Operation: Austin

Chapter Two Part Four

With a smile, he handed her the food and drinks, closed the door, walked around to the driver’s side, and got in. Starting the car, he turned the music down and the air conditioning up, looking at her apologetically. “I’m sorry. I grabbed sub sandwiches in the store before I left for the Airport. I didn’t know about your mouth. They might be hard for you to eat; maybe you can pull them apart and eat something to get you by for a couple of hours? We will stop in Yakima and do some shopping; we can grab something else there if you are hungry.”

“It will be fine,” she replied. “The juices are great, thanks.”

When she talked, she did not move her mouth completely, like someone who had just left the dentist. With the towel on her lap, she started to pull a sandwich apart.

She’s tough, Gary thought. This isn’t the first hardship she has seen in life.

“You eat first,” he offered. “I’ll get us on the road, and when you are done, you can help me.” Pulling out of the parking lot, he headed for the highway.

“Which drink do you want?” she asked.

“Doesn’t matter to me. You pick.”

She kept the Mango Tango, took a drink, opened the Superfood for him, and put it in one of the holders. As she picked at the sandwich, she reached over and turned up the music. GeoM’s remix of ‘Dancer in the Dark’ surrounded them, and she looked up and smiled. “I love this song!” She immediately put her hand over her mouth because it was full. She cast him a sheepish look. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

He chuckled at her. “Yeah, I pulled this soundtrack off a House Mix video and put it on my phone. This is my favorite; you will probably get tired of it.” They worked their way through traffic and onto 84 eastbound. The car accelerated smoothly, and they settled back into their seats for the ride.

She was looking around and studying Gary. She looked at the car, enjoying the music. “If this is the worst of it, I’ll just suffer through,” she said between bites of tomato and turkey.

He glanced over at her, and their eyes met briefly. There it was again, that indescribable chemistry that happens so rarely, an unspoken but completely communicated connection between two people.

She averted her eyes with a blush. It was natural and enchanting. “Thanks again,” she said, just more than a whisper. “If it had not been for John and now you, well, I was in that room imagining what was going to happen to me. I’ve heard stories about that kind of thing, but you never think it will happen to you. I was so terrified. I’m still trying to get my head around it. Everything happened so fast. It was horrible, and now I’m here with you. I don’t even know you, but I feel safe. It makes no sense, and I’m trying to take it all in.”

Her softness, the curve of her cheek, was attractive, even with the bruises. The way her eyes met his in that second of connection, her vulnerability, and, at the same time, her strength. Gary felt his emotions responding on their own, out of his control. This girl could hurt him or save him. The thought was unbidden and a bit shocking. Not being the kind of guy who gets out of control, he was surprised he was giving up a piece of himself to her. It surprised him even more that he was okay with it. They rode in silence for a couple of miles, and when he finally settled into the drive, she handed him part of the sandwich, and he took a bite.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked as they ate. “I’m so grateful, but you don’t even know me!”

The answer did not come quickly. It was not simple, and for some reason, it was important to him that she understood. She waited, knowing he was considering her question.

He started slowly. “I’ve been blessed with a lot. I have more than enough, no matter how you measure it. I feel the need to make a difference, to balance out my wealth. For me, life can’t be about accumulation. It has to do something. Beyond that, I hate what people do to other people.” He paused and looked at her. “I’ve seen some things. Horrible things.”

She could see it in his eyes. He kept up a front, but emptiness and despair lurked just below the surface. All she could do was nod her head, knowing he’d shared something that had impacted him deeply. Again, he paused and looked back to the road ahead. “I hate bullies and abusers. Let’s just say it’s my mission to balance them out. John and I can do that for people.”

He smiled at her again, seemingly wanting to lighten the mood. “Sorry, I know that is kind of heavy. Maybe you just wanted an upbeat answer?” He looked at her again with a slightly sad smile; their eyes met, and the connection was there. He took another bite from his sandwich as she thought about what he had said.

After a moment, she shook her head. “No, I think I get it. I’ve never had anything like that in my life, well, before this. I think if I had, I would feel the same.” She smiled at him, thinking maybe she understood a little. He was doing this because he wanted her, someone he’d never met, to have the life she dreamt of. If he could help make that happen for her, it would make his life meaningful and might help him to conquer his demons.

“How old are you?” she asked cautiously, curious but not wanting to betray the fact that she was interested.

“Thirty-four,” he replied. “And you’re almost nineteen?”

As soon as he spoke, the thought slipped into his mind. Almost half.

The age gap seemed huge when he put it into words. They had known each other for an hour, in the most bizarre of circumstances, yet there was no denying what had begun to happen; they both felt it, were curious, and, at the same time, wary. Strange and stressful circumstances often result in bonding. Shared trauma, or at least drama, builds a common experience, creating a framework for a deeper connection between the victim and the hero.

As he pondered the situation, the fact that she was gorgeous was not exactly a deterrent either. Certainly, it was why she was targeted to begin with. The thought pissed him off, and he could feel the rage again. It was there for him to dial up or down as needed; right then, she needed it dialed down. Also, as his emotions connected to her, his body responded, and he knew she did not need to deal with that!

“I’ll be nineteen in September,” she said. “The 29th.”

“Oh, wow!” he said, smiling. “Mine is the 24th. We will have to do something special.”

That was months away, and he had offered a commitment. She heard it, but it might be one of those things people say, like ‘I’ll call you.’

She smiled and nodded. “Both Libras,” she said, thoughtfully, her eyebrows raised.

“Is that significant?” he asked, not following her point.

“Yes, very,” she replied. “We’re compatible, and it tells me a lot about you.”

He grinned. “Compatible, huh?”

She blushed; she was not implying what he was teasing her about.

“I just mean we will get along okay; we see things the same way.”

He thought her comment was interesting, though. “Like, what do you know about me?”

“Well,” she began. “I know you are very sensual. You love music and nice things. You are very charming and persuasive. You like speaking, and you are very flirtatious, although you mean no harm by it. You work very hard and yet can be lazy about some things. You have limits, and you draw a hard line when they are reached. You love everybody except those who wrong you; you will give them another chance, but once they lose your trust, they can never get it back.”

He was impressed. “You know all of that by my birthdate?”

“Yup,” was her short and confident reply.

He looked at her and smiled. “Flirtatious, huh.”

Her smile was accusing him of flirting right then.

“I’m thinking very,” she affirmed.