6 Close Call (1/2)

Richy and Talia awaken before the dawning sun and make love. Or at least Richy hopes he's making love to her. He's had sex, mated, banged and tapped, but he never even wanted to make love to a woman before. He hopes he's kissing Talia enough, caressing her enough and holding her enough. They talk and laugh as they shower together and wash each other. Breakfast is very interesting for Richy because Talia spends so little time in this house, she doesn't have anything that will spoil. He's never eaten powdered eggs before. And besides the powdered eggs, Talia has powdered milk, deer jerky, jars of nuts, rice, dry beans, dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Talia expertly makes them scrambled eggs from the powdered egg mixture, makes fried corn bread and adds a side of nuts and a slice of deer jerk to their plates. Not a fancy, four star breakfast, yet Richy really enjoys it.

He walks Talia to the garage which he's sure once held at least four vehicles at one time. There are four skylights in the garage roof to allow sunlight in to keep solar powered vehicles charged. And when Richy sees her car, he's surprised for a moment by how practical it is when she can afford any vehicle she desires. Then he thinks for a moment about Talia and her choice in a vehicle makes sense. The five passenger, solar powered, mid-sized sedan makes sense because she is practical, conservative and thrifty. She's not a wasteful person, nor a glory hound looking to be the center of attention.

Richy kisses Talia deeply and request of her, ”Call me later. I'll meet you for lunch tomorrow.”

Talia responds with a simple nod of agreement because there's something she needs to say, except she doesn't know what it is. And when Richy opens her driver's door, she slips behind the driver's wheel feeling like she should say something, but not knowing what it is she needs to say.

She turns in the direction of Megalopolis as she pulls out of the driveway and Richy turns in the opposite direction to head back to Bayberry Falls. And when Richy's vehicle disappears from her review mirror, the silent tears start to flow from her eyes. She doesn't know why she's crying, just that she is.

By the time she reaches Megalopolis two hours later, Talia's fine. She has regained her composure and is ready to get to work. Arriving at Devonshire Tower is very different experience from showing up for a visit at one of her tribe's sites. The valet has a crush on her, so he always blushes when he greets her. The doorman always has a warm welcoming hug for her. Here, Talia gets lots of hugs and most of them are genuine. But a few are just for show to keep up social appearances.

Devonshire Tower is one of the few major corporate buildings that doesn't have a no shirt, no shoes, no service policy in Megalopolis. Besides the three floors that hold Devonshire World Law's headquarters, a number of other companies have offices or stores located in Devonshire Tower including a major phone company, a family practice clinic, an eye-care facility with two optometrists on duty seven days a week, a twenty-four hour fitness center, a twenty-four hour daycare center, several floors of hotel rooms and the top several levels of the building are apartments: efficiencies to penthouse suites and Talia has her own bedroom in her Uncle Bob's suite. If you live and work in Devonshire tower, you almost never have to leave.

Talia is well received in the accounting department, not that anyone in their right mind that works for Devonshire World Law would dare be rude to her. But everyone in accounting genuinely misses her while she's gone. They've all learned to keep track of the moon's cycles and get excited when they know she's coming, and they don't slack-off while she's gone. Talia's not a slave driver, but she has an eye for detail and wouldn't miss it if they were behind. And if the books are error free, Talia will give the whole department a bonus in their next paycheck.

Talia is in her office sitting behind her desk by 8:30am. The accounting department hours are from 9am to 5pm. And normally she would have been here by 8am. Her administrative assistant, Jude, brings her a cup of pero just the way she likes it, heavy on the cream and sugar.

”Good morning,” Jude greets Talia as she sits the mug of pero heavy on the cream and sugar down on Talia's desk.

”Good morning, Jude,” Talia returns her greeting without taking her eyes off the numbers scrolling up the monitor screen as she picks up the pero and takes a sip. ”Thank you, it's perfect.”

”How are the numbers looking,” ask Jude.

”Good,” answers Talia as she pushes a length of her hair back over her shoulder.

With the length of hair pushed back, Jude notices a mark on Talia's neck. ”Ms. Devonshire,” she reaches out to touch the mark concerned, but just as she actually touches it she realizes surprised, ”you have a hickey.”

”What,” asks Talia putting her hand over the spot Jude touched.

Jude rushes out to her desk and comes back with a compact from her purse. She holds the mirror out to Talia. ”You have a hickey,” she states with decisiveness.

Talia takes the mirror from Jude and looks at the mark Richy left on her neck. Talia gasp as she remembers the sweet suction Richy used on her neck there.

”What do I do,” Talia asks Jude. She's never had a hickey before.

”Nothing,” Jude explains, ”it'll fade on its own like a bruise. If you don't want anyone to see it, you could wear a turtle neck sweater.”

Talia opens her mouth, shuts it, opens it and shuts it again. She finally says, ”I don't own a turtleneck sweater.”

”I didn't mean to upset you. I was just surprised.” Jude smiles at Talia. ”It's your first, isn't it?”

Talia blushes embarrassed as she nods yes.

Jude sits on Talia's desk and pats the space next to her. ”Tell me about him. Anyone I know?”

Talia gets up from her chair and slides on the desk next to Jude. She shares, ”He's from a small town not far from my home called Bayberry Falls. I only met him quite recently. I think it's highly unlikely you've ever met him.”

”Is he good looking,” asks Jude.

Talia answers, ”I think so.”

”Good golly, woman, getting info from you is like pulling teeth. What does he look like? What does he do for a living? Give me details,” insists Jude.

As tears begin to well up in Talia's eyes, she takes Jude's hand and says apologetically, ”I don't mean to be tight lipped. This all brand new for me… Richy's my first… everything basically.”

”Everything,” says Jude in disbelief.

Talia nods yes as she confirms, ”Pretty much, yeah.”

That just seems impossible to Jude as she tells Talia, ”But you're so amazingly beautiful and intelligent. You dated that jerk, Lance, for years. None of us could figure out what you ever saw in him and were greatly relieved you were smart enough not to marry him.”

Talia shares what she saw in Lance, ”I never saw any type of a future with Lance. I just needed someone for social events: charity dinners and balls. I always knew all he saw when he looked at me were dollar signs, his ticket to the sweet life since his family basically cut him off. Only there hasn't been much sweet to my life until now. Everything with Richy is so brand new and I have no real experience. I feel like I'm drowning. I've never been so scared, confused and excited before in my whole life.”

Jude smiles empathetically as she tells Talia, ”It never occurred to me that your life could be difficult or lonely. People seeing dollar signs when they look at you instead of you, no wonder you don't want to live here full-time. But look at you now, honey, you're in love.”

The notion of being in love surprises Talia. She hadn't considered it. It just may explain why she cried part of the way as she drove here this morning. She hears some footsteps and a couple of voices. She looks over her shoulder and out through her office door. ”We should get back to work. Order lunch for everyone on me, whatever they want.”

Jude heads for her desk just outside Talia's office door, ”You got it, boss.”

Talia was expecting to have lunch with her staff in their lunch room, when her uncle steps into her office. Talia looks up from her facts and figures and says, ”Yes, sir?”

Uncle Bob gets right to the point. ”I'ld like you to join me for lunch, please.”

”Yes, sir,” she responds affirmatively. Then her hands dance over her keypad for a couple more moments. When she's finished, she stands and joins her uncle. She informs her administrative assistant as she passes her desk, ”Jude, I'm going out for lunch.”

”Yes, Ms. Devonshire,” Jude responds respectfully. But she's disappointed that Talia won't be having lunch with them after she was nice enough to treat them.

”I'm sorry to drag you away from your staff,” Uncle Bob apologizes as he takes Talia's hand as if she were still a little girl. ”I know they miss you while you're gone.”

”Actually,” admits Talia relieved, ”you saved me from a game of twenty questions during lunch.”

”Really,” says Uncle Bob curious as he activates the down arrow for the elevator.

Talia informs him in a whisper, ”I have a hickey. I didn't know I had it until Jude noticed it this morning. Now they all want to ask me a bunch of nosy questions.”

Uncle Bob chuckles amused. He tells the elevator after they step inside, ”Ground Floor.” Then he reminds Talia, ”That one young man on your staff, Craig, runs in some of the same circles as your ex-beau, Lance. It'll be interesting to see how Lance reacts to the news that you are officially seeing someone else. He stopped by here last week and asked for you. After you walked out on his proposal, he stopped by every week for a while looking for you. Now we won't see him for a couple of months if he's seeing someone. But when that ends, he'll stop by trying to catch you in.”

”Whatever for,” asks Talia as she steps off the elevator with her uncle.

”I know Lance mostly sees dollar signs when he looks at you,” Uncle Bob leading the way to the Asian cuisine restaurant in the tower, ”but, I think in his own way he actually cares for you too.”

”How many,” asks the host for the restaurant.

Uncle Bob answers, ”Two, please. A quiet spot, please.”

”Yes, sir,” the host responds, ”follow me.”

Talia and her uncle take their seats at a small table at the back near the kitchen. They thank the host and look over the menu. The waitperson brings glasses of ice water and takes their order.

”You look like something's on your mind,” Talia tells her uncle.

Uncle Bob nods yes. ”This probably could wait until this evening, but Kershaw and Brown know you're in town. They saw you pull up in front of the tower this morning and plan on swinging by to pick you up for dinner. They're undoubtedly extremely grateful they didn't have to face us in court.”

Talia sighs, ”They always want to go somewhere that requires shoes.”

Uncle Bob smiles at her. ”You'll survive their attention. They respect and admire you. And following your advice has helped them win a number of cases.”

”So what's on your mind,” ask Talia.

”When I saw your young sheriff has the gift,” Uncle Bob explains, ”I remembered a conversation I had with your grandfather shortly after he lost your grandmother. He was so heart sick because he believed she could have saved herself. He said if she had used the gift, most of her injuries would have healed instantly…”

Talia and her uncle are quiet as the waitperson places their meals on the table. They thank the waitperson and wait until they're alone again to resume the conversation.

Talia leans over her food and she says in a whisper, ”Perhaps… I only know what I was taught by my parents and grandmother. Some things, very minor things may have healed almost instantly. But the severity of the injury… if severe enough, it could make using the gift difficult, impossible or uncontrollable.”

Uncle Bob is also leaning over his food. His voice is soft and low as he tells her, ”Reynold believed she would have lived if she used her gift.”

”Here in the city, in a car accident surrounded by domesticated on lookers.” Talia shakes her head. ”Even if she could have used her gift to help herself she wouldn't have. Too many domesticated people fear us as it is. Something like that would cause a panic. They would go back to trying to wipe us off the face of the earth.”

Uncle Bob knows what Talia is saying is true but his concern is her. ”I'm just worried about you. That Wilson woman is unstable. She's been after your young sheriff for years, and then you appear from out of nowhere and snag him. Domesticated men may not be sensitive to scents, but they all know what a hickey is. He made sure every man you come in contact with while you're here knows you're seeing someone.

Mrs. Wilson will be stewing in her juices when she realizes she's about to lose the man she's been using to stay near the one she really wants. And she's going to blame you. Unstable people like her can be dangerous. My ex-wife made our two sons worthless by over indulging them. They both dropped out of college. Neither is capable of taking on the responsibility of this corporation after I'm gone.”

Talia can't stand the thought of losing her uncle. ”Uncle Bob, don't talk like that.”

Uncle Bob takes her hands. ”Don't be afraid to use your gift to protect yourself or help yourself heal if you're injured. I'll make sure any domesticated person that sees knows to keep their mouth shut or I'll have them institutionalized in the looney bin for the rest of their natural life.”

”Well,” says Talia sitting back in her chair, ”let's hope it never comes to that.”

Uncle Bob can see Talia is uncomfortable with the conversation even if he can't smell it. He redirects the conversation to business. ”I'm having the Notice of Divorce delivered to Sheila Wilson either tomorrow or the next day, within the next couple of days at least.”

”She wasn't home when Richy took Cougar to get his things,” Talia informs her uncle. ”So it'll probably be a shock. And Cougar told Richy he's worried about losing his house. His mother left it to him.”

Uncle Bob reminds her, ”Items left to one whether before or after the marriage are not community property unless left to both spouses. She has no claim on his mother's house.”

Talia nods her agreement with her uncle. ”I told Richy to tell Cougar not to worry about it. He won't lose his momma's house.”

”But this does give us the opportunity to be generous to her. We could insist she vacate the property immediately. Yet because of the pregnancy, we'll give her until the birth of the child to vacate. That's more than enough time to find herself a house or apartment. We don't want to seem cruel or uncaring. And he won't need to find his own place because he already owns a home. He can stay with friends or family until she vacates the home they've been sharing,” says Uncle Bob. ”I'll need to amend the Notice of Divorce slightly before it's delivered.”

”He'll be at Richy's,” Talia informs her uncle.

Uncle Bob nods his understanding. ”I've been looking into their finances. Sheila Wilson is financially well off. I'll be able to get child support and alimony for your friend. In the meantime, she has plenty of time to procure a place of her own nearby if she wants to visit their child, supervised of course. I wouldn't leave that woman alone with a dead cat, let alone a helpless infant or child.”

”At least it won't take long,” says Talia relieved. ”I can't believe proceedings like these used to take years.”

”It must have been terrible,” says Uncle Bob sipping his ice water, ”dragging a divorce out two, three, four years, sometimes longer. A divorce is painful enough without dragging it out forever. But if one spouse was uncooperative, refusing to sign paper work, trying to hold pets or children hostage, trying to take their spouse under financially, ruin their reputation with false allegations of abuse, goodness it must of seemed hopeless to some people.”

”Cruel and unusual torture,” says Talia shaking her head. ”I don't like law. It's an ever evolving ever changing thing. The rules aren't constant. What we agree on today, we may not agree on tomorrow.”

”Well, hopefully things continue to improve as it evolves,” responds Uncle Bob.

The rest of the day is business as usual. Talia leaves the office at 5:30pm and heads up to her uncles penthouse. Kershaw and Brown ring the bell at six and Talia slips on a pair of shoes. They drag her to Club Class A, a combination bar and restaurant with a nice dance floor. Talia thinks it might be a nice place to visit with Richy. The food is good, but over priced in Talia's opinion. The dining tables are situated so you're not over whelmed by music or people walking to and from the dance floor while you're eating. Plus, Talia loves music and dancing. She would love to go dancing with Richy.

By eight o'clock, it's obvious to Talia that Kershaw and Brown plan to make a night of it. Kershaw has already had too much to drink and is getting a little to touchy-feely with her on the dance floor. By 8:30 she's calling for a cab. And by nine, she's on her way back to Devonshire Tower. The best part of the day is her phone call to Richy during her cab ride.

Richy sounds anxious as he answers his phone asking, ”Is everything alright?”

The cabby watches the lovely lady fare smile as she says into her phone, ”You miss me.”

The anxious worry flees Richy and he smiles as he says, ”You don't have to sound so happy about it.”

”How do you want me to feel about it,” asks Talia with an amused pout. ”It's not like I don't miss you.” She slips her shoes off as she sits on the back seat of the cab and places them on her lap.

”Good,” responds Richy happily, ”I'm glad you miss me. You just might miss me as much as I miss you.”

”Well, however I'm feeling,” Talia tells Richy, ”I try not to torture my staff with it. Although, they did find the hickey on my neck quite interesting, it kind of ruins the business woman look I portray while I'm here at work.”

The cab pulls in front of Devonshire Tower and the cabby announces, ”We're here, Miss.”

”Just a minute Richy,” requests Talia. She passes her check card over the cabby's scanner and over tips him. The evening doorperson opens the cab door for her and she climbs out. Then she thanks the doorperson for holding the building door for her.

”OK,” she tells Richy, ”heading for the elevators.”

”What was that about,” asks Richy curious.

Talia answers as she passes her hand over the up arrow, ”Just paying the cab driver and thanking the doorperson.”

”Where were you,” ask Richy a little concerned.

Talia steps onto the elevator and calls out ”penthouse.” She explains to Richy, ”Kershaw and Brown dragged me to a place called Club Class A. I had to wear shoes.”

”My poor baby,” Richy sympathizes. ”So other than having to wear shoes, how was Club Class A?”

”Expensive,” answers Talia, ”I'm glad I wasn't paying. I despise wasteful spending. But the food was good, nice dance floor and good music. Still, it would have been more fun if I had been with you.” Talia steps off the elevator onto the penthouse floor. At her uncle's door, she scans her hand to let herself in and shuts the door behind her. She goes straight to her room as she's telling him, ”If you had been with me, it would have been worth wearing shoes.”

Richy realizes he has yet to take Talia on a date. ”Me and you are just gonna have to make sure we go out for dinner and dancing after you get back.”

”Are you going to make it out here for lunch with me tomorrow,” asks Talia missing him badly.

”Margie has gladly given me tomorrow off,” Richy informs Talia.

”That poor woman must hate me already,” Talia says as she stretches out on her bed.

”Naw,” says Richy. He knows Margie likes Talia very much.

Talia sighs, ”I don't know how I'm going to get any sleep tonight.”

”What's wrong,” ask Richy.

”Your scent isn't on anything here,” complains Talia. ”At least you have my scent in your bed.”

”Maybe we can fix that while I'm there for lunch tomorrow,” Richy says suggestively.

Talia smiles because she knows just how he wants to share his scent with her. But she's tired. She's had a long day. ”In any case, I need to get off this phone and try to get some sleep. Sleep well, Richy.”

”I'll see you tomorrow Talia,” and Richy reluctantly ends the call. He knows Talia will be fighting to get to sleep. He was relieved to hear her voice and know she's fine.

Talia didn't sleep very well. She tossed and turned and slept very little. She's at her desk in her office with a mug of pero and a sausage egg and cheese whole wheat bagel working by eight am. Her administrative assistant Jude arrives at 8:30 am. And it's obvious to Jude that Talia didn't sleep well. The rest of her staff begins filtering in about 8:40 am. Talia concentrates on her work and ignores the clock. Watching the clock won't make Richy arrive faster.

Richy pulls up in front of Devonshire Tower just before 11:30 am in his own personal vintage vehicle. The Sheriff's vehicle he spends most of his time driving is sitting in his driveway getting the day off.

The valet's eyes light up at the sight of the vintage sportster. He tells Richy, ”Sir, this is spectacular.”

Richy grabs the picnic basket and bouquet from the passenger seat beside him. Then he tells the valet firmly as he hands him his key, ”Don't get any ideas.”

”No, sir, of course not,” responds the valet honestly.

The doorman pulls the door open for Richy and comments with a welcoming smile, ”Here for someone special I see.”

Richy gives the more mature man an affirmative nod and says ”Yes. Thank you.”

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Richy goes straight to the elevators. Talia gave him the floor number and her office location as they ate breakfast the morning she left for work. So he knows where he's going.

When he steps through the accounting department's doors, there's nearly an all stop as they all pause to look at the strange man who looks as if he's lost in his jeans and flip-flops carrying a picnic basket and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. But Richy doesn't pay any attention to their stares. He walks straight past Talia's administrative assistant as she's asking, ”Sir, may I help you?” Except Richy doesn't answer her because he has Talia's scent. Even if her name wasn't on the door, he would still know she was behind it. So he doesn't hesitate to open the door, stride into her office and close the door behind himself without a word.

”I'm sorry, I need to go now,” Talia apologizes to her caller. She hangs up the phone on her desk and steps out from behind the desk as Richy strides across her office to her.

Richy sets the picnic basket with the bouquet of flowers on the desk as he pulls Talia against himself. He inhales her scent deeply, taste the tender sensitive skin below her ear and is pleased by the shudder that runs through her body as her mouth exhales a soft moan.

Jude sits at her desk in shock for a moment. She certainly didn't miss how beautiful the man was that just barged through and into Talia's office. She considers calling security for a moment, but she remembers Talia mentioning she would be having lunch with a friend today. So she decides to wait on calling security just in case this is the friend and motions two young men over to her from her desk.

As the two young men step over to her, Jude tells them, ”Just look tough.” It hasn't occurred to her that she hasn't heard Talia scream or anything as she opens the door to Talia's office with the two young men behind her. She takes a step into Talia's office and freezes at the sight of her boss in the middle of an extremely passionate embrace with the beautiful strange man as she unconsciously says softly, ”Oh my.” He even has a hand under Talia's blouse.

Jude takes a step backward right back out of Talia's office and shuts the door. Her face is red as she shoos the two young men back to their desks. During the years Talia was dating Lance, Jude never witnessed anything but the chastest of kisses. Jude wonders how she ever thought Talia was seriously interested in that idiot.

The office door opening, a person stepping in, back out and the door reclosing barely registers with Richy. The scents of the two young men just outside the door registers enough for him to growl as he continues to kiss Talia. What does register with Talia is Jude's ”Oh my.” So a moment after the door closes, Talia breaks the kiss and puts a hand over the hand kneading her breast under her blouse causing Richy to groan frustratedly.

Talia's look is soft and understanding as she reminds Richy, ”My staff is right on the other side of that door and they're all domesticated. They respect me and I need to keep their respect.”

Richy nods his understanding as he sadly removes his hand from her breast and out from under her blouse.

”Are these for me,” Talia asks as she picks up the bouquet of flowers.

Richy smiles boyishly as he answers, ”Yeah, of course.”

Talia inhales the fragrant scent of the flowers. ”They're beautiful. You cut them yourself, didn't you?”

”Yes, I did,” answers Richy picking up the picnic basket. ”I made lunch too, or at least I did most of it myself. I'm not very good at potato salad. I got help from my aunt there.”

Talia takes Richy's free hand and leads him to the door. ”I'm sure everything is wonderful.”

Richy opens the door for Talia. ”Of course everything's wonderful. I wouldn't feed you bad food.” He closes the door behind him.

”I wouldn't eat it either,” as she pauses by Jude's desk and retakes his hand. ”Richy this is Jude Lawson. She's my right hand here.”

Richy puts out his hand and Jude takes, but her eye contact is weak and her face is red. Richy is thoroughly amused. He just puts on his good old boy smile and introduces himself as he shakes her hand, ”Sheriff Richard Griffin of Bayberry Falls, ma'am.”

Normally Jude gives a better hand shake, except she's wondering if it's the same hand that was fondling her boss's breast. ”Good to meet you, sir.”

”Just Richy's fine, ma'am.”

Talia smiles as she reclaims Richy's hand and informs Jude, ”I'm out to lunch.”

Jude responds with a confirmation nod as she says, ”Yes, Ms. Devonshire.”

As Talia and Richy are leaving the accounting department, they pass the desks of the two young men that were outside the door behind Jude when she opened it. Richy recognizes their scents and emits a low growl at them.

”Richy, don't be rude,” request Talia as she pulls him out into the hall.

”I wasn't being rude,” Richy insist. ”It was just a little warning.”

Talia passes her hand over the up sensor and the doors to an elevator slide open a moment later. They step into the elevator and Talia calls out ”penthouse.” The elevator doors slide closed. She leans against Richy and smells her flowers as Richy smells her hair. He smiles as he pulls her hair back from off her neck revealing the hickey he put there.