Unforgettable (7 page)

Well, it was too late now. No matter how much he wished he could just take it all back, the damage was done and there was nothing he could do about it. Patrick’s inability to contemplate, let alone foresee, the consequences of his foolishness left him feeling unsure of himself for the first time in a long time. This rare self-doubt added fuel to the flame of his anger, causing him to lash out at everyone around him. Patrick literally snarled out his orders, left, right and center, to anyone who dared come within his range. “The Heartless Lion” was back with a vengeance and the entire building trembled at his roar!

Finally deciding further analysis of his bizarre reactions to Brittany would be an entirely useless exercise, Patrick stopped pacing the floor and flung himself into his chair. Settling behind his desk, he opened the file Liam had left with him this morning. Minutes ticked by in silence as he stared blankly at the first page of the monthly progress report. The words and numbers he’d just read failed to make any sense as Brittany continued to haunt his thoughts, as well as his body. His arms remembered her slender, warm body cradled softly within them. His gaze was lost once again in the soft blue eyes smiling up at him in dazed confusion. Those luscious lips of hers pressed gently against his own insistent ones, the warmth of her sweet mouth welcoming his tongue as he slipped it inside...

“Damn it, woman! That never happened! Get out of my head!” he growled through clenched teeth, adjusting himself discreetly under his desk. As if cursing her out loud would chase the visions away. As if he could stop thinking about her. For someone he knew so little about, a woman he’d never even officially met, he sure was wasting a lot of his valuable time on her. Women! The last thing he needed or wanted in his life was to be worrying about a woman, especially one who couldn’t take the heat! No, Patrick Day had no room in his busy life for this nonsense!

If his stormy relationship with Caroline had taught him anything, it was that being Mr. Nice Guy would get him nowhere fast. Being a “nice guy” would leave his heart trampled and abused. Patrick had tried to include her in his hopes and dreams for their future but Caroline had casually dismissed them all, as if they were worthless… nothing. In the end, she’d dismissed Patrick just as easily. Oh yes, he’d once had lofty hopes and dreams. He’d cared about many things and many people, but not anymore. He’d learned his lesson well.

Nevertheless, and to his chagrin, he was forced to admit saving Brittany had somehow, at least momentarily, triggered some of his long buried need for friendship, caring and…love? Something about her had made him want to hope again, to believe in dreams again, if only for one precious moment.

Thank God, some punk kid had tried to mug him on his way to the office this morning. That had brought him crashing back to reality in a heartbeat. Patrick had shown the punk his gratitude by smashing his face in with his own pistol and having his sorry ass arrested.

Swiveling his chair around angrily, he glared out of his office window. New York! The only place in the world where that old adage, “what you see, is what you get,” applied to everyone. Hatred, greed, anger and selfishness…that was reality, it was life, it was what made the world and the human race go around. Money was all that mattered, so screw over anyone and everyone to get it! All that other fluffy stuff was a load of crap. Well, he had more money than God now and he’d be damned if he’d let some doe-eyed, helpless, female make him forget that lesson.

Patrick stared through the mist dampened window at the forest of skyscrapers, yellowing smog and backed-up traffic. The tips of his long fingers steepled under this chin in contemplation as he remembered everything Susan Brenton had told him about Brittany. His mind slowly drifted from awareness of his surroundings. New York faded to nothingness as his thoughts began focusing once again on Brittany…nothing more and nothing less.

“Mr. Day?” his secretary’s voice came over the intercom. He jerked his head up, surprised to find himself back in his office.

Patrick swiveled around in his chair to face his desk. “What is it, Marie? I told you NOT to disturb me,” he snarled.

“I know, sir. I’m sorry, sir. Your ten o’clock appointment is here, sir.”

“Well, don’t just sit there stammering…do your job and send them in. For God’s sake, it’s not difficult.” Patrick barked.

As soon as the poor bastard waiting to see Patrick entered his office and shut the door, Marie stuck her tongue out at the intercom. “You hateful little shit!” she muttered beneath her breath.

“That bad, huh?” Liam chuckled, standing nonchalantly in the doorway of Marie’s office.

“Liam!” she squealed. “You scared me half to death!”

“Sorry, Marie,” Liam apologized. “I couldna help overhearin’ ya moanin’ about tha boy.”

“He’s in a foul mood, Liam, even for him. He’s bitten my head off at least four times already this morning, barking out enough orders to keep everyone hopping till Christmas,” Marie replied, twisting her hands together in her lap.

“Do na let him get ta ye, lass. There be still a wee bit o’ good left in him, yet. We just ha’ ta dig deep ta find it, tis all,” Liam said, sitting down in the chair next to her desk.

“I’m beginning to doubt that very much. Oh, Liam, remember how happy and excited he was at college? It was wonderful to see him enjoying all the amazing things that make life worth living. When Caroline dumped him and he practically changed overnight. She broke his heart and killed his soul, she did. I had hoped he would eventually get over that woman’s cruelty, but he never has.

“Now, he grows colder and colder every day until he’s become as bad as Caroline ever was. After he made me cry the other day and the way he treated me just now, I’ve lost what little hope I still had for him. I finally understand why people call him ‘The Heartless Lion.’ He’s earned it. That’s what broke my heart, Liam. It felt like I was losing my own son, I’m afraid.” Marie was nearly in tears.

“I’m sorry about tha’, lass,” Liam said, reaching across the desk to pat her hand. “But, I still believe there is some good left in him. I canna gi’ up hopin’ an’ tryin’ an’ I won’t gi’ up until I’m in me grave. I owe tha’ ta his Da, at least. He’s like me own son, too.”

“Well, for your sake, I hope you do find the good in him,” Marie sniffed.

“Aye, lass, me too. If tha good Lord be willin’, we’ll find tha Patrick we both loved again someday.”

“Liam, do you think sending him to Indiana was such a good idea?” Marie asked.

“I do na know. Tis only tha’ New York can be such a violent city, especially when ye live in an angry world like Patrick does. It seems ta seek him out. I thought tha’, if I could send him away from all this fer a while, ta a place where folks aren’t sa cruel an’ cold all the time, where they pass ye on the street an’ say ‘Hello’ an’ ‘Good Morning’, then maybe he could find himself again. I thought if I put tha lad back ta doin’ tha job he once loved, then perhaps he’d learn ta care about somethin’ again, anythin’. Tha’ be why I sent him ta Indiana. It be a quiet town, but they need a good department store an’ they need tha jobs there. It will be tha biggest store yet. I’m e’en makin’ him put in a central warehouse/distribution center; sort o’ like we did in Texas.

“That’ll take a year, maybe two, just to get it on its feet. Even with a double sized crew!” Marie gasped.

“Aye, me darlin’, I know,” Liam said, with a wicked smile.

“You mean I won’t have to put up with the foul tempered grouch for two whole years?” Marie asked, the smile returning to her face.

“Only on rare occasions, lass,” Liam chuckled.

“Well, yippee! Forget the Christmas bonus, Santa’s coming early this year!” Marie cheered joyfully. Her smile faded. “What if it doesn’t work, Liam? What if he doesn’t change and comes back just as bad, or worse, than when he left?”

“Let’s just hope it does work, lass…hope an’ pray.”

***

Brittany lay stretched out on her sofa listening to the radio, as she did every evening. The soft, romantic music helped her relax after a long day in her “office.” After one of many commercial breaks, the DJ’s familiar voice came through the speakers, soothing as always.

“You’re listening to ‘Late Night Love Songs,’ bringing a little love into your life. If you tuned in last night, you’ll remember the man who called in to dedicate two songs to his special lady. Ever since I read his accompanying message on the air, our phones have been ringing off the wall asking me to replay that dedication.

“Well, folks, I have a surprise for you. The mysterious, romantic man from last night has returned to dedicate two new songs to a special lady who touched his life. But first, back by popular demand, last nights’ dedications from SD to his Earth Angel.”

Brittany sat bolt upright on the sofa. Sean! He was dedicating two new songs to her. She couldn’t believe he was still thinking of her. Those songs last night had made her smile and cry. She wondered where he was right now. What was he doing and who was he? Brittany’s thoughts were once more interrupted by the DJ.

“Now for the two new dedications going out to the Earth Angel, from SD. This letter was faxed to me today:

“To my Earth Angel,

I don’t know if you will hear this, or if you will even remember me, but I remember you. I doubt if you even remember what I look like but I can’t seem to forget you. As I was flying home last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Since I held you in my arms, you have never left my mind. Without even trying, you have left an indelible mark on my heart.

Though our encounter was a brief and unusual interlude, I see you wherever I go now and I carry your smile in my heart. I noticed the moon and stars for the first time in almost ten years last night and, in the moon, I saw your reflection. I close my eyes and you are there. Wherever I go, I take you with me or I find something that reminds me of you.

I know so little about you and yet, you are all I think of. I wish I had been able to stay in Indiana but business called me home. I’ll be coming back your way soon. I hope you will allow me to be your friend. I hope you will grant me the privilege of seeing you again and getting to know you better. Be careful and take good care of yourself, Earth Angel. I’ll be seeing you.

Your Friend,

S.D.”

Brittany’s heart melted as the DJ finished reading the letter. The warm, heartfelt words of his letter made her believe Sean must be a truly special kind of man. There were too few people like him in today’s world and she was now, more than ever, determined to find him.

“…these next two songs go out to the Earth Angel, who is hiding somewhere in our fair state. Maybe you know who she is. Maybe you are she. Wherever you are, Earth Angel, if you’re listening, someone sure seems to care a lot about you,” the DJ continued.

The first song began to play and she recognized it immediately, “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole.

“That’s one thing we have in common,” Brittany smiled to herself. “We both love those golden oldies.”

She just
had
to find Sean. She wasn’t exactly sure why it was; she just knew she had to find him. Moreover, she had the oddest feeling he needed her. How silly! Yet, she couldn’t shake this strangely compelling intuition. The more she heard from him, the less she knew about him. He became more mysterious with each passing hour, while Brittany became more intrigued.

The DJ changed songs and Brittany knew what the second song would be. She smiled again as the song began to play. She’d been right, “I’ll be seeing you.” She knew this one as well, note for note and word for word.

“If you’re listening, Earth Angel, and you’d like the chance to respond, give me a call at 1-800-LUV-SONG. Those two songs were for you from SD. Wherever you two are tonight, I hope you get together soon and when you do, give me a call. I’d be honored to play a tune or two, just for you. Until then, I’ll be waiting to hear from you and sending a little love your way every night,” the DJ said.

The instant he stopped talking, Brittany’s phone rang.

“Did you hear?” Susan asked.

“Yes!”

“Sean!”

“Who else?”

“That’s what I thought. Looks like you made one hell of a first impression on him.”

“I guess. Just imagine what I could have done if I’d been conscious!” Brittany joked. “I have to admit, he’s making a darn good first impression on me, as well. But all this mystery is driving me absolutely crazy. Why doesn’t he just call, or write me a letter, and tell me who he is? It’s not like he doesn’t know where I live.”

“I don’t know, Brittany, maybe he will. You could give him a taste of his own medicine, though.”

“Like what? I don’t even know who he is let alone where to find him.”

“You heard what Paul said, call him down at the station and ask him if Sean left an address or phone number. Maybe there was a letterhead on the fax he sent,” Susan told her. “Paul is a good friend…he’ll do it for you. Once you have something to go on, you can dedicate a song to him in his home town.”

“I don’t know, Susan. I mean, I know Paul would give me the address, if there is one, but I’d have to explain everything to him. Besides, what song could I possibly dedicate to him? I don’t know anything about him.”

“Paul won’t repeat anything you don’t want him to. You better call him before he leaves the station, though. As for what song to choose, well, we’ll think of something, if and when you figure out how to reach him.”

“Do you think it’ll work?”

“I don’t know, but it’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Susan replied. She hung up the phone, leaving Brittany alone with her thoughts.

Brittany knew Paul Mathews, the DJ for “Late Night Love Songs,” well enough to know what Susan said about him was true. He would help her find Sean, if he could, and he wouldn’t repeat her story to anyone.

Brittany smiled, remembering how hard Susan had tried to fix her up with Paul. They’d finally agreed to go out on a date just so Susan would stop pestering them about it. She and Paul discovered that they liked many of the same things and enjoyed each other’s company. That is, until the night Paul had walked her to the door and kissed her goodnight. They both laughed and agreed it was like kissing a relative…the chemistry just wasn’t there. So, over the years, even though they’d become close, they treated each other like siblings. Brittany knew in her heart she could depend on Paul and, without another moment’s hesitation, she picked up the phone and called him.