Page 13 of Secret Admirer

Standing up, I take a look at my work for the day. I wish I could do more, but I have to get back to the center and teach the kids. I take a moment to let that sink in because even after almost a week, I still can’t believe I was offered a job. Not only a job but teaching art to kids who need the outlet to express their anger and sadness at their situations.

I’m not sure if Trixie will like what I’ve done, but I think the pumpkins turned out great. I went with the theme of the salon. I have a mummy cutting the hair of a witch, a vampire blow drying a mermaid's hair and a ghost washing Medusa’s hair. Pretty brilliant if I do say so myself. Looking down at my watch I see I have just enough time to walk back to the shelter and wash up before my class.

Taking the end of my shirt, I wipe my brow as I start to head back to the Oasis Sanctuary. Oasis is cooling down, but it’s still pretty hot in the prime of the day. In the next week or two, I was hoping I’d be able to afford to buy a used bike somewhere so I can get around faster. The thought of being able to find where Coco lives filters through my thoughts. More than once I’ve thought about how I can keep an eye on her if I just knew where she lived.

“Are you leaving?” Coco’s sweet voice asks from behind me.

Spinning around, I open and close my mouth a few times, but nothing comes out. Whenever she’s near I can’t seem to find my voice and end up looking like the loser everyone’s always called me. Instead of speaking, I nod my head and look in the direction I was headed before she came out.

She gasps loudly, “Oh my God, Bodhi.” I quickly turn around to see her hand covering her mouth that’s hanging open. “I can’t believe you did all this today, or that you did it to begin with. These are amazing. Truly astounding.”

I hang my head and speak to my shoes. I don’t want her to see what her words do to me. My cheeks are hot from her praise. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you. What you did is…phenomenal. Tricks is sure to win the Halloween competition now. I…I just can’t believe you did this while sitting here with only a few simple tools. You’ve got to let us pay you for all your hard work.”

“That’s not necessary. I had nothing better to do,” I murmur. On the inside, I feel as if I’m about ready to explode with all her kind words and attention.

“If we win, and I bet we do, then you have to let us pay you something because it will be from all your hard effort. Did you…” Coco bites her bottom lip and my dick twitches.

Calm the fuck down.

“Did you clean up the mess this morning?” she finally asks.

“I…” I turn and start to walk away finishing as I am looking over my shoulder at her. “I really have to go, or I’ll be late for my shift.”

“Oh,” her eyes go wide, “I wouldn’t want to be the cause of you getting in trouble. Maybe I’ll see you around?” To my ears, she almost sounds hopeful, but I know it’s just wishful thinking on my part. Little does she know; I’ll be back later to watch her as she makes her way to her car.

Even to my own ears, it sounds creepy. I’ve become what I’ve always been called, but in this case, I don’t care. I’d hate myself if anything happened to Coco because I wasn’t there.

I give her the one, two finger wave and head off excited for another day teaching.

* * *

The sunset is beautiful as I make my way back to Tricks. As I do every time I walk, I try to find a new place and new flowers to pluck and leave for Coco. This is one reason I want to get a bike, so I’ll be able to cover more ground.

“Stop!” a woman screams. Her voice is oddly familiar and at the same time not with the terror infused in her one word.

My pace picks up as I try to figure out where the scream came from. I don’t see anyone out on the street but there are lots of shadows as the sun goes down. I hear a whimper up ahead and yet I still can’t pinpoint where the sound came from.

Now at a jog, my head swings left and right as I try to keep my breathing calm and quiet. I’m almost to Tricks when I see a man pinning someone to the brick wall. Not just someone but a woman from the muffled whimpers.

“No!” The word is muffled and terrified.

My feet move me faster than I think I’ve ever moved before. I’m sprinting to save her. When I see long blonde hair and the shape of Coco’s body, I lose my mind. Everything goes red as my vision tunnels in on this asshole’s hands on her. He’s ripping at her clothes with one hand as he pins her with the other.

“Help!” Coco calls out as she tries to claw him in the face to get away from her attacker. Her eyes widen the moment she sees me coming up behind him. Her attacker must notice before I can grab him and pull him off, he swings at me and clocks me on the shoulder. I dodge the hit intended for my face, but not enough. The hit is hard, but not enough to stop me. I can’t stop. I’m running on adrenaline as I try to save Coco. Nothing could stop me except losing a limb. I grab him by the hood of his sweatshirt and throw him to the ground.

He’s fast. I’ll give him that. Before my fist can connect with his covered face, he punches me in the stomach, and I double over gasping for air. He moves to try to get past me to get to Coco.

“Run, Coco! Run!” I roar as I grab him by the arm and swing him around to face me. I’m on him in a nanosecond. Punching him first in the stomach making him groan in agony and then in the face as hard as I can. I don’t feel the pain as my knuckles crack open and bleed against his face and I don’t feel the blow to the side of my head until I start to fall over to the side, my vision blurring.

I hear a scream in the distance, but it sounds as if I’m underwater. It makes no sense.

Blinking, I try to understand the bright colorful lights surrounding Coco as she hovers over me with tears in her eyes. Her delicate hand is against my cheek, and I want to reach up and wipe away her tears and the trickle of blood from her busted lip. I want to tell her not to worry about me, but no sound comes out as much as I try.

“Bodhi,” she cries, “hang on the ambulance is almost here.”

Again, I want to tell her I’ll be fine even if I’m feeling far from okay at the moment. Black spots dot my vision, yet I still manage to cup her hand that’s found purchase on my cheek.

---