The Witness Protector

Chapter 3

"It's been a while since I've enjoyed the sun and the sand. I'll admit that much." I said. "the only time I ever really go on vacation is on a case. But what else would I need I guess. I wouldn't know how to choose a place to go."
"Last time I was at the beach was about a year ago."
"You don't get many vacation days?"
"A few weeks a year. I just usually save them up so I can choose my own destiny. I've always wanted to travel the world."
"I guess that's smart. But What if you choose the wrong place?"
"I pack up and leave. I choose somewhere else to go."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that. Look, I know that there are endless obstacles in the world but there are also endless opportunities."
"That's an optimistic way to look at it. Probably a successful approach."
"I'd like to think so. Makes for more imaginative paths to take. More options to choose."
"I wish I was that way. the only time I ever get to travel is for work. But what else could I ask for. I don't have to make any decisions, just go where the job takes me. That part is nice."
"Forced spontaneity. I'd like that."
"We all just go with it I think. We all just go where life takes us. I guess that there's not really many more options."
"I'd like to think we create our own happiness."
"But do we"
"Enough of work. We need to enjoy ourselves."
"We have to have something to talk about."
"I'm sure there's plenty of options." he smiled
"Sometimes I feel like I have no meaning. I'm just another human in a world of humans who all have different wants and needs. I feel like if I were to go away, would anyone really miss me. Even if someone did, give it some time. Because the world wouldn't even notice. Do you know how many people disappear or die every day, and the world is fine. Everybody is fine."
"All that you just said, basically contradicts your whole work. if nobody matters then why do you dedicate your life to helping people escape to safety. Helping to keep people alive. Why?"
"I guess you have a good point."
We arrived at the beach and looked out into the ocean.
"What now?" I asked. "We don't have swim clothes."
"Who needs that?" He said. "We have spare clothes."
"So what, just swim in these clothes?"
"Why not?"
"Ok. I'm up for it."
"Ok I just have to ask you."
"What?"
"Why are you shielding yourself from me?"
"Listen, this is a job. This is My job. I can't sacrifice that for some guy."
"Some guy? Wow that hurts" he said lightheartedly.
"No I didn't mean it that way.-"
"Hey, I'll stop. I just had to know."
"No. come on that's not what I meant-"
"Hey, let's go for a swim, ok? It's fine."
He started walking toward the water until he reached the shoreline. He paused for a moment and then headed full speed into the waves. I walked slowly after him, horrified at what I'd done. Shit. I reached the water and watched him. He dove face first into a huge wave and then soon came up short for air. He shook his head flicking the water out of his hair. He was handsome. His ear length shaggy hair that flipped out a little at the bottom. His tan complexion and chiseled jawline. He was kind of like a statue. Too valuable to touch.
He looked at me. "You coming or what?"
I smiled and started toward him. He smiled and looked at me with his light hazel eyes. My heart started skipping. This wasn't supposed to happen. This is a job remember. Snap out of it.
I swam over to where he was and we looked for shells for a while. But after a while, like anything else, we got bored of that. It was getting dark anyway so we started back for the bungalow and in an instant, the raging heat turned into a freezing night. Our wet clothes dragged at our skin, icing the chill bumps. We were both shivering as we walked and it was slowing us down. we came up on the bus stop at the end of the block.
"What about we just take the bus?" He suggested.
"That is perfectly fine with me." I said enthusiastically.
We didn't have to wait very long for the bus, before the crowded vehicle arrived. There were no available seats left, so we stood in the isle and held onto the medal safety poles. It wasn't a smooth ride what so ever. The Hawaiian streets were bumpy and unshapen and it seemed as if the winding roads never ended. It was difficult to remain upright, in a firm position, and prevent yourself from falling into someone's lap that was occupying a seat. After around half an hour, we arrived at the residence and exalted in happiness. we could finally take a hot shower and change out of these cold wet clothes.
"I'll take the second shower." he said.
"No it's fine, I can wait." I said sincerely. Nobody ever wants to wait, but most of the time we are capable.
"I'll just take the second one so I can unpack my cloths and get my stuff together." He gestured.
"Are you sure."
"Positive" he said smiling afterward.
"Ok then. See you later." I said jokingly.
I turned on the water and stuck my hand into the flow to detect the temperature of the liquid. It was cold as ice. You'd think with the intensely humid temperatures that it wouldn't take much for the water to steam. I let the water run while I took off, and rung out my wet clothes. I brushed my hair out and took off my socks. I went back to the water and stuck my hand in once again. Ice cold. I tried to fight with the facet. maybe I was turning it the wrong direction. I turned it the other way, only to be greeted with a colder liquid. I tensed my muscles and stepped into the freezing water. There unfortunately, to my suprise, was no soap of any kind. This was an obvious mistake on my part. I was distracted, not thinking straight. Snap out of it, I told myself. He is not that hot. I rinsed off with the water and cleansed the sea water out of my hair. I turned the water off and reached for a towel, only to grasp nothing. Of coarse. No soap, no towel, no brain. I got out and brushed off the drops of water. I rung my hair out into the sink and slipped the clothes onto my damp body. I walked out of the bathroom to find mark unpacking his suitcase into the small wooden dresser in front of his bed. His back was turned to me and he didn't notice my presence. He had rid himself of his shirt, displaying his intensely toned back muscles. I cleared my voice and he turned around. Great. could the view get any better.
"Your not making it easy for me." I said.
"What?"
Oh yeah. He didn't know what I was talking about. Shit.
"Never Mind." I concluded. "I finished my shower. Good luck with the water."
"Is it bad?"
"The water was like ice the entire time. Hopefully it will be more pleasant for you."
"thanks for the heads up." He said.
"No problem." I smiled and winked. Why did I just wink. I am so stupid.
He went into the bathroom and I heard the hinge of the door click into place. I got out my suitcase and went through all of the fabric. I had very little usable clothes. Since I never knew where I was going next, I had to keep my bags packed for all temperatures. I had about three shirts and two pants for hot weather. I searched deeper into the bag and found one pair of shorts. I pulled them to the top for tomorrow and zipped my suitcase back up. There is no way that I can sleep in the same bed as that man and still control myself. I looked at the big fluffy couch. It was sued with accents of leather. It actually looked like heaven after this day. I thought back to the morning when I was leaving my cottage. All of the distractions that surrounded me, the hostile work environment at the office. It was hard to believe that so much had occurred in so little of time. Just one day and it was just now coming to an end. I got the large sweater I had pulled out of my bag and got onto the couch. I pulled the sweater over me as a blanket. I looked around at everything in the room. After acknowledging the tv, I started the search for the remote. It was on the small wooden dresser next to me. I found it and turned the tv to ON. It started displaying gray fuzzies and a kind of cracking noise. After about ten seconds, if started to display a picture. It was another show that I had never heard of. Soon after learning about the characters, mark came into the room.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Your sleeping in the bed whether I have to sleep on the couch or not."
"Listen, this is your house. I'm taking the couch and you can't change my mind."
"You are a tough woman. Strong. I like that. Alot actually."
I smiled and broke eye contact. He walked over to me and looked down into my eyes.
"Goodnight beautiful." he said before he leaned down and kissed my forehead.
"What are you doing?" I asked confused. I thought he was giving up.
"I couldn't resist." he said.
This made me smile. "Goodnight."
I closed my eyes to sleep and waited for morning to take me. I laid there for what seemed like hours, waiting for sleep to take over my body. I raised up to check the clock. It had been three hours. I guess now would be a good time to check out the balcony. I got up and quietly unlocked the glass door. The thin curtain blew past me into the room with the newly accomplished wind it had received. I closed the door softly behind me trying not to wake mark. I looked around at the city. Everyone was buzzing, moving, feeling alive, even in the hours of night. I breathed in deeply and inhaled the smell of the city. It was simultaneously alarming and refreshing. Over the course of time I sat and watched the light in the sky change. The colors and energy changed. As soon as I started slipping into sleep, a loud noise startled me from behind. I turned and stood, getting into my defensive position. It was mark. He stepped back and put his hands up in surrender. I took a deep breath.
"Sorry. I didn't know who it was. What are you doing up this late?"
"Late? How long have you been out here?"
"Not that long."
"It's six o'clock in the morning."
"Oh yeah that's what I meant. Early."
"Did you sleep?" He asked.
"Of course." I lied. "I'm an early riser." This wasn't good. My skills weren't as adequate without sleep. I needed the strength.
"I am too." He admitted. "Something else we have in common."
"Do you want to go get some breakfast?" He asked.
"Yeah? Do you thing the places are open yet?"
"Probably, and if not, we can explore. I think it would be fun."
"I'd have to agree with you on that one. Ok. I'll get dressed in here."
"I'll go get ready in the bedroom. Knock if you need me."
"Knock if you need ME." I said. "I'm here to protect you remember."
"Yeah." He smirked. "Right."
He escaped to is room and slipped on some clothes as did I. I put on my short blue jean shorts and I white blouse. When he emerged, he had pulled on an urban rustic red shirt that was very thin. It wasn't transparent but it was revealing of the shapes of his toned muscles. He was wearing knee length, khacky, cargo pants that looked worn but not extremely old.
"Shall we go?" I asked.
"Of course." He said with a smile.
We exited and locked the house behind us, and started down the hill towards the city. I was wearing black tennis shoes with white accents and he was wearing wallabies. We took the March down the hill with casualty. As we walked he started telling me about his sister. He said that she recently got married and was pregnant. This made me feel awful inside to know that we were doing the right thing by taking him to safety, but just the odds of getting to see his sisters baby. It just wasn't good. What if no one ever finds out who he told to kill mark. What if he can never go back to his family with the blanket of safety or even at all. And then I thought of the inevitable. What if, whoever it was, found marks family and hurt them. What if they killed them. I started to cringe and Mark noticed.
"What is it? Did I say something?"
"No." I tried to think of an excuse. "I just got a cold chill." I smiled revealing as much joy as I could. I didn't want him to read my mind. It could kill him to think about something like that. I didn't even know them and it was killing me to think about it. It was the second day of four days and I , quite frankly, was ready to go home already. It was difficult trying to focus on a case this high profile, avoid alarm, and ignore my developing feelings from Mark. I was trying to fight them but it was hard. Especially with his looks. His kindness though, that was different. That was something that you rarely find in a man, especially of his quality. Mark started smiling and then, in a second, the smile turned to tears.
"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, but I knew. Not only did I want him to remain happy, but we really needed to avoid another scene. Most of them were my fault, I'll admit, but it just wasn't safe. Even if it was safe, this wasn't the way to prove my authority to the top floor. It was not the way to prove my authority to anyone.
"It's ok." I said.
"I know." He wiped away the tears. "Where can we eat?"
I looked around, frantic for any place that would take his mind off of his horrible outcome. "What about that place over there?" I asked pointing to a restaurant a way into the distance.
"It looks good from here." He smiled. "But I think that any place would." he laughed. It was a way away from where we were currently. I laughed and looked up at him. He wasn't much taller than me but by half of a head.
"You have beautiful eyes." I said without thinking.
"Thank you. They are my moms."
"That's so nice of her to give them to you."
"Isn't it." He laughed and I laughed. I expected it to be weird that I just randomly said that, but he made it normal. He made it a comfortable and enjoyable situation. Just another reason to love him.

We arrived at the restaurant and got a small table in the back, beside a window. It wasn't rainy outside, but the air smelled as if it was. The dew settling in your nasal passages and the moist air passing through your body. It was because of the abundance of water, the ocean. I loved the smell. It made me think about what Mark had said about his personal time. How he would pick a spectacular place to go on vacation and take enough time to enjoy it. Not only see the sights of the city but to also breath in the spirit of it all. Connect with the culture. It made me want to, not only go, but to go with him. To experience it for myself, but learn from him how to enjoy a place, and how to live in it no matter what the length of time. I looked away from the window, realizing my prolonged absence from our conversation. He was looking at me, looking at the city.
I shook my head. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." He said and revealed his smile. What I liked about his smile was that it was genuine and not just a facade like many people's. We looked at our menus together and we both decided. He wanted the blackberry and cream cheese crepe, and I decided on the cream cheese and peach crepe. It made me realize how alike we were. All of the moments came back to me, and the puzzle prices aligned. Our simultaneous footsteps, ordering the same thing. Everything.

"You look like your thinking about something. Is something wrong?" He asked me.
"No." I smiled. "I just started to realize how much I can't resist you."
He smiled at this and combed his hand through his hair. "Is that a good or a bad thing?" He asked me.
"I'm not sure yet." I smiled.
Our food arrived shortly and their was no time for an awkward situation to arise. We ate and made small talk about how beautiful it was outside, the wacky decoration in the cafe, and some personal stuff. It was starting to get hard for me to be professional, and if I wasn't, it could be years before I get promoted. Not only was I ready for a promotion, but I needed the money. If I failed on a case this big, it could even get me fired.