A hearty thanks to my editor, tigersman.
*****
He spotted her at an Irish Bar.
A sweet brunette, about the same height as Eva with a peachy, glossy lipstick and a ridiculously short skirt, unlike what Eva would have worn. She had been staring at him for a long time now. It was time to buy her a drink. He nodded the barman to send her a tequila shot, not what she was having, which didn't matter to him. He wasn't going for a polite flirt. She smiled and drank it. She smiled again, seductively. He paid the bill and walked over to her. She saw him approaching and leaned on her stool. Before she would say 'hello stranger', he lowered himself to her ear and whispered sternly, "Let's get out of here." She followed, feeling a rush of heat between her legs.
She drove to her place and, although she tried to say a few words, open up a conversation, he was looking out of the window and kept ignoring her. She frowned, trying to understand what was the thing with him that made her put up with him, besides the fact that he made her feel more wet that she had been in a long, long time. Maybe the mystery, definitely the mystery behind his deep, blue eyes. And the movements, his way of walking. Oh, and the way he talked to her, the authority in his voice.
She hadn't finished unlocking her door, when Mark pushed her against her apartment wall and kissed her hard. She didn't taste like Eva but, anyway, he half undressed her and half tore her clothes, as he put his hand between her breasts. He pushed her some more against the wall. She let out small cries, that were about to get many notches higher in volume, pretty soon. She couldn't take a proper breath and, truth is, she didn't want to.
Grabbing her ass, he lifted her up and entered her in one quick thrust. She had to struggle for breath now, but she wouldn't have it any other way. No, it didn't feel like Eva. He kept on fucking with intensity, for five minutes, until he came. She came, too, just moments before he did, but that wasn't his intention really.
He cupped her chin and kissed her cheek lightly, like a casual acquaintance and opened the door and left.
She stood there, naked and breathless for another five minutes, before she locked the door and bent to pick up her clothes.
...
Mark walked all the way to his home and it was well more than an hour's walk. In the past six months he had fucked another sweet brunette, another one that remotely reminded him of Eva. He had to shake that ghost off and get her out of his system. Get it all out. But now he knew, no matter how hard he tried to get back to his previous way of life, he had Eva's image of her eyes filled with pain when he took her virginity imprinted in his brain, when he was taking those girls. And the trust in her eyes; this was the most unbearable thing.
He knew he had to make that phone call tomorrow morning.
...
"Mark, my man, come in!" Tom said as he handed him a cold beer.
Mark half smiled at Officer Thomas, who knew of Eva and was the one who informed her about Stephen.
"Thanks, Tom, nice to see you. It's been a while." Mark returned his warm greeting.
"It's been half a year, Mark." Tom said, while introducing a female officer, who was sitting in an armchair, "This is Sarah, you remember Sarah?"
"Hello Sarah," Mark slightly shook his head, "I've heard about you but never really met you."
"Hi Mark. You couldn't have, you were on those undercover missions of yours for the past, what, two years?"
"Three, if you count the preparations. One and a half in the last one."
"Tough, man. So, I hear you left the force." Replied Officer Thomas.
Mark nodded. Yeah he had.
"Why? I thought they'd give you some time off and some benefits..." Tom went on.
"Chief said I kinda fucked up saving Eva and exposing a lot, although the op turned out successful. I had to have a desk job for five years minimum. That's not me." Mark replied.
"Can't fucking believe it. You lose yourself for a year and then they count every move you make as right and wrong!" Sarah sympathized.
Mark took a large sip. "I respond to the name Stephen even now, after six whole months. I swore I'd never wear another black t-shirt in my life. And I haven't worn my earrings since I'm Mark again." His voice trailed off and he took another sip to cover his tremble. He wasn't used to feeling vulnerable.
"Well, Mark," Sarah cleared her throat, "Tom had me ask about an Eva Aitkin at her college, as discreetly as possible." She quickly looked at Tom for approval and, when he nodded, she went on. "Strangely or not, she pushed her attack memory behind, just like her family's accident. I mean, the psychologist told me that she is aware that those incidents happened, but she can't recall the details. Other than that, she seems to go on as normal as possible."
Mark could easily hide the beating of his heart. But he blushed just a little at the sound of her name. He had thought of it, but listening to it after all this time, was a small pinch in his heart.
He took another sip.
"Thank you Sarah, for your time and effort. I guess it's up to me right now."
Sarah and Tom exchanged looks and agreed without a word. They had respect for Mark and understood that it took a lot of courage to locate this girl and apologize for actions taken when he was undercover.
Tom cleared his throat, "Mark, this um...exposure could still be dangerous for you, you know."
"I know, Tom, I know. Thanks a lot, I owe you one. Listen, I gotta go..."
At twenty-five Mark had earned enough respect to have his small wishes granted, even by seniors a decade older than him. Even if he wasn't on the force anymore.
...
Eva was browsing through the various announcements on the college bulletin board. Exams had just finished, her second year had just finished and she was looking through ads for summer jobs, summer labs and roommates' vacancies. A nice looking young man, about her age, approached her and touched her back lightly, "Anything of interest, Eva?"
"Three jobs and only one candidate roommate. How about you, Theodore, did you find a roommate, yet?" Eva answered and asked at the same time.
He laughed earnestly and answered her something that, Mark, being three meters away, couldn't make out or didn't care because he got wrapped up in her voice. Her voice answering his questions in that concrete room of his, her voice accusing him and that same voice asking worryingly about him at the police station.
He didn't know how to get closer to her, so he did what he always did: research. He would follow her for a couple of days, and would find a way in.
Eva didn't have a fixed schedule now that her exams were over. She hung out with a couple of girls and occasionally that Theodore guy and another one, who seemed to be involved with one of her girlfriends. He didn't even want to validate the option that Eva had a boyfriend.
A couple of days later she landed a job at a local coffee shop and so, Mark, went in to have a coffee.
He was lucky because he sat at a table where she served.
"What can I get you, sir?" Her heart missed a beat at the sight of that dark haired guy with the intense look in his eyes. She attributed it to her first day nervousness.
"Coffee, please. No sugar, no cream. Which is the best blend you have?"
"Sorry," she blushed, "It's my first day here. I only drink tea, so I don't know how to help you today... But," she added, "if you come back tomorrow, I will fill you in!"
He felt his crooked smile rising at his lips and smoothly said, "It's OK Miss, anything will do for today."
She made a small bow with her head, smiling, proud of herself that she graciously got out of an 'I don't know' situation.
He let himself let go and felt confident of his bold decision to find her again. And save his life this time.
Mark became a regular. He enjoyed her company, no matter how short it was. He saw her moving through tables and each day he saw a new confidence building in her ways.
One talk they had one day, made him take action.
She mentioned by the end of the month, she would have to find a place to live, since her roommate would move to her boyfriend's house. She was very reluctant, but she'd have to take up Theodore's offer to move in with him.
He asked her in a calm voice "What time does your shift end?"
And she replied "In two hours", blushing lightly.
"In two hours you are going to have a walk somewhere you've never been before and dinner afterwards." And left, before anyone could spot his rare, wide smile.
She came out five minutes past their date, murmuring "sorry." She wore her white, cropped jeans and a dark blue, lace shirt.
He smiled and in a quiet voice said, "It's OK, Eva."
He took her to the school he was teaching Tae Kwon Do, since, as he put it, he was 'in between jobs'. He showed her the moves, the places, and the equipment. She admired the way his body moved but didn't tell him. She didn't have to, he saw it in her eyes. He let his guard down a little more.
They went for dinner at a local, small diner. He liked that he was in charge and she was thrilled to see all this new stuff.
He walked her to her -soon to leave- apartment. He knew he shouldn't rush things, so he touched her hair and leaned down, kissed her on her cheek and wished her 'goodnight' in a velvet voice, that startled even himself.
She had that strange gut feeling, again.
After a couple of dates, more or less, like the first one, Mark was in a whirlpool of feelings, he couldn't cope with. When he felt helpless he always turned angry, like that one night as Stephen.
That Thursday night, they started their way home when the impending rain began. Tons of water in a matter of minutes. Mark held her from her waist but he couldn't cover her; Eva was soaking wet, her body outlined through her semi-transparent, wet clothes.
"My place is down this street. Come on, we have to get inside, anywhere," he said over the loudness of the raindrops.
She nodded and ran along with him.
"This is awkward but you have to strip Eva. I'm bringing towels." Mark gave her privacy but not without having a flash back of their time in the shower, where he was holding her naked body.
Eva was in her underwear when Mark brought her towels. She used one around her body and he used another one to dry her hair. Another deja vu.
A thunderbolt startled her and had her in his arms in no time. He held her tight; tighter than necessary though not as tight as he wanted. He let three heartbeats pass by before he took her face in his hands and kissed her. It wasn't a soft kiss; he bit her lower lip more than once. Yeah, that kiss smelled like Eva. Reinforced with that realization, he bit her lip one more time, until she let out a tiny cry. He kissed her softly and then hard again. He ran his finger over her white-pink scar that run under her cheekbone to her lips, the scar he was a witness to. He held her even tighter and loosened the towel.
