Island Surprise

Writing Prompt – Finger

Welcome to this week’s installment of my Tuesday Tales story Island Surprise. Thank you for stopping by, feel free to leave a comment.  

            Nancy reached out and grabbed the bed post. She felt light headed and needed to sit. 
            Claire looked over and saw her friend’s reaction, and stopped talking to Sam. “What’s up Nance? Who was on the phone?”

            “It was a message for me. Someone’s telling me to forget what I saw on the island, and they’ll forget about me,” her face turned pale as she recalled the words.

            “What? You didn’t see anything on the island to forget about. Why would they be calling you?”

            “I don’t know how he got my name. But I don’t want him to know my name. I just want him to forget me, and I’ll forget him.”

            Claire went to the phone and replayed the message, and then the color from her face drained as she sat down on the opposite bed. “I’m not even sure what I saw, but this has to be related to it. Why would someone call you? I wish he would forget about it too. I’d like to forget the whole thing, but I can’t, especially now”

            “But how can you forget when you don’t even know what you really saw?” Nancy was shaking her head in wonder.

            They were both oblivious to Sam standing there watching them like he’d just turned on a TV drama he’d never watched before trying to play catch-up. “Hey girls, what’s going on? Whatever you’re trying to forget, don’t forget to tell me first. I want to know.”

            Claire looked up at Sam and quickly recanted the morning’s events to him. He sat on the bed next to Claire. “We really don’t know what you saw. There could be a logical explanation, and there usually is. But I don’t get why someone is now harassing Nancy. Why use her to get to you?”

            “Right, and I didn’t think he got a look at me while I was on the island. If he did it must’ve been when I was rowing away. But how could he see me from that far distance.” Claire started rubbing her hands and cracking her knuckles, something she did when she was nervous. She made attempts in the past to curb this habit, as a writer the last thing she needed was hand joint problems. But she was cracking them now. She looked at Sam. “So what do you think?”

            He reached over and gently put a hand over her hands, causing her to stop the cracking. He held her hand rubbing his thumb softly over her fingers.  In a manner of seconds he felt her nervous energy fade away, and the warmth emanating from his hand spread to the rest of his body. Boy if she only knew what this touch was doing to him. He enjoyed it, but now he needed to help her, and he needed all his senses. Sam slowly released her hand, restoring his ability to think clearly. He cleared his throat. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t think you have enough to get the police involved.”

            Nancy picked up her conference tote bag and stood up. “Maybe be we could do a little snooping on our own and find out who the honeymoon couple is. See if it looks like they’ve checked out. If he did anything to her, why would he still be here? Wouldn’t he want to check out and get out of here fast?”

             Nancy walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a box of her pens. “I’m going to be signing at the book fair for Arrow Publishing this afternoon, so I need my pens.” She gave a pen to Sam.

            “Thanks,” he looked at the pen. “Ah Midnight Rising, I’ll come by and buy one from you. I remember when this story first started to take shape.”

            “Thanks, Sam. The story changed again since you last read it. I’m so glad it’s finally out.”

            Claire picked up her bag and Nancy waved a pen at her. “I have one from yesterday. I don’t want you to run out.”

            “Oh, I don’t think I’ll run out. I always over-buy.”

            Sam followed the women out the room, closing the door behind him, checking to see that it locked.

            The three of them got the elevator and walked towards the grand lobby. No matter how stressed Claire was the island trees and plants decorating the lobby always managed to take her breath away and calm her down. Nature was always a good de-stressor for her, coming in close behind having her hand held by Mr. Sam Stewart. Even though she didn’t verbalize it upstairs, there’s no doubt the affect this man had on her. Not only did she need to look out for a possible killer, she needed to watch herself around Sam. Claire didn’t want to get swept away again. The last time was too painful for her. She knew she was smarter this time.

            As they walked through the lobby towards the conference center, a couple crossed the lobby in front of them. Claire's pressure shot up. Oh my god, it’s him. The honeymooner! He and his new wife just walked across the lobby hand in hand, just like… well, just like regular newlyweds. Claire was dumbfounded and Nancy shot her a look, but kept her mouth closed. They watched as the couple headed towards a restaurant on the other side of the lobby.

            “What happened? What did I miss?” Sam felt the tension between the two women.

            “That was them. The man and his wife,” Claire raised her hands, and held them in a tight fist, fighting the urge to indulge herself.

            “So she’s not dead,” Sam looked after the couple.

“Then why is he harassing me?” Asked Nancy quietly as a wave of conference goers walked around them headed for the book fair.