Restricted (part two)

Dec scoured the ceiling with his gaze while he found just the right words. “Well you see,” he bellowed over the next song, “I’m kind of on the clock. Weird hours.” He shifted in his seat, pulling a piece of paper out of his back pocket. It was another origami piece, this time a paper balloon that was collapsed. “Ever see one of these?”, he asked. “I think so. You’re supposed to pull on these corners then blow in the hole to pop it open, and look inside, right?” “You got it. Try it.” Res studied it briefly, lifted it up by the “wings”, and puffed into the exposed hole on the end, inflating the balloon. She peered inside, where a little handwritten note said “Is it private here?”. Res slowly sat the balloon down, stared at Dec, and nodded yes. “Good,” Dec said, “because I have another message to deliver. I don’t know who this is for, but you guys gotta stop chasing this ghost. It sounds dangerous. They’re getting more than concerned. Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t exactly twist my arm to get me to deliver the message, and I hate that it has to be like this, but…” Before Dec could finish his sentence, Res practically jumped across the table and laid a passionate kiss on him, feeling some stubble grind into her tender skin. The contrast just made her more excited. “Let’s finish this lecture later,” she said as she started pulling his shirt over his head. Dec was stunned but he put up no resistance; business and pleasure, why not? Res quickly reached behind herself and instantly released her bra before removing her own shirt, pressing her skin against his with another kiss. She felt his heart pounding. It was powerful, nearly audible. Without losing the embrace, Dec stood up and carried her to the bedroom, quickly noticing a new toothbrush still in the packaging at the foot of the bed.

After some time, lying flat on his back covered in sweat and Res’ lipstick, with Res draping herself over his massive frame, left leg overlapping his own, he took a really good look at her. Skin, impossibly soft and young to the touch. If he hadn’t read her file, he might have easily mistaken her for a 17-year-old, and this would never have gone this far. Her eyes were a light brown, hazel color, even here in the dimly lit bedroom, they looked like there was an inner light making them glow. He reached over with his Terminator arm and stroked the shaved side of her head which felt freshly shaven. Her gaze darted around his face as he touched her gently, apparently awaiting some more encouraging words. He managed to pet the side of her head that wasn’t shaved and was surprised at how soft her hair was. “Most men aren’t this touchy; I’m surprised you’re still awake with me. This whole touching business is usually me after the guy falls asleep,” Res cooed, while she absorbed every brutal detail of his scars and his iron-jawed visage. Contrast. Suddenly she was transported back in time, mentally, to the story about how her parents met. Was this what mom experienced, the first time? This infatuation, this weird appreciation for the exotic?

Dec announced that he was overdue for a bathroom break and ducked into the bathroom to relieve himself. His scent was already soaked into the pillow and sheets where he was laying, and Res didn’t miss an opportunity to deeply inhale what he had left behind. There were no hints of colognes, or aftershave, or anything of that nature. It was just…his sweat, with a hint of some kind of soap. As Dec returned to the bed, he reached for the toothbrush. “Not so fast, soldier,” Res teased. She wasn’t done, and led him by the hand to the shower. Res traced the scar around his arm with a single finger. She couldn’t comprehend what was under the skin.  

The next morning, Res was still asleep as Dec performed his sit up straight and get out of bed routine. He headed to the kitchen and started brewing some coffee with the percolator, after fishing around in the cabinets for mugs and coffee beans. He really didn’t want to reinforce the message with Res, but he had to. That was the whole point of coming over, and this was no time to get attached. But before he could even come up with a nicer way of breaking it to Res, he heard her from the bedroom. “If you’re making coffee, I want some,” she said, “doesn’t need to be fancy, I’ll drink it black.” Of course you will. That’s the way Dec was making it. He didn’t have the luxury of sugar or milk during wartime, so he learned to like it black. Tasted better anyway, as long as the beans were fresh.

Res arrived in the kitchen looking like a big kid, with Dec’s oversized shirt practically swallowing her whole. This was the awkward time, the morning after, and she sensed an uneasiness hanging in the air. What was last night? Just two desperate loners looking for a connection, or something better? She had to tread lightly. Decided to keep it light. “Good, you found everything”, she said, smiling approvingly, as she admired the fresh cup, still steaming. “Yep. I did. But at my place, everything is about 3 feet higher. You’d be crawling up the cabinets if the roles were reversed. Nearly threw out my back bending down for this stuff,” Dec joked, and Res grinned as she blew the steam away for her first sip. “Listen, Res, about last night…”, said Dec, “I don’t want it to be weird. We’re two adults, and here we are sharing some coffee. But that wasn’t my whole intent of coming over. I know how this sounds, but allow me to finish.” Res nodded and sipped the hot coffee, not sure where this was going.

Dec paused as he took a drink, then continued. “I’ll say this one last time, and be done with it. You remember before, the warning about ghosts? Well, there is a lot of interest, and it involves you, Sheepdog, and hell, maybe even Beat. Too many eyes watching for something that shouldn’t exist. Looking too closely. You gotta stop looking. If you find something, well, I don’t know what the next step is, but it’s bad, maybe even deadly. Tell your buddy Sheepdog too. Maybe even word for word. Don’t get me wrong, I like you Res, and that’s half the reason I’m saying this in person.”

Res was staring at him, wide-eyed now, soaking it all in. What could happen if they did find something? What if they already found it but just didn’t know what they had seen? She could tell, Dec was dead serious. This was their last warning. Whatever was going on, she felt they needed to get about ten miles from it, immediately. “So if that’s half the reason, what’s the other half?”, she quipped.