Glorious Sunset (6 page)

“Try a sixth.”

“My, my, so protective. How very warrior-like of you. Primitive and all that.”

“I am not primitive. My people were cultured. We were educated and educators. Far from primitive.”

“So that whole comment about missing a digit?”

“An exaggeration, of course. We only extricate limbs and digits from men.”

“I see. Look, can you hang out while I make a few more calls?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Nope.”

Taka moved to sit in the chair opposite her and she stared at him until he got the message.

“I see. I am to wait in the main room with the snake and her lizards. Fine.” He opened the door and out tossed a smug, “It'll give me a chance to gently persuade your assistant of the error of her ways. And there is a young man I saw looking at your backside. I will have a word with him as well.”

Violet fumbled the handset and as the voice on the other end said, “Hello? Hello?” she contemplated hanging up to deal with Taka. But she saw him leaning casually over the desk, no apparent physical intimidation happening, and finished her call.

 

 

“I do not know you or this place or your ways but I say once and no more, if you do not respect Violet Jackson I will return. Every day I will watch you and every day I will report to her the type of person you reveal yourself to be. Perhaps you feel you would pass this type of scrutiny but if not, I strongly suggest you curb your negative tendencies and become the professional assistant she pays you to be. And you!” His voice caused a cessation of movement behind him and he didn't bother to turn to speak to the passer. “A gentleman does not visually ogle a queen.”

“Queen?” the crackly, young male voice said, uncertainly. “I was just ogling Violet.”

Taka pinched his lips to hold in his temper and turned to look at the young man who froze under his glare, dropping a sheet of paper but too petrified to move. Taka had that effect on lesser men.

“Ogle her again and it will be the last ogle you ever enjoy.”

“Yes. Yes, sir!”

The youngster shuffled off into another room and Carol was sufficiently subdued when Violet emerged, looking around dubiously as though she expected he'd torn the place to pieces. He read the relief on her beautiful face and took in the sigh that moved her beguiling chest under her blouse.

Yes, he was ogling. But a king was within his rights to ogle his queen.

“Okay,” she said on a smile, briskly heading to the door. “Let's go.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He followed.

Violet squinted up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, but the calls she'd made had robbed her of some of her previous joy. They had more customers now than ever, but sometimes it was getting the new ones that cost the money. Advertising and entertaining, just plain having the materials to show potential customers: it was all expensive. She always ended the year in the black, but throughout the year it seemed the money went out faster than it came in. That meant she wouldn't be able to hire a new manager like she'd wanted.
Maybe Carol?
She snorted to herself.
Maybe not.

She looked at the large man beside her who was similarly enjoying the beauty of the sun despite the fact that she wasn't rich yet like she was supposed to be. He was a genie. She'd made the wish, right? What was going on?

“I called the bank. Where's my money?” she fairly snapped at him and was rewarded with a squint of annoyance from him. She had to use her hand as a visor to see his shadowed face.

“How should I know?”

“Look, you're supposed to have the inside scoop. If the wishes aren't happening you need to follow up.”

“Do not tell me what I need to do. My job is to set the ground rules. It is up to my friend to decide how the wishes are to be fulfilled.”

“Typical.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, this is just the type of red tape crap that is typical for people these days. No one wants responsibility. No one wants to say, ‘this is my job, I'll make sure it gets done.'”

“Are you implying that I am one of those types of people?”

“I'm not implying it; I'm saying it outright.”

“I have no power, woman. I am a king without a kingdom. My friend decides when, if, or how I emerge from my stone.”

“And that's it? That's all?”

“What do you suggest?”

“How about you stand up for yourself, make something happen? How 'bout you go to your friend, or whatever, and ask him when my wish will come true? How about that?”

“And you will accept the answer and stop haranguing me?”

“Certainly.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

Violet was appeased. She looked up and down the street. It was relatively busy this time of day, but it was such a lovely day. And it'd been awhile since she'd had some time off. “Hey, you want to go do something?”

Taka looked at her dubiously. Was this a trick? She seemed to run hot and cold so he had no clue. “This is your time to use making your decisions.”

She heard a slight note of petulance in his voice. Obviously kings didn't get a dressing down from commoners where he came from, but she didn't want to fight with him. She didn't want him mad at her. She had no idea why.

“I'll make my wishes in plenty of time; don't you worry about that. I was just thinking, it's such a pretty day and it must be awful cramped where you are. Is it like the bottle in
I Dream of Jeannie?
”

“I told you I am not—”

“I know, I know. Not a genie. But do you get cramped, tired? Do you have a bed? How's it work?”

Taka looked at Violet and wondered if she had some mental sickness that could swing her from anger to polite conversation so quickly. She looked normal enough. Better than normal. He scrutinized her face to see if she was planning to mock him, then grudgingly admitted, “It is not a physical discomfort I feel while I am inside. My body is different when I am changed. When I am in my stone I merely feel I am hanging in a place with no sound, no light, no smell, or taste. It is almost as if I do not exist.”

Violet wrinkled her nose. “That must suck.”

“If that means it is bad, yes, it can be.”

She thought, what could she plan for him that he might enjoy doing? Was there anything an old-timer might like to do in modern times? An idea came to her and she nodded her head with satisfaction. “We're going to have to make sure you have as much fun while you're out as possible. It's my civic duty. When you go back into that rock you're going to go happy, genie.”

Taka felt a lightening of his soul. She was offering an unexpected kindness. The second that day. It surprised him, but pleased him nonetheless.

He followed her back to the car and when they got in, he looked at her while she drove like a maniac, taking a road that was high and busy with a multitude of cars, but she was passing all of them.

He held on to his arm rest and was glad that he had attached himself to the seat with the belt as she'd instructed, but his curiosity got the better of him.

“Where are we going? I do not remember taking this route to go to your office.”

“We're not going home,” Violet said. “I had a brilliant idea. I'm thinking, you stuck in that stone all the time can't be fun. And you men like to be in control a lot, right? That probably hasn't changed since you were around before?”

“No, you are right. We liked control in my day as well,” he admitted.

“Good. I'm taking you to a little spot where my stepdad took me when I was sixteen and he taught me to drive. And I'm going to give you the same speech he gave me.” She cleared her voice and dropped it an octave. “‘Violet, this is not some party mobile for you to drive your little boyfriends to wild parties so you can drink and do whatever you want to.'”

Taka backtracked, surely he couldn't have heard her right. “Are you saying you are going to teach me to drive?”

Violet dropped her stepfather's voice and went back to her own. “That's what I'm saying, genie.”

“Drive what?”

“This. My car.”

He paused. He couldn't deny the streak of pleasure that went through him at the thought. The last thing he'd driven was alive; and his horse had not been driven so much as guided and persuaded into doing what he'd wanted. The last time he'd been out cars had only just been invented and were more like buggies slugging along. Now was a different deal entirely.

“I do not know the first thing about a machine such as this,” he admitted, in a questioning tone.

“It's easy.” Violet waved her hand. She pulled off a highway exit on the south side of Columbus and took a long road into an area of trees, bushes, and various patches of bare dirt. She found the biggest patch of dirt and pulled in.

Taka's eyes sparkled, but caution made him wary. “I am not certain I should do something like this.”

Violet looked over at him. She saw the look in his eyes and interpreted, “You may not be certain you should do it, but you certainly want to do it, don't you?”

Suddenly, every fiber in his being was hyped. Yes, he wanted to do it! He didn't understand the machine, but he did want to try it. “And you can teach me?” he asked.

“Of course. Now, get out and let's switch places.” She turned off the motor, unlatched her seat belt, opened the door, and hopped out of the driver's seat, seemingly in one movement. Taka paused only a moment, then did the same, passing her around the back of the car and earning a wink and a slap on the behind.

“Get a move on, genie!” she called.

He blinked in surprise. He'd never in all his years been slapped on the behind by a woman. It wasn't that bad a feeling. Shrugging, he moved on to climb into the driver's seat and belted up again, shutting the door. His hands stroked the wheel anxiously. “I do not know that this is a good idea,” he said.

“You said that,” Violet said, noting his caressing of the wheel was directly contradictory to his words.

“But you did not hear me.”

“No, I heard you, genie. I'm just not listening to you because you're being contrary. Just like the drivel that comes out of the mouths of most men is wrong and contradictory. You say one thing and do another. You can pretend, but I only have to look at you to see you want to drive this car. Look at you. Why don't you kiss the wheel, already?”

That snapped him out of his reverie and he glared at her. “I do not lie.”

“Well, maybe you're lying to yourself,” she said. “What, are you scared or something?”

Taka glared at her. How could he have forgotten how Zahara liked to taunt? It was why they'd gotten into that fight as children in the first place. “There is not a task on this earth that would frighten me.”

“Then man up and stop whining. Okay, listen, quick lesson. There's really only a few things you need to know.” She pointed down. “Gearshift. The D is for drive, the R is for reverse, the P is for park, and the N is for neutral in case you ever have to push it somewhere without the motor being on. Those other numbers: don't know, don't care.” She pointed to his feet. “The gas pedal makes it go and the brake pedal makes it stop.” She pointed to the ignition and handed him the key, allowing the others to dangle. “And this is your key to a little excitement. This will start all this.” She moved her hands in a circle, denoting the car. “Any questions?”

Taka's mind was in a whirl but she could almost see him mentally calculating all she'd told him. “That is all I need to know?”

“Well, for right now, anyway. I mean, there are rules for the road and all that, but that's why we came out here in the middle of nowhere, so you can't run anybody down. Now, ready?”

Taka didn't know where the excitement came from, but his nerve endings tingled much like the first time he'd ridden into battle. He slipped the key in the ignition as he'd seen her do, and turned. As before, the car burst into life, idling.

“What now?” he asked, his hands stroking the wheel and his body slightly forward in preparation.

Violet had a moment of hesitation, wondering if this had been a good idea after all. The temperature in the car had gone up, almost as if the big guy next to her had gone into idle as well, waiting for the precise moment to strike. But since she'd pretty much called him a wuss for not doing it, she couldn't very well admit she was wrong now. No, she would see what happened to a giant genie with a pint of adrenalin running through his veins.

“Foot on the brake, always start on the brake so that you can ease into speed after you shift into drive. Now, hold that button with your thumb and shift into drive.”

He did that and then waited in suspense. “Now, what?”

Violet shrugged. “Now, slowly let off the brake.”

He did that.

“And sloowwlllyyy step on the gas.”

Taka put his foot down gently and the car revved like a giant beast. He added a little more pressure and the car lurched into a halting drive. Then, Violet watched as his eyes widened with excitement, and his mouth opened. He yelled, “Woo hoo!” and stepped firmly onto the gas sending the car moving forward with a screech of her tires and a whirl of dust.

“Take it easy, genie,” Violet said, belatedly wondering if this was a good idea. It didn't matter though because they were knee-deep now with Taka moving the wheel this way and that, kicking up dust, testing the speed and the brakes, and hollering with glee with each turn and stop.

Taka felt alive for the first time in years. The machine under him was as powerful as his horse had been, only he had complete control. It was an amazing feeling. It made his heart race and his breath short, yet he embraced it for all it was worth. It would probably be the only time he would ever get the opportunity, so he took the car through its paces, testing every aspect of its speed and maneuverability.

Hmmm,
Violet thought.
I've created a monster.
She watched the way he moved, the flush of happiness on his face, the body rigid with excitement. Good to know the stereotype about men and toys was true, but perhaps she should have started him off on a Big Wheel.

They went in doughnuts over the hard grass, Taka laughing every second and Violet having to fight to keep the smile from her face as well. They must have been twenty minutes in, having done figure eights until Violet was almost dizzy until, finally, he straightened and stepped on the gas, headed for the tree line.

“Hey,” Violet said nervously as they careened over bumpy grass. “Hit the brakes. Hit the brakes.” She looked over at him as he ate up more grass. “I said hit the brakes.” She looked at the forest coming up too fast. She licked her lips which suddenly were dry. “Hit the brakes. I said, hit the brakes! Hit the brakes!” She threw her arms over her face as a tree came barreling their way, sure that she'd seen her last of life, when suddenly he did just what she'd said. The car came to a sudden, loud stop about two feet from a large trunk, spitting up dirt from behind and throwing her into the comforting restraint of her seat belt. She felt the stillness, peeked at the tree which, amazingly, was not in her lap, and peeked at him through her arms, shaking. He put the car in park and turned off the ignition, smiling at her.

“I heard you the first time,” he said, cockiness oozing out of him like toothpaste from a squeezed tube.

Violet felt rage bubble in her and lowered her arms to yell at him. He had a sick, reckless sense of humor, scaring her that way. What kind of freak was he, anyway? To try a stunt like that. The same stunt she'd pulled on her stepfather at sixteen. Admiration made its way to the surface. This genie wasn't so bad after all.

“Okay. You got me, genie. Had me scared for a minute there, but you're a fast learner.”

“You don't get to be king by being slow,” he said.

“I thought you got to be king by being born. No guarantees of speed or intelligence there.”

But he wasn't listening. He unstrapped and opened the door, climbing out of the car with pep in his step. Violet was the one who hesitated this time.

She got out and passed him on the backside, stunned when she felt a telltale palm whip smartly against her backside. She grabbed her behind and whirled, but the man was whistling and climbing into the passenger seat.
The nerve of that genie!
She smiled and got back in the car.