Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (20 page)

I thought of four children with her already. Why is this shocking me now?
Because then he hadn’t almost shot his load inside her.

“Ivan?” Her voice was sated and her expression mimicked that.

“Yes?”

“You look lost in thought.”

She had no idea. “I’m good. I think you drained me.”

“Up for a nap?”

He wiped a hand over his face, ridding it of the water there. “With you? I’m always ready for bed.”

Her tongue snuck out as she lifted his semi-hard cock in her hand. “Let’s see what we can do about getting him back to full strength.” She brushed her wet hair out of the way and dropped to her knees before him.

Any protest he would have said vanished like the mist after a rain when the sun beats down again when her mouth closed over him.

* * * *

The bookstore still played the same music. Bailey walked in with a smile affixed firmly on her face. The man barely glanced at her but when she arrived in the corner, the door popped open so she knew he had been paying some sort of attention to her.

She made the walk and paused by Lynn’s door, waiting for someone to open it so she could enter. Dr Treymous arrived shortly after. The woman appeared a bit more harried than usual.

“Good morning, Ms Hyde.”

“Doctor. Thank you for allowing me to see her again.”

“Yes, yes. Just please keep in mind she didn’t have the most restful of nights.”

“I will.” She gestured to the door. “I’d like to see her now.”

“Right, sure thing.”

After fumbling for a moment, the doctor managed to open the door. Bailey looked up the first thing, grateful to see it was the sun image this time.

I have to make sure to remember and ask Ivan about this technology, see if he knows more about it.

“Here’s a panic button, you know, just in case.”

“Thank you, but this time, I don’t want to see anyone in here unless I press this. Do I make myself clear?”

The doctor’s jaw was set and she swallowed a few times before she reluctantly nodded. Bailey smiled and stepped inside, drawing the door shut behind her.

“Good morning, Lynn.”

The young woman sat against the far wall as if she could hug the openness the image depicted. She slowly turned and stared at Bailey. Her eyes were haunted and she had large circles beneath them.

“You’re back.”

“I am. And I brought you something.” She held up the bag she’d been carrying. “Are you hungry? I brought you a croissant and some pastries. Thought you might want something different to eat.”

Her tongue peeked out before she shrank back and shook her head. “I’m not allowed.”

“Really? They didn’t tell me that. So I am sure we’re good. May I join you?” Bailey walked in that direction as if she’d been given a green light. Still, she kept herself on the opposite wall, not wanting to push her too much.

Lowering her body down, Bailey smiled as she looked around. “This is much nicer here than where I sat yesterday. Okay, so this is all for you.” She slid the bag over then leaned back.

Lynn took it and opened it. The rich, heady scents left the bag and filled the room. Lynn ripped the bag so it became a plate and focused on the items within.

“Thank you.” The words were so soft, Bailey almost missed them.

“You are welcome. I didn’t know what you liked that’s why there are a few smaller samples.”

No words were exchanged while Lynn ate. Even the ones she didn’t like as much, she still ate. Then the croissant was all that remained and Lynn looked up at her.

“Did you want this back?”

“Me?” She shook her head. “I ate while they were putting this together for you. Eat, then we will go for a walk.”

“It’s not my time to walk in the hall yet.”

“We’re not walking in the hall.” She had a hunch about the technology in this room and if she were right, which she believed she was, Bailey had every intention of letting Lynn walk farther and in a much nicer place than a sterile hallway. The moment Lynn bit into the croissant, Bailey rose and walked to the door. She knocked then waited.

Dr Treymous opened the door and peered in. She frowned. “What’s she eating?”

“A croissant from the bakery by where I’m staying. I need to talk to you, outside for a moment.”

The woman backed up and Bailey stepped from the room.

“She’s on a strict diet, and that shouldn’t have been given to her.”

Arms crossed, Bailey arched an eyebrow. “It’s my understanding she’s here to recover, not because she needs strict dietary restrictions.”

“It’s… We… Fine. What did you need?”

“That stuff in her room that makes it look sunny.”

“The Imager?”

“If that’s what you call it. I’m guessing you have a larger room with one in it. So people can feel as if they are in a certain place or not. You can’t just parade a bunch of different people out into a small village such as this. This is what I want. I want use of it with Lynn. We’ll take a walk in the warm sun and feel the breeze on our faces. Just walks in the sterile hall aren’t good for her. She needs to be where she feels the most comfortable. I want it ready in five minutes.”

Dr Treymous desperately looked as if she wanted to argue but she gave a forced smile and said, “Sure. I’ll come back to get you then.”

“Perfect.” She went back in the room to find Lynn back on her bed, holding a pillow. “Ready for a walk?”

“I don’t need to go on one.”

“I think you do. Come on. Bring your shoes if you wish. They’ll be back for us in a few minutes.”

True to her word, Dr Treymous returned within five and opened the door. Bailey waved Lynn forward and brought up the rear. It wasn’t difficult to notice how the woman shrank from the men who also walked near but she didn’t offer up any resistance.

“Here you are.” Dr Treymous typed in a code and a large panel slid back into the wall, offering them the view of a large, sunny field.

“Go ahead, Lynn,” Bailey said. “I’ll be right there.”

Like a deer stepping out into a meadow, uncertain, nervous, Lynn walked in.

“We’ll be out when she’s done and not a moment sooner.”

The smile was more akin to a baring of teeth. “As you wish.”

Bailey walked through and the door closed behind her. She walked up to Lynn who stood still, arms out to her sides and head tipped up to the sun. Bailey could smell the crisp air, feel the sun and the gentle breeze. Even the grass beneath her feet appeared real enough. And to Lynn it was.

“Ready to walk?”

Lynn glanced at her, and it was the first bit of hope Bailey’d seen in her eyes. “Yes please.”

“Lead the way.” She gestured with her hand.

* * * *

“I know about the Imager.” Ivan accepted his drink from the airline attendant with a nod of thanks. “You say they have one there?”

“I’ve never heard of it. But I’m wondering why, with the ability it offers, don’t people who go out into the field get one? It could make them shelter and all that, right?” She took her own drink and bag of peanuts. “Thank you, ma’am.”

The woman moved on.

“Not with the power it needs to run it. I’m guessing most times when you go out you’re on something like you did for me. Can’t be carrying around some generators to keep it up. Plus I’m not sure about the real world applications. It works in a building because things can be kept constant, but out there you will have animals and such that could cross through the hologram and potentially dissolve it. I know a few of the guys working on making it smaller and I could ask if you’d like.”

“I’m just curious.”

He sipped his drink. “So, did it help her?”

“I think it didn’t hurt. She looked happy out there with me. We were there for four hours while she walked and just enjoyed life.”

“Still have that bad gut feeling?” He ate some pretzels.

“I do. They tried to get on me for bringing her the croissant and pastries. I don’t get it—she’s there to recover and get better. Who cares what she eats?”

“Perhaps she is allergic?”

“Then she should have come with that argument. She just said it wasn’t allowed.” Bailey sipped some of her Coke. “Then again, this woman’s exercise is walking in the hall.”

“I thought she had an Imager in her room?”

“It shows the image but I didn’t feel the breeze or sun. It’s so real you can almost create it in your mind but it wasn’t like when we went into the large room and the breeze was blowing our hair and I could feel the warmth from above sure as if I stood outside in person on a sunny day.”

He stroked his chin, fingers moving along the short scruff he had on his jaw. A jaw she wanted to kiss. “Interesting,” he commented. “Sounds like they’ve found a way to manipulate the program to give them what they want.”

“At one time when the door opened the entire image changed. It went dark and stormy. Freaked her out too.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be more help, Bailey. I just don’t know that much about it and what they do to make it work.”

“It’s all right. I was just curious.”

“Have you talked again to McNeal?”

“He’ll be there tonight. I don’t think he’s pleased with what he heard. I told him it’s more like a prison or a looney bin than anything. I just don’t comprehend how they are assuming treating her like that will help her recover.”

“You’ve done what you can.”

“Guess I have.” She wished she could have done more. “Okay, now, where were we in my kicking your ass?”

He laughed and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ve never known someone to be so competitive about Hangman before.”

“Stop stalling and get the notebook. I was winning.”

He did as ordered and she settled in to see if she could figure this out. Most people on the flight had their heads in their electronics. It wasn’t her style so she’d asked him if he would play with her. Turned out Ivan enjoyed the game as well. Her problem now was figuring out all those big scientific words he liked to use. But it passed the time and she was enjoying herself, for as they played they talked about other stuff and grew closer.

Chapter Sixteen

Seattle-Tacoma Airport, Seattle, Washington

“The Space Needle is something I’d like to see. You know, if we have time.” Ivan carried their bags to the rental desk and waited as she filled out the paperwork to get their vehicle.

“You’ll see it shortly as we drive. But if you mean go to it and see it, then sure, we can do that as well.”

She thanked the woman at the desk and the two of them walked to the door to get their transport. When she stopped beside a Chrysler 300, he nodded in approval. She opened the trunk and he put their luggage in the dark, carpeted space.

Not much later, they were on I-5 heading north, gliding in and out of traffic with ease.

“Anything else you want to do while we’re here?” Her question came over the low music playing.

“How long are we here for?”

“I have us booked for four nights. Not sure how much more time off I’ll have after that and I want a few days back in Chile before I am officially back on the clock. But I have no problem extending your stay and changing your ticket if you wish to hang around here longer.”

“Do I get to rest with you in Chile?”

“Absolutely.”

He winked at her. “Then I’m good with four nights here.” Ivan took her hand and laced their fingers together before brushing a kiss along the back. “What else is there to do here?”

“Lots of things. They’ll have a guide in the hotel which may give you some ideas.”

“Of that I have no doubt,” he said.

Banter remained light between them as they neared their hotel. He took in the view of the Seattle Marriott Waterfront as they pulled into the parking lot.
Very nice.
They checked in and settled in their room. Bailey went to shower and Ivan stared out of the window and took in the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier beyond the expanse of Elliott Bay.

“I’m in Seattle. Jaydee isn’t that far away.”

He sat on the edge of the king-sized bed and stared at the phone in his hand.
Am I ready to do this? Face her again? She was one of my best friends and I’ve never even seen her children.

How would Bailey feel about this? He wasn’t sure, but Seattle was a hell of a lot closer to Oregon than Chile was. He pulled up his contact list and stared at her name. A short burst of unamused laughter left him. He still didn’t have her down with her married name. She was still Jaydee Amos there.

Time to move on.

He glanced at the bathroom door then pressed the call button, exhaling a few times while it rang.

“Hello?” a man answered. It was Giovanni, Ivan recognized his voice.

“May I speak to Jaydee please?”

“Sure, hang on.”

It didn’t take long for her to get on the line. “This is Jaydee.”

“Hello, darling,” he said in Russian.

“Ivan. I haven’t heard from you in so long.” She spoke Russian as well. “How are you doing?”

“I know and I’m sorry, Jaydee. It’s been hectic for me. I’m in Seattle and realize I may not be this close to you for a long time again. Do you have any availability to meet me so I can see you, meet the kids and catch up?”

“Can you come here for a day? Two of the kids are sick so I don’t really want to drag them around if I can help it.”

“Yes. I can.” If he had to rent another car, he would do so. “Let me look over my schedule and see what works best for me then I’ll call you back. Should I call your cell phone or this one?”

“Either gets to me, so your decision.”

Of course it was. “I’ll call you back shortly, Jaydee. Good to talk to you.”

“And to you, Ivan.” She hung up and he stared at the phone again.

“Jaydee,” he muttered.

A noise behind him had him turning. Bailey stood there, absolutely adorable in a pair of flowered pants and a white camisole. Her hair sat piled on her head in haphazard fashion. He smiled, only to realize she wasn’t. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Why would you think something is wrong?”

“You’re not smiling.”

“Sorry. Didn’t realize I was supposed to when I step out and hear you sighing a woman’s name that you love.”