Easter's Lilly Read online

I woke in the morning feeling like a different person. When I got out of bed, I could smell the bacon and hear the coffee brewing. “Good morning, sleepy head,” a familiar voice whispered in my ear. He leaned over me with his lips almost against my ear.

  “You’re up early,” I answered. He was already up, dressed and cooking breakfast.

  “Too beautiful a day to sleep it away,” he responded. “Eggs?”

  I sat up and grabbed my clothes. We had slept on the couch all night. I put them back on and I sat down at the table. He put before me an omelet with bacon and coffee. “I could get used to this.” I smiled. He was so at home in the kitchen. He whistled as he cooked and moved like music.

  “Lilly?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me this was your first time?”

  A feeling of alarm went through my body. He was so experienced; I was reluctant to reveal such a secret. “I was afraid you might change your mind if you knew.” I could feel my face blushing. “Did I do something wrong?” I began to get concerned. He smiled at me in a comforting way. “How did you know?”

  “Of course I knew.” He grabbed my hands. “I could just tell that you hadn’t done anything like that before. It was a nice change for me.”

  “I’ll bet,” I said sarcastically. “Were you disappointed?”

  “Disappointed?” He pulled me up out of my chair. “I couldn’t be happier.” He pulled me close and let his lips graze mine as I felt myself collapsing in his arms. “I’m so in love with you,” he said as he released me and let me sit back down. He poured me some more coffee. “Still want me to stay away from the restaurant?” He laughed a little.

  “I swear, if you get me fired….”

  “Now, now…” He sat down in front of me. “I’m just playing with you. I’ll stay away.” I smiled and felt like I had gotten my point across.

  A little time had passed and I looked at my watch. The unthinkable moment had approached. “I think it’s time we realize that I have to go home.” I finished my eggs and he took my plate away from me.

  “What can I do to make you stay?” He looked over his shoulder from the sink, where he was washing the dishes.

  “You know I have to go see my father sometime.”

  “I know,” he agreed. “Do you want me to come with you?” I couldn’t believe he asked me that question.

  “Death wish?” I asked. “He carries a gun, you know.”

  “So do I,” he answered. Suddenly, he became very serious. “Your dad is just worried about your safety. I would be worried too if my daughter was dating someone like me.” I grimaced. “Seriously, I tried to stay away,” he continued. “But when I heard Bobby and Pierre were making moves on you…” He hesitated. “I lost control and came back.”

  “No need to be jealous.” I thought that was so funny. If he only knew how tortured I felt without him. “Bobby was using me to make his mother… I mean his girlfriend jealous.” Johnny laughed. “Whatever she was.”

  “Mother, huh? I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe this guy meant something to you.”

  “No,” I answered, “nothing.”

  “Pierre had a ring,” he said sarcastically.

  “Okay,” I replied. “Enough about Pierre.” I really didn’t want him to tell me he had him deported. “I think I need to go.”

  He took my hands and kissed them. “I love when you do that,” I told him.

  Go ahead and face the music. I’ll miss you.” I took a deep breath, kissed him lightly and turned for the door. “Lilly?” he called to me. I turned to look at him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. His arms went around my back pulling my body into his as he pulled my hands around his waist. He moved one hand to my cheek and ran one through my hair. “I just can’t let you go yet.” He said it so sorrowfully that I believed him. “Come and see me at the restaurant?” He smiled like he just remembered something. “You do know it’s Easter Sunday?”

  I hadn’t thought about it. I can’t believe I forgot the holiest holiday of the year. He kissed me deeply and then his phone rang. We ignored it. He finally pulled it off his belt and said, “What Rudy.” He sounded annoyed. “Stop using them, Rudy, and just move them. Got it! I’m busy.” He shut the phone and put his body up against mine like before. His passion continuously consumed me like a fire suffocating a forest with its blaze. I was helplessly under his spell. “Okay,” he sighed, releasing me. For a moment I thought I might lose my balance and fall. “Good luck. I’ll see you later.”

  “I’ll try to come by but Easter is a pretty big deal at my house.” I stopped and looked at the pout on his face.

  “You’re my Easter Lilly, aren’t you.” He smiled again.

  “I love you,” I said before I left.

  “I love you more,” he replied. I walked to my car and he followed behind. He opened my door and let me in. “Be safe,” he said, “And always remember that I love you more.” I put the keys in the ignition and the car purred. I blew him a kiss as I drove off and he pretended to catch it.

  As I drove away I noticed a black sedan following behind me. It was Ray, the man who had been watching me in the bar. Johnny must have sent him to keep an eye on me. This was starting to become a way of life. I wasn’t sure I liked it.

  I pulled into my driveway and walked to the front door. The sedan was parked across the street. I breathed in deeply, remembering the events of the evening for my strength. Then, I pushed open the door.

  “Lillian Margaret O’Hara!” my father shouted. “Where in the bleeding hell have you been?” My father’s face was a new shade of red. He was standing with his hands folded and my mom was sitting on the couch, equally annoyed.

  “Dad, I’m a grown woman!” I shouted in anticipation of the upcoming argument.

  “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “Grown women don’t stay out all night.”

  “I’m fine,” I insisted. “I was with some friends.”

  Suddenly his face changed. “Oh no, no not him!” He began pacing back and forth like a mad man. “Are you sleeping with him, Lilly? Are you part of his harem now?”

  I was shocked and mortified that he assumed I would allow myself to be part of a string of women. “It’s not like that, dad.”

  “Oh no!” he kept saying. “It’s worse than I thought.” He was still pacing. My mother got up from the couch and stood beside him.

  “Do you love him?” she asked.

  “He’s a skinny, little drug dealer, of course she doesn’t love him,” my father barked.

  “I do love him, dad.” I moved slightly away from him. “I can’t help it, I need him.” My father continued to pace. If it were possible, steam would be coming out of his ears.

  “I know this guy, Lil. He has a different girl every night. I know his friends personally. I have arrested all of them at least once but we can’t seem to catch John.”

  “Maybe you’re wrong about him!” I shouted. “He’s with me now, dad. Only me.”

  “Lilly, why are you being so naive? He sell drugs to kids.”

  I didn’t quite know how to win this one. Of course I was suspicious that he was involved in illegal activities. He wouldn’t have people watching me if he wasn’t. But I never asked and he never told. It was just kind of understood that I didn’t want to know. He carried a gun; that much I did knew. He was the first person I had ever known to carry a gun that wasn’t a police officer.

  “Have you noticed the Hispanic population growing around you?” he asked. “Roberto and Ray, just to name a few.”

  “So what?” I asked.

  “John’s superior is a Latino somewhere. We’re trying to find him. He’s having you protected for some reason, Lil. This means you have a purpose. I don’t like it.”

  “Purpose?” I asked in surprise. “I don’t have anything they would want.”

  “You are now his Achilles’ heel. They’ll keep you safe until they need leverage.” He said that last part very slowly as if to make his warning clear. I began to feel a little sick
to my stomach. This was too much for me and my head was beginning to spin.

  “Lilly, I may have to move you,” he said. Then there was a pounding on the door.

  “Is he coming over here today?” he asked.

  “It’s Easter.” I too was surprised. “He works on Easter at the restaurant. I’m not expecting anyone.”

  My dad reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open. It was Rudy. He had sweat dripping from his face and his hands were shaking. He pointed a gun at my father and said, “Sorry Mick. Wrong place, wrong time.” We heard a loud BANG! My father dropped to the floor and the vase behind me shattered. His icy blue eyes were blood red. My mother ran into the kitchen screaming. He turned and pointed the gun at me. “You should’ve picked me, Lilly. But they always go for John. It could’ve been different. I would’ve protected you.”

  I am sure I had that “deer in the headlights” look as he stood there pointing his gun at me. His sweat was covering the gun as his hands shook involuntarily. I began to think my relationship with Johnny might have been a mistake. How many times was I warned? Why did I continue to see him?

  “At first you were just something new to play with. But then you became like an obsession and he couldn’t put you down. You’re now nothing more than a unnecessary distraction.” I bit my bottom lip as I watched him get ready to shoot me. “Goodbye Lilly.” Before I had a chance to move, I heard another loud BANG!

  CHAPTER 6

  Just One More Night