“Yeah, go ahead and get it all outta your system. You ain’t any good to me if your just gonna sit there an’ pout.”
“What’s it matter? I’m obviously not any good to you anyway.”
“Not like this, that’s for damn sure.”
“Well, at least I didn’t just stand around wringing my hands like a big sissy.”
“Do what?” Ben shot back.
“You heard me then.”
He gave her a hard stare for a moment, then the corner of his mouth turned up in a half grin. “For a second there I thought you were serious.”
“Are you certain I’m not?”
“I’m never sure of anything with you.”
“Good. That’s the way it should be.”
My friend sighed and grunted, “Well, I wouldn’t let it go to your head if I was you.”
“Are you two aware that you sound like an old married couple?” I asked.
“Blame your wife,” Ben replied as he returned his attention to the hamburger he still had pinched in his hand. “She started it.”
“I think you’re probably both equally at fault,” I said.
“Actually, no, it’s him,” my wife quipped. “I think it’s probably all the sexual tension.”
“The what?” Ben yipped.
“Sexual tension. You’ve been dying to sleep with me ever since we met.”
“Awww, Jeezus…” Ben groaned, dropping his sandwich onto his plate. He was obviously caught off guard by her gibe. “Dammit, Firehair, you know that ain’t so.”
“What? I’m not good enough for you?”
“I didn’t say… I mean… You… Dammit… Now you’re just goin’ too far. Why the hell do ya’ say crap like that?”
“Because I find you very entertaining when you’re embarrassed,” my wife replied. “That’s why.”
“Rowan?” he appealed, glancing over at me.
“Why are you crying to him?” Felicity snipped.
“Backup,” he retorted.
“I’ve told you before, Ben,” I said with a shrug. “She knows the mere mention of sex is a hot button with you.”
“Well, ya’ know I’m not wantin’ ta’…ya’know… I mean… Jeezus, she’s your wife for Chrissakes.”
“Believe me, Ben, I’m not worried. And, it doesn’t bother me if you find her attractive.”
“Don’t you start too.”
I shook my head. “I’m not. You know, I don’t get why you’re always so surprised when she pushes this button to get a reaction out of you. It’s not like she hasn’t done it before.”
“Yeah, that’s true. But she ain’t usually this ill behaved in public,” Ben replied, stressing the last word.
“So sorry I can’t say the same for you,” Felicity remarked.
“Jeezus H Christ…” he sighed. “Are you done yet, Felicity?”
“I suppose so…” She paused then added the caveat, “For now.”
He shook his head and let out a protracted “Fuck me…”
“Aye, you wish.”
“Well, at least you seem to be coming out of your funk,” I announced. “But I also have to say that you two are starting to annoy me a bit.”
“You’re just grouchy because you’re hungry,” Felicity replied.
I drew in a deep breath then puffed my cheeks out as I exhaled in exasperation. “Trust me, when you two really get going you can be annoying whether I’m hungry or not,” I said. “But, yeah, you might have a point. I actually am starting to get annoyed that my food isn’t here yet.”
“Yeah, you been waitin’ awhile,” Ben commented as he scooped up his burger once again. “Wonder if they had ta’ go kill another cow or somethin’.”
“Pig. I ordered a BLT.”
“Cow, pig, whatever,” he grunted before biting into his sandwich once again. “Bet you’re re-thinkin’ your order now, ain’t ya’?”
“I’m definitely beginning to wonder,” I said.
“Speakin’ of food,” Ben said. “You ain’t eatin’ much, Firehair. Ya’ maybe want some salt for that?”
“I wish the two of you would stop trying to give me salt,” she snipped. “It’s bad for you.”
The nostalgic chords of an electric guitar twanged overhead as a woman’s voice followed behind them in a haunting harmonization, repeating two simple words, “dead sound.” I looked upward at the speakers out of reflex then back down and glanced between Ben and Felicity.
“Didn’t they already play this?” I asked.
“Maybe she’s stuck,” Ben offered.
“She?”
“Whatever.”
“Well, I think maybe that siren is too,” I complained, nodding toward the window.
“Here you are, Rowan,” a voice drifted into my ears as a plate slid onto the table in front of me.
I looked up and found Ariel Tanner staring back at me with a sad frown torturing her face. She shook her head and sighed, “I’m so sorry about the wait.”
After that, pain was all I knew.
And after that, there was nothing at all.
CHAPTER 24
I felt heavy.
That was the only way I could describe it. It was like my muscles had turned to lead and I was slowly sinking into oblivion.
My head was thick.
It was dense, as if it had been emptied of its contents and then stuffed beyond its capacity with cotton, if for no other reason than to soak up any random thoughts even before I was allowed to have them. I reached for memories anyway but found none. Only the tightly packed nothing remained inside my skull, a solid void from which there was no escape.
I wondered if this was what it was like to be dead. Then I tried to remember what it was I had been wondering. Then I gave up and stopped wondering altogether.
One side of my face was hot and the other was cold. My neck was stiff and my shoulders felt tired. At least, that is what my body seemed to be telling me. How it was getting this message across in a coherent fashion I had no idea. The connection between the stuffing in my head and the rest of me didn’t appear to be on very good terms at the moment.
I noticed an uncomfortable dullness was now burrowing beneath my skin. It was as if I was numb, but not numb. I was teetering somewhere in between. Physical sensations were still there, but they made no sense. They were a long time coming, and when they arrived, they were almost impossible to identify.
It occurred to me that it was dark, so I tried to open my eyes. My eyelids fought that decision with everything they had, but I was determined. The struggle seemed to last forever, and by the time it was over I had forgotten why I even started, so I gave up.
Then, my left eyelid opened without any prompting from me, and a bright light exploded in front of it. I wanted to blink, but I couldn’t. Just as suddenly as it had opened, it closed. But even as the residual starbursts began to fade, my right eye snapped open in much the same way, only to have the sun go supernova into it as well.
Finally, the darkness returned. I decided not to try opening my eyes again. Apparently, there was nothing I wanted to see.
“Can you tell me your name?” a voice filtered into my ears.
I ignored it.
Sometime later-how long I had no idea at all-I thought maybe I felt something pushing against my shoulder. The voice came again, “Sir, can you tell me your name?”
Apparently, ignoring the voice was not an option. I worked my jaw and tried to force my thick tongue to move. My throat felt raw, and it burned as I slowly pushed air out of my mouth in an attempt to form words.
“Rowmim Gahn…” I heard myself say. It didn’t make sense to me, but it seemed to mean something to the voice.
“Good. Can you tell me what day this is, Mister Gant?”
I took in a slow breath and then allowed my mouth to say whatever it wanted. “Money.”
“Good,” the voice replied.
I was starting to drift again, so the fact that the voice was pleased didn’t really matter to me.
I felt pressure against my palm, and the voice droned on some more, but I had no idea what it said. It was just so much background noise.
The heaviness pressed down on me again, and then it was gone. I was floating. And then I wasn’t. I was simply there. Now, I could feel myself breathing, or at least that’s what I thought. But that thought was fleeting as my cottony brain absorbed it and left me with nothing to think.