PART OF HER WORLD

CHAPTER 5

Asher watched as Sophia left the house walking. He couldn’t help but stare at her butt. This was the first time he saw her in jeans and man, oh man, he thought what a sexy butt she had. Dressed completely different, with the old worn white T-shirt and tattered jeans Asher couldn’t help but find her even more attractive. He waited until she was out of sight for at least fifteen minutes and then headed to the back of her house.

Standing beside Vinnie Callora talking about their sexy house owner was Rick, and as he looked up and spotted Asher, his face paled.

“Look man. Dave gave me the job,” he stuttered out. His black eye was now a gross greenish-yellow as were the finger marks in his throat.

“YOU should have told him no!” Asher said stepping toward him quickly.

“Wow Asher man what the f**k!” Vinnie said in a panic.

“Stay the f**k out of this Vinnie, it’s between me and him,” Asher snarled, and he caught a glimmer of arrogance on Rick’s face.

“Asher listen man, I don’t think it would go over well with Dave and Sophia wouldn’t like it if you kicked the s**t outta me,” Rick said.

“They wouldn’t know."

“Yeah but that cop would,” he said with a smug look on his face. Asher turned around as the police cruiser pulled up into the long driveway that was just visible from here.

Not wanting to get into trouble with the police, Asher slipped off leaving Rick with a warning that he would be seeing him real soon. As the officer went around one side of the house, Asher went to the other and made for his truck. Taking off back to town, he had to wonder why they were there to begin with and what the argument Sophia had with the officer a few days ago was about.

* * *~~~* * *

It was a pleasant, quiet Sunday afternoon and she wanted to go for a little stroll. Her handymen would be finished their work today and she would have to make the bank tomorrow to pay Dave. She thought about asking Asher to take her and smiled at being close to him in his truck. She’d no idea if he liked her romantically yet or not but knew he at least enjoyed her company as a friend.

Sophia fussed with the safety pin as she tried to take them off of her jeans; this was how she labeled her clothing. The number of pins and where they were on an article of clothing told her what color and style it was. Today she was wearing her torn jeans rolled halfway up her calf and an old t-shirt so she could go for a walk to the river just a mile up the road. She loved to go there and just sit on the edge of it and let her feet dangle in the cool water.

Taking the time to go out to tell Richard and Vinnie that she would leave the garage door unlocked so they could use the bathroom or get a pop out of the fridge.

“Thank you, Sophia, do you want someone to walk with you?” Richard asked her in his quiet voice.

“No I’m fine but thank you,” she told him and passed him a piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“That’s my cell number. If you run into a problem or need something, just call me and I can come right back home,” she said before heading off down the road.

Walking toward the river, Sophia breathed in the fresh country air and the sounds of summer that assailed her ears. She loved living out here. It was so much nicer than in the city with its hubbub. She was only a ten-minute drive to the town but still had the benefits of country living. The family’s old summer home had come to her after her parents had passed away and it had been her and Jason’s home.

The sounds of the insects buzzing in the heat reminded her of when she was a little girl and they came here on summer vacation. She and her big sister Maxine would walk down to the river and spend the day playing, swimming, and exploring the surrounding woods. They had pretended to be princesses running from a dragon and a fellow playmate, Alec Brighton was Maxine’s knight in shining armor.

A smile played on her lips remembering all the good times they had here, even though they lived ten minutes away in the big city coming out here to their summer home was as if she traveled a million miles away. Alec had grown up to be a big wig lawyer in New York City and Maxine got married, had three kids and moved to England with her husband, a British journalist she’d met in university.

The last time Maxine was home Sophia had been in a coma and they thought she would die. Maxine had wanted her to move to England with her, so she could take care of her. Sophia said no, she would not leave her home or friends because of being blind. They talked all the time over the Internet with their web cam’s not that it was of any benefit to Sophia, but Maxine seemed to need to see her to ensure she was all right.

The sounds of the river up ahead filled her ears and as her cane made contact with the edge of the bridge. She maneuvered to the left, tapped until she found the big rock, stepped down onto it then tapped until she found the next one and so on until she made the river bank. Sitting down she slipped off her canvas deck shoes and dipped her feet into the water, it was heavenly against her skin, so cool and refreshing. Popping her earphones in, she turned her music on and stretch back in the late afternoon sun and let the breeze wash over her.

A smile played on her lips at what it would be like to bring Asher here, peel off their clothes and go skinny dipping.

“Hey Sophia," She froze at the sound of Jason’s brother's voice.

* * *~~~* * *

Asher hadn’t slept well that night. He kept having nightmares of Rick, Max and Eric finishing what they started in the park with Sophia and he was stuck looking over the scene as if he were some disembodied observer. Several times he woke up in a cold sweat, and finally, he decided sleep would have to wait and he got ready for work. On his way, he stopped and picked up a coffee and a newspaper, seeing as he was almost an hour early for work, he decided to sit where he and Sophia had lunch every day now.

This was becoming a much looked forward to ritual for them. Sophia would come out and sit there a few minutes before the lunch bell and wait for him with a cup of coffee for both of them. Four times he had seen Doctor Davenport making his way over, but Asher had managed to beat him there every time. The good Doc didn’t seem to care for the fact that Asher was spending so much time with his patient as she started making a point to come to chat with him on his fifteen-minute breaks as well.

As he drank his coffee and began to read the paper, a soft crunching in the gravel caught his attention, and turned to see the good Doctor walking up to where he sat.

“Do you mind if I have a word with you,” he said in a neutral tone.

“Yeah if you want,” Asher answered, eyeing the other man warily.

“Thank you, this won’t take long."

“What do you want?”

“You to stay away from Sophia."

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen Doc,” he said with a soft snort.

“Really ... do you honestly think she’s interested in you?" he said as he postured himself to make him look more regal in his suit.

“She’s my friend and if she’s interested in me in any other way that’s her business, not yours,” Asher growled.

“Trust me Sophia is not interested in the likes of you, I’ve known her almost her entire life and she has a habit of taking in strays off the street. She feels sorry for you, don’t you see that. You’re new in town, no friends, family or girlfriend, a loner with no one to hang out with other than the blind girl,” The Doctor declared his eyes narrowing.

Asher let him continue his spiel uninterrupted wanting nothing more than to punch him in the mouth but knowing full well if he did he would be in bigger trouble than just assault. Then that can of worms he so carefully had sealed would be spilled and the truth would be laid out in front of Sophia and he couldn’t have that happen.

“Besides she is so far out of your class range that you’d need an oxygen mask just to keep up. Her social standing is not ... how would one say this ...  ah yes defined by beer, s*x and Monday night football. So why don’t you do us all a favor and find a pregnant trailer park girl to shack up with,” The Doctor ended his statement with a smug look of superiority that Asher had always hated.

It reminded him of the snobs growing up who always looked down on him and his family because they were poor.

“Look I can tell you want to get into her pants buddy and if it was you she wanted to get in them; she'd be eating in your office not sharing her lunch box with me!" he emphasized on the ‘lunch box’ raising one eyebrow as he said it.

Asher knew he just made it sound as if Sophia was sleeping with him and by the look of outrage on the doctor’s face, he took it that way too. It had been a childish thing for him to do and as the bell sounded for work, he stormed off leaving the doctor to believe in what Asher only wished was true. All morning he fumed about how the doc had been such an arrogant ass thinking he was so much better than Asher and as dinner time rolled around his mood had changed little. Sophia hadn’t shown up yet and he sat down and waited thinking she was just running late again. Ten minutes, fifteen, and then thirty minutes passed, and still no sign of her.

By the time his shift had ended, Sophia had still not shown up and Asher decided to swing by her place before he went home and check in on her. He had to keep checking his speed as he was anxious and driving a little fast. As he made the driveway, his hands began to sweat, something they hadn’t done since high school. He walked to the door a bundle of nerves.

“What the hell am I doing?" he mumbled as he paused outside the door. He had little doubt he would ever be part of her world.

His own doubts about his worth made him turn to leave. The front door opened and he glanced over his shoulder.  Sophia peeked her head out the door.

“Asher ... is that you?" she asked quizzically.

“Ok how the hell did you know it was me, I didn’t even say anything!" he asked a little surprised. She smiled from ear to ear as she stepped outside in a navy blue bathing suit top and cut off denim shorts that clung to her luscious hips and his mind went completely blank as he went completely hard. WOW is all his mind could think as she stood there before him smiling with her freckled cheeks and a splash of freckles across her chest. Then he spotted the light bruises on both her arms and as he eyed her closer, he could see some on her legs as well. Then the small scrape on her forehead and the slightly fat lip, she looked as if someone roughed her up. His hand turned into a balled fist out of reflex.

* * *~~~* * *

Sophia grew self-conscious of herself as she passed Asher a glass of water. She wasn’t sure what she looked like in the bathing suit top and shorts, but it was so hot out that she didn’t want to wear something that covered her up.

“You sure all you want is a glass of water?" she asked.

“Yeah, listen can I ask you something?”

“Sure."

“What happened to you, you’re all banged up,” he asked, and she could hear the tension and suspicion in his voice. Like so many times before Sophia put on her poker face and acted as if nothing was wrong and then lied.

“I went for a tumble down by the river on Sunday,” she told him, throwing a grain of truth into the lie for good measure. How sad she thought that she would be so accustomed to protecting people who hit her.

When Jimmy found her by the river, he demanded she drop the petition for a divorce from his brother again. They argued, it got heated and when she said she would slap a restraining order on him, he became furious and slapped her across the mouth. It had been just hard enough to knock her off balance and she tumbled down the embankment, landing on the rocks in the water. Jimmy dragged her out and apologized over and over. He sounded just like Jason had in the beginning.

Subconsciously, she could sense Asher’s gaze on her. For the first time in a long time, it was as if she was a battered housewife again and she didn’t care for it.

“Sophia you would tell me if something was wrong wouldn’t you?" he asked, the tone of his voice told her he didn’t believe her.

“I’m fine really, just a bad tumble," she said.

“Well you know if you need to talk, I’m a great listener,” he told her making her feel good and bad all at once.

She knew all too well he was her hero and that he didn’t think he was.

“There you are being my hero again!" she told him with a smile and she blushed as she said it, blushing was something that happened a lot with her and she hated it. However, this time it was different as the warmth flowed from her belly all the way to her face. No man had ever made her turn that red before.

His clothes rustled softly as he stood up. The gentle clinch of the glass on the coffee table told her he had put his drink down. She could sense his presence near her. Sophia's heart raced wildly in her chest hoping beyond all hope that he was going to kiss her.

“I need to get going Sophia, are you going to be at the center tomorrow?" he asked and her heart dropped in disappointment.

“Oh yeah  ...  I’m sorry I didn’t get there today. The guys for Knight Guardian were by today, I’m really glad you suggested them”

“Oh good, so when is it going to be installed?”

“Tomorrow so I won’t be at the center again, but if you want to drop by for lunch, I can whip us up some soup and sandwiches,” she told him.

“That sounds great. I’ll bring the paper too,” he said and she smiled. She loved having him read the newspaper for her. Sophia could listen to it on her computer with her accessibility features, but it wasn’t the same as Asher’s deep sexy voice telling her the latest events.

After he left Sophia called Margaret to see if she could take her to do her groceries, it was a ritual they did once a week on Friday. However, as she was having dinner quests on Thursday, she wanted to go a little earlier and Margret had thought it was a great idea to go shopping.

The two women made their way up and down the store aisles chatting away as Margret helped her to pick out what she needed.

“So you really like him,” Margret asked.

“Yes I do, he likes the outdoors, dogs, a cold beer, and the simple things in life,” she said with a huge smile.

“So ask him out.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” Sophia giggled at the idea.

“Why not, it's not like women don’t ask guys out all the time, it’s not a new concept.”

“But I don’t know if he likes me like that, I know he cares for me as a friend and I feel as if I can tell him anything. Well, almost anything. I haven’t told him about Jason,” Sophia said and pictured the scowl on her friend's face.

“Sophia that’s not something you should hide, I mean he is being released in a few days."

“I know but ... I hate the idea of him feeling sorry for me. To be honest that might be the only reason he hangs around me. I don’t honestly know, it’s not as if I can see his facial expressions or anything!" she said as she sniffed a large round fruit and knew it was a big orange. Maybe a fruit plate for dessert would be good for her lunch tomorrow afternoon with Asher she thought.

“I’m sure he likes you just for you Sophia, don’t cut yourself short. Um Did you want the kiwis too?" she asked as Sophia fumbled with two different round fuzzy fruits but was unable to tell the difference.

“Yes please, I need two of them."

“Your right hand had a kiwi the left had a fuzzy brown thing that I can’t pronounce,” she laughed. Sophia was still not used to all the differences in the foods she was buying. Margret had been a great friend always being there to help her out.

“What on earth are you making for supper tomorrow night? It looks as if you’re going to feed an army," she exclaimed teasingly.

“Oh well Dave and Clarisse are coming for supper tomorrow night and Asher is dropping over for lunch, but I was going to bring the leftover from supper for a treat on Friday at dinner time to share with him,” she said as her face heated in a blush.

“Really, I tell you what I’ll pick you up on Friday and we’ll go shopping. I need a new dress for church and then I can take you to the center around lunchtime and you can introduce me to this Asher and I will tell you if he seems as if  he likes you or not."

“Oh, Margret you don’t have to do that!”

“Yes, I do  ... I really need a new dress!" she giggled as they continue to shop.

By the time she got home and had showered and was ready for bed Sophia was wiped out. Walking into her bedroom, she grew uneasy, she stopped just before she was about to disrobe. A creepy sensation of being watched flowed over her. She stood there listening to her heart roaring in her ears making it hard for her to use that sense.

Tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t take much more of this paranoia, and she decided to call Margret's husband Todd. She knew he would come and take a look around for her. She reached for her phone on the night table, it wasn’t there.  Searching around she found it, the handset was moved just enough for her to realize someone had been in her room.