Awakening

 

AUTHOR: Shirley


E-mail: sbell_1944@yahoo.com


RATING: PG-13    

 

CONTEXT: This is my contribution to the Summer Daze Fic Challenge.  This
short story timeline immediately follows the events of “All the Rage” –
The Guardian Season Two Finale. 

 

DISCLAIMER: The characters portrayed herein have been taken directly
from The Guardian – a CBS TV Series. Others are strictly figments of my
imagination. The resemblance to any person(s) living or dead is purely
coincidental. Any similarity of events, dates, or characters or the
portrayal of events, dates or characters depicted in any FanFic
previously posted by other authors is totally unintentional. This is a
work of FICTION.

 

~~~~

 

Lulu spritzed a cloud of Bvlgari eau de perfum into the air and walked
through it, feeling the soft mist fall on her face and shoulders.  It
was her one extravagance in fragrances.  She saved it for very special
occasions.  Tonight she was going to the Symphony with Nick. 

 

When Nick had asked her at the courthouse, she had hesitated, at first. 
He had seemed a bit blasé when she had told him about the job
interview.  She couldn’t figure him out.  One minute he seemed to be
hers for the taking and the next he appeared distant and aloof.  She
couldn’t just put her career on hold waiting for Nick to get serious. 
And then when he told her he loved her, well, she didn't believe him. 
She didn't know.  She just didn't know.

 

But, as she was getting dressed for the evening she found herself
getting excited.  She had been pleading with Nick to take her some place
where she could get dressed up.  Finally, the Symphony charity event was
the perfect place to wear her beautiful dress that her mother had
brought her from New York.  It still had the tag on it when she removed
it from the protective plastic bag. 

 

She looked at herself in the mirror.  It was an all-black strapless
cocktail length dress with a form-fitting bodice and a slim skirt; the
skirt topped by a two-layered full chiffon overskirt with a handkerchief
hem, which fluttered when she moved.  She finished the look with a pearl
choker and pearl stud earrings.  

 

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table.  Nick hadn’t said when he
would pick her up.  She knew the concert started at 9:00.  It was
already 7:05.  She found her evening purse in the bottom drawer of her
dresser and loaded it with her house keys, a lipstick and comb. 

 

She walked to the window and pulled back the curtains.  Still no sign of
him.  She went downstairs to wait. 

 

~/~/~

 

Nick pulled up into his father’s driveway where he had left the BMW
earlier.  He turned the engine off and for a moment just sat staring
into space.  Neither he nor his father had said anything on the drive
home. 

 

Finally Nick looked over at his father.  “Will you be all right?” he asked.

 

Burton only looked at Nick, taking a long drag on his cigarette.  He
opened the car door and tossed the butt on the pavement. 

 

Nick got out and set the car alarm then walked around the car and handed
the keys to his father. 

 

“I’m gonna go.”

 

“Okay.  Sure.”  Burton waited until Nick had pulled out of the driveway
before he went into the house.

 

~/~/~

 

It was almost 9:30 when Nick got home.  He punched the play button on
his answering machine to hear his first message.

 

“Nick.”  It was Lulu.  “You didn’t tell me what time you would be
picking me up. I…” 

 

Nick immediately deleted the message and went on to the next one.

 

“Nick.  I’m at Pittsburgh County Emergency.  Something happened at LSP
tonight.  I think you should come.”  That was the end of Alvin’s cryptic
message.

 

~/~/~

 

Nick pulled into the parking lot and hurried into the ER.  He
immediately saw Alvin sitting with his head in his hands. 

 

Alvin looked up as he heard the doors open and saw Nick approaching. 

 

“Oh, Nick.  Glad you could make it.”

 

Nick was still in his tuxedo. 

 

“What is it, Alvin?”  He was a little anxious to hear what all the drama
was about. 

 

“It’s James.” 

 

“James?”

 

“He’s been shot, Nick.  Right there in the office.  And… and that new
guy… Larry Flood?  He was killed.” 

 

“Oh, God!”  Taliek’s face suddenly flashed across Nick’s recent memory. 
“Did he say…?”

 

“No, Nick.  He was unconscious when the cleaning crew found him around
8:00 o’clock.  He’s in surgery right now.” 

 

“Any idea…?”

 

“No, the doctors won’t know anything until after the surgery.” 

 

Nick noticed Alvin looking him up and down.  “What…?” he asked with a shrug.

 

“What’re you all dressed up for?”  Then Alvin noticed his hands.  “And…
Nick, what happened to your hands?”

 

At that moment, Lulu came around the corner, carrying two cups of
coffee.  She was still wearing her beautiful dress. 

 

“Nick.”  She stopped. 

 

“Lulu,” he said, then looked at the floor, suddenly unprepared to face
her. 

 

Lulu walked over to Alvin and handed him one of the coffees.  “Nick…
would you like this one?”  She offered the remaining coffee to him.

 

“No.  I’m fine.” 

 

“Lulu… uh… could I… uh… see you outside?”  He said, haltingly. 

 

“Okay.”  She set the coffee cup on an empty chair next to Alvin. 

 

Outside, they walked to the corner of the building, away from the
entrance doors.  Nick folded his arms across his chest and looked to the
heavens.  A few wispy clouds passed over the moon. 

 

“Nick?”  Lulu reached out and touched his sleeve.  “You have a right to
be angry at me.”  She wrapped her arms around herself as she felt a
sudden chill. 

 

Nick stepped up and took her in his arms.  She relaxed in his embrace
and began to cry, softly. 

 

“Hey… hey.”  Nick turned her face up to his and kissed her tear-stained
cheek, then found her mouth and kissed her passionately.  “I’m sorry,”
he said, in a whisper. 

 

“Sorry?  Sorry for what, Nick?  It is I who should be sorry.  Sorry for
not realizing how much you mean to me.  Sorry for almost making the
worst mistake of my life.  Nick… is it too late to tell you that I love
you?”  She looked pleadingly into his eyes. 

 

“It’s never too late for that.”  He held her close and kissed her
deeply, passionately. 

 

“Hey, you two love-birds…”  It was Alvin, standing silhouetted against
the light from the ER.

 

They separated and walked towards him. 

 

“Thought you’d like to know… The docs think James is gonna make it.” 

 

“That’s good news.”  Nick breathed a sigh of relief. 

 

“Now, why don’t you two go home and get some rest.  I’ll stick around
for a little bit longer then I’m gonna go home, too.” 

 

“You sure?”  Nick looked questioningly at Alvin.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure.”  He turned and walked back inside. 

 

“We can pick your car up tomorrow,” Nick suggested. 

 

“I like that idea,” she said with a grin. 

 

THE END