Dolby(5)
Author: Maryann Jordan

 

She grimaced. And this is why I suck at small talk. “It’s just that… well, on TV, they have names they go by.”

 

He stared, and she battled the urge to squirm under his perusal. Finally, his grin returned. “Mount.”

 

Her chin dipped as her head jerked, and she blinked. “Mount?”

 

“Not very original, but my drill sergeant called me Mount Everest when he saw my middle name. Then because of my size, Mount just stuck.”

 

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she finally muttered, “Oh.”

 

He laughed, shaking his head. “That’s it? Just oh?”

 

“Well, I guess I can see why you’d prefer Dolby now.”

 

A barking laugh left his lips, echoing throughout the space, and her smile quickly joined his. As their mirth slowed, she relaxed slightly, her earlier fear sliding into the background… but not disappearing entirely. She’d learned to listen to her gut, and while it wasn’t sending out signals of danger, she realized this was the first time since fear had overtaken her life that she’d been alone with a stranger in a remote area. Her brow crinkled with worry. Am I really safe or stupid by being too trusting?

 

“Hey, Marcia. You okay?”

 

Her gaze shot back to Jonathan, but he hadn’t moved and was still reclining against the far wall. A shaky breath left her lips, and she offered a smile that felt off-kilter. “Sure. Um… just my mind wandered, I guess.” Wanting to keep the conversation off her, she quickly asked, “What does a security employee do?”

 

From the smile on his face, it seemed as though she’d chosen a subject he was comfortable with.

 

“My employer takes clients that need short-term protection, and we accept investigative missions, often with the government.”

 

“That sounds suspiciously like a canned promo speech, but I suppose it covers all sorts of cases.” She cocked her head to the side as she observed his face. “Do you like what you do?”

 

He drew his knees up and rested his forearms on top, his pose relaxed. “Love it. I get to go to work each day with people I respect and like and do a job that I find interesting.”

 

She wasn’t surprised. His expression had given her that bit of information before his words confirmed it. His smile. His ease. His obvious pride. He held her gaze. The air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe, and she dropped her chin, once more staring at her hands, uncertain what to say.

 

“What about you?”

 

She winced, now wishing she’d never asked him about his life. Her shoulders hefted slightly. “I work independently. Um… from home. I guess I don’t really have to worry about coworkers.”

 

The silence now felt wool-sweater itchy, and she looked up to find his intense gaze still on her. She wondered if he was speculating on why her reply was so evasive. Desperately trying to steady her breathing while fighting the urge to wipe her palms on her jeans again, she let out a shaky breath when he simply smiled and nodded.

 

“That’s cool.” He leaned forward, grabbed his pack, then stopped suddenly, his gaze landing back on her.

 

A flash of worry moved through her at what he might be searching for, but curiosity mixed with concern.

 

He lifted his hands, contrition on his face. “Sorry. I was going to get something for us to eat. I have it inside my pack. Hungry?”

 

She pressed her lips together again but nodded. She had a few items but hadn’t packed for a prolonged hike. “Yeah. Um… sure.”

 

“Okay, I’ll just pull them out nice and easy.” He reached inside his pack and pulled out a pack of energy bars. A little sigh of relief slipped from her.

 

Holding them in his hand, he called out, “I’ve got peanut butter and almond. What’s your pleasure?”

 

Her mind only focused on pleasure, and her breathing shallowed. The pleasure of your company… the pleasure of seeing if your lips are as sweet in a kiss as they are in a smile… the pleasure of your arms keeping me safe as they encircle me… the pleasure of feeling normal as we—

 

“Marcia?”

 

Blinking, she caught his brow lowered in concern and forced out a laugh. “Sorry… um… I guess I’ll take the almond one.”

 

His grin returned as he tossed the bar to her. “Good choice. Now, eat up. When this storm passes, I’d like to know that you’ll have the energy to make it back to where you came from.”

 

She nodded as she focused her attention on unwrapping the treat. Back to where I came from… my lonely home… my lonely existence.

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

Dolby stretched his legs out in front of him again as he reclined against the lighthouse wall, adopting a casual air about him. A chilly wind blew through the opening next to him. He would rather move toward the corner for comfort, but Marcia’s obvious nervousness at his presence kept him from changing his position. Especially since the single room they had to stay out of the rain was less than four-hundred square feet, it afforded him little space to remain separate. The last thing he wanted to do was add more to her fear.

 

He was a big guy and tried to be aware of his size around others. His mother used to pretend-groan when his father and all three boys would end up in the kitchen of their modest-sized home. “How am I supposed to move when you four take up all the space?” she’d playfully grumble, winking at them before his dad would grab her and twirl her around the room, then let Dolby and his brothers take a turn spinning her as well. A smile crossed his mind at the memories.

 

Unwrapping his peanut butter energy bar, he cut his eyes toward her. By now, he was gaining insight into the beautiful woman sitting across from him. She tried desperately to act nonchalant, but her breathing pattern changed, and her pulse fluttered at the base of her neck whenever she became nervous. And so far, that seemed to be most of their time together. Like an injured animal, she needed space to feel comfortable.

 

The gentleman in him wanted to insist that he leave and give her privacy to wait out the storm. But the protector in him won out, knowing that he couldn’t leave her alone. All he could do was try to put her at ease until the rain passed. Then they’d go their separate ways. At that thought, the bite he was swallowing stuck in his throat, causing him to work just to get it down. He dropped his chin, hiding his rueful chuckle. Smooth, man. Real smooth.

 

Glancing back up at her, he realized she’d already learned more about him, yet she was still a mystery he wanted to solve. And the thought of them going their separate ways settled uneasily in his gut. Something about her drew him in, and it was more than just feeling protective. It was as though a deep-seated emotion called to be with her, and he wasn’t willing to let their time together go without learning more.