What Kind of Man #3
“Lilly!” Simo nearly shouted, then calmed his voice to a quiet whisper just loud enough for Lilly to hear. “Here is what kind of man I am… I put a bullet into a woman’s back, killing her, five days ago.”
“What?” She gasped. “No… no, that can’t be!”
Simo nodded solemnly. He saw that part of Lilly wanted to run, yet another part of her made her stay. What she said next surprised him.
Lilly put her hands on her hips and looked him directly in the eye. “Explain it then. I know you, Simo. There is more to what you said than what you’re telling me. I know it!”
Simo shook his head as if clearing it. Normally, he would have just left her standing there.
He was not able to discuss details. But, since he went soft and spilled his guts, he would tell her what he could.
“Sit down.” He pointed at the booth they recently vacated. She did, and he sat across from her.
“I was on a mission. It was dark and the environment was… not ideal. A man I was protecting thought this woman was his wife. She wasn’t.” Simo watched her hand reach across the table and rest on his. “And?”
“I shot her. The bomb she was hiding exploded before she could reach her intended target.”
“Oh my God… Simo. I am so sorry! See! I knew it. You are not what you are thinking you are.” She looked at him as he watched her.
She saw the distance in his eyes regarding her.
She knew what Simo’s ex-wife must have felt…
not knowing if this scary, sexy man would come home at the end of the day.
She asked herself if she could live with that knowledge.
She felt that she would have to trust God, or fate, to bring a man like Simo home every night.
But… then there was this Eleni, and now Jessie was coming back into the life of the man she had fallen for.
She considered: could she bide her time and compete for his heart?
She gave Simo her best smile. “I would trust you to come back home to me. If that is what you decided… to be with me, that is.” She gave his hand a squeeze.
“I’m here for you whenever you need me. If I am across the world and you ever need me, I’ll be on the next plane.
I want you to know this. I understand what you do, and I think you know exactly how I feel about you.
So… I’ll let you get back to work. I feel the distance you are trying to put up, but you can’t get rid of me that easily.
” She smiled as she got up, stepped over to him, and placed her most delicious kiss on his sexy lips.
Then, with a smile and a caress of his surprised face, she turned and left.
Simo stared after her as she walked away. He wanted to run away or break something at the revelation she revealed about his ongoing dreams.
“Simo?” Theo interrupted.
Simo spun and saw Theo standing off to the side, concern written all over his face. Simo shook his head and turned away from Theo. As he expected, Theo sat down where Lilly had just been.
“Lilly had been calling me asking when you would return. I had to tell her. What is the matter?”
Simo stared hard at Theo and replied, “She wants it all. I had to tell her… something. I told her something I shouldn’t have. I thought it would make her leave. It didn’t. I even told her about Eleni coming and me going to Jessie’s graduation. She refused to get it…”
“I thought you liked her… It’s been a while since you saw her last.”
“Theo, dammit. I don’t want a relationship. I nearly was killed twice last time out…”
“What? What happened?”
“Nothing. I just want to forget it… I just wish Lilly would go away on another tour.”
“Then tell her.” Simo didn’t reply. After a quiet moment, Theo continued. “What’s with Jessie?”
“Fuck…” Simo sighed. “Mike Booker keeps on me about going to Jessie’s graduation thing. I guess she is all alone. Hell, she got shot again.” Simo shook his big head.
“She ok?”
“Yeah.”
“I see…”
“See what?”
“Oh, that you are blind.”
“Stop. Ok? I don’t need a therapist.”
“You need a friend, and I am right here.” Theo punctuated his statement by jabbing his finger on Simo’s chest.
“Theo… thank you, but just stop. Listen, there is something going on in Miami. Ari sounds all wrong and Deepa won’t budge on any information. Have you heard from Becky?”
“Oh. No. Want me to text her?”
“Fine. Where is Chen? I haven’t had time to call him…”
“I know he’s not here; neither is Gunnar…”
“Fuck. I leave for three weeks and everything falls apart.”
“I’m texting Becky.” Theo pulled out his phone and fired off a text. They waited in silence, but no text was returned. “Maybe she is busy. It’s peak time in the club now.”
“Maybe…” Simo replied, then reached up and rubbed his big nose.
“Oh hell,” Theo said, and Simo stopped mid-rub.
“Fuck.”
“That big nose of yours is usually right.”
Simo pulled out his phone and shot off a text to Ari. Do you have Chen and Gunnar on assignment?
Simo didn’t even have time to set his phone down when the reply came. Yes. I will explain tomorrow. Simo held up the phone so Theo could read it.
“Bad news.”
“Maybe,” Simo replied and put his phone away.