Page 21 of Protected By the Gargoyle
“Okay, well, you know how Arto has been watching over my apartment like a, well, like a gargoyle on a medieval building? I didn’t tell you what happened the other night.”
Larissa lowered her sandwich. “Do tell.” Then she took a big juicy bite.
“After you left, I had a nightmare, and I must have screamed since Arto heard me. He was outside—no surprise there. He knocked to make sure I was okay. I asked him to stay for a little while until I calmed down. While we were on the sofa, I must have dozed off. Next thing I know, he was carrying me to my bed and—”
Larissa swallowed and then mouthedwow. “It finally happened. Tell me everything!”
Janie brushed it off with a wave of her hand. “No, nothing happened.” Her cheeks warmed. “But in my semi-sleep state, I thought more.” In a lower voice, she added, “And I didn’tnotwant it.”
Larissa straightened. She slapped her hand on the table. “I knew it. Sooner or later the two of you would end up together.”
“Itdidn’thappen. Wearen’ttogether. And there is no reason to think we will be. Whatever feelings you thought he might have had for me must’ve passed because I kind of invited him to stay and—he didn’t.” The sting of rejection wormed a hole in her gut.
“Wait, what?” Larissa slanted her head. “Are you sure it went down like that?”
“No, not exactly.” Janie rubbed her eyes. “I was half-asleep. I was in and out of dreams of demons and who knows what.” Oh, she most definitely knew what she was doing with Arto in that fantasy. “But I’m pretty sure I asked him to join me in my bed, and he passed on the offer. So, we’re better off keeping things as we have been—just friends. No complications. No screwing things up between us.”
Larissa tapped her fingers together a few times. “Wow, he must have a reason. Maybe he thought he’d be taking advantage of you?” After Janie gave her a skeptical look, Larissa added, “Because there is zero doubt in my mind that Arto is into you. I mean those smoldering looks with all the yearning.” She fanned herself. “Pure fire. You must have seen it.”
Janie warmed but attempted nonchalance with a casual shrug. “Maybe once or twice.”
“I see it—often. And although I’ve asked Roman about it, he won’t reveal anything without Arto’s blessing. I’m guessing that means there’s something they’re not telling us.”
The discussion was getting too intense. “We’re friends,” Janie insisted. “That’s all.”
As she took a bite of her panini, she pictured Arto’s steady gaze. A strange tingling of excitement that swirled in her core defied her explanation.
* * *
Janie returnedto work after lunch, determined to move past her worries. The business of the medical office kept her occupied with patients to check in, copays to run, and appointments to schedule and reschedule.
The only odd thing that afternoon was when an attractive, fit guy with blue eyes and dark hair came in to make an appointment for his baby daughter.
“Do you have your insurance card?” she asked.
“Yeah. I don’t have it on me. I’ll be back.” He walked to the exit but then turned and stared at her for several seconds, beyond her comfort level.
It was as if he was trying to read her somehow. When a woman with a service dog walked past him to enter the office, her dog began to bark at the man.
She tried to calm the dog and then apologized to the guy. “I’m sorry. He doesn’t usually do this.”
The guy huffed and then left. The dog stopped barking and then wagged his tail.
“Sorry about the disruption,” the woman said as she checked in with Janie.
“No worries.” Janie brushed it off with a wave. “I love dogs.” And it stopped the weird guy from staring at her. Fortunately, he didn’t return.
By the time she left for the day, all remnants of the rain last night had dried out, but the bite of coldness in the air grew more pronounced. She pulled her beloved brown wool coat with the faux fur collar more tightly and pulled on her gloves.
She stopped by the grocery store on the way home and picked up a few things for meals to last the next few days. Since she lived alone, she often didn’t bother to cook for herself. And she usually ate with Larissa, Arto, or friends after work. Once a week, she visited her parents for dinner as well. One plus of living in the city was the availability of so many food options to choose from so she didn’t have to cook. But since she’d already eaten out at lunch with Larissa, she figured she’d pick up some veggies and shrimp to stir-fry. It was quick and easy enough.
When she returned to her apartment, she played a podcast while she prepared for dinner. Although she used to love true crime shows, she couldn’t handle them anymore. She already had enough to be skittish about. So, she listened to standup comedy, or learned new things, or stories of people overcoming obstacles. The less time she spent ruminating in her head, the less likely her mind would venture to a dark place. Tonight, she chose an uplifting one from a woman talking about being an entrepreneur.
That was inspiring. Maybe that was something Janie could do. It would be something to look forward to and focus on for a brighter future, although it did sound like a hell of a lot of hard work. And what would she do? She didn’t have an idea for a new company or an app to meet a need in the marketplace. But she’d keep her eyes open to watch for options for her future.
She had goals before they were interrupted. Since she loved animals, she’d been taking classes to work in animal healthcare, but her plans had been derailed by bombs and demons and recovery. The one thing she’d learned in all the hell she’d gone through is she had to move forward. Look ahead. Keeping her mind on the past would keep her trapped there.
With a brighter mindset, she even slept better that night. Zero nightmares. That was progress. Although she wouldn’t mind a certain Stone Sentry coming by to check on her, Arto had been working long shifts lately. It was likely to ensure there was nothing nefarious out there, but she suspected some guilt attached to it as well. He blamed himself, the way they all did, and wanted to do whatever he could to make up for the potential disaster. She glanced at her ceiling. Did he still check on her? Sit outside on patrol? She wanted to ask but didn’t want to add to his workload—or stress levels.
