Dolby(15)
Author: Maryann Jordan

 

“I’m looking for Marcia.”

 

The voice was male, and not for the first time, she wished she had the ability to see who was there. When she’d rented the house six months ago, the landlord had assured her of the security system. She discovered the audio worked perfectly, but the video camera didn’t always engage.

 

“And who are you?”

 

After a slight hesitation, the reply came through. “Marcia, this is Jonathan Dolby. There’s a camera attached to this security panel. Can you not see me?”

 

Her chin jerked downward. “Jonathan? What are you doing here?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you again, but please answer the question. Can you not see me?”

 

“No, it doesn’t work all the time.” She immediately winced, realizing she had just admitted that the security system was lacking. “You—” Clearing her throat, she began again. “You wanted to see me? Did I forget something at the lighthouse?” Having left something was the only reason she could imagine he’d searched her out. And how he’d manage to do that, she had no idea. Swallowing deeply, she wondered what else he knew.

 

“Yes, you did forget something at the lighthouse. Would it be possible for me to come through the gate?”

 

Her finger hesitated over the button to unlatch the security gate at the end of the driveway. She couldn’t imagine what she’d left at the lighthouse, but if he’d gone to this much trouble to bring it back to her, it would be rude to leave him standing outside. She snorted. Rude is the least thing I’m concerned about. The chance to see him again filled her mind.

 

“Yes, yes, of course.” She jabbed at the button, then turned and raced down the hall, through her bedroom, and into her bathroom. Snagging her hair tie out with one hand and grabbing her brush with the other, she swiped it through the tresses, attempting to tame her hair. She hadn’t bothered to blow-dry and style her hair earlier, but she rarely did unless she went out. Ugh! A headband lay on the counter, and she quickly pushed it into place, at least giving the appearance of grooming.

 

She gazed down her body and grimaced at her sweatpants and baggy shirt. She stripped quickly and pulled on a pair of leggings and a tunic top. Satisfied that her clothes were at least clean, she looked at her face in the mirror. She wore no makeup but lightly brushed a hint of blush on her cheeks and added a swipe of lip balm. Rolling her eyes at the ineffectual effort, she ran back to the front door, then stood for a few seconds, attempting to catch her breath. With a final exhale, letting the air rush out, she threw open the door just as he walked onto the covered portico.

 

All thoughts of playing it casual flew from her mind as her breath halted in her throat. Seeing him in the bright light of the day, clean and smiling as his gaze landed on her face, caused her insides to somersault. With only socks on her feet, she was even shorter than when she’d met him, and her head leaned back as his blue eyes stared intently at her. And while he’d seemed big in the lighthouse, she had a better idea of how large he truly was as he filled the doorway, almost blocking the outside light. Without the dried mud, she could now see his short hair was thick and sandy brown. She instantly decided the next character she wrote would be described precisely with his hair and eyes. Reminding herself to breathe, she took all of him in, still in disbelief he was on her stoop.

 

“Why doesn’t your security camera work?”

 

Blinking at the harsh tone of his question, she jerked her chin back slightly as she was thrust into the present and out of her musings. “Um… it… this is a rental.” She stammered her explanation, realizing it wasn’t an explanation. Starting over, she continued, “I rent this house. The security is good, but the camera hasn’t worked since that last lightning storm.” She shrugged, still holding on to the door. “I just haven’t contacted the owners.”

 

“I’ll have a look at it,” he declared.

 

She blinked. “You’ll have a look at it?”

 

His expression, as well as his tone, softened. “Yeah, Marcia. I work for a company that plans out security, remember?”

 

She remembered every detail about him, every thing he’d said to her the previous night but wasn’t about to admit to that. Swallowing audibly, she tried to think of something to say, but all she could focus on was his beautiful eyes.

 

“How about we start over? Hello, Marcia.”

 

His deep voice had an almost playful tone as he re-stated his greeting. She was still hanging onto the doorknob, more out of fear that she might fall at his feet if she let go. He was everything she remembered and more than she could’ve dreamed of. Cleaned up, freshly shaven, and utterly gorgeous. And why he was standing on her porch, she couldn’t imagine. Seeing his slight grin, she curved her lips in response. “Hello. Would you like to come in?”

 

He grinned wider, and she felt his smile right down to her toes, which were curling into the floor.

 

“Yeah, I would. But it might be easier if you’d step back.”

 

Jumping slightly, she felt her face flame. “Oh yeah. Sorry.” She immediately moved out of the way. Uncertain of what he expected, she led him through the open entryway toward the living space, feeling his eyes on her back the entire way. The house she was renting was large, much more than she needed by herself, but it was the location and privacy that had drawn her to it. She’d left the search in Angela’s capable hands and hadn’t been disappointed.

 

Now, the walk to the living room felt as though it was taking forever just knowing he was there. It became harder to breathe, and when she glanced behind her, she sighed in relief to see that he was not following too closely.

 

He halted, his eyes roaming over her face. “I don’t wanna make you nervous, Marcia. I can leave if you’d prefer. Or if you want to call someone to be here while I’m here, that would be okay, too.”

 

She was surprised that he picked up on her nervousness so quickly, but as she searched his face and only found sincerity staring back, she swallowed down her nerves. “I don’t normally allow people to come inside when I’m alone, but considering we were together the other night, I feel like I can trust you.”

 

“You can. And I hope I’ll have the chance to prove that to you again.”

 

She waved her hand toward the sofa. “Can I get you something to drink?”

 

He shook his head, still smiling with his gaze on her. He sat where she indicated, and she perched on a chair facing him, her hands clasped in her lap. She wanted to stare at him and allow her gaze to roam over every inch, further committing him to memory. Now, with the bright sunlight streaming in from the windows, she could fully see his blue eyes twinkling, his firm jaw, and his body that rivaled a Greek god as his muscles strained his shirt. Thighs stretched the denim of his jeans, and biceps threatened the material of his sleeves. Glancing down at his booted feet, she remembered comparing her own feet to his the night before. Twice the size of my shoes.