Lash Page 10

  “It’s about time, Naomi. Who’s this?”

  Naomi jumped at sound of Chuy’s voice.

  “Hey, you mind closing the door? You’re letting out the cool air,” Chuy said to Lash.

  “Sure, no problem.” Lash was about to step into the building when Naomi moved in front of him.

  “Thanks for walking with me, Lash. See you next week,” she said, grabbing the door handle and attempting to pull the door closed.

  Lash looked at her, surprised.

  “Lash? That’s an interesting name.” Chuy extended a hand to him. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Naomi’s cousin, Chuy. Why don’t you come in and join us?”

  Dear Lord, help me, she thought as Lash shook Chuy’s hand.

  “I’m sure you have other things to do,” Naomi said to Lash. “You don’t have to stay.”

  “Nope. I don’t have any plans. I’d love to stay,” he said as he walked past her and into the building. “Maybe I’ll learn something.”

  “Great, we could use the extra help. Most of the time, I pair up with Naomi to provide the demonstrations.”

  Oh, no. He’s going to ask Lash to partner with me. Don’t do it, Chuy. Naomi stood behind Lash waving her arms at Chuy, trying to get his attention.

  “If you don’t mind pairing up with Naomi, it would make it easier for me…to teach…the…” Chuy glanced quizzically at Naomi. “Why do you keep shaking your head?”

  Naomi froze when Lash turned to her. “I don’t mind at all,” he said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Anything to help out.”

  She smiled weakly and wondered how she was going to handle having his hands on her body.

  ***

  Raphael is right. I’m an idiot. Lash rubbed his hands against his jeans. He was so busy thinking about how he wanted to be near Naomi, so wrapped up in his desire to touch her and feel the soft curves of her body underneath him that he didn’t think about what would happen if he actually acted out his desires. As it was, it was getting more difficult to pretend he didn’t care. He did. More than he should. He closed his eyes and groaned. How did he get himself into this mess?

  He was attracted to Naomi. She was beautiful. What was there not to like? He’d thought that it wouldn’t go further than that surface level of attraction, that he’d have his fun flirting with her. He’d done it with other women before. It was harmless fun. Then he’d gotten to know her. The more she talked about herself in group and the more he watched how she protected her family and even Ellen, whom she hardly knew, the more drawn to her he found himself to be. To top things off, there was the strange physical attraction he felt every time he touched her. He’d never experienced it with anyone else. Now here he was, volunteering to place his hands on her. In front of her cousin!

  “Okay, people.” Lash’s eyes flashed open when Chuy clapped his hands. “We have a guest who is going to help us out with today’s demonstration. Everyone, say hi to Lash.”

  Six pairs of eyes turned in his direction. “Hi, Lash.”

  Lash felt his face grow warm as he waved. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. It was so unnerving. He’d never felt embarrassed before.

  He looked at the members of the small class. There was a woman in her early thirties and what appeared to be her teenage daughter with her. The girl wore her hair in a long braid and watched Chuy’s every move. Two other girls were paired up and wore matching sorority shirts. An older couple, who looked like they were in their fifties, completed the class. Lash’s gaze lingered on them, taking in the matching Journey concert t-shirts and grey jogging pants. They were one of those couples who had been together so long they had started to look like each other.

  “Today, I’m going to show you how to get out of a back choke hold. Lash, you stay right there. Naomi, come over here and stand in front of Lash.”

  Good. Back choke. I can do that. Better than seeing her front. Lash stifled a moan when Chuy placed Naomi inches from him. His eyes took in the graceful arch of her neck and traveled down the small of her back to the firm roundness of her bottom. This was a bad idea.

  Lash’s hands seared with heat when Chuy placed them onto Naomi’s shoulders.

  “When you have someone coming from behind, you’re going to want to swing your arm around like this.” Chuy took hold of Naomi’s left arm. “Go ahead and swing it.”

  She swung her arm out and behind, hitting against Lash’s forearm. As she twisted toward him, her hand slammed into his neck and his hand slid down, brushing against the fullness of her breast. He moaned.

  “Did I hurt you?” Naomi looked wide-eyed at him. “I didn’t mean to hit so hard.”

  Right, my neck.

  “A little. I can take it.” He rubbed a hand along his neck. He barely felt her hit him. What he couldn’t take was touching her like that again.

  “Good job, Naomi,” Chuy said before he turned to the rest of the class. “Get into your pairs and practice this move and if we have time, we can work how to defend yourself when someone has you down on the ground.”

  Lash balked. There was no way he’d be able to control himself if he had to have his body pressed against hers.

  As Chuy left to help the others, Lash turned to Naomi. “Uh, did you want to practice?”

  Naomi bit her lip, and Lash diverted his eyes. He wished she wouldn’t do that. “I guess so.”

  Lash let out a rush of air. “Okay. Turn around, and we’ll try the move again.”

  After ten exquisitely torturous minutes, Chuy called Naomi to help him demonstrate the move to the mother-daughter pair. Lash sighed and sank to the floor.

  He watched the older couple as they practiced. The woman swung a little too hard and turned so fast that she bumped into her husband, sending him to the floor.

  Lash rushed to his side. “Are you okay?”

  The man gave him a wink and then looked at his partner. “Couldn’t wait to get me on my back, could ya, Deborah?”

  Deborah rolled her eyes and held out a hand to him. “He’s fine. Mind helping me to get him back on his feet?”

  Lash bent down, and the man clutched his hand. “You got a grip there, son. Do any wrestling?”

  “Good grief, Nathan. Not everyone we meet is going to want to hear about your college wrestling days.”

  “No, sir. I haven’t,” Lash said as he followed the couple to the row of chairs that lined the walls of the room.

  “I was on the Texas Tech wrestling team in—”

  “1977,” Deborah said, interrupting him, “was the year I started college at Tech. We meet at the—”

  “Texican Café.” Nathan pulled out a chair for her. “You should have seen her. She had her hair in all these little braids like—”

  “Bo Derek.” She sat and patted the chair next to her, inviting Lash to sit. “That was the rage back then.”

  Lash nodded politely as the couple continued to talk about their college days and how they met, amused as they continued to complete each other’s sentences.

  Deborah placed a hand over Lash’s. “Goodness. Look at us just talkin’ away. We haven’t even introduced ourselves. I’m Deborah Taylor, and this handsome devil is my husband, Nathan.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lash said. “I’m Lash.”

  “Ooh, that’s an interesting name,” Deborah said. “It suits you.”

  “Watch out there, Lash. The cougar is on the prowl,” Nathan teased.

  She kissed him on the cheek. “You know I have eyes only for you.”

  “So, when did you start the class?” Lash really liked them.

  “A couple of weeks ago. We’re new to the city. Just moved here from Gardenville. It’s a small town in North Texas. Nathan was out of a job for a while, and we thought we’d never find work. Then Prescott Oil moved in with all this fracking business, and they hired Nathan right away. He’s so good they wanted him working in their Houston office, so here we are. Got my purse stolen the first day we moved in.”

  “
It’s not like Gardenville. You got to keep your eyes and ears open ‘round here,” Nathan chastised, wagging his finger.

  She grabbed his hand, kissed it, and placed it back on his lap. “I know. I thought I was being careful. Well, that’s why we’re here. How about you?” Deborah asked Lash.

  Lash glanced over at Naomi and caught her staring in their direction. She turned a vibrant pink and suddenly found her fingernails very engrossing.

  “I walked Naomi here from a group meeting we had earlier. I didn’t want her to walk alone at night. Chuy asked if I could help out. Since I didn’t have anything else to do, I figured, why not. I’ve never done this before.”

  “That’s so sweet of you. You and your girlfriend did a good job,” Deborah said. “Don’t you think so Nathan?”

  “Yes. Good job, son.” Nathan patted him on the back. “Your girlfriend’s a looker too.” He winked at Lash.

  “She’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Really?” Deborah looked over to Naomi and then back at Lash. “I assumed by the way you two have been looking at each that you were together.”

  “I don’t think she’d be interested in a guy like me,” Lash said.

  “Oh, she’s interested.” Nathan opened a bottle of water, took a sip, and handed it over to his wife.

  “She sure is,” Deborah agreed. “Why don’t you ask her out on a date?”

  Lash thought about it and quickly pushed the thought away. Was he out of his mind? Naomi was an assignment, not someone that he could become romantically involved with, and then there was the problem that she was human.

  He glanced back at Naomi. He ached at the thought that he could never be with her in the same way Nathan was with Deborah. “No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Good job today,” Chuy said as he approached them.

  “Nathan and I were telling Lash here how nice it was for him to volunteer to help us out,” Deborah said.

  Lash smiled. “It was my pleasure.”

  “Actually, Lash reminds me of you, Chuy,” Deborah gave Lash a devilish look. “He’s polite and helpful. I heard he walked Naomi here to make sure she was safe. Such a gentleman.”

  “Yeah, thanks for watching after her,” Chuy said. “I know Naomi can be a handful sometimes.”

  “Are you talking about me?” Naomi stepped up beside Chuy.

  “Yeah, I was thanking Lash for walking you over.”

  Naomi scowled. “I can take care of myself.”

  “There’s safety in numbers, dear,” Deborah said. “Come on, Nathan. It’s time we get you home.”

  Nathan stood up and groaned. “I definitely heard my knees pop that time. You’re going to have to pull out the liniment tonight.”

  “Come on, Chuy, let’s get going. I’m starving.” Naomi tugged on Chuy’s arm.

  Chuy looked curiously from Naomi to Lash. His expression changed, as if he realized something. With a silly grin on his face, he turned to Lash. “What’re you doing tonight?”

  “He’s busy,” Naomi answered quickly.

  Lash raised his brow and caught her eyes dart between him and Chuy. She was nervous. “Nothing.”

  “Come over to our house for dinner,” Chuy said.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Naomi said. “Welita isn’t expecting anyone else. There may not be enough to go around.”

  Chuy snorted. “Welita cooks for ten every night. There’ll be plenty.”

  “Great! I’d love a home-cooked meal. Beats the Ramen noodles I planned to eat,” Lash said.

  “Ramen noodles, Naomi. Don’t let the poor man eat that stuff when he could have some of Welita’s tamales.”

  Naomi sighed. “Oh, all right.”

  Lash decided that he was a glutton for punishment. As much as he knew that he shouldn’t get so involved with Naomi and her family, he couldn’t seem to help himself.

  11

  “Okay, this is far enough,” Naomi said, shifting the car into park.

  Chuy threw himself to the ground, panting. “We need to get Welita a new car.”

  Lash collapsed next to Chuy, feigning exhaustion. When the car broke down about a mile from the house, he knew they were in for a long walk. The car wasn’t heavy to him at all. Alone, he could easily have pushed it without breaking a sweat, but with Chuy and Naomi there, he couldn’t push faster without raising suspicion. They were moving so slow, he was tempted to throw Chuy back into the car and push it himself.

  When Chuy had climbed out of the car, Naomi sighed and made her way to the front seat as if they had done it before. She gave Lash an expectant look, and when he didn’t move, she said, “Well, don’t just sit there. Help Chuy push.”

  How was he to know that they actually wanted to take the car with them? He climbed out of the car and shook his head as he eyed the clunker. By the looks of it, the gas in it was probably worth more than the car.

  Naomi slammed the car door shut. “It isn’t that far. We pushed it all the way from downtown last year.”

  “Why don’t…you…have it…towed,” Lash said. His chest rose and fell as he faked being breathless. He was starting to feel dizzy from being over oxygenated. He’d never had to simulate physical exhaustion before.

  Naomi hovered over him, hands on hips. “What’s wrong with you? I thought you were like Mr. Fitness or something.”

  Lash stiffened. He’d better reel in the acting a bit.

  “You didn’t have to push four thousand pounds of steel in the heat.” Chuy propped himself up on his elbows.

  “Come on, you big baby.” Naomi held out a hand to Chuy. “You two look like you could use something to drink.” She inhaled and smiled. “It smells like dinner is ready.”

  Lash took a deep breath and smelled a delicious aroma. In thirty-five years on Earth, he’d had his share of fine cuisine—when he was able to get his hands on cash. But, the wonderful aroma wafting across the front yard was something he’d never smelled before. His stomach rumbled.

  Chuy slapped a hand on his back. “Ever had tamales?”

  “No.”

  “Seriously?” Naomi asked as she reached the steps of the house.

  “Yeah. I’ve seen tamales in a can. They smelled nothing like this,” Lash said. He shuddered as he recalled the repugnant odor of the slimy goo.

  “A can? You’re missing out man.” Chuy pulled the screen door open and yelled as he walked in. “Welita, we’re here! I got Naomi’s boyfriend.”

  Naomi turned red and scampered after him. “He is not my boyfriend!”

  Lash chuckled and followed her into a quaint house that had seen better days. The cream-colored sofa, yellow with age, was covered with a knitted blanket in bright, cheerful colors. A bedroom dresser, looking out of place in the living area, served as a stand for a small TV. He was surprised by the lack of modern electronics most households seemed to have.

  Naomi and Chuy went into another room, while Lash stayed in the living room looking at family photos on the dresser. He picked up a photo of a little boy wearing a red plaid shirt and black corduroys. Large brown eyes emerged from beneath black curls. Javier.

  He felt his eyes prick as he stared at the little boy. Javier didn’t even have the chance to live out his full life. He could only imagine the pain Naomi felt for losing him.

  Lash heard a scratching at the door, and he put the photo down.

  “Lash, would you open the door and let the dog in,” Naomi called from the other room. “Be careful though, she doesn’t like strangers.”

  Lash grinned at the thought of how surprised Naomi was going to be. Over the past few weeks, he and Bear had become good friends. “Sure, no problem.”

  He opened the door, and Bear scurried into the room. Seeing Lash, she ran around in circles, excited.

  “Sit,” he instructed.

  Bear barked and sat, her tail pulsed against the linoleum floor.

  “That’s strange,” Naomi said as she stepped into the living ro
om.

  Lash squatted and scratched behind Bear’s ear. “What’s strange?”

  “She usually barks non-stop at strangers until they leave, and she really doesn’t like anyone petting her, except for us.”

  Naomi reached out to pet Bear.

  Bear growled.

  Naomi snatched her hand back. “Crazy dog. No table scraps for you.”

  Lash chuckled as Bear let out a huff, turned her attention back to him, and licking his fingers. “I think Bear and I are going to be great friends.”

  Naomi rolled her eyes. “Come on, dinner is ready.”

  “There you are,” Welita said, as Lash followed Naomi into kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron. “You must be Naomi’s boyfriend. I’m Naomi’s grandmother, Anita, but everyone calls me Welita.”

  He placed a hand into hers and shook. “Lash. Nice to meet you, Welita.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” Naomi said.

  “No?” Welita turned to Chuy. “You told me he was.”

  Chuy chuckled, and Naomi threw a potholder at him.

  “I said there was a guy that Naomi was hanging out with after her group thing she does every Monday night,” Chuy said.

  “You failed to mention that I was with another girl, too,” Naomi said. “Her name is Ellen. She’s in the group.”

  “Is Ellen your girlfriend?” Welita asked Lash.

  “Welita! That’s private,” Naomi said.

  “Why should that be private? If he has a girl, he should be proud to show her off.” Welita turned to Lash. “Well?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Really? Such a handsome fellow like you is single? And you’re so polite, too.” She patted his arm. “Take a seat here,” she pulled out an old wooden chair.

  Lash sat down across the table from Naomi. “I know you didn’t expect me for dinner, Mrs. Duran—”

  “Welita,” she said, pulling a lid from a huge black pot.

  “Welita, I really appreciate you allowing me to have dinner with your family.”