Chapter Ten
Josh
Last thing I expected today was Elizabeth Timms gracing me with her presence.
What on God’s green earth? I passed her earlier as she paced in front of the dance studio, now she’s standing next to me, beaming.
I wonder if she’s going to ask me for a favor.
Never once before, when I’ve seen her on the Rock Am campus, has she even glanced my way.
“Uh, say again?”
She pulls out a notecard with a picture on it, an inspirational quote in fancy writing beside it. “Did you put this in my bag?” Biting her lip, her eyes shining with tears, I take the notecard to look closer.
This looks like…
I look over my shoulder towards the hatbox I have in the back room, then back at the note.
“Look, you don’t have to tell me. I just wanted to say I appreciate it. You have no idea how much I needed this today, of all days.” She takes the card back and slips it into the pocket of her bag. “Thank you. Truly.”
Before I can find my voice again, she’s bounced her way out the door of the shop.
My mind is playing catch-up, trying to come up with an explanation of how she got a note almost identical to an E.B. Housman drawing, or why she’d think I was responsible.
I’m on the phone with Hart before I let myself rethink it. He answers, “I’m teeing off in three minutes. Can this wait?”
“No. Tell me again what the document Hunt had from JFK’s private papers said. The one you stole from him.”
“Borrowed.”
“Whatever. Tell me the part about the theory it outlined, again.”
He sighs in irritation. “The name link? There was a timeline that followed the name Elizabeth starting in the Middle Ages… an affinity to either the Divines or the Triad. Do you need me to recite the whole damn thing? What’s going on, JJ?”
“Mmhmm, Mhm… okay, something just happened that… Fraine said they’d find us and we’d know, right?”
He launches into a whole spiel, obviously missing his tee time. I just engaged the portion of Hart’s brain obsessed with the Eights.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I say, “I don’t think I can handle another long, drawn-out conversation of you trying to explain something to me I already understand.”
I tell him about my exchange with Elizabeth, the prima ballerina from Rock Am. The one who not only drew Hart’s attention, but Rett and Rippley’s as well. Then this happened today. Could she be part of the equation?
“Well, where did the drawing come from then? If you didn’t put it there.”
“I’m not sure that matters. The point is it links someone that we’ve already identified as connected to The Divinities. E.B. Housman was important in 1988… pivotal, really… especially after what Eric told us.”
“Now we have to be on the lookout for anyone trying to ingratiate themselves into her life and ours. That’s the person we need to neutralize. The real threat.”
The grouchy bastard launches into another lecture before I can disconnect. Thankfully, I spot Biz waving her arms at me outside the gallery window. “Gotta go. You can school me on all this later.”
When I open the door, I see a very familiar dog running in circles around her.
“Jubes… what are you doing here? Biz, how did you get Eric’s dog?” The little rascal jumps up, leaving muddy paw prints on my jeans. “What happened?”
“You know who owns him?” She clasps her hands together. “That’s lucky. I’ve been scouring the streets. He found me on my way to see you.”
I lock the shop up temporarily before heading to the house Eric rents three blocks west. Hooking an arm through Bizzy’s, she joins me.
“Yeah, he belongs to a friend of mine. I’ve missed you.
Here I thought I ran you off with my bad rapping.
” Dancing a couple steps, I sing, “Hip hop hooray hooo ayyeee ohhh.”
Her smile is my payoff.
“Seriously though, this isn’t about what happened with your backpack, is it?”
She bites the inside of her cheek, her shoulders lowering. “I’m not proud of messing up your party, but no… I had a few things going on. Sorry for disappearing.”
Knowing that Jubilee was running around with his leash on, and that Eric has been ‘off’ lately, I have no idea what we’ll find at his two-room bungalow. Maybe that’s why I slow my steps.
That, and getting time with Bizzy.
“I get it, I get it. Maybe next time you’ll just send me a quick text so I don’t worry? I was ready to come hunt you down.” I duck my head as my cheeks heat.
I’m realizing that Biz interests me on all levels. That hasn’t happened for a long time.
Jubilee stops at a fire hydrant to stare at it. This is one of his many quirks that has us confuzzled. He’s a West Highland terrier-poodle mix that Eric treats like his baby, analyzing everything Jubes does. His obsession with fire hydrants has never made sense.
“He just… stares at it?”
“Sometimes he licks it.” I shrug. “No stranger I guess than my parrot, Hobey, making fire alarm sounds anytime I make toast, since the one time I burnt it.”
There is no sign of Eric when we reach his house. His vehicle is gone; the door is locked. “This is wild. I’ll text him. In the meantime, I know where he keeps a spare key.”
Bizzy gives Jubilee some fresh water while I look around the house. Eric is a meticulous person. He doesn’t leave his beloved dog outside. His mind has clearly been elsewhere lately.
Biz finds me standing in Eric’s bedroom doorway, texting him for the third time.
“I hung his leash up, and he’s currently dragging around his stuffed monkey.
Rather unbothered about the whole ordeal, actually,” she says, leaning back against the wall opposite of me.
“Maybe someone was walking his dog for him, and they’re still out looking for Jubilee? ”
If that’s the case, Eric is going to be livid knowing that Jubilee was wandering around Ithaca with a leash attached to him. That dog walker is going to get an earful.
I’m just relieved to have a viable explanation for this. “I could open-mouth kiss you right now. Here I was imagining the worst.”
It’s her turn to blush, shoving her hands into her jean pockets. “Ahh… uh huh. That would do.”
“Mm?”
“I’d accept that as payment.”
Oh? The gambit of emotions taking over riles me.
Maybe I’ve pretended to myself that our connection from the start wasn’t normal.
Beyond a name… the memories I have feel more and more disconnected from who she actually is.
A girl that I like… hell, more than like.
One I’ve been attracted to since she mimicked my accent and teased me for the way I fixed the gallery door.
Everything about her intrigues me.
Teasing her, I reply, “What are we talking about… show me… I’m a visual learner.”
I’m caught off guard when she comes closer, goes up on her tip toes, inches from my mouth, and she says under her breath, “This is me living.”
Leaning into the kiss, I cradle her face. My chest feels like it's about to explode as our tongues tangle, my lips brushing lightly against hers. I’m a goner just like that. Biz, Bizzy… Elizabeth… my heart sails away. I’ll happily bid it adieu.
Jubilee parks himself on my feet, tugging at my pant leg with a whine. We break apart with a laugh. “He might need to go outside to pee.”
She joins me while I try to pay attention to Jubilee and not stare at her. My God, she’s so damn pretty.
“I want you to meet my best friend. He’s on Duke’s basketball team, and they are playing at West Point in a couple of weeks. Would you come with me to watch the game?”
There isn’t an excursion I would say no to with her asking. “Road trip? That could be fun. I’m down.”
It’s saying something when I don’t even balk at hearing the coincidence that Mya Abbot is involved because her cousin is Bizzy’s best friend. I’d never purposely put myself in her vicinity, much less inside a confined space for hours on end. Maybe not…
She must see me contemplating. “It shouldn’t be too bad. Odds are she’ll just ignore us… right?”
Not likely. Not if I’m involved.
“Uh-huh. She’s a real charmer, that one. For me, it’s the casual cruelty paired with her uncouth judgments. Everyone just loves an overly critical queen. Slayyy.” I snap my fingers, throwing my hip out.
“JJ,” she laughs, leaning into my side. “There’s safety in numbers at least.”
I kiss the top of her head before I can overthink it.
Writing a note for Eric before we leave to walk back to the gallery, I can’t get over how this day has panned out. From rearranging a wall of paintings to kissing the person I daydream about.
Do I jinx the kiss… the growing affection between us… by addressing it? Maybe it’s best to let things take their natural course without my commentary.
Shit. What if she expects me to say something? I’m no good at this.
Halfway back, I grab her hand. I haven’t held a girl’s hand since I was twelve. The action alone makes me laugh to myself.
“What?” she asks.
I take the risk. “Just feeling happier than I have for a while.”
Her smile falters as she looks at me, making my heart dip.
Then she brightens and says, “Spending time with you has been the only thing I’ve looked forward to lately.
Have you ever heard the saying ‘Time is the only currency we spend without knowing our balance’?
I plan to use mine wisely.” She winks at me, and all feels right with the world.
Until I remember what we’re up against.