Sound Advice (Sensations Collection #1) (11 page)

I WAS CLEANING the garage late one afternoon when I came across a box of old cloth wires and tools that looked electrical in nature. I had no idea what any of these materials could be for, but I immediately thought of Jess and the radio. I put everything in a larger box and decided to walk to the shop for the second time that day. I enjoyed the brief time away from working so hard.

It looked like rain. The sky was dark with clouds and the humidity hung heavy, but I thought I could make it there and back quickly. I took a lightweight rain jacket out of Nana’s closet and draped it over the box because it was too warm to put on. The box was more cumbersome than I thought and the mile walk was slow going. As I struggled, I felt occasional water-drops, then a drizzle, and finally a steady stream of rain coming down. By the time I reached the repair shop, I was soaked and the coat had a puddle of water on top of it as it protected the box of wires.

Jess was holding the door open just like he had the first day I met him as if he knew I was coming and I quickly walked the last steps to stand under the small awning that protected the front entrance. In order to be under the overhang, I had to be close to Jess and for whatever reason, neither of us moved indoors. Jess leaned against the door, which was held in place by a stopper, and I held the box of electrical supplies between us.

“What’s this?”

“I have no idea, but I found all this in the garage at Nana’s. I thought it might help with the radio.”

Jess pulled the coat off the box and water sprayed everywhere. I was already wet, but Jess apologized anyway. He rumbled through the box, saying, “
Cool”
and “
Okay, good
.” He was like a kid discovering buried treasure in the sand. I was shivering when he looked up at me, and he took both his hands to wipe water off of me from the top of my shoulders down to my elbows. I started to shake more, and it was not from the cool rain. I felt his warmth everywhere and I hated how my body kept responding to him. His rare moments of touch made my heart beat faster, and graphic images immediately popped into my head whenever I was on the receiving end of these intimate gestures. I was standing too close to him with only the box between us, and I was breathing heavily more from nerves than from the walk.

Jess pushed my wet hair back next. First one side behind my ear, then the other, and let the back of his hand trace down my neck before his palm wiped my arm again. I was sure I let out an audible sigh. I needed to stop thinking about him, his touch, and where I wanted it to be. My breath was becoming shallow and I knew my chest was visibly moving up and down in my heightened awareness of him. I held his denim gaze, and I swallowed hard as my mouth watered with desire to kiss him.

“Why don’t you two come inside?” A voice broke both of our trances. Tom Carter stood behind the counter, tool in one hand inserted into a gadget in the other. He was looking at both of us with a crooked smile.

“Or I could just leave you two alone. I might suggest removing the box between you, though,” he laughed.

Now I was blushing deeply. Jess stayed calm and rolled his eyes. He offered to take the box from me and continued to hold the door open as he gestured with his head for me to walk inside.

“Well, what do we have here? Cookies?” Tom asked as Jess walked through the swing door in the counter.

“No, I found this box of stuff in the garage and I thought it might help with repairing the radio for my grandmother.”

Tom looked around at the shelves of wires, tools, and gadgets they had behind the work stations.

“Just what we need. More stuff,” he said, rolling his eyes. He walked back out of sight to what I assumed was an office area and Jess started pulling items out of the box, placing them on his work bench. He seemed lost in a moment of electrical bliss.

“I guess I’ll see you later,” I finally offered after a few moments of silence. Jess looked up as if he’d forgotten I was there.

“No, you can come on back here for a moment.”

“Are you sure? I don’t have a man-card or anything. Not the right equipment for this place.”

Jess stared at me for a moment.
Again with the flirting
, I thought.
What am I thinking?
But Jess just smiled a slow crooked smile. I rarely saw him smile, and the half turn of his lips made a dimple appear and his eyes sparkled with playful danger.

“Thank goodness you don’t have the plumbing. I’d be a little worried right now.”

I tried not to read meaning into that and walked through the swing door to his workstation. As I approached the bench, my shoes squeaked across the tile floor. Jess’ eyes roamed up and down my soaked body.

“Hang on a second. I’ll be right back.”

He returned in a moment with a black sweatshirt in his hands.

“It might be a bit large, but it’s clean and warm. There’s a washroom in the back if you want to take your shirt off.” As Jess said the words we both froze. I started to laugh nervously.

“Well,” he mumbled, “you know what I mean.”

“I’ll be okay,” I said as I pulled the sweatshirt over the wet t-shirt. After a moment, I thought about how soaked the sweatshirt would get and I did that trick all woman can do where I slipped my arms into the sweatshirt to take off the undergarment, pulling it out the neckline of the shirt. I did it so nonchalantly that I was not aware of Jess’ attention on me when I spoke.

“I was thinking that if these wires don’t work for Nana’s radio, maybe you could rig it or something, with, like, an iPod.”

Jess watched my lips as I rambled, and I suddenly felt self-conscious.

“What?” I asked.

He shook his head slowly. “Nothing,” he replied, but he lips twitched upward again.

“I know you were an engineer, so I am sure you can be creative, right?” I spoke without thinking and Jess stopped his working hands in mid-air. He did not look up at me this time, but continued to stare down at the bench.

“I’m sorry. I just meant…”

“It’s okay,” Jess said. “I knew you knew.”

“How?”

“The night at the bar a few weeks ago. I followed you outside to apologize for acting like an ass, but George Carpenter beat me out there.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” Jess said. “I heard him tell you the whole story of my pathetic life.”

“Jess, I don’t think it’s pathetic.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t. Don’t do this. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

He clenched his jaw in agitation.

“And don’t do that either,” I started. “I know when you clench your jaw you’re getting angry or you’re concentrating. Although at this moment, I bet it’s angry, and you’re getting ready to insult me. Just don’t.” My voice squeaked like I was about to cry.
Damn it
. The emotional rollercoaster with this man was draining me and I was so tired as it was. In the past five minutes, I had gone from desire, to laughter, to flirting, to frustration.

Jess put the tool down next to the wires. “Well, you’re very observant.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m sorry,” Jess said.

“For what?” I sighed.

“For my words at the bar, for eavesdropping, for trying to put words into your mouth.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” He paused. “You looked pretty cozy there with old George, by the way.”

“Be serious.”

“I am.” And I could tell that he just might mean it.

“You’re joking, right?” I laughed once.

“No. He had his arm around you, stroking your shoulder. And then he walked you home with your arm wrapped in his.”

“Are you serious?” I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted.

“I told you. I am.”

“Are you jealous?” I didn’t know where that came from.

“No.”

“Of course not,” I sneered. “Look. It stopped raining and I think I better get back to Nana. I was hoping you could use those things in the box. If not, would you mind throwing them out?” I could feel the stupid tears coming again. The moment was falling apart, and I headed for the washroom he’d pointed out earlier.

“Where are you going?” Jess demanded.

“I need to put my shirt on and give you back your sweatshirt.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Keep the sweatshirt on. I’ll drive you home.”

I wanted to say
don’t bother
, but I bit my tongue. I knew I could give him the silent treatment in the truck and make him suffer, but then again, suffering in silence is what he’d been doing for years.

A young lady can certainly express her interest in a young man in a subtle way through indirect eye contact, but the gentleman should make the first move to be introduced to a young lady through a common acquaintance.

“Matters in Manners,” 1957

THE NEXT FEW days were tense between Jess and me. I continued to come to the shop, but Jess was not always present. The times he was, I ignored him. I talked and signed with Katie. One day she was drawing a birthday cake with flaming candles on a piece of construction paper.

“What’s this? Is it your birthday?”

No
, Katie shook her head.

“Is it my birthday?” I laughed.

I don’t know
, she shrugged.

“Is it your daddy’s birthday?”

Katie smiled and glanced sideways toward her father. She placed a finger in front of her mouth as a signal for quiet as she returned her gaze to me.

Today?
I signed.

Tomorrow
, Katie signed in response.

“Oh, a surprise, huh? Lots of candles on that cake?” I laughed and snuck a quick look over at Jess.

“Hey,” I heard in the background making me flinch, but I refused to look behind the counter again. After three days, even Tom noticed the tension between Jess and I. “Stop it, both of you.”

“What?” Jess said angrily.

“You two are like my girls at home.”

“Shut up, Tom,” Jess said under his breath, but it was Katie who stared at her father now.

I HAD TAKEN over Nana’s dining room as my office space. My laptop was permanently plugged in and I had called a cable company to install cable television and Internet service. The Internet was slow, but Nana loved the new channels on the television. One night while I was working I heard Nana walking around upstairs.

“Nana?” I yelled toward the staircase without getting out of my chair. “You okay?”

Nana didn’t answer. I stopped typing and waited. Then I heard another noise.

“What the hell?” I muttered, standing up and walking toward the stairs.

“Nana?” I called out nervously.

I climbed the steps and opened Nana’s bedroom door slowly. I noticed the sheets pulled back and Nana was out of her bed. I hesitantly walked around the bed, my heart racing as I softly called out again.

“Nana?”

Relieved not to find Nana on the floor, I heard a noise coming from outside the room and I returned to the second floor hall. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the door to my mother’s old room slightly ajar, but there was no light coming through the slit opening. I approached the doorway cautiously.

“Nana?”

As I pushed open the door, I saw Nana struggling to move the rocking chair out of the corner.

“I’m going to see John, and you can’t stop me.”

“Nana!” Pure fear filled my voice.

“I love him. I don’t care what you think of him. I’m going to see him.”

“Nana, what are you talking about? It’s me, Emily. John is not out the window.” I didn’t dare mention that my grandfather had been dead for years.

Nana glanced out the window and back at me with contempt.

“You are just saying that because you want him for yourself.”