Out of Time: A Military Romance Read online

  "Well, I'm not looking for your charity," Asha said.

  "Good, because I want to give you something more than that," he said and kissed her. She smiled.

  "I'm still thinking about it. I need a little more convincing," she teased.

  Howard laughed and pulled her along.

  Chapter Four

  Present - 8:32 A.M. December 23, 2016

  FiDi (Financial District) - Manhattan, New York

  "Ms. Quinn, I saw you this morning, I think I met a friend of yours..." Sharla said.

  "Give me a moment, Sharla," Asha said and gestured for Howard to come inside. He walked into her office. "You have less than twenty minutes to plead your final arguments. Go ahead, counselor," she said.

  "You are a tough woman to impress," Howard said. "I thought I already did." He unbuttoned his suit and took a seat. Asha smiled. She liked verbal sparring with Howard.

  "So here's my proposal," Howard said.

  "I'm listening."

  "You have worked 32 days straight without a serious vacation," he began.

  "I object." Asha sat on the edge of her desk and crossed her feet at the ankles.

  "On what grounds?" he asked.

  "On the grounds the district attorney has bribed my secretary for evidence he'd like to submit for his argument. He should make his case on his own merit, your honor."

  Howard put up his hands as if in defeat. "Sustained. Let me try again. You are in need of a vacation. Time away from your phone, from this place, from your family. Time away from Christmas, since you seem to be allergic to the holiday. Also, I have it on good authority if you stay here this afternoon you will be swept into the surprise office Christmas party for the employees. And you know when your bosses come down to this floor it will be hard for you to not participate."

  "You think I got it that bad? I can't be around Christmas?"

  "I've known you for almost two years. You made it pretty clear what you thought of the holiday last year. I'm offering you a chance to see things differently."

  "See it differently? What are you, my Christmas angel?"

  "Only recently you let me take you to dinner, and a brother had to work to get to hold your hand. Now I'm at second base. Kissing those butterscotch sexy lips of yours."

  "And you want to go to third?" She arched a brow.

  "Woman, do you know how fine you are? I don't know what idiot let you get away, but hell yeah, I want to get to third base. Baby, I want to go all the way home."

  Asha was at a loss for words. Howard stood. He walked toward her. "I know Christmas is hard for you. Every year you work out of the office or find a reason to keep your staff working. Bad memories, baby, I get it. They are your memories, sweetheart. You don't have to tell me any of them. But you need to make new ones. So my proposal is you give ole Howard a try." He lifted her chin with his finger and pressed a kiss to her lips. Asha sighed. She'd kept Howard warming the bench for over a year. It was time she put him in the game.

  "Okay."

  Howard eyes stretched. "Okay? Just like that?"

  "Just like that. Okay," she said. "And you better make this worth my while," she teased. He pulled her over and kissed her deeper than he ever had. His hands gripped the fatty roundness of her ass and squeezed. She was up against his hard chest. It wasn't the passion she had with Ice. And she refused to make the comparison. It was different. And sometimes different could be okay.

  8.

  Ice stepped off the elevator. The floor was not open to visitors. Access required a key card, or a buzz in from the receptionist. To his surprise Sharla, the woman from the coffee shop, was standing there speaking with the woman seated at the desk. He pressed the button. The ladies looked up. Sharla smiled and said something to the other woman. Access was granted.

  When he entered, Sharla approached him. "Oh, hi! I was just trying to tell Ms. Quinn we met. Are you here to see her?"

  "Yes, if that's okay?"

  "Sure, Debbie, can you give Ice... ah, sorry, what's your full name?" she asked.

  "Kevan Quinn. I'm her husb—I'm her ex-husband."

  The women both paused.

  "Oh, okay. Sure. Um, sure." Sharla snatched the badge from Debbie and handed it over to him. But that flirty smile of hers was now gone. He could sense her hesitation. She asked that he follow her. Ice walked down the hall and passed both open and closed office doors. Very few people looked up.

  "This is some coincidence, huh? We met, and now... well. It's just weird."

  Ice didn't respond. The more he thought about it, the more he knew this was a bad approach. The plan was Starbucks. She'd walk in. He'd walk up to her. She'd be surprised, but caught in public so not alarmed enough to make a scene. And he'd convince her to sit at the table, their table, and talk. And then he'd move to the next phase of his plan. The one that was the most risky. He'd apologize for all the things he put her through and propose that she give him one chance to prove to her that he was the man she loved.

  What he was doing now was an ambush. And no matter how much Asha had changed, he was certain of one thing. She would not respond the way he wanted with an ambush. It was a risk he had to take.

  Sharla walked him to a corner office. The door was shut but the walls were of frosted glass. A placard had ‘Asha Quinn’ on it. He smiled. He didn't give a fuck who the man was that kissed her. She had his name. He could clearly see two figures inside her office. There was small sofa and table not far from the secretary desk.

  "Have a seat. I'll ring Ms. Quinn and tell her you're here."

  Ice sat down. His right hand stung. He looked at it curiously. His palm and fingers were red and swollen from the coffee. He couldn't even fit it inside his glove. So he took off the other glove. He was nervous.

  9.

  Howard laughed. Asha smiled and pushed out of his embrace. It felt nice, but they were at work. She and the District Attorney couldn't be seen in such a compromising way. The phone on her desk rung. Sharla typically would knock and walk in, but when Howard came for his friendly talks, Sharla instinctively knew to give her boss space. Asha walked around her desk and picked it up.

  "Yes, Sharla?"

  "Hi Ms. Quinn, you have a visitor. Your ex-husband, Kevan Quinn."

  "What?"

  "Ah, yes ma’am, he's here."

  "Here in this building?" Asha looked to the door.

  "Here outside your door," Sharla said with an uncomfortable chuckle.

  "You let him on this floor? I..."

  "Asha? Something wrong?" Howard asked. He stepped forward. Asha put up her hand to warn him to not step closer. It couldn't be Ice. It made no sense. Not after all this time.

  "Would you like me to reschedule with him? Book another time?"

  "Asha? Talk to me, babe," Howard said in that authoritative voice of his. Her vision blurred and suddenly she knew the reason for Howard's alarm. A tear and then another had dropped from her lashes to her cheeks. She was crying. She couldn't see Ice. Not now. Not like this. She wasn't ready. Damn him. Why had he come?

  "Tell him," she cleared her throat. "Take a number, and tell him I will call. But I'm in a meeting. I won't be able to see..."

  The door to her office was thrown open. Ice walked in. She lowered the phone in shock. In an instant she was reminded of every emotion in her marriage—the love, the joy, the pain, the sorrow. Sledgehammer blows to her heart. All of them.

  "I'm sorry baby, but we need to do this," Ice said.

  "Do what? Talk? You want to talk to me? After all this time?" Asha clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes at him.

  "Yes, after all this time," he said in that cool manner of his. "Do you want to do it with them or can we talk alone?"

  "Look man, you don't walk into a closed-door meeting..." Howard stepped up to Ice.

  "Asha?" Ice replied. He ignored Howard. Asha put her hand to her brow and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she kept them closed Ice would disappear. "Tell your boy to stand down."

  Asha lowered her
hand and looked into Ice's eyes.

  "Sharla, call security," said Howard. He then put a hand on Ice's shoulder and Asha's breath caught. She saw that lightning flash of restraint in his cool gray eyes. "You're leaving now, buddy."

  "Howard! Don't touch him—"

  It was too late. Ice grabbed Howard's wrist, snatched his hand down from his shoulder and gave it a hard twist. It drove the six-foot-four attorney to his knees. Ice glared down at him. "You fucking her? You fucking my wife?"

  "Stop! Stop it now!" Asha demanded.

  Howard winced and groaned in pain, so much pain he perspired and his eyes bulged. Asha was quick to run around her desk. Ice saw her coming and let Howard go. He put his hands up. Poor Howard got to his feet in visible agony. He was ready to charge Ice but held his wrist instead. Ice was in trouble. He didn't need Howard's wrath. The District Attorney had taken down fiercer opponents with the law. Ice had just committed assault.

  "Please leave," she said to Howard.

  "What? Me? He needs to be walked out in cuffs. Call the police!"

  "Let me handle him, Howard," she pleaded. And then security walked in and her shaky control slipped. She needed Ice out of the building and Howard calmer.

  "Ms. Quinn? Is there a problem?"

  Asha turned and looked at her husband. He was there. Like magic, he had appeared again in her life and she didn't know how to accept it. He looked good. He'd lost a little weight but he looked like the man she loved. He wore his Wrangler jeans and thick-soled snow boots. He had a dark wool double-breasted peacoat with the collar raised and a wool skull cap pulled down low on his head. Around his neck was his grandmother's rosary. The antique cross rested between the two flat muscle planes of his chest. The story of that rosary snapped her out of her disappointment. She knew the reason he wore it and the man who lived inside of him. Her husband. And she missed him desperately. And then there were his eyes. Clear, yet whitish-blue, like winter in sunlight. In his eyes their story was revealed. He was still the man who refused to let her heal his pain, who broke her heart, who drove her away.

  "Everything is okay. This is my ex-husband, Lt. Commander Kevan Quinn. Please escort him from the building and make sure he doesn't return." She turned from him and went to Howard to check his wrist. "Goodbye, Ice."

  "Asha? Don't do this. You know what tomorrow is. Don't..."

  "Goodbye!" she said.

  "Okay. You heard the lady. Let's go," Charles the security officer said. Ice left. And she was grateful. It wasn't close to the goodbye she wanted to share with him, the closure she knew they both needed. But it would have to do. There was no way in hell she would spend the day before her anniversary with the man who destroyed her heart—rehashing the past.

  "It looks okay," she said. "I'm sorry, Howard."

  "That man is dangerous. Let me get you some protection."

  "It's fine. I mean, I'm sorry he hurt you. Let me see."

  "Hurt me? I'm fine. Look at you! Is he stalking you? I thought you divorced him."

  "What? No. Never mind him, I have work to do. Can you just go? I'll call you this afternoon. I promise."

  "Fuck this, I need to get to court.” Howard snatched up his coat and stormed out of her office. Immediately Asha went to her desk. She collected her purse and her things. She sat before her computer and sent declines to all booked meetings. After about twenty minutes she decided it was safe to leave.

  "Asha?" Sharla said.

  "Cancel all meetings for me today, Sharla. Tell my teams Merry Christmas; they can all leave early. I'll call you if I need anything."

  "Merry Christmas?" Sharla frowned. Asha realized it was the first time she said it out loud in a long time. She shook her head and left.

  10.

  Ice had blown it. All this time, all the planning, all the waiting, and he blew it. He was escorted out the doors of the building by two armed guards. One of the men asked him about his rank. He mumbled his history of serving in the Army and Coast Guard. The security guard seemed impressed. He didn't give a shit. He received a warning not to step inside the building again or they'd call the police. And the men left. Soon afterward, the man she called Howard walked out to a waiting car. He got inside without noticing Ice on the street. Ice sighed. He'd really fucked this one up.

  It was cold out on the New York streets. The wind howled as it blew past the fast-walking pedestrians. He glanced over to the Santa Claus standing next to the red Salvation Army bucket. He rang his bell and smiled. Ice ignored him and paced. He struggled with his emotions, and there were many. Why was she crying when he walked in her office? How far had things gone with her and this Howard dude? Is that the man she chose to replace him?

  Ten minutes, and then ten more passed, and he was still without a plan. He didn't even know her fucking home address. When he decided to risk his future by going back inside, God gave him a break. Asha pushed her way out of the circular rotating doors and raced out of the building. She was moving so fast she didn't see him less than fifty feet away. A private car waited for her. He almost called her name. Instinct held him back. This was his chance. And he might not get another one. He hailed a cab and got inside.

  "Where to..."

  "That car, see it? The black sedan, there! Follow it. Go! Now!"

  "Are you serious?"

  "Follow the fucking car!" he punched the back of the driver’s seat. The cab driver did as he told him, inserting himself in the congestion of traffic, fighting against the tide to catch up with her. Ice watched and felt a sigh of relief when they found themselves directly behind her. He relaxed in the seat and focused on the mission. A rescue mission. For them both. He wondered about her life and if she ever thought of him. If she ever did, it would have to be at Christmas time. This was their holiday.

  Twenty minutes into the drive they finally rounded a street corner to brownstones in lower Manhattan. He frowned. The little he did know about her life was that she was living large. She had a multi-million dollar penthouse suite that was probably tighter than Fort Knox to get inside of. Or so he thought. The car slowed and he told the driver to hang back. The driver came around to Asha's side of the car. He opened the door. She emerged with her dark sunglasses on and a scarf wrapped around her head and face. He had to chuckle at her attempt to disguise herself. He'd know the woman he adored anywhere. With her briefcase in hand she hurried up the steps.

  Ice’s cab driver pulled up to the spot the other car drove away from. Ice dug in his pocket and found three one hundred dollar bills. He had about six hundred in the bank, and he wouldn't get paid for another two weeks. He was running on fumes.

  "How much to keep the meter running?"

  "Hey man, what's this about? You know this woman? I don't want any trouble."

  "She's my wife. How much?"

  "A hundred dollars buys you an hour. That's all I can give. I don't want any trouble."

  Ice gave him two hundred instead. The cab driver’s eyes stretched wide. He grinned that he would wait. He got out of the car and went up the same steps she did. He went inside the door and was greeted by another door immediately. Except this one had several buttons next to condo numbers. None of them had names next to them. He pressed all of them, hearing several people answer, but luckily one lazy person just buzzed it open. Snatching the handle of the door, he entered the warm foyer and looked at the stairwell, wondering why she'd come to this place. It was evident that she didn't live here. But who did? Howard?

  "Think man, think."

  Chewing on his lip he thought it over and then decided to knock on every door until he found her. The bottom level was a start, but then he stopped. She and her friends always laughed and said they would never stay on the bottom floor. Too accessible to freaks and strays. Ice took the stairs. He went up two at a time. There was only one upper level. He started down the hall and stopped. He frowned. He looked back. He remembered something. Five years ago, he was here. He came with Asha and helped her move her aunt into the building. He remembered it
clearly now. It was this place. He'd been there before.

  11.

  "Amy, Amy, I need to talk to you," Asha sniffed and wiped her tears from her cheeks. She stopped pacing and sat on the sofa. Her left knee shook. Her heel tapped repeated against the hardwood. She was shaking all over. It was the first time she was allowed a moment with her emotions.

  "What is it? Asha? What's wrong?" her sister asked.

  "I left work," Asha breathed.

  "Where are you?"

  "I'm at Aunt Dee's."

  "Is Aunt Dee okay?" Amy asked. "Wait—I thought she was at Mom and Dad's."

  "She's not home. I just came here to get—oh God. Oh my God!" Asha broke down in tears. "Amy, Ice is back."

  "In New York? You've seen him?"

  "Yeah, I saw him. I just don't know what to do. Why did he come back? Why now?" Asha wiped her tears. "I acted like a complete idiot. Crying. Can you believe it? I had him thrown out of the building. Why did I do that? And Howard."

  "Who’s Howard?"

  "I just needed to get out of there and get my head around Ice coming to my office. He came back. After two years of ignoring me, he just walked into my office. What was I supposed to do?"

  "Okay, it's okay. Look, I get a break in twenty minutes. Let me call you back. Just stay at Aunt Dee's and calm down. You are such a drama queen, Asha. You divorced the man. Your choice. Why are you freaking out now?"

  "You don't understand. You can never understand."

  "You don't have to see him. Not if you don't want too. That asshole crushed your heart. Remember that? Get angry, get mad, but this... stop it. He shouldn't have that kind of control over you. He doesn't get to just show up out of the blue."

  "I know. It's fine. He's gone. I just—I couldn't go home. I figured I'd come here. No one will find me here. So I have the place to myself."

  "Who is Howard? Is he your boyfriend? You have a boyfriend now?"

  "No. No. Just a friend. Forget him."