. He owed so much to him and Pete’s parents for getting him through a dark time in his life. “I’m glad I have your approval, but I plan on keeping her as far away from my parents as possible.”

Pete shook his dark head with a sigh. “You have to see them sometimes. They really miss you.”

“They miss controlling my life,” he said, more than a little annoyed, as he usually was whenever he talked about his parents.

“Whatever, so what was it that you had to say to me that you couldn’t in front of your lady friend?”

“I need a huge favor.”

“Family discount?”

“Besides that. When you try to start her car, could you make it sound like it’s something more serious than it is? I’m almost positive it’s the alternator, but that’s not a big thing. I just need you to buy me some time with her.”

A look of comprehension entered Pete’s dark eyes. “I see. You’re trying to make a move on the lady and she has yet to fall over you like the rest of your groupies.”

“Stop that. I don’t have groupies.”

“The day you can’t get a chick in bed is the day it snows in Death Valley.” Pete chuckled.

“It’s not about that at all. I really like this woman. I realize I barely know her, but I’d like the opportunity to remedy that. Are you going to help me or not? All I need you to do is tow it to your garage and then take care of the problem, but just tell her it will take a while. That will give me time to take her out, and when I drop her off at your garage, it’ll be fixed.”