Chapter 12

After making love and talking some more, I was too revved up to sleep. Josh wasn't. I watched him sleep and my love for him just kept getting stronger and stronger, and while daydreaming about our future together, I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The sun was shining brightly when my eyes opened. Josh wasn't in bed with me. When I ran my hand over the sheet where he'd been, I couldn't feel his body heat. He's been up for a while, I reasoned.

I stretched kicking the sheet away and realized I was feeling wonderful! I probed the townhouse for Josh's presence and found him. He was talking with his sister on the telephone, which didn't surprise me. While she'd been gallivanting around the world, they'd talked most mornings, and the morning talks had become a habit. I'd gleaned this information with my probe, not from conversations.

Josh loved me, but he also loved his sister. I'd tried to determine if he loved me more than Sandy, but the quest proved fruitless. My mom would've said simply, "Love is love, silly. That's just the way it is."

"Thank you, Mom," I said out loud.

I sensed Josh in my mind and let him wander around. I think my probe alerted him that I'd awakened. I was enjoying the feel of the white, satin sheets on my sensitized skin while I continued to stretch when Josh stepped into the room with a cup in one hand and his satellite cell phone in the other.

"I went out early and bought some coffee and a coffee pot, a toothbrush and a few other things I thought you might need. I brewed the coffee, a first for me, but I followed directions. From an attitude check before I went out, I also found out you like sugar and non-dairy creamer in your coffee. I hope it's drinkable."

"Thank you, thank you," I gushed as I took the mug. I sipped and smiled. "Ah, French roast. How did you... ? Never mind. It's good!"

He beamed.

"I've also been on the telephone with Sandy for quite a while. Would you mind talking with her while you have your first cup of coffee?"

"She knows about us, then?"

"Yes, I share everything with her, Nicole. You don't mind, do you?"

I smiled. "No, I know how it is between the two of you. She's your first love, and you'll love her always." He handed me the telephone.

"Hello," I said tentatively.

"Nicole, it's so pleasant to finally hear your voice. I'm so happy for you and Josh!"

"Thank you." I took another sip. "Sandy, I want a nice, long conversation with you, but I just woke up, and..."

She laughed, and I adored the sound of her laughter.

"I understand," she said. "A tinkle, among other things, is in order. Do what you need to do and call me back. Just press..."

"Speed-dial number one on the satellite cell phone."

She laughed again. "Yup, you do know everything down to the minutia. I'll expect your call soon. I'm really looking forward to a nice, long conversation with you, and fortunately this morning is the perfect time. Hand the phone to Josh, please. I want to talk with him some more."

I gave him the phone, a quick kiss and dashed for the bathroom. His thoughts about the way I looked as I scurried away from him pleased me. Later, I was even more pleased when I discovered he'd bought the toothpaste I preferred. My lover pays attention to the detail in my mind, I thought. A hairbrush and comb approaching the kinds I used had been placed next to the other toiletries he'd purchased for me, so I brushed out the tangles and wondered what to wear.

"There's a new terry robe hanging on the door hook," Josh said to my silent query. I pulled it on, once again appreciating Josh's attention to detail. Maybe I wouldn't need to hurry home this morning after all.

He was still talking with Sandy when I exited the bathroom, and he handed the phone to me. "I'll shower while you two talk," he said.

With a chuckle, I said, "Sandy, I guess I won't need to hit speed-dial number one."

"I guess not. Okay, here's the deal, Nicole. I want to meet you face to face, just you without Josh along. Can you take time off your job? If it will cost you, Josh and I will reimburse you, and we've already agreed that we'll cover your expenses for a trip to New York City." She chuckled. "Oh, and Josh insists that you and I go on a shopping spree in Manhattan - on him, he says, and not just for you, for me, too. So you've gotta say yes, Nicole. I do love to shop on Josh's nickel. I don't get the opportunity very often." She laughed again. "In fact, this is my first. Waddaya say?"

"How long?" I asked wondering if Harry had any real need for me over the next few days. There was a closing...

"Let's say a week. A few days with me alone, and if things work out, Josh will fly to New York and join us for the balance of the week."

"This is important to Josh, isn't it?"

"Very."

"All right, but I can't afford to lose my job over this. I'll need to check with my boss before I commit."

"I understand. Oh, we'll have so much fun, Nicole! I can't wait to meet you. I'll get tickets to a Broadway play, and New York offers a lot of other tourist venues that I've been meaning to visit and haven't. Tell me, what do you do for Olsen Investment Company?"

"I'm an intern. Besides being a go-for for my boss and acting as his hostess when he entertains, I review sale packages being offered to Olsen, run various tests on the numbers regarding the properties being offered, such as internal rates of return, Olsen's method of cap-rate calculation, and others, and then make recommendations whether the opportunity presented in the packages should be pursued or tossed in file thirteen. If Olsen looks deeper into a property, I sometimes perform an inspection visit, utilizing Olsen's checklist for property inspections, and then I write up my findings. I also work on properties we offer for sale, like the apartment complex you and Josh bought the other day. It's a pretty good summer job, and I've been told they like my work and might hire me when I graduate next May."

"Yup, you're perfect for what we need for our business. Would you consider switching jobs and working with Josh? We'll double your salary."

"Whoa, you're movin' way too fast for me, Sandy. I have one more year in college before I graduate, and I won't jeopardize..."

"Nicole, Josh brought up the same point. We promise that the job won't interfere with your education. Will you continue working with Olsen when the new school term starts?"

"No. They only utilize full-time summer help for their intern positions."

"Well, our investment company will hire you part-time while you finish college. You pick your hours, and they can vary from week to week, depending on your class workload. Josh needs a little help. He's going to college, too. He told you about Phoenix College's online program, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"When he graduates, he plans to go on for an MBA with their online program. Are your grades good enough to get into graduate school?"

"Sandy, I'm attending ASU on a full academic scholarship."

"Oh, Josh didn't mention that. Straight A's or close, huh?"

"Yup."

"Would you like to go on and get your MBA?"

"Of course, but..."

"Josh does too - online. The investment company will pick up your tuition and expenses if you want to continue your education online. That way you can work part-time with Josh while you continue your education."

"Oh. I don't know what to say... yes, I do. We'll talk about these issues and more during my visit with you in New York. When would you like me to come?"

"ASAP, according to Josh, but don't let him bully you about it."

"I won't."

"Now, tell me about this shield you taught Josh how to create. Do you really think I can create one?"

"Yes. My father created one, and he isn't telepathic, but with Josh, you'll need two shields, one for your mind and the other a full-body shield."

Sandy chuckled. "Trust Josh to complicate things. You say you can feel it when Josh enters your mind?"

"Yes, if he's probing for an attitude. And he can feel my scans." I huffed a laugh. "What I didn't know was that he could probe for pure emotions and sensations and I couldn't feel his probes. I fixed his wagon, though, with the full-body shield."

Sandy laughed gaily. "Good for you. Why two shields? Why not just a full-body shield?"

"I don't mind if he's feeling what I'm feeling, so the full-body shield isn't necessary unless I want absolute privacy, and from what he's told me, you'll probably end up just using the mind shield like me. I understand that your concern is the possibility of Josh implanting a need that will force you to do something you wouldn't otherwise do."

"In part, yes."

"Josh implants what he calls an attitude. In your case he'd bundle the kinds of needs you fear, and then he'd transfer the bundle into your mind. A mind shield effectively blocks access to your mind, so the transfer couldn't take place. You said, 'In part.' What else bothers you?"

"I understand you know about my past lives. Correct?"

"Yes. Josh didn't tell me, but I uncovered just about everything Josh knows about you during a deep probe last night. For what it's worth, during puberty, besides the onset of my telepathic abilities, I had flashes of memories from what I think was my immediate past life, and since then the memories have become much more complete. So, I understand firsthand that what happened to you can happen."

"That's interesting. Tell me about your memories."

"I was a female, thank goodness, so my past life gender didn't confuse me about my gender in this life, and I lived in England, so I didn't gain a language, like you. I'll be happy to discuss my past life in detail when we meet, and I'd love to hear about yours. My goodness! Over one thousand years, both as a man and a woman in various places around the world! I find your memories even more extraordinary than the paranormal talents Josh and I enjoy. We changed subjects. You were about to tell me what else bothered you about Josh's empathic intrusions."

"My memories of my past lives are in my current memories. I don't want him to know about some of the things I had to do just to survive in some of them, Nicole."

"Oh. Okay, I understand. The mind shield will effectively block him from stumbling across your memories when he scans you for attitudes, as well. Your memories should be perfectly safe, Sandy, although, for the life of me, I don't know what you're worried about. Josh loves you deeply. Nothing you did in any past life will change how he feels about you in this one."

"Are you all right with the way he loves me?"

"Yup. I'm happy for both of you. I learned about unlimited love from my mother sitting at the kitchen table when I was fourteen years old. I've always considered my mom the most remarkable woman I've ever known. After I get to know you better, I might need to alter that judgment. Sandy, from everything I've learned about you from wandering around in your brother's thoughts and memories, I must tell you I think you're as remarkable as my mother, maybe more remarkable."

"Well, thank you, Nicole. You mentioned your father built a shield to keep you out of his mind. Before that, could he feel it when you scanned him?"

"Not for years. He does now and has for some time, but my mom told him about my telepathy before he learned to sense my scans. This upset him, as you can imagine, so I did research about telepathic shields, and passed along the results to my mom, who gave them to Pop. He built a shield lickety-split, and it was a powerful sucker, too, multi-layered, a mirrored surfaced at the outside, a marshmallow shield just behind the mirror to soften the blow of a mental attack, should one occur, and a few other layers just to make sure. He's since dropped all the shields but the impervious mirror he creates."

"He sounds like quite a character."

"Yup."

"Do you know why I want to meet you before being around Josh again?"

I chuckled. "You want to test the shield you create against my telepathic probes."

"You've got it! But there's more. Josh loves you. He's loved before, and unwisely. Not to put any pressure on you, but I care about Josh more than you can imagine. Frankly, Nicole, I want to check you out face to face. If that's too blunt, I'm sorry."

I laughed nervously. "Sandy, if I were you, I'd do the same thing. After all, Josh and I have only known each other for two days. Of course our probes have given us intimate knowledge of each other that often isn't achieved in a long-term relationship. Look, you've been blunt with me, so I'll be blunt with you. Shame on you, Sandy, for putting Josh through so much pain because you didn't trust him to be honest with his empathic abilities."

She didn't speak for a few seconds, and I wondered if I'd gone too far. Fuck it, I thought. She had it coming.

"I didn't respond immediately because what you said brought sudden tears to my eyes. For what it's worth, you can't shame me nearly as much as the shame I've heaped on myself over the last year and a half. I know I hurt him deeply." She sniffed. "I like you, Nicole. That took gumption, and if you love Josh like he thinks you love him..."

"He's my soul mate, Sandy. I love him more than anything, including myself. Fate brought us together. You believe fate made you and Josh brother and sister, so you know what I mean. I've been playing with the idea that fate is bringing the three of us together. I'll firm up my attitude regarding the three of us after the New York trip."

I heard the shower shut down. "Josh is getting out of the shower, Sandy. I'll check with my boss today - I have his home number - and then I'll call you back. We'll talk more then, and if I can get the time off without jeopardizing my job, I'll make arrangements to meet you."

"My travel agent will make the arrangements, Nicole."

"Oh, good. Listen, I do want to talk more with you, but frankly right now I'd rather go help Josh dry off."

Sandy laughed heartily. "Go for it, girl."

I waited impatiently in my dowdy apartment, the apartment I was so proud of in the recent past. Compared to Josh's townhouse, my apartment was a dump.

Earlier, after drying Josh's wet body with a fluffy towel and another hot session in bed, we showered together, and he gave me a tour of his townhouse. It was quite large, a little over two thousand square feet, Josh told me. Besides the master suite, which was beyond sumptuous, the place had a large guestroom with a private bath, a humongous office where Josh worked - with enough space for another desk if I accepted his and Sandy's job offer, Josh pointed out. A small living room was located to the left of the entry foyer, a formal dining room to the right. The grand entry hall moved toward the back of the townhouse to a large family room and kitchen with kitchen eating. The ceilings were high, soaring in places. Oh, there was a hall bath, too, and a hot tub by the patio outside. The townhouse came with a two-car garage.

"Whew!" I gushed. "The rent on this place has to be higher than a cat's back."

Josh laughed, and a quick scan told me he was laughing more about my cat's back expression than anything.

"I don't pay rent," Josh said. "I own the place. It's free and clear, no mortgage. I bought it with cash out of my third real estate deal."

"Oh."

As we continued to tour the townhouse, I noted all the antiques. "Did Sandy help you decorate?"

"Only to the extend that some of the furniture pieces and accessories belong to her. I did my own decorating, Nicole. I get a kick out of fixing a place up."

Which didn't bode well for me. I'd fixed up my dump, but...

Tears stung my eyes, and Josh picked up on my sudden unhappiness immediately. I felt a quick attitude scan.

"Ah, honey, you can fix up our next place. No, we'll do it together. You've got it in you to do as good as job as I've done here."