The Beginning Of Rain In December (3 page)

Rain was shocked at her best friend’s outspoken speech but instead of finding offense she stared at her friend before finally relenting. “You are right, Belle. I will call him at lunch today,” she said.

Belle smiled, hugged her friend in glee before pulling away. “Enjoy it, Rain, don’t regret it. Just enjoy the time you have with him. Okay, just enjoy your life.”

Rain called Enlai on her lunch break, feeling slight nervousness and hoping he wouldn’t answer his phone but he did, his deep baritone voice held warmth when he said her name.

“Rain, it’s good to hear from you,” he began as his voice trailed along her body, causing her insides to quiver.

“You to, Enlai. I wanted to know if you still wanted to meet up this Saturday?” She asked, trying to feel calm even though she felt anything but.

“Of course,” he said smoothly. “There is a gala opening on Bainbridge Island, it begins at three. Would you care to go?” He asked. “Dinner afterwards.”

“That sounds perfectly. Which pier should I meet you at?”

“Pier 52, at 2 p.m.”

“Okay, and, thank you for the other night, I did have a good time.” She said.

“I’m glad you did.”

They hung up after saying goodbyes and Rain felt a small smile on her face. Her assistant, William stared at her interestedly; he was a European from Johannesburg and smiled impetuously. “New love interest?” He asked, trying to deny the slight jealousy in his voice, he had wanted Rain the first moment he had seen her, her beauty was breathtaking and yet she had kept up a careful, distant and professional wall between the two.

Shaking her head in denial she smiled slightly, staring at William from behind her desk. “No of course not, just a friend.”

Yet the smile upon her face was anything but speaking of just a friend.

The week went exceptionally well; the feeling of uneasiness that had hounded Rain for the past weeks seemed to have abated until she almost forgot about it. Rain was busy with opening up a new wing of the museum that detailed more the life of the eastern African people, their history and religion. The opening was a large success due to an increase in marketing funds from new donors. When she finally left the evening of Friday, walking towards her car, one of the last people leaving for the night, she knew, something was going to happen to change her life.

“Ms. Rule?” A voice said from behind her, she was near across the lot of the underground parking area, too far away to see their security guard, Tony who had waved her goodbye a couple of minutes ago.

She turned quickly, noticing the tall form in the middle of the parking lot. He was Asian, dressed simply and impeccably in a black suit and starched white shirt with a black tie with thin silver stripes. His hair was silky black, parted in the middle and hanging down to his chest in a perfect silk, ebony curtain. His face was more than handsome, almost angelic but masculine, hard and cold.

“Who are you?” She immediately asked, backing up away from him, already feeling the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“I will not hurt you,” he said simply, his words an exact replica of what Enlai had told her twice. She didn’t believe the man in front of her, had barely believed Enlai.

“My name is Song,” he said.

Her lips tightened at his name.

He smiled as if use to the disbelief. “My name is Song. I am a friend, of your family.”

Shaking her head, she backed away from him. “I don’t have a family.” She admitted softly, trying to find the nearest exits.

“You still do, you just do not know them yet but they know you,” he said. “They sent me to find you.”

“Look, maybe you have me confused with someone else I have no family. So if you would excuse me, sir.” She said backing towards her car.

The man, Song, did not move, simply staring at her. “We will be in touch again, Ms. Rule…Rain.”

She didn’t respond, escaping to her car and backing away, by the time she had pulled out the man, Song, was nowhere to be found.

When she made it home, she checked her cottage style craftsman house twice before comfortable that no one had forced entry. She locked her doors, closing all the curtains but turning on all the lights, alarming her security system, before going into her bedroom and there she opened up a small hidden door and walked into her panic room, turning on the power and playing her security tapes, the video cameras covering every square inch of her home, satisfied that her home had no intruders she opened up the draw underneath the flat screen surveillance televisions, pulling out a 9mm chrome glock, one of five guns that even Belle did not know she had. She kept the gun with her while getting ready for bed, taking a shower and brushing her teeth. She then locked her bedroom door and instead of sleeping in the bed she laid on the bench seat beneath her bay window directly across from the locked door in pitched blackness.

Sleep failed her that night.

She finally went to sleep at six in the morning, still upon the bench seat and woke up at twelve, not quite rested but having enough energy to make it through the day and her date with Enlai. Once again she took her gun with her while getting ready for her date and eating a light breakfast of scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast.

She dressed in a heather gray form fitting sweater dress that hugged her curves and knee high black books. In her boot she placed a small derringer and a knife on a specially designed holster under her skirt. Along with her mace she felt somewhat prepared but knew that something was going to happen, for the good or the bad. The uneasiness had begun again, had set in as soon as she heard Song’s deep voice behind her.

He could be a killer, she thought to herself, alarming her home and going to her garage to get in her car. The thought of Song penetrated her senses and she hated the thought but she had reacted to him just as strongly as she had reacted to Enlai. He was just as beautiful as Enlai, although different, just as hard, but there was something more, he seemed almost unreal, unlike Enlai who was completely masculine with scars upon his body and Song although masculine and tall was hard, but cold. There was something about him that she couldn’t place her finger on, just like Enlai.

And she had not forgotten his words, that she had family that searched for her, but the very thought of any of her family being alive, especially her parents was a thought best not spoken.

She parked in the public parking lot across the street from the piers, the Saturday afternoon crisp and clear, the piers packed with people traveling upon the ferry systems to the outlying islands and Canada. She saw Enlai before he saw her, standing perfectly tall, alone in a black wool trench coat, black slacks and black leather gloves. His scarf was perfectly tailored striped black and silver and he smiled when he saw her, pulling off his gloves and wrapping her in his arms.

“Rain, thank you for coming, you look beautiful,” he said, a smile upon his face as he escorted them inside the building.

“Thank you, Enlai,” she said, pushing thoughts of Song and his cryptic words behind her. Enlai was before her, real, masculine, radiating heat…safety. She had looked up the gala open online, knew that it was safe to go and not a set up. She was increasingly wary but wanted normalcy more than anything else.

“I already have our tickets, I have a car waiting on the island,” he said. “Have you been to Bainbridge before?” He asked.

She nodded as they stood in line waiting for the ferry with other travelers and tourists. “Yes, it is one of my favorite places, there is a wine and cheese bar right off the dock that Belle and I visit often.”

He nodded. “You and Belle are best friends?” He asked.

Nodding she smiled. “Yes, she is like a sister to me, closer than a sister, I guess.”

“You are strong despite your past.” He said.

“Not strong enough,” she denied, remembering how she had slept with her gun just the past night, how the uneasiness would not leave her even though she wished more than anything it was. Maybe she was just imagining it. Maybe because she was so use to something happening every six years maybe it was all in her mind.

But yet she could not forget the handsome Song meeting her in the garage the other night, meeting Enlai who seemed too perfect, too handsome. Shaking her head, Rain decided then and there she would put her past behind her. Forget all the pain in her life. She would live, she wanted to so very badly, wanted to forget the pain of her past. She was determined to do such.

“Stronger than you think,” he said but she simply shrugged away his comment.

“How was work this week?” She asked, always politely changing the subject when uncomfortable with the material at hand.

He smiled, deciding to play along. “It was good, put up a new firewall on the Galileo system,” he said and her head tried to keep up with the IT jargon he began speaking. Yet, she asked relevant questions truly interested in his position with the Department of Defense.

They spoke the entire trip to the Bainbridge Island, standing at the railing of the boat in the cold and brisk air, the sky unusually clear and sunny, although cold, the view of Seattle skyline beautiful, yet the view of the harbor and islands absolutely stunning.

When the ferry docked at Bainbridge Island they waited in line with others to depart, taking their time, and he held her hand, escorting her off the boat but not letting her hand go as they walked to a sleek black BMW. “Here,” he said, opening the door for her as she slid in, noting the way his eyes traveled up her knee high black boots, her thighs before they touched upon the hem of her dress.

He smiled when he met her eyes, closed the door and walked around to his side while she buckled her seat belt.

“It will only take a few moments,” he said as he drove out the parking lot, careful of the many pedestrians bundled up in the cold and tracking the short distance to the city center.

“This is such a beautiful island,” she said, taking in the picturesque and large houses placed upon the island edge. The city center was filled with Christmas lights, poinsettias and a large Christmas tree in the very middle of the downtown area. There were hundreds of people bustling about, shopping, and making their way through the busy area in good cheer and for the first time Rain allowed herself to feel their excitement, their ease and happy nature. Her mood changed from one of wariness as she dropped down her barriers. She would have a good time, she promised herself. She would enjoy every minute of this and stop punishing herself for a past that had been forced upon her.

When he stopped the car in front of a quaint art museum in the center of downtown, she hopped out before he was able to open her door and met him around the car, this time taking his hand in hers as he smiled in small surprise. Their fingers intertwined as he led the one into the shop already packed with others as they were met in the door by an elderly man of Asian descent in traditional Chinese clothing.

Enlai bowed towards the man. “Fao Ming,” he said. “This is Rain Rule,” he greeted the two as Fao Ming bowed over Rain’s hand, shaking it warmly.

“Of course, of course,” Fao said, smiling towards the beautiful woman. “Come, welcome into my art studio.”

“Thank you so much,” she returned, surprised by his warmth and seemingly open nature.

“Come, come, I shall introduce you,” Fao said.

He led the two deeper into the art gallery, filled with art deco, portraits and Asian landscape. The works were absolutely stunning and held Rain mesmerized as she was introduced to other artists, Island natives and Seattle socialites.

Enlai removed their coats, leaving her momentarily before finding his way back to her side like a bee to honey, her curves from behind went on forever, her petite form beside two taller, pale skinned women making her look even more beautiful and exotic, like a rare jewel.

“Enjoying yourself?” He asked his hand on the small of her back as he whispered in her ear.

A smile caught him in the throat, as she glanced at him, and he placed a kiss on her upturned cheek, breathing in her seductive scent, forgetting himself.

“I am, thank you,” she said as she introduced him to the two women.

She noticed the interested glances they gave him, one of the women perusing him as if he was a piece of chocolate. Enlai excused them from the ladies presence as they perused the paintings, an exciting and low conversation among the guests.

“He really is quite talented,” Rain said, nodding towards one exquisitely beautiful piece of the countryside of Asia. “How do you two know each other?” She asked.

“He is actually my great uncles half-brother. He immigrated to the states as a teenager with his family. He is the last one of his line.”

“He has never married, no children?” She asked in curiosity.

“No, his wife and daughter died in Communist China, he has never remarried.”

“Oh,” she said in sadness.

“It was a long time ago, Rain,” he said. “China five decades ago…it was not exactly paradise.” He said.

“I understand.” She said.