Sanctuary Pt. 01: Aubrey Ch. 01

I couldn't stop the tears any more than I could hold back the churning of conflicting emotions roiling inside. My feelings were in turmoil, between the fear and shame of having all my secrets out in the open, the odd relief of it burden lifted and not having to explain or justify, and the tiny hope that the acceptance was real. My chest was painfully tight, and I was on the verge of outright sobbing.

He reached up and brushed the tears away, surprising me. I could see in his face that it hurt him to see me crying like this. I could feel a part of the wall I built up inside begin to crumble ever so slightly.

"Please don't cry," he whispered close enough for me to smell his aftershave. "I wanted to show you that I understood, not to judge or hurt you. I may not have expressed myself very well. I am sorry for each one of those tears."

Harold pulled out two movie tickets from his jacket pocket. "I would still love for you to see a movie with me. I know you have had a long day. Allow me to treat you to a bad storyline, stale popcorn, and flat soda? I promise no shenanigans, and I will even let you have the armrest," he said looking at me hopefully.

"I don't know," I said Wavering. I didn't want to admit it, but he was somewhat charming, and to my surprise quite disarming.

"To be completely transparent... I was willing to either leverage a bribe of a box of candy or these embarrassing photos," he said pulling out a large envelope from his briefcase.

I looked up at him. I was right. "Blackmail?", I asked.

He slipped the envelope into my hands and said with a smile, "Well, I guess that is up to you. You can try I suppose."

I was confused by the way he said that. My hands trembled as I opened the envelope and pulled out the pictures inside. There were no pictures of myself but of a much younger Harold stuffed inside of a Ricky Racoon Pizza Parlor mascot outfit "The embarrassing pictures are of... you?" I asked.

He laughed and said. "It seemed fair since I digitally stalked you." He turned his head to the side for a brief moment, and his eyes grew wide as if he had a sudden realization. "Oh, sweetheart... did you think I was going to blackmail you? No, no. I would NEVER compromise you or put you into a position like that. I figured I would share one of my less brilliant moments as an icebreaker. I have better pictures I can give you copies of if you want blackmail material. I believe there is one of me, being chased by a squirrel."

I couldn't help but laugh at that mental image. I kept staring at the boy with the bright smile dressed up like a raccoon. The head of the costume tucked under his arm. "I am going to keep this picture, for... blackmail purposes later," I said coyly. I earned a warm smile from him. "What movies are playing out of curiosity?

He grinned at me. "I believe our choices for the last showings are a romantic comedy, a treasure-seeking adventure or a superhero movie."

"Which movie did you get tickets for?" I asked.

Harold pulled out four more tickets from his other pocket. "All of them," he said. "I didn't know which one you would like... so I got them all."

I was a bit dumbstruck. The situation like this was the kind of thing you read about in romance novels, which I did, and Harold had already stated he knew my book purchases. Perhaps Harold thought this would earn him some brownie points, and it did.

"Aren't you a bit old for me?" I asked. I gestured to the beginnings of silver streaks along the sides of his hair.

"Hey now, did you just call me old?" He said running his fingers through his hair. I am only forty, just ten years older than you." Harold smiled good-naturedly and shrugged, "Grey runs in the family I am afraid. Let's call it mature, shall we?"

"I still can't believe you bought all those tickets. I haven't said yes yet," I said. "What if you ended up wasting the money on them?"

Harold flashed a playful grin that instantly reminded me of the boy in the raccoon costume. "It is all right. I got the senior's discount."

His statement made me laugh. "Is this how you usually try to pick people up? Lure them into a dark parking lot?" I asked.

Harold said shaking his head. "Normally, if meeting in private. I would insist on you having a predetermined person to call and check in with at a certain time because you do not know me. Such precautions minimize some of the risks to you. In this case, because its public, I figured we would both be ok, as I am willing to take the risk for you. I am sure I can find a chaperone if it would make you feel better."

I shook my head indicating it was not necessary. I was surprised by this. I wasn't expecting an answer like that. I had heard and read about that as a standard precaution for playing with new people in the BDSM scene. Harold was at least that knowledgeable and considerate. I checked my watch I had already missed the bus, the next would not arrive for another few hours. It would be a more pleasant wait in a theater than sitting in the dark on a bus bench.

"My very own popcorn?", I asked.

"And all the butter you can handle," he returned with a smile.

I moved to climb down off the wall, and he extended a hand to help me. I let him and found it to feel very kind and gentlemanly of him. He turned slightly and waved into the darkness. The headlights of a black sedan flickered into life. The car pulled forward out of a parking space and came up beside us, the driver's window rolling down.

In the driver's seat was a woman with thick crimson hair, full of curls. "Sir?" she asked.

"Charlene, would you mind taking us over to the movie theater?" asked Harold.

The woman's smile swept over her features. She turned that smile to me, and it reached all the way to her eyes with warmth. "Happy to Sir," she replied.

"Bah, stop calling me Sir," He said moving back to open the door. He held it open for a few moments before looking at me, clearing his throat softly with a smile. It took a moment more to realize he had been holding the door for me and I felt a wave of heat wash over my cheeks. I thanked him and slipped inside. Shutting the door behind me, he went around the other side and climbed in. The interior was possibly the softest leather I had ever touched and felt far fancier than my usual bus ride. "Which movie?" he asked.

I didn't dare go for a romantic comedy, so I chose something a bit safer. "The superhero flick," I said.

"Sounds great," said Harold. He leaned over and dropped the other four tickets into the front seat. "Charlene, go enjoy a movie and hand out whatever you don't want."

A twenty minutes later I was standing with him at the concessions stand. I held a large soda in one hand and popcorn in the other. The cashier was asking him if he cared for any candy to go along with the refreshments we had already ordered.

"Well I did promise her some candy," Harold said to the woman. "Uh, one of everything! We need to get seated, and she can pick out what she wants."

I blinked and stuttered in surprise. I had not even had a chance to protest before he was unceremoniously filling my arms with a mountain of boxed and bagged candy of every kind. I had to hold a portion of it with my chin to prevent a candy avalanche. All the while he was pushing me towards the theatre entrance.

With his drink in hand, he tucked his popcorn in the crook of his elbow. "Up there," he said pointing to an empty row toward the back. His hand went to the small of my back as he guided me up the stairs towards the seats. A group of kids pointed and oohed and ahhed my armful of candy.

"Wait," he said softly to me. He plucked box of sour chewie candy out of my pile. "Do you like these?"

"Oh, those? No, they are too sour for me. I usually go for the gummy bears or chocolate," I said.

"Gotcha," he said wrestling with his drink and popcorn. "Here hold this...don't spill it!", he warned with a laugh as he set his popcorn slowly on my head positioning it so that it balanced and stood there.

"Wait wait wait! What? No! I am going to drop it," I protested.

"I hope not, then I will have to eat yours," he teased and held the bag of gummy bears to my mouth. "Hold this as well please."

I smirked but did it, holding the bag of gummy bears with my lips.

Harold tossed the box of sour candy to one of the children who were pointing and giggling which induced a big cheer from the group. The other children eyed the armful of candy hopefully. Harold carefully plucked some chewie fruit ropes and tossed them to another kid. They all yelled out excitedly, "Me! Me! Me!" Next, Harold sent flying the bag of licorice and then lobbed various candies into the sea of hands. Children from other isles were coming up seeking candy mobbed us.

I watched him as he handed the candy. It seemed to make him genuinely happy. It made me feel happy too. In moments the candy was gone. I stood there smiling at him with the drink in one hand and the popcorn in the other, the second still amazingly perched above me. He shooed the last kid away and turned to me, and smiled back retrieving his popcorn from atop my head. "Thank you," he said. "Shall we?"

I don't think he was looking for an answer and I noticed he had no intention of removing the bag of gummy bears from my mouth. I realized that he had just gently and smoothly dominated me in a sense and he didn't make it scary at all. I blushed I think. I felt his hand once again on the small of my back, and together we went and sat down. For the record, he was as good as his word, and I got both armrest holders for my treats.

As the movie played, he was almost a perfect gentlemen. Halfway through the film, he stretched out his arm and draped it around my shoulder in that corny, oh so sneaky maneuver. I figured he was trying to put the moves on me only to find he was trying to steal some of my popcorn. I played defensive keep away game for a few moments, guarding it, and realizing how much fun I was having and being glad I was there. Ultimately, I surrendered the box of popcorn to his lap. He never touched it again. His box of popcorn was still nearly full. I could have almost sworn I saw him refilling my popcorn with his own when he thought I wasn't looking. I am not sure if he had wanted the popcorn or just wanted to see me have a good time. I didn't pull away from his arm, and so he left it draped around me. He didn't take further advances or take advantage of the situation but kept his hand there on my shoulder, gently, with no other shenanigans.

We stayed until the end of the credits, watching the outtakes and teasers for the next movie in the series. By the time we made it outside, Charlene had pulled the car up and was waiting for us. As we approached, she stepped out with a smile. I thanked Harold as he opened the door for me to get in. Charlene had held the door open for him, and he slid in beside me.

As Charlene put the car in gear, she looked back in the rearview mirror. "Sir," she said. "You have a six AM flight home. We need to arrive at the airport by five, leave the hotel by four, and its already one AM. We should get you back to the hotel."

Harold responded with a sigh, "You are right I supposed. All right, if you would be so kind as to drop me off at the hotel, and then take our guest home."

"Oh, it's fine. There is time to catch the last bus." I Protested.

"I can't," said Harold shaking his head. "I just can't have you waiting in the dark at one in the morning. I would worry. I have had such a lovely night with you. Please don't make me spend the rest of it worrying about you. It is my responsibility to make sure you make it home safe and sound."

I couldn't argue with Harold's request. I resigned to it and thanked him. It didn't take us long to reach the hotel, maybe ten or fifteen minutes. As we pulled under the hotel entrance awning, he turned to me.

"I think this is the part where you ask if you will see me again," he said. "Let me say that I would just really love for you to see me again."

I smiled.

"I would like for you to come up and join me. If you allow me to," Harold paused, "no that is not quite right. I am sending you some money. With it, you may come and join me in the beautiful California mountains, and we can find you someplace better, give you a clean slate. Or, you can just keep the money and continue your life here with some cushion in the bank. I have an enormous project I am working on, and I do not know when I will be back here to visit. How do I entice you to come and stay with me? I would beg you to take a chance and put me to the test, but first I will make sure you have a safety net, and a few lesser worries. Now, if you will please forgive me, I have a plane to catch in a few hours. Thank you for the wonderful evening, Aubrey. I hope to see you soon. I will prepare a place for you if you decide to come or not."

Harold placed his hand on mine and gave it a little squeeze before getting out and shutting the door behind him. He smiled and waved as the car pulled forward and out onto the drive.

The car, filled with silence. I noticed almost immediately there was a void without Harold's exuberant presence. "M-my address is..." I began.

"I know your address dear. Mr. Lockwood never intended for you to go home by bus this late," Charlene said. "He meant it when he said he took responsibility for your well being. Harold is a good man. He has asked that... I am not supposed to influence you one way or another because he is a man who believes in choice, but I wanted to thank you, It did my heart good to see him have such a good time tonight."

"Can I trust him then?", I asked.

"I am sorry, I promised him not to influence you, remember? I am not sure I should be bragging about him."

"D-do you trust him?", I asked

"With my life and all my heart," she said without hesitation.

"It is scary, he didn't mention just visiting, it's all or nothing it seems, and I don't know what is in store," I said. "Leap of faith."

"With a safety net either way though, right?" Charlene said. "Just wait and see. Wait until he contacts you. He has a way of calming fears. As for the unknown, why do we wrap gifts? So we can enjoy the anticipation of the unknown. My only advice to you is to enjoy it to the fullest, as you should all of life."

I sat back and thought of that for a bit. The conversation eventually turned to Harold's attempts of popcorn thievery which made Charlene laugh. Soon we had arrived at my apartment, where she got out and held the door open for me.

"You don't have to do that, you know," I said.

"You are the special guest whether you like it or not. and you will let me dote in my fashion," she said matter of factly but smiling. "And yes I will be standing right here and watch you go in because this neighborhood is sketchy at best. And before you say something about me being a girl, I am ex-military and can kick ass! Now shoo.. and have a great night," she said leaning against the car, arms folded, and grinning.

I laughed, not being able to get a word in edgewise, and thanked her for the ride. I kept watch out of the corner of my eye, and she didn't budge until I had unlocked and opened my apartment door. I closed and locked the door behind me, leaning against it. With a deep breath, I slowly sank to the floor, exhausted in every which way.

+++++++

The remaining leg of the train trip and the hour-long cab ride after it finally deposited me at the gates of the house. House may have been an understatement as it reminded me of a castle. "Castle Lockwood," I whispered to myself. The cab driver hit the buzzer and after a few moments, the gates swung open wide to welcome us in.

The pathway wound up to the house and under an ivy-clad covered portico. Charlene awaited with a big smile along with a tall, broad-shouldered man, impeccably dressed in a black suit. With them was what appeared to be a young maid complete with an overly elaborate uniform.

As the cab came to a halt, Charlene opened my door. "Yay, you're here!" she said giving me a hug and broad smile as I stepped out. I smiled and hugged her back without really thinking about it. She just had a warmth to her that was open and welcoming.

The tall man walked around and paid the cab driver. I was about to protest, but Charleen touched my arm. "Special guest remember... Let Samuel get it," she whispered.

"Hi, I'm Teddy!" said the maid grabbing my bags. I took a closer look and found that Teddy was, in fact, a boy in maid's clothing. It was not overly apparent at first glance, and it was only subtle mannerisms that gave his gender away.

"Welcome, Mr. Lockwood is expecting you," Samuel said returning as the cab pulled away and backed down the path in which it came. I followed the three in through the front door and into a beautiful foyer who's floor a mirrored shine. The scent of roses, set in various vases around the entryway, greeted me.

Harold walked into the foyer with a warm, brilliant smile. He hurriedly spilled the papers and folders he had been looking over onto the small round table nearly knocking over the vase of flowers in its center. His step was lively, and he seemed genuinely excited to see me as he closed the distance.

"I knew you would make it!" said, Harold. "You remember Charlene and have met Ted and Samuel. Everyone this is Aubrey!"

I extended my hand to Harold. I wasn't sure if a handshake was the appropriate move, but I was nervous and having trouble thinking. The house and those in it seemed perfect to me, pristine and neat, and I felt like a dirty dust bunny in that gleaming foyer. He took my hand gently, and under the gaze of those piercing eyes I had remembered, brought it up to his lips to kiss. I confess that it sent the butterflies aflutter in my stomach.

His arms spread apart. "Look at you!" Harold said happily.

I leaned in to hug him and immediately second-guessed whether the gesture was an invitation or him merely being animated and became self-conscious about being awkward. I tensed, and Harold must have sensed it.

He stepped forward and pulled me gently against him. "Relax... breath," he whispered, lips brushing my ear. He straightened and gently pushed a few stray locks of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear.

Harold looked at his watch. "All right gang, it is nearly six. Before we all meet and greet, I imagine Aubrey could use some real food, and since our lovebird cooks are out celebrating their anniversary, dinner is on me. What will it be?"

Teddy and Charlene bounced up and down chanting "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!"

Harold looked over at Samuel, "Sam?"

Samuel sighed, with the absolute minimum effort he could muster, lightly bounced on the balls of his feet chanting in a dull monotoned voice. "Pizza... pizza."

I laughed, and when Harold turned to me, I gave him a thumbs up. Anything at this point would be heaven after eating the horrible sandwiches in the train's dining car.

"I want hot wings," said Charlene, hand shooting up in the air. "Not the wimpy kind Sammy eats but real hot wings. The kind that takes serious ovaries to eat!"

Samuel cringed at that. "My wings are not wimpy. They are Hawaiian style," defended Samuel. "And, they are delicious."

Harold grinned and clapped his hands. "Ok! Teddy! Please show Aubrey her room and give her a quick tour. While you do that we will order the pizza and-- what was it? 'Ovary worthy' wings? We will meet up in the living room."

Teddy picked up and slung my bag over his shoulder. "This way!" he called cheerfully.

I followed Teddy out and up the stairs and through a hall of bedrooms. "So... Harold took in another stray?" Teddy said nonchalantly and less of a question.

"I-I-I'm sorry?" I stuttered, unsure that I heard correctly.

"You know, a stray... Bringing it home and feeding it. You never had a dog did you?"