“What’s the matter?” she asked huskily. “Are you all right?”
“Fine,” Beau said. “Perfect.”
“No cough?”
“Not yet. Throat feels fine too.”
“Why’d you wake me? Can I get you something?”
“No, thanks,” Beau said. “Actually I thought you’d like to see something. Come on!”
Beau got out of bed and came around to Cassy’s side. He took her hand and helped her to her feet.
“You want to show me something now?” Cassy asked. She glanced at the clock.
“Right now,” Beau said. He guided her into the living room and over to the slider that led to the balcony. When he motioned for her to step outside, she resisted.
“I can’t go out,” she said. “I’m naked.”
“Come on,” Beau said. “Nobody’s going to see us. It’s only going to take a moment, and if we don’t go now we’ll miss it.”
Cassy debated with herself. In the half light she couldn’t see Beau’s expression, but he sounded sincere. The idea that this was some kind of prank had occurred to her.
“This better be interesting,” Cassy warned as she finally stepped over the slider’s track.
The night air had its usual chill, and Cassy hugged herself. Even so, everything erectile on the surface of her body popped up. She felt like one big goose pimple.
Beau stepped behind her and enveloped her in his arms to help control Cassy’s shivering. They were standing at the railing facing a broad stretch of the sky. It was a cloudless, clear, moonless night.
“Okay, what am I supposed to be seeing?” she asked.
Beau pointed up toward the northern sky. “Look up there toward the Pleiades in the constellation of Taurus.”
“What is this, an astronomy lesson?” Cassy questioned. “It’s two-ten in the morning. Since when did you know anything about the constellations?”
“Watch!” Beau commanded.
“I’m watching,” Cassy said. “What am I supposed to be seeing?”
At that moment there was a rain of meteors with extraordinarily long tails, all streaking from the same pinpoint of sky like a gigantic firework display.
“My God!” Cassy exclaimed. She held her breath until the rain of shooting stars faded. The spectacle was so impressive that she momentarily forgot the chill. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It was beautiful. Was that what they call a meteor shower?”
“I suppose,” Beau said vaguely.
“Will there be more?” Cassy asked, her eyes still glued to the point of origin.
“Nope, that’s it,” Beau said. He let go of Cassy, then followed her back inside. He closed the slider.
Cassy sprinted back to the bed and dived in. When Beau appeared she had the covers clutched around her neck and was shivering. She ordered him to get under the blanket to warm her up.
“Gladly,” he said.
They snuggled for a moment and Cassy’s shivering abated. Pulling back from where she had her face tucked into the crook of his neck, she tried to look into Beau’s eyes, but they were lost in the gloom. “Thanks for getting me out there to see that meteor shower,” she said. “At first I thought you were trying to play a joke on me. But I have one question: How did you know it was going to happen?”
“I can’t remember,” Beau said. “I guess I heard about it someplace.”
“Did you read about it in the paper?” Cassy suggested.
“I don’t think so,” Beau said. He scratched his head. “I really don’t remember.”
Cassy shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we got to see it. How did you wake up?”
“I don’t know,” Beau said.
Cassy pushed away and turned on the bedside light. She studied Beau’s face. He smiled under her scrutiny.
“Are you sure you feel all right?” she asked.
Beau smiled. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he said. “I feel great.”
6
6:45 A.M.
It was one of those cloudless, crystalline mornings with the air so fresh it could almost be tasted. The most distant mountains stood out with shocking clarity. The normally dry ground was covered with a cool layer of dew that sparkled like so many diamonds.
Beau stood for a moment taking in the scene. It was as if he’d seen it for the first time. He couldn’t believe the range of colors of the distant hills, and he questioned why he’d not appreciated it before.
He was dressed casually in an Oxford shirt, jeans, and loafers with no socks. He cleared his throat. His cough was all but gone and his throat didn’t hurt when he swallowed.
Pushing off from the entrance to his apartment building he walked along the walkway, then up the driveway and into the back parking area. In the sand lining the far periphery he found what he was looking for. Three black mini-sculptures identical to the one he’d found in Costa’s parking lot the morning before. He scooped them up, dusted them off, and slipped them into separate pockets.
With his mission accomplished, he turned and retraced his steps.
Inside the apartment the alarm went off next to Cassy’s head. The alarm was on her side of the bed because Beau had a bad habit of turning it off so quickly that neither of them truly woke up.
Cassy’s hand snaked out from beneath the covers and hit the dream bar. The alarm fell silent for ten luscious minutes. Rolling onto her back, her hand extended toward Beau to give him a shove, the first of many. Beau was not a morning person.
Cassy’s exploring hand found empty, cool sheets. The searching arc was extended. Still nothing. Cassy opened her eyes and looked over at Beau, but he was not there!
Surprised by this unexpected turn of events, Cassy sat up and listened for any tell-tale noise from the bathroom. The house was silent. Beau never got up before she did. Suddenly she was worried that his illness had returned.
After slipping on her robe, Cassy padded out into the living room. She was about to call out his name when she saw him over by their fish tank. He was bending down, studying the fish. He was so intent he’d not heard her. While she watched he placed his right index finger against the glass. Somehow his finger concentrated the fluorescent aquarium light so that the tip of his finger glowed.
Mesmerized by this scene, Cassy just stood there continuing to watch. Soon all the fish flocked to the point where Beau’s finger touched the glass. When he moved the finger laterally, the fish all dutifully followed.
“How are you doing that?” Cassy asked.
Surprised by Cassy’s presence, Beau stood up, letting his hand fall to his side. At the same instant the fish dispersed to the far ends of the tank.
“I didn’t hear you come into the room,” Beau said with a pleasant smile.
“Obviously,” Cassy said. “What were you doing to attract the fish that way?”
“Damned if I know,” Beau said. “Maybe they thought I was going to feed them.” He came over to Cassy and draped his arms on her shoulders. His smile was radiant. “You look wonderful this morning.”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Cassy said jokingly. She tussled her thick hair, then patted it into place. “There, now I’m ready for the Miss America Pageant.” She looked up into Beau’s eyes. They were a particularly effulgent blue, and the whites were whiter than white.
“You are the one who looks wonderful,” Cassy said.
“I feel wonderful,” Beau said. He bent down to kiss Cassy on the lips, but she ducked out from beneath his arms.
“Hold on,” she said. “This beauty contestant has yet to brush her teeth. I wouldn’t want to be disqualified on account of morning breath.”
“Not a chance,” Beau said with a lascivious smile.