Out of the Blue

Pink Carnation Restaurant & Bar
11:25 PM

“I have a bet with my friends,” he said as he nodded to the two men at the bar. They raised their beers in acknowledgment. He turned his attention back to the beautiful woman who sat in front of him. Make that two beautiful women, identical in so many ways but he was drawn to this twin. He couldn’t figure out the reason. Throughout the last two hours, he watched these twin sisters. This particular one caught his glances and he caught hers on and off through the night.

She smiled at his face she had admired from afar. He looked even more handsome close up.

“So what’s this bet? What does it involve?” She smiled once again, hoping he didn’t see that her eyes wandered up and down him as he nodded to his friends once again.

“If it involves anything horizontal, count me out.” Her twin sister sipped her drink, her eyes barely noticing the man in front of them. Her eyes darted around the room.

“Be quiet, Cassie. Let him talk.” She turned her attention to him. “I’m with her so don’t even ask.”

“Whoa! I’m a gentleman. I don’t and I won’t ask that from either of you beautiful ladies.” He put his hand on the back of the empty chair at their table. “May I sit? I feel like I’m talking down to you two and it’s not the gentlemanly thing to do.”

The sisters nodded yes at the same time.

“So you’re always the one sent to scope out the ladies instead of your friends?” Cassie put her drink down.

“Don’t listen to my sister. She thinks too much.”

“And you don’t think enough, delly.”

He saw their expressions change as they briefly glanced at each other. To him it looked like they had finally agreed on something.

“You’re probably wondering why we don’t finish each other’s sentences?” delly asked as she watched his expression change from smiling to puzzlement. “We’re twins but that crap gets annoying as hell for us so we don’t do it.”

“Oh, I was wondering about that.” He saw Cassie roll her eyes and delly smirking.

“She’s pissed because she lost our bet.”

Cassie’s growling was quickly replaced with a sidelong glance. delly’s smirk disappeared as she shrugged off her sister’s thoughts from her mind. She faced the man in front of her. “So what’s this bet you have?”

“Your name or is it a secret in case you get shot down?”

“Dammit, Cassie, close your mouth and let him talk or else go talk to his friends.”

Cassie felt her sister’s anger simmering. “Shut your own mouth. His friend on the left is either in a long-term relationship or he’s engaged. His friend on the right’s already married. I want someone without attachments like them.”

The man glanced at his friends then back to Cassie. “Uh… how’d you figure that out?”

“Observation. You’re the only one without said attachments.”

“And he started to talk to me first.” Her glare silenced Cassie.

“As I was saying… my buddies bet me one hundred dollars that I couldn’t get you to kiss me.” He was bracing for the shoot down.

“So what’s in it for me?” She was game as long as she set the terms.

“A kiss you’ll always remember.” He smiled, oozing self confidence. “My name’s Mac.”

“And what’s the return policy if I don’t like it, Mac?”

His smile didn’t waver. “I take you and your sister to whatever restaurant you two agree upon.”

Cassie smiled from ear to ear. “I want to go to the one in Paris. What’s the name again, sis?”

He held his ground. “Paris, France? That can be arranged.”

His gaze momentarily silenced delly. “Uh… we’ll pick one closer to home…”

“So are the terms to your liking, my lady?” His gaze didn’t move away from her.

“Sure. Why not? No strings?” She smiled again.

“None.” He stood up and held out his hand for her. “Trust me. You’ll never forget this kiss.”

delly glanced at her sister. Mac couldn’t read what they said to each other. He hoped it was something good. He hated being pushed to this challenge, but he was drawn to her. All it would hurt would be his pride, but at least he tried.

How apropos, thought Mac as “Strangers in the Night” started. Funny how he never even heard the music until now.

She took his hand, using it as leverage to stand. “I’m game.” She moved toward him, almost touching.

He bent down and whispered in her ear. “No tongue, I promise.”

She nodded as he raised his head and gazed on her face. She closed her eyes as she stepped forward, feeling his warmth against hers.

He dipped his head, tilted her chin up with one hand and pulled her closer with his other.

Their lips met
Completing the circuit
Electricity flowed between them
Sending a shock through their bodies
Joined in a kiss
That told them of the future
Their future

Moments later, danger signs appeared
They were overloading
They were crashing
He heeded the warning
His only choice clear

He pulled away first, disconnecting the circuit. He saw her open her eyes, seeing uneasiness in them.

“Did you feel that?” she asked in a whisper.

He nodded, whispering back, “Yeah.” His expression mirrored hers. “Hey, you okay?”

“Don’t let go of me. I’m gonna….” Her head slumped forward, hitting his chest.

He turned to Cassie. “Call 911. She’s stopped breathing.” With his arm under her jacket and supporting the small of her back, he placed her on the floor, focusing all his attention on her.

His words knocked an entranced Cassie to action. She hit speed dial on her cell then barked off orders. “Delta Alpha 32 Epsilon 64. Repeat Delta Alpha 32 Epsilon 64. Inform Whistler. Repeat. Inform Whistler.” She snapped her phone close then watched the crowd.

He didn’t find a pulse. “Anyone a doctor? This is a medical emergency!”

Cassie stood up. “She’s training to be a nurse! What the hell did you do to her!”

“Nothing!”

He started a rhythmic cycle of chest compressions and breaths. “Come on! Don’t die on me!”

Cassie watched, stunned
She was an observer
Powerless to help her sister
Waiting for rescue
That might be too late

Her sister was gone
From her mind
But not from her soul

Alone in her mind
For the first time in her life
Her mind clouded
By the pain in her heart


“Dammit, just breathe for me!” Frustration tinged Mac’s voice as he continued the compressions, increasing the pressure with each new cycle.

Cassie alternated between cursing at him and crying. She was on the verge of pulling him off her when the paramedics appeared, pushing a gurney through the crowd.

The male paramedic put his hand on Mac’s shoulder. “Let us take over now,” he ordered then softened his tone. “You did a great job.”

“Eight… nine… ten…” Mac scrambled out of the way, a smooth, in-sync transition for the paramedic to take over breathing then compressions.

The female paramedic prepped the defibrillator. “How long has she been down?” She checked for a pulse. None.

Mac’s exhausted arms gave him an estimate. “At least five minutes, probably more.”

The female paramedic announced, “Clear the area. We need room to work.”

The gathered crowd moved back several yards. Mac stepped away, frustration and anger overtaking exhaustion as he scanned for his friends and more importantly, Cassie. He had heard her threats and crying over the murmurs of the crowd.

He couldn’t even look at delly as they worked on her. He cringed when he heard the paramedics yell “Clear” followed by the whine of the instrument of life shocking her back to him. Completing the circuit once again. He stopped counting after the third time.

He stalled death, but was it enough? Mac didn’t think so. The warmth they shared slipped away with each breath he gave her. It hurt him to the very core of his soul that he could lose her and probably already did.

He heard Cassie’s crying to his left. Focusing on life instead of death, he approached her. “Cassie, they’re doing everything they can. I tried my best….”

“We got her back! Cassie, we got her!”

Those were the most beautiful words that he had ever heard. He breathed a sigh of relief as he turned and watched her breathing, the first time in almost ten minutes.

Cassie, still crying, walked to Mac and buried herself on his shoulder. Mac embraced her, hoping she was comforted. He watched the paramedics conferring and making notes.

They grabbed her back from death’s grip for the moment. She could slip away at any second.

Mac looked down at Cassie the second he felt a familiar shape jabbed under his ribs.

Cassie stopped crying, her voice cold and calm. “You’re coming with us. I swear if anything happens to my sister, you’d wish I’d have pulled the trigger. After my family gets done with you, you’d wish you were dead. Tell your buddies that you’re going to the hospital with us. Don’t be a fool and warn them. I don’t have any problems taking you out in public. Hell, it’ll be called nervous breakdown – temporary insanity. So either we do this my way or you’re getting out of here in a body bag. Do you understand?”

He grunted an assent as Cassie jabbed him once more.

“Your buddies are coming.” She started crying once again, but the gun was steady as her grip.

“Hey, sorry about your sister. Mac, you want us to watch over her so you can find out what hospital she’s going to?”

“No man. I’ve got it covered. I’m going to the hospital in the ambulance. I’m really worried about her.”

“Ma’am, really sorry. Mac, I think you won that bet.” He held out several bills.

“Um… give it to her. She’s not letting go for the moment.” He felt another jab. “On second thought, just put it in my wallet.”

His friend did as he asked, lifting the back of his jacket and putting the money in his wallet. “Ma’am, send our regards to your sister. Hope she pulls through okay.”

Mac looked at Cassie as she raised her head and glared at him. “I hope so too for her sake.”

And mine thought Mac.

“Guys, tell the boss what happened. I’ll get back to him after I find out that she’s okay.”

“Okay man, will do. Can we get or do anything for you, ma’am?”

“Yeah, pray,” she replied in almost a whisper, her eyes still leveled at Mac.

Mac’s friends nodded then left. Mac watched as his friends exited the bar, still cognizant of Cassie’s gun.

“You can put that away now. I’m playing by your rules.”

“Sorry, it stays where it is until we move out.” Her eyes darted around for suspicious activity. Even though her sense told her nothing was amiss, she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Look, I didn’t drug her if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Her eyes snapped to his face. “You don’t want to go there.”

“You saw what I saw. I kissed her then she stopped breathing. I did CPR on her while you sat back crying and threatening me. Now you pull a gun on me and we’re having this lovely conversation.” His tone was even and neutral.

She saw the calm on his face – a professional. They way he and his friends watched them from the bar – years of training. They way he handled her sister’s emergency – calm and automatic. Definitely, a professional.

“Drop the pretense. Don’t think you can talk me out of what I’m doing here. You’re either law enforcement or security. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m betting on security. If you’re in law enforcement, your buddy would have snapped on the handcuffs on me – the ones in your back pocket when he put the money in your wallet. Except that you don’t have any, hence I think you work for a security firm.”

Mac muttered, “Busted. So which hospital are we going to?”

“Never said we were going to the hospital.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?” He watched the paramedics load her up on a gurney. “Since we’re getting to know each other so well… you can tell your sister to use a shoulder holster and use a larger knife instead of the one that’s attached to her left thigh. As for you….” He smiled as it dawned on her.

“Your shoulder holster isn’t empty and you can’t get to it.” She felt a jab under her ribs. “So you took my sister’s gun from the small of her back, placed it in waistband and your buddy moved it forward so you can get to it… son of a b – I can’t believe I got taken like this.”

“So where does this leave us?” His grin widened. “I take it that you’re not law enforcement either. You and your sister are far more dangerous – you work for the government.” He leaned close and whispered, “You’re spies for the government. You’ve been busted.” He felt her stiffen and her gun jerked away from him.

“Don’t blow our cover. You’re in grave danger,” she whispered back. “Just follow my lead. We got to get out of here as soon as possible. I couldn’t let your friends follow us.”

“You’re on assignment now?” His eyes scanned the room.

“Yeah, but it looks like it’s not panning out here.”

“Sorry, I blew your cover.”

“You haven’t – not yet.”

“Cassie, we’re headed out soon when she’s stabilized. Are you going to ride with us?” The male paramedic nodded at her.

“Yeah. Mac’s coming too. It’s kind of his fault she’s like this.”

Mac saw a flicker in the man’s eyes – Cassie was in charge, he understood her orders. Mac was screwed.

“Hey, it’s not as bad as it sounds!”

Cassie smiled grimly at Mac. “Look, I’m not accusing you of anything except… this is all too weird. All of this.”

“You’re telling me.” Mac saw Cassie snap her head to her sister.

That’s what you get for kissing him.

Hell, it was worth it.

Mac shook his head. Was he imagining their conversation in his mind or was it real? He hoped he was imagining it.

Cassie felt an intruder listening to her conversation with delly. She put up a wall, blocking further access. Annoyed, her gaze scanned the room, settling on Mac. His expression was one of bewilderment.

“I think I need to be checked out too. I could have sworn delly said it was worth kissing me.” He felt his throat getting dry. It was growing stranger by the minute.

Cassie’s annoyance disappeared, worry too its place. “Sounds like a good idea. You can walk, right?”

“Yeah.” He saw delly being loaded onto the gurney. “Is she going to be okay?”

The female paramedic loaded up the rest of the equipment onto the foot of the gurney. “She’s stable now. We’ll know more when they run tests on her. We’re rolling out now.”

Cassie and Mac followed closely behind the gurney.

His instincts told him that he was right that they were spies, but he was undecided on what Cassie told him. They were trained to lie – even with a smile on their face he told himself. What happened between delly and himself was real. It had to be real.

“Don’t worry. She doesn’t have a boyfriend or a husband to beat you into a pulp.”

With a sidelong glance, he saw a wide grin on Cassie’s face. He got the feeling that she was enjoying this far more than she led him to believe.

TEX Medical
Room 1219
2:18 AM

Cassie turned to the door as Mac and Tex entered the room.

“How is she?” Tex asked, looking over her sleeping form.

“Doc says she’s okay, but she hasn’t opened her eyes yet.” Her gaze shifted to Mac. “I thought you’d have left by now.”

He glared at her. “Not until I talk to your sister. Kind of hard when I was interrogated for the last two hours. You lied to me.”

“Hey, that’s what I do.”

His gaze and tone softened. “Can I sit with her? I don’t mind you two guarding her. I just want to hear her say that she’s okay.”

Cassie walked away from the chair that had been her friend for almost two hours. “Thank you,” she whispered as she passed him.

He acknowledged her with a nod before sitting down next to delly.

Cassie and Tex watched as he held her right hand. Cassie flinched.

“What’s wrong?” Tex glanced back to the bed. Nothing had changed.

“When he touched her, I lost her again just like when they kissed.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah, but it’s been hard to reach her since – Tex, it’s like she’s dead to me. I can’t hear her thoughts… can’t feel her presence… I’m alone. I’m scared for me not for her.”

Tex hugged her. “We’ll figure out what happened when she wakes up.”

“Hey, delly, it’s Mac. I’m here.” He stroked her hand. “I’m waiting for you to wake up so we can talk. I’m so sorry about all this. I didn’t know this would happen just because of a stupid bet.” He felt her hand move.

“Mac? Mac?” A sweet whisper.

He looked at the corner where Tex and Cassie were quietly talking. “She’s waking up.” He turned back to delly. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

She blinked her eyes several times as Cassie and Tex rushed to the bed.

“Sis, you scared the hell out of us.”

Her voice was louder. “Feels like someone did a bang up job breaking up my ribs then threw me into a bug zapper. Is my hair fried?” She smiled weakly, her eyes still refusing to open.

“Hey, sorry about the ribs.”

Her eyes flew open, recognizing his voice. Her eyes shifted from Mac to Cassie to Tex then back to Mac.

“Nice to see you finally awake. Heard about the commotion you caused. Slacking on the job. Don’t do it again or I’ll dock your pay.” Tex’s sternness disappeared as a smile took its place.

“Can you put this down as medical leave?” She smiled wider, her gaze still on Mac.

“That’s pushing it, but yes I will. You deserve a vacation after all those hours you’ve been pulling.”

“Can I talk to Mac in private? I’m kind of fuzzy on certain details.”

“So we going to Paris?” Cassie asked as Tex edged her away from them.

Tex smiled wider. “Paris would be nice at this time of the year.”

“Not unless you’re buying the tickets, sis.”

Mac pumped his fist into the air. “Sweet, I’m off the hook.”

delly gritted her teeth. She grabbed her midsection and curled into a ball, shaking from the pain.

“Get a doctor in here!” Mac stroked her forearm, trying to soothe her.

“Not yet.” She took several slow breaths. “No drugs.”

Cassie hit the intercom. “Doc, she needs you right now!”

“Okay, I’ll tell him to hold off.” She nodded as he lightly touched her belly. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

He lightly moved in circles around her belly. This reminded her of when she was a baby. It was soothing. She was relaxing.

Cassie whispered, “How did he know how to do that?”

“Beats me. It’s helping and that’s all that matters.”

“So I hear you’re ready to get back to work.” The doctor pushed open the door. “Not going to happen for at least three weeks. I’m not giving you medical clearance until then.”

“I’ll be called a slacker.” A small smile escaped from her.

The doctor glanced around the room then noticed Mac’s hand on her belly. “Can everyone please leave the room? I have to check on her before I give her something for the pain.” He readied the syringe then replaced it back into his pocket.

Tex and Cassie rushed out of the room, not wanting to let delly suffer any longer than necessary.

delly tugged onto Mac’s hand. “Whatever you tell me involves him too. I want Mac to stay.”

“Are you sure? I can leave if yo —”

“No. I want you here.” She stilled his hand on her belly then looked at the doctor. “You know as well as I do that you wanted them out because you don’t want them to know something.”

“Is there something wrong with her?” Mac felt her grip tightening.

“All of your labwork shows that you’re healthy. I checked the results with your latest physical.”

“And?” She braced herself for some bad news.

The doctor glanced back and forth between delly and Mac. “You’re not pregnant.”

Mac saw disappointment spread across her face.

Of course not… I’m married to my job… no serious boyfriend in the last two years.

She rubbed Mac’s hand on her belly. “Just a fantasy…”

“We can try if you wish,” Mac said as he stroked her hand.

“What?” Her gaze shot to him.

“Don’t you have a feeling of déjà vu? All of this. Remember the dream – the dream you’ve had since childhood?”

“I’ve had a lot of dreams.” Many broken dreams. Too many broken ones.

“It always starts the same… the kiss… you here. You know what happens next. It always ends the same.”

She closed her eyes. “It’s our wedding. I’m looking at you as I’m walking down the aisle.”

“I’m watching you… you’re beautiful… that sequined dress takes my breath away.”

“You’re so handsome, all dressed in white with that red rose in your lapel.”

“A blue and yellow vase decorated with red ribbon….”

“It falls down as I go by… spilling the roses.”

“The ribbons around them read –”

Mac and delly recited in-sync. “Mac and dellyone. Two souls bonded together forever.”

She opened her eyes. “You’re the one in the dream. You’re real.”

“I never thought I’d find you, but now I have… I’m never going to let you go.”

Mac knelt down next to the bed. “I’m getting down on one knee, delly. I’m proposing to you. I’m in love with you. I know this is sudden so I’m not asking for an answer right now. I just want us to have a chance… to see what happens between us.”

She looked at Doc. “Uh… did you shoot me up yet or is this real?”

“No drugs. You’re not dreaming this.” The doctor nodded. “So you gonna answer the man or you gonna leave him on the floor?”

She looked at Mac then the doctor then back to Mac. “The answer is yes.” She looked back at the doctor. “Don’t tell my family. They’re still getting used to the idea that he’s my boyfriend.”

Liar.

Quiet… you don’t know them.

Fine. Don’t wait too long to tell them.

“Congratulations. I’ll give you two the pleasure of telling them.”

“Can you give us some privacy for a little while? I know the nurses will have to come in here soon… please… can my fiancée and I have some time together?” Her teeth clamped down as the pain returned.

“First, I’ll give you this pain med.” He injected it into the latex tubing leading to her arm. “This will help you feel better.”

“Shhh… you’ll be feeling soon.” He kissed her forehead. “Rest and sleep. You need it sweetheart.”

“Honey, just hold me. I want to fall asleep in your arms.”

“It’s okay. Just watch her breathing.” The doctor picked up a small box near her head. “Hit the call button. It’s an intercom.”

Mac took off his jacket and placed it on the chair’s back. He reached for his shoulder holster, but remembered Tex took it away earlier. He pushed his shoes off before climbing in. “Thanks Doc.”

He pulled her close, her body molding to his. “I love you, delly. In time, you will too.”



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