As they pulled into the underground parking garage Jack looked up at the thirty stories above him and asked,

  “This place looks awful fancy, Is Sam going to be a problem?”

  “No, the owner is a close friend of mine.” She said casually.

  Her reserved parking space was right next to the escalator that took them up to the lobby floor. Jack had to carry Sam up the escalator, she had her reservations about stairs that appeared out of nowhere. When they reached the top of the escalator Jack put Sam down and the three of them walked across the lobby toward the elevators. Kristin heard a voice from across the lobby call out,

  “They pulled another one out, Miss K,” the voice belonged to Jimmy the Doorman.

  Kristin hollered back,

  “Vargas better work on that fast ball, one of these days they are going to run out of luck.”

  Jimmy just laughed as he headed toward them with his hand extended to Jack.

  Kristin said, “Jimmy, I would like for you to meet a couple friends of mine, Jack Evans and Samantha.”

  “Pleased to meet you Mr. Evans, if there is anything you need you just let me know.

  Jack said, “Glad to meet you Jimmy, thank you.”

  Jimmy gave Sam a good scratch behind her ear and said,

  “That goes double for you Miss Samantha.”

  Kristin walked over to the front desk and picked up her messages from Marcy. She introduced Jack and Sam to her as well. As they got to the elevators Kristin placed her thumb on a reader pad and the private elevator door opened. When they stepped inside the private elevator Jack noticed that there was only one button for one stop, the penthouse. Kristin punched a code into the key pad and pressed the top button on the console, “P” for Penthouse. The elevator shot up the thirty floors faster than it took his stomach to catch up to where it had been in his throat. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened Jack found himself starring at a one hell of an apartment.

  Jack looked at Kristin with his Sherlock Holmes expression and asked,

  “I suspect that you are a little more than good friends with the owner.”

  She laughed innocently, “We are very close.”

  They were barely off the Elevator when Kristin kicked off her shoes and pinned him against the wall before he had a chance to set down his old suitcase.

  “I’m going to have a tough time pulling the wool over your eyes aren’t I?” She asked innocently.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  They sat in bed facing each other as the sun sank into the western horizon. Sam was lying between them and Kristin was stroking the length of her back. It had been a couple of hours since they had stepped off the elevator and Jack’s bags were still sitting by the elevator door. Their cloths were strewn in piles between the elevator and the bedroom.

  “Are you hungry?” Were the first words she spoke to Jack since they had entered the bedroom?

  “Starving, what did you have in mind?” he asked.

  “There is a great little restaurant just down the street.” Kristin said.

  “You’re not going to try and feed me Sushi are you?” Jack asked.

  “Nope, they have the best steaks in town.” She assured him.

  They spent the next thirty minutes in the shower making absolutely sure that they didn't miss a single spot. Sam laid just outside the bathroom with her nose pressed to the slight crack at the bottom of the door wondering what all the warm smoke was coming out from under the door.

  When they walked out of her apartment Sam curled up in the big puffy chair and closed her eyes, it had been a long day for Sam.

  Jack and Kristin stepped out of her building to the smell of salt air and the sound of sea gulls squawking down by the pier. There was still a trace of sunlight creeping around the buildings and the streetlights were just starting to come on. Jack’s attention was caught by a two foot by two foot gleaming bronze sign inlaid into the stone facade right next to the front doors. The plaque read, “The Arnts Building.” Jack asked, “Who is this building named for?”

  Kristin answered casually as if she was responding to a question about the weather, or if she wanted another glass of wine, “My Father, Bill Arnts.” Jack could tell that she didn’t want to make a big deal about it, she would tell him about it when she was good and ready.

  Most of the people that worked in the downtown area were gone and the Friday night crowd was starting to appear in the bars and restaurants. Jack and Kristin were not as dressed up as most of the Friday night bar hoppers and the “Dress to Impress” crowd. Kristin was wearing a pair of new jeans and an expensive top, Jack also had on a pair of blue jeans and a nicely pressed shirt that he had ironed himself while he waited for Kristin to dry her hair and put it up in a French braid.

  As they crossed the street toward the restaurant that Kristin had bragged about Jack noticed a line of people waiting outside the restaurant, most of them were dressed to the nines.

  “Looks like there might be a bit of a wait,” Jack observed.

  “Let’s go in and see how long the wait will be,” Kristin suggested with a devious look in her eye. They walked past the crowd of people and Jack held the door for her. They were barely inside the restaurant when Jack heard someone call out her name. The Maitre’d rushed from around the podium and past a dozen other people waiting in line to greet her. He graciously took her hand and said with just the right amount of sincerity,

  “Miss Kristin, it has been too long, it is good to see you again we have your table ready.” The waiter turned his attention to Jack at the exact moment Kristin turned to introduce him.

  “Edward, I would like for you to meet Mr. Jack Evans.”

  “Pleased to meet you Mr. Evans, and Thank you for bringing our favorite customer back to see us, I am eternally in your debt.”

  “You’re welcome Edward, my pleasure.”

  Edward swept his arm in a gesture of parting the crowd and escorting them to their table. The people that were patiently waiting to be seated watched the couple that had clearly been given V.I.P. Treatment. They craned their necks to get a better look and whispered who they thought the celebrities might be.

  Edward led them across the main dining room and up a staircase to the second floor to a table that had an uncluttered view of Puget Sound. When they reached the table Edward pulled out Kristin’s chair for her to be seated and their waiter was already standing by with a bottle of wine and two chilled glasses. Jack noticed that he was the only man in the restaurant not wearing a suit coat and that Edward had not bothered to mentioned it or provide one. Jack understood the courtesy that was being extended to the friend of a very special patron. The waiter respectfully suggested two New York strips medium rare. Jack thanked him and nodded at Kristin, “So they know you pretty well.” she gave him a little kick under the table and blushed a little.

  The waiter excused himself and walked away as a large gentleman in a tailored tuxedo appeared from nowhere with his hands extended. The man had a huge smile on his face as he swept Kristin out of her chair and greeted her,

  “Miss Kristin, it is wonderful to see you again.” As he released her from his embrace he immediately turned his attention to Jack and extended his hand,

  “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Evans.”

  Kristin said, “Jack, this is Andre’ the owner of this overpriced bistro. Andre laughed and put his finger to his lips, “Shhh, don’t tell anyone.”

  Jack asked, “Does she come here just to insult your Restaurant?”

  Andre’ turned to Jack and placed his hand upon Jack’s shoulder,

  “Mr. Evans, I will gladly take Miss Kristin’s insults over the best restaurant critics’ praise any day.”

  He thanked them again profusely for coming and hurried off to make his rounds.

  “I always wondered what it was like to be a celebrity,” Jack teased her.

  She kicked him again a little harder this time under the table.

  The steaks were done to perfection and the service could not have been better. When they finished the meal and the bottle of wine Jack nodded at the waiter to bring the check. The waiter leaned down and said in the perfect tone of respect and gratitude,

  “Mr. Andre’ would be honored if you would be his guests this evening.”

  Jack understood the translation, it meant on the house. Jack asked the waiter to thank Mr. Andre’, and he did not think that Kristin noticed as he slipped a fifty dollar bill into the waiters hand as he thanked him for the excellent service and wonderful meal. She noticed.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The sun had set by the time they left the restaurant and Kristin took them the long way back to her apartment. The night was warm there was a slight breeze blowing in from the ocean. She grabbed his arm with both of her arms and pulled herself tight against him, he could feel the curve of her breast pressed against his arm.

  They were not in any hurry to get back to her place as they wondered aimlessly up one street and down the other not in any particular direction. It was her turn to tell him some stories about the place she called home. She pointed out tall buildings that pierced the skyline and small shops tucked onto narrow side streets. Without even realizing it she was telling Jack about some of the people that worked and lived in the downtown area. It was as if she had been collecting these memories all of her life but had never thought about them until this very moment. Jack gently coaxed the memories out of her without Kristin even being aware what he was doing.

  He watched her eyes as they moved from place to place and he could sense when there was a spark of recognition in her warm brown eyes. He could also tell when there was pain connected to the memory, he avoided probing her about those memories.

  Jack was looking down into her eyes when a shadow of fear flashed across her face. He followed her gaze up the sidewalk straight ahead of them where a small group of gang members had just rounded the corner and was headed straight at them. Kristin shot a pleading glance up at Jack's face with mild terror in her big brown eyes, a look that screamed, “What do we do now?”

  On their way back to her apartment building they had wondered off the main streets and there was no one else on the street, no other people, no little shops open, not even any cars on the street. What she saw on Jack's face was a look that she had never seen before on him or any other man she had ever known. His face had hardened into almost a granite statue quality. His eyes had narrowed and his deep blue eyes seemed to go a dark gray. She felt two subtle adjustments in his body almost simultaneously; first, he moved the arm that she was holding onto almost to the point of cutting off circulation slightly behind him. This slight correction placed her body less than a half a pace behind him, not completely behind him but just enough to give the impression that he was clearly in command. The second thing she felt was his entire body raise up to his full six foot two inch height. It was as if his whole body was taking a giant breath and that every muscle in his body had a fresh shot of oxygen.

  Jack looked down at Kristin and gave her a quick confident smile then he focused on the gang coming down the sidewalk in their direction. There were three of them, all dressed like gang bangers and exuding the stench of boredom mixed with a bad attitude. As they approached Jack and Kristin their laughing degraded into a low pitch gutter cooing.

  “What have we here?” One of them slurred.

  “A couple love birds.” another one of the gang bangers shot back.

  Jack looked from one face to the next, he instantly picked out the leader of the gang and he centered all of his attention at the punk in charge. His eyes drilled hard into the leaders eyes. Jack paid no attention to the other two; he knew that their survival depended on crippling the lead dog. Jack tilted his head down just enough so that he looked like a bull about to charge. As they came closer, he held the gang leaders eyes and waited, watching for just the right moment. Jack was waiting and watching for something that he knew would happen. He was watching for a sign of weakness, a split second when the gang leader would drop the act of being a tough guy and reveal his fear. They were fifty feet away, now forty, now thirty. He kept his gaze on the kid and narrowed his eyes just enough that his entire face sharpened into a hardened piece of stone.

  There it was, what Jack had been waiting and watching for. The leader of this little band of spineless criminals flinched. Jack saw for one split second a look of fear, of doubt, of hesitation in the eyes of the gang leader. That is when Jack delivered the final blow, he smiled at the boy. It was not a friendly or cordial smile it showed no sign of fear or doubt. It was a hard, cold, almost evil smile. The look said everything that Jack had intended it to say,

  “Are you really sure that you want to do what you are thinking about doing?”

  It had the desired effect; the gang leader dropped his gaze. The boy looked sideways at both of his crew with a careful glance. Then he said in a low cautious voice one word, “Gun.” they all went silent and Jack could feel the breath go out of them like they had all been punched in the gut.

  When the threesome reached Jack and Kristin they parted and walked around them with their heads down. Jack kept his gaze on the leader and just before they passed each other on the sidewalk Jack said in a friendly but reproaching tone, “Boys.” the three boys did not look up from the sidewalk but they all grumbled in unison, “Sir.”

  After Jack and Kristin turned the corner and headed back in the direction of her apartment Kristin looked up at Jack and asked with genuine amazement,

  “What the Hell was that?'

  Jack looked innocently at her and responded, “What was what?”

  She elbowed him in the ribs and said, “Don't play coy with me Mister Evans; you know exactly what I am talking about. Two minutes ago we were certain victims of at least a mugging, and possibly something much worse.”

  Jack shrugged and dismissed her allegation,

  “Naw, those boys really didn't have the desire to hurt anyone, they just needed to be reminded of that.”

  She looked up and smiled at him as she pulled him closer,

  “Crocodile Dundee's got nothing on you Jack Evans.”

  Jack flashed her a warm smile and responded in a lame Aussie accent,

  “That's not a knife, this is a knife.”

  They picked up their pace a little as they zig zagged their way up and down a few streets and back to her apartment building. After the good food and their almost death defying walk home they were both anxious to climb into each other’s arms. When they reached the entrance to her building neither of them noticed a man hiding in the shadows across the street nor did they hear the click of the shutter on the camera he had pointed in their direction.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The three of them sat out on the balcony eating breakfast and watching the sun come over the city. It took several minutes and half a dozen pieces of bacon to coax Sam out onto the balcony. She had the same trepidation about the balcony as she did about the escalator. Something just didn’t seem right to her about stairs that appeared from nowhere and a front porch that high off the ground, this was going to take some getting used to on her part.

  They ate breakfast and listened to the city coming to life up around them. They heard cars honking and ships blowing their horns as they entered the harbor, they heard diesel buses stopping at their regular stops and the squeal of brakes on delivery trucks making their rounds. They watched Sam’s ears stand up every time she heard a new sound that she had never heard before. They noticed her raise her head and sniff the air with the new smells she had never smelled before. It took Sam almost an hour to work her way to the edge of the balcony where she had just enough room to poke her nose through the railing and look down at the street thirty stories below. After Sam glanced over the edge of the balcony she pulled her head back and looked over her shoulder at Jack as if to say, what have you gotten me into?

  Kristin reached down and gave Sam a reassuring rub down the back of her neck, it seemed to help. Sam put her head back down and closed her eyes.

  “I’m not sure Sam is going to get used to city life.” Kristin suggested.

  “I wouldn’t worry about Sam she’s just like in any other creature she will adapt to her surroundings.”

  “Does that apply to people too?”

  “Especially people.”

  “You’re not going to start getting philosophical on my again are you Jack?”

  “Nope, just an observation.”

  “What else have you observed about life in the big city?”

  Jack finished off the rest of his coffee and set the cup down on the patio table.

  “I am not sure that I have been here long enough to draw those kinds of conclusions.”

  “Seattle can’t be all that different than Houston?” She said.

  “Cities have their own character, people are pretty much the same wherever you live.”

  “Then why do the people that live around you seem so different?” She asked.

  “They are not any different, they have discovered the secret to life.”

  Without even realizing it Kristin sat up straight in her chair and leaned closer to Jack as if he had pulled her closer with his last sentence. The expression on her face was pleading for an answer. Jack leaned toward her and wrapped his hands around hers.

  “You might be disappointed, it’s not much of a secret in fact most people have heard it all their life.”

  Her expression did not change she wanted to hear it and she wanted Jack to be the one to say it.

  “It’s really very simple, Work hard, treat other people like you want to be treated, and enjoy where you are right now in this moment.”

  Jack was right, she had heard those words all her life but there was something about the way Jack had said them combined with seeing how and where he lived that gave integrity to his words. She leaned back in her chair and thought about what he had said. After a minute or two she asked with all sincerity,