Summer Monsoon

The phone rang, deafening in the silence of a single woman’s townhouse. The answering machine picked up. Always the same message, this is Nikki and I can’t come to the phone, leave me a message…what a joke he thought to himself as if she would call him back. Steven Pruitt knew he had hurt her and that she would never forgive him. Nikki didn’t even know that he knew where she was. Steven looked at the phone sadly and walked out into the night. He had to find a way to make her forgive him.

         A silver Lexus Sports Coupe pulled into the driveway and the driver waited while the garage door opened. It pulled in effortlessly and the driver emerged into a well-lit, organized garage with just enough space for the luxury car and the odds and ends that invariably wound up in a garage. She shut the car door and entered through a side door into a dark kitchen. The dark was what she hated most about coming home each evening. She tossed her briefcase on the table and turned on the lights. She soon had the townhouse ablaze. Nikki Sharp was infallible, except for her fear of the dark. She was tired tonight and the thoughts seemed to torment her the most then. She glanced at the answering machine and saw the familiar flashing red light. She pressed play and listened as her younger sister’s voice filled the room. Lisa Dade never failed to cheer her up, chatterbox that she was. Where was she, was she coming home soon and why hadn’t she called? Always questions, never answers. She made a mental note to call her tomorrow; she didn’t want her to worry. The next message, as if somehow she knew, was just the silence and then the click. Was it? Could it be? She pushed the thoughts from her mind. Steven wouldn’t call; he didn’t even have the number. How could he? She had moved three times in the past two years to insure that he could not and would not find her. The thought was never far away though. Two more messages, one from Deanna Mann, she would be running late and could Nikki be a dear and open the store? Then Robert Townsend’s soothing voice asking if she was okay, he hadn’t heard from her in three days. She had forgotten to call him today so it wasn’t unusual for him to call.

         She walked to the French doors that opened off the kitchen onto a deck just the right size for two people. You could watch the sunset or look out over the city at night. The lights were glowing tonight as they had since she had moved to Phoenix six months ago. She didn’t see them, she never did. Nikki knew that until she returned to where it had ended the ghosts would never be laid to rest. She couldn’t go back and her heart was firmly closed anyway, he had seen to that. She would never be a fool again. So she worked and had few friends, but never anyone close. Never again, she had picked up the pieces and went on with her life. Steven Pruitt was history. She had quietly packed up and left town that long ago morning with no thought as to where she would end up. She didn’t need the explanations she knew would come. Listening wasn’t Nikki’s strong suit anyway. She shut the thoughts off and went back into the kitchen.

         Morning came too soon. The alarm rang; Nikki opened her eyes and stretched her long legs. Her blonde hair tumbled about her face in a halo of colors that the sun captured beautifully. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She had just stepped in when the phone began to ring. Damn. She let the machine pick up. Her usual routine seemed to take forever this morning. She took one last glance in the mirror and turned out the lights. She never seemed to see what others saw. Blonde hair perfectly arranged the green eyes that needed no help and the cameo face that one always wanted to take a second glance at, as if what you saw there could not be real. Nikki Sharp was a beautiful woman with little effort and all the grace that other women envied. But if one looked closer you would see the sadness there. You couldn’t help but see it, it never left. She picked up her keys, checked the clock and left. She never checked the machine.

         Nikki arrived early at the store, named Delightful, and was just making coffee when the phone began to ring. It was Deanna and she would be later than she thought. Nikki told her no problem, it was slow and she would be okay until Deanna got there. The store belonged to Deanna but Nikki loved working for her. She was easy going and Nikki was actually learning quite a bit. Deanna was a successful interior designer and a wonderful teacher. Nikki was starting to have the same keen sense of what worked together. She had desperately needed the serenity of a job like this. Her last job had been madness. That was how she had met Steven Pruitt.

















Chapter Two

         She had started working at Wyatt & Wyatt out of necessity, a girl had to eat. Nikki had learned early on that no one gave you anything. Her dad had walked out on her mother when she was five and to her knowledge her mother had never heard another word from him. She had given him the news of Lisa’s impending arrival and he had taken off. Louise had never shirked her duties towards the two girls. She had worked hard to give them the necessities, but there were few luxuries in their lives. Nikki had planned her life well in advance. She was never going to want for anything and she didn’t care if she had to work. Wyatt & Wyatt made her an offer there was no way to refuse and Nikki had become their rising star. She met Steven Pruitt on her second day there, after agreeing to take on a project directing the remodeling of a historical home. What she didn’t know was she would have to work with an architect that had the reputation of being tough as nails. She didn’t find out until she met him how well deserved his reputation was. They were introduced and it was anything but pleasurable. He hated her ideas immediately and made no secret of that fact. She would have quit right then but Nikki Sharp was anything but a quitter. She had not worked this long or hard for him to make her resign. So she quietly went about changing his mind. Every day he ranted that her ideas were all wrong, she brought in the wrong people and why couldn’t she get one thing right? So she worked harder and longer until even she had to admit that he got the job done. He was right, the historical home won award after award and she became a legend with him to thank for it. Whether it was fate or luck, to this day, she wasn’t sure which, he had stopped by her office late one evening and offered her dinner. To his amazement and hers, she accepted. He took her to a quaint Italian restaurant not far from the office where she discovered a different side to Steven Pruitt.

         He was charming, with his blue eyes dancing, he told her stories of his childhood that kept her laughing throughout dinner. His black hair touched with a speck of gray, lay just over his collar and even she had to admit that he was handsome. He was very attentive, asking questions of her family and life. To her surprise she found herself opening up. She suddenly found herself dreading the end of their evening together. He walked her back to the parking lot of the office building and saw her safely to her car, a late model Honda. He smiled when he saw it and told her she should ask for a raise. She certainly should be able to afford something nicer. Nikki laughed it off. He drove a very respectable Lincoln and while she admired it, she certainly had never even dreamed of having something that nice. She simply wanted to make a nice living. As she drove home to her one bedroom apartment, in what she knew he would refer to as a bad neighborhood, she smiled at the thought of his eyes dancing at dinner. She certainly never thought of Steven Pruitt ever having to worry about his neighborhood. Her phone rang as she entered the dark apartment and she ran to catch it.

         “Hello,” the voice on the other end said, “I’m glad you made it home safe.”

         “Oh, Steven,” she said, “Of course I made it home safe.”

         “I just wanted to check and make sure; you can’t be too safe nowadays.”

She thanked him for calling and wished him a goodnight. That night was the turning point. She should never have trusted him so completely.





Chapter Three

         The ringing of the phone brought her back to reality. The freight bills had to be balanced and Deanna had gladly given that job to Nikki when she discovered that Nikki had been a project director. Nikki had told Deanna very little of her former life and was thankful when Deanna had hired her without checking her references, but even Deanna had heard of the famed Austin house in Houston. Deanna worked hard and expected the same of Nikki; she couldn’t have been more pleased with Nikki’s work. Nikki loved the store and the opportunity. They got on fabulously and Nikki knew she could count on Deanna if she needed anything. She knew very few people and was glad to have the company of Deanna on occasion.  Although she had always been outgoing, Nikki now spent the majority of her time alone. After Steven she preferred it that way. There was no way she could get hurt if she didn’t open her heart. Of course there was always Robert; he was the reason she had moved to Phoenix. He was her best friend, confidant and ally, probably the only one of each she had. When Steven had hurt her she had run to Phoenix to cry on his shoulder and he had let her. No questions asked. The job was her salvation; she met interesting people and never had to interact.

         The door opened and Deanna Mann came in like a whirlwind was on her heels. That was Deanna, wherever she went the electricity followed. Nikki could see why people loved her; she had that aura of self-confidence that made you want to follow no matter where she led you.

         “Nikki, dear, you will never guess what happened!” Deanna’s husky voice was actually melting the words. Nikki was absolutely sure she would never guess.

         “What could possibly have happened to have you glowing like this?” Nikki replied.

         Deanna ran a hand through her hair, “I have met the most wonderful man!”

         “Where?” asked Nikki, wondering how Deanna could know he was so wonderful since it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

         “Why at the bank of course,” Deanna said, “he is just absolutely terrific.” Before Nikki could reply the phone rang and Deanna stopped to answer it before she went on.

         “Yes, this is Deanna Mann,” she said speaking into the receiver. Nikki saw a slow smile come over Deanna’s face and knew instantly that it must be her mystery man. Nikki quietly withdrew and went into the storeroom. She picked up the inventory sheet and began to run a checklist of the supplies that they normally kept and made a meticulous note to pick up the sandstone placemats that seemed to sell out as soon as they were received.

         When Nikki left the store for lunch, she was unaware that someone was watching. He was though, and had been for months. Steven Pruitt was a man determined; always getting what he wanted and what he wanted was Nikki Sharp. Without even a chance to explain she had run away. He had tried to tell her, but with green eyes flashing she had told him in no uncertain terms to let her go, get on with his life, and walked out the door. He had followed her to Denver and when he knew she was okay he went home and waited for the call that never came. He went back to Denver only to discover she had gone again. Two private investigator and ten thousand dollars later he knew where she was. Steven caught the first flight to Salt Lake City, but when he arrived it was too late. When he returned to Houston he called the detective who had found her when she left Denver. Harry was out to lunch so Steven left a message. He went back to his paperwork. The phone rang a short while later, his secretary, Leslie; spoke softly with that drawl so common to women in the south.

         “Mr. Pruitt, you have a Harry Green on line two, he says it urgent. Do you want me to put him through?

         Steven almost shouted through the intercom, “Yes, put him through.”

         Okay, but your already fifteen minutes late for the staff meeting.” Leslie reminded him.

         “I know”, he said, “but put him through and call the conference room and tell them I am on my way.”

         Steven picked up the receiver, “Hello, Harry, how are you?”

         “Good and you?” Harry asked in return.

         “’Fine, listen I wanted to know if you could do another job for me?” Steven asked.

Harry told him his fee, astronomical at best, but Steven didn’t care. He would have paid everything he had; a man obsessed did not care about money.

         “Harry, I want this information, and I want it yesterday. Any problem with that?” Steven wanted to know.

         Harry was a professional, replying, “Of course I understand.”

The phone went dead and Steven sprinted to the conference room, at least now he had a plan.