Beautiful Stranger Ch. 04

Five years later

"Damn Isabelle."

A smile crossed my face as I walked around in my new outfit. It was a red halter that glowed against my chocolate skin. And the jeans only accentuated the curves and nice firm butt that hid beneath it.

I didn't have many things that were too dressy, but the items I did have were beautiful. Truth be told I was a tomboy at heart. "You like?"

"If I wasn't gay," he began.

I rolled my eyes at Thomas. He was forever making comments like that. "So where are we going anyway," I signed.

It had been four years since I had completely lost my hearing. I quickly adjusted to my new life, but it didn't suck any less that I couldn't hear anything anymore. And to make matters worse I didn't have very many memories to fall back on.

Not long after I left, I was in a pretty bad car wreck. The kind where there's an ambulance and paramedics wheel you out of a screaming death machine of speed. After the accident there were spots of time that I was missing. I could see certain people but I couldn't remember them if I tried. For the first year after I lost my hearing and some of my memories I felt as if I had no one in the world. It was a feeling I had before the accident, but after it just grew to unbearable proportions.

Thomas had come into my life a couple of years ago. I met him while I was in school. Once I finally lost my hearing I figured a new start was in order, and so I moved as far as I could and reinvented myself. I didn't want to go to a school for the hearing impaired.

So instead I opted to take a class at the Y. It was a sign language class that was taught after hours. It was there that I first saw Thomas. When he realized I was actually deaf we would practice on each other. After awhile he became a permanent fixture in my life.

Looking at him, Thomas would have been exactly who I would have gone for. His six foot three inch frame towered over me and I was forever looking up at him. And when I did, his baby blues were staring right back at me. And in there was more love than I could ever imagine one person having for another.

He wore his hair kind of long these days. Whenever I asked him why he didn't cut it he simply kept telling me how much the guys loved it. I could definitely believe it. Even I loved it. The brown locks just screamed touch me.

"New club. I think it's called Hells Bells."

"Hells Bells?"

"Yeah. I figured it was perfect for you," he winked.

"A club named Hells Bells reminded you of me? Really Tommy?"

"God you know I hate when you call me Tommy? Makes me feel like a little kid."

"Babe, you still act like a little kid," I laughed.

"Tell that to Stephen," he smiled winking at me.

Shaking my head I looked at myself again in the mirror. I hadn't really been out since I moved to New York. The atmosphere wasn't exactly what I was used to. There was so much going on all the time. Thomas was the only steady thing I had in my life.

Everything else had disappeared five years ago. I trembled a little as I tried to remember my past and was only allowed little snippets. And a frown slowly formed where my smile had just been. The doctor told me that in time I would remember everything. I just need that little ping. Which he described as a little push against my memories to start their engines to rev up.

"Hey," he waved at me.

Snapping back to the present I turned to see Thomas looking at me funny. "Where'd you just go," he signed.

"Nowhere," I said smiling.

"Well next time you go nowhere let me go too. I need a vacation," he laughed.

God I wish I could hear him laugh. The way his face lit up was the most beautiful thing in the world. I had tried to imagine what he would sound like, but my imagination was slowly slipping and even the sound in my head was beginning to fade. I smiled even bigger when he grabbed my hand and led me to the bed to sit beside him. His hands stroked my hair as he looked into my eyes.

"How's your lip reading?"

"Better. Why?"

Dropping his hands he said, "Because I wanted to tell you that I love you. And that you will always have me."

Tears started to form as I watched him tell me he loved me. I knew it was the love a brother had for his sister, but it was more than I had heard in years. I let out a small laugh at myself for using the word heard. His hands quickly wiped away the tears sliding down my cheeks as he looked into my eyes and smiled.

Yes, he had come into my life at exactly the right time.

****

Music filled his ears as the loud rapid beeping ripped through the speakers. Techno. Whoever invented it should have been shot in his opinion. But that was what they liked and whatever they liked he supplied them with.

He had just opened the club as a reminder to himself. It was a reminder that everything could go to Hell in a matter of moments. For him it had been a matter of seconds that slowly evolved into years.

His hands ran through his dirty blonde hair as his eyes scanned the crowed from his VIP balcony. The club was packed tonight. If he was lucky he was going to make twice as much as he had the previous night. It had taken him awhile to get the permit on the outskirt of town. It wasn't a far drive from the city, but I was far enough that many of the critics thought no one would want to grace it's presence. Nothing made him happier than proving them all wrong.

A smile crept across his face as he heard someone approaching him. "Michael, my man."

Turning around he saw the smiling face of his business partner Stephen. He had met him when he moved into town the previous year. After graduating from Texas State he thought he would give big city living a try.

A small town boy at heart, he figured the worse that could happen was he would have to work twice as hard to achieve his dreams.

"Stephen, how's it going?"

"You know how it is man. A little bit of this. A little bit of that," he laughed.

"Right," he smiled.

"Actually I wanted to give you a heads up. I have a friend coming here tonight. He's bringing someone with him and I want both of them to have the royal treatment. Champagne...free everything."

"A friend?" he screamed over the music.

Blushing, Stephen looked down at him with his light brown eyes and screamed back, "Yeah. A friend."

His olive skin still glowed even in the faded lights and dark shadows. His black hair was slicked back and pulled into a ponytail and his eyes gladly followed the shaking bodies and gyrating of all the patrons below. If he told himself the truth, Stephen was hoping that Thomas would become more than a friend.

He had found that the past month with him was nothing like he had imagined. In their time together he had made him feel like the only man in the universe.

When Stephen had suggested that he come to the club Thomas immediately mentioned his friend Isabelle. He saw how much he loved her and if that was what it took to gain just a piece of his heart he would gladly welcome her into his life as well.

"Besides, I already told them they were comped for it anyway," he smiled showing off his pearly white teeth.

"Of course you did."

"Hey don't worry man. Maybe this friend of his will take an interest in you," he winked.

"God, do you think of anything else?"

"Of course. Does ice cream count?"

"I guess."

"Covered all over the hard planes of—"

"Whoa whoa man. Too much information. Damn."

Laughing Stephen looked at his friend and screamed, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to put in a good word for you."

When he turned to walk away, Michael looked down at the crowd again. The song had changed to a much slower beat and a lot of the crowd had scattered to opposite sides of the dance floor.

Most of the women were being pursued by drunk men looking for easy prey, and even easier women. He shook his head thinking about how desperate a guy had to be to resort to getting a woman drunk before she would even speak to them, let alone sleep with them.

"Hells Bells is featuring it's first ever dance competition tonight. It begins in exactly one...hour," the DJ announced as the music began again. The murmurs in the crowd were few and far between.

"Oh and did I mention that first place winner will get five easy and a date with the club owner. The man himself Mr. Michael Saunders."

The spotlights flashed on Michael's face as the crowd let out a roar of approval. His eyes widened as he heard himself being offered up on a silver platter. "Stephen!"

But by that time Stephen was down on the dance floor. He could see him hugging a man who was an inch or two taller than he was. On his arm was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. When the lights spun towards her, his breath caught in his throat and his world began to spiral out of control.

"Isabelle?"

****

"You must be Elle," he said taking her hand in his.

Nodding her head she looked at Thomas and smiled. They both laughed at looked back at him again. "What? What's so funny?"

"She's just agreeing that you are exactly as handsome as I made you out to be."

"Oh really. So you talk about me?"

"Everyday," I signed.

His eyebrow lifted in confusion as he looked between the two of us, "She's deaf?"

"She's right here," Thomas translated for me.

"Shit. You understood me?"

"Of course. I'm deaf not blind. I can read your lips."

"Does Thomas always translate for you?"

I shook my head and then smiled at Thomas before signing, "Sometimes I translate for him."

"I don't get it," he said before Thomas turned towards me and began to sign at me furiously. This only broadened my smile, before I too began to sign at him.

"Guys?"

"Oh. Sorry Stephen. I was just telling Elle that she should keep her mouth shut."

"But I didn't open my mouth," I signed and spoke at the same time. Stephen was surprised by the sound of my voice. It didn't sound anything like he had imagined. My words flowed easily and not at all like the few deaf people he had probably come into contact with.

Watching his confusion, I leaned forward and said, "I never stopped talking. Even though I can't hear my own words I didn't want to become a Mute. People just have to tell me to come down a few octaves. That's all."

"Oh."

Shaking my head I signed to Thomas that I was going to the bar. I gave him a small peck on the cheek and walked away from him. Leaving him alone with the man I knew had stolen his heart. Even if he was too stubborn to admit it.

Once I got to the bar I sat down and ordered a Cosmopolitan. It was at that moment that I was glad that Thomas had made me pick up learning to read lips. I had begun to grow tired of the never-ending questions on why I was moving my hands so funny.

So when the bartender turned around and asked what I was having, I simply blurted out the words. Since the music was so loud no one noticed my unusual high-pitched voice or the fact that I was screaming too loud. Everyone was.

It wasn't until I felt a hand on my shoulder that I turned around. In front of me stood a breathtakingly handsome man. His eyes reminded me so much of when I was younger and for a second I became lost in them.

It wasn't until I looked down at his pink lips that I noticed he was talking to me. "Can you repeat that?"

"I said 'What are you doing here?'"

"I came here to dance...like everyone else," I said turning back to the bar and my drink.

"You know what I mean! Don't ignore me," he screamed as he turned me back to face him. I caught the words ignore and me.

Before I could say anything I saw Thomas walk up behind him. "Is there a problem?"

"Stay out of this. It isn't your business!" he spat out.

"It is when it involves her," Thomas said squaring his shoulders.

I watched in amazement as Thomas came to my rescue. Turning towards me he walked over and grabbed my face. My eyes darted to his as I focused on his mouth. "No. He didn't hurt me."

The next words out of my mouth were, "Yes please." And as quickly as he had gotten there Thomas was ushering me out of the club. Before we exited I spared on last glance at the man with the emerald green eyes. His stare was still penetrating my soul and I had to look away before I got lost in his gaze forever.

Smack.

"What the fuck was that man?"

Rubbing his arm he looked at Stephen and then back at the door. "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? You practically pulled Elle's arm out of the socket."

"Elle?"

"Elle. The beautiful girl you were manhandling."

She was calling herself Elle now? Of course she was he thought angrily. And pretending she didn't know him was a nice trick too.

When he had told her all those years ago that she was dead to him, he never thought she would still be holding him to his word. So much so that she acted as if she didn't know him at all. To say that it hurt was an understatement, but he had brought it on himself.

"Michael! Earth to Michael!"

"Where does your friend live?"

"Why?"

"Just fucking tell me!"

"No."

Looking him dead in the eyes Michael gritted through his teeth, "No?"

"I don't know why you have become so obsessed with Elle so fast but I won't let you hurt her. Thomas will take care of her."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he screamed.

Narrowing his eyes, Stephen tensed and walked towards his friend before stopping a few inches from him, "Maybe when you start acting like yourself I'll introduce you two again...without Elle there. When you're done with your obsession with her we'll talk."

Michael growled under his breath as he watched him walk through the crowd and disappear. "Damn it!"

****

On the way back to my apartment I couldn't help but think of the man in the club. He had been so angry with me and had talked to me as if he knew me. But for the life of me I couldn't remember where I had seen him at. There was something very familiar about him that mad me smile though.

"Elle?" I felt him tap on my shoulder and watched as he said my name. "We're here."

Nodding I simply stepped out of his car and began to walk towards the door. Turning me towards him he hugged me close to him and then began to sign on my back. "Sorry."

Pulling away from him I signed, "For what?"

"For leaving you alone. That guy looked pissed at you."

Waving away his fears I turned and unlocked my door. Walking into the dark hall I flipped on the light and waited for Thomas to follow me. He had been my roommate for a couple of years ever since his last boyfriend had decided to use him as a human punching bag.

Once he had come to my door with his eyes swollen shut. It was after that moment that I decided he would live with me for as long as he needed to. It wasn't until later that I realized I needed him just as much.

Sitting my keys down beside the door, I walked further into the tiny apartment we shared. The décor was minimal at best. The walls were still painted white and there was little to nothing on the wall.

Thomas had tried to get me to decorate but I found that decorating wasn't my given talent. My given talent was something much more important.

"Isabelle," I felt him sign against my skin. Turning around I saw the questions in his eyes. "Who was that man?"

Signing, "Honestly. I don't know."

Looking me in the eyes he saw that I was telling the truth. Frowning at me he lightly touched my face and said, "Well he sure as hell knows you."

****

"Fuck!" he slammed his fist through a wall. The pain was nothing like what he was feeling. It was an anger he hadn't felt since he was eighteen. A feeling he wanted to slowly ebb away into nothing.

But when he saw her again all the feelings he had been tapping down and trying to forget emerged to the surface again. She was even more beautiful than he remembered her. At first he almost didn't recognize her. She wasn't the same doe eyed tomboy he remembered.

The way her hips swayed to the music was hypnotic if not mesmerizing. He had wanted to go to her at that moment. But when he spotted her with another man he saw red flash before his eyes. Why should he care? He didn't know why he did, he only knew that he couldn't stand the sight of her being touched so intimately by someone other than him.

His intention was to go over and say hi. But when she pretended that she didn't remember him, it was like a slap in the face. If she wanted to act like a bitch he would show her the true meaning of it. All he needed now was to find her and teach her that she had messed with his life for the last time.

"Boss. We heard a loud noise. Fuck are you bleeding?"

"Don't worry about it Anthony. Just go home. The clubs been closed for a couple of hours."

A weary looked crossed his expression as he watched Michael wrap his hand in a bandage. "I can stay. I don't mind."

"Nonsense. Go home. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Anthony nodded his head and quietly closed the door behind him. A small sigh escaped his lips as he remembered a time when he had been truly happy. With her. But just as soon as the thought crossed his mind it quickly disappeared.

She had ruined it all in the blink of an eye. She had cost him so much time with his family and now they were all gone.

The only thing he had left was his success. And he'd be damned if he let her invade his thoughts and ruin the last bit of dignity and control he had left.

As he walked out of his back office he watched the cleaning crew pick up their supplies and leave. His eyes wandered around the club as he surveyed his success.

He was only twenty-three and he already owned three night clubs and two restaurants. Life was good. Now all he had to do was erase the image of her from his memory and go back to the way he had been for the past five years.

Across town Stephen was knocking on the door of the man he loved. He waited patiently for him to answer, but when he didn't he knocked even louder.

"What!"

"Sorry Thomas."

"Oh. No, it's okay. Come in."

"Thanks."

As he walked past Thomas he caught a whiff of his cologne. It wafted towards his senses and stayed there. He couldn't help closing his eyes to remember the smell. It was pure heaven.

When he stopped in the living room he turned around and saw him staring at him. A lump formed in his throat as he tried to form the words he had been practicing since he got into his car.

"I'm sorry for my partner."

"Partner?"

"Business partner," he sputtered, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

"Of course. Um. It's not you who needs to apologize."

Looking down at the floor he continued, "I've never seen him so angry before. It was so unlike him to grab a customer like that."

"She doesn't seem too upset by it. But I don't think we'll be coming back to your club anytime soon. Not with him there."

"I understand," he said walking towards the door.

"It doesn't mean you have to go," he heard a voice whisper behind him. Turning he saw blue eyes piercing his brown ones. "Stay...if you want."

"I want," Stephen whispered back through a muffled hoarse voice.

Walking towards him, he slowly ran his fingers through his hair. He loved how the brown locks spiraled around his fingers. His eyes shifted to Thomas' again and he noticed that there was a new look there. Lust? No. Something much more profound than that. And it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Thomas...I—"

"Shh...don't say anything," he whispered leaning against his hard chest. "Follow me."

****

As my eyes opened the first thing I saw was the time. 8:15. Shit I'm going to be late. Leaping from my bed I fling open my bedroom door and make a beeline towards the bathroom. Opening the door, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight before me.

　

Leaning against the sink I saw Thomas and behind him was Stephen. And they're both naked. And from the look on Stephen's face from the mirror they aren't just saying hello.

Slowly backing away from the door, I close it and walk back to my room with a smile on my face. It's about damn time. In all the time I've known Thomas, never has he allowed anyone to stay in the apartment. It was either them inviting him over to their place or him arranging a location for them to meet.

The fact that he allowed Stephen to stay was a profound step towards him recovering and gaining some of his life back. The next thought in my mind was this is the one time I'm glad I can't hear anything.

Deciding to use the shower down the hall, I quickly dress and race out of the door. Jumping into my car I back out of my parking spot and head towards my destination. I had an interview with a new company and I didn't want to be late. That wasn't the first impression I wanted to make.

M.S Publishing was an up and coming publishing company. With the drawings I had done for my previous employer and the experience I had working with some big name companies I was a shoo in. Parking in the visitor parking lot, I walked swiftly through the front door and up to the elevator.

I had ten minutes to make it to the twelfth floor. The elevator doors opened a second later and took me to my destination. When I got to the publication floor I signed a breath of relief. I still had five minutes to spare.

Walking up to the desk, I waited for the secretary to notice me. Once she looked up she smiled and asked me how she could help.

"I'm here for a meeting for the job opening for a new public marketing consultant," I said aloud hoping I wasn't screaming at her.

"Of course."

"Sir. You're 9 o'clock is here."

"Send them in."

Looking up the woman at the front desk smiled, "He'll see you right now Ms. Jones."

"Thank you," I say as I follow the direction her hand is pointing. I walk towards a glossy door that almost looks transparent. As I walk in I quickly open my portfolio and begin to take out the previous projects I had worked on.

"Yeah. Thanks. I'll get that to you as soon as I can. Yeah...yeah...well I have to go. I have a meeting right now. I will. Bye-bye."

As soon as he ended the call he waited for his new interviewee to speak. When they didn't he began to talk, "So what makes you think you're qualified to do this job?"

Silence.

"I said 'What makes you think you're qualified to do this job?'" he asked turning around.

His body swiveled around in his chair and his eyes locked on the sight in front of him. Her head was down and she was work furiously to reorganize her paperwork but he would recognize that face anywhere.

"You!" he yelled.

When she didn't respond he became furious. "This isn't the way to get a job Isabelle. Or should I call you Elle?"

Again she didn't answer him. Becoming angrier by the second he stood and walked towards her standing in her light. It wasn't until then that she realized he must have been speaking to her. "I'm sorry sir, can you say that again?" she asked as she finally looked up.

"You!"

"Yes. Me! What games are you playing at Isabelle?"

Scrunching my face up I asked him, "What game?"

"You damn well know what game!" he yelled, but was surprised when she didn't flinch. Maybe she had gotten an even thicker skin than he thought.

"I'm sorry sir. I was told to be here at 9. I was. I didn't mean to be so disorganized, but my papers fell on my way in and I barely had time to make it here on time. It's not an excuse but it's the only reason I have."

"Why are you yelling at me...and stop fucking calling me sir!"

Shit. I was yelling. "I apologize. Sometimes I forget to control the level of my voice. I'm still working on that."

"Right," he said sarcastically.

"Right," I repeated seeing the sarcasm in his face. "Look, if this is going to be a problem I can leave. I need this job, but not at the risk of your...your..anger."

"Damn right I'm angry," he yelled turning away from me.

"Could you say that to my face," I asked.

"Oh I'll say that and much more to your face. What are you doing here Isabelle?"

"Why do you keep asking me that? I'm here to fill the public marketing consultant job."

Stepping closer to me he leaned within an inch of my face and said, "You know damn well what I mean."

"Actually sir, I don't."

"Isabelle—"

"First..sir. Stop calling me Isabelle like you know me. My name is Ms. Jones. And I'd like to keep it that way. Professional. And second. If you have an issue with me because of last night at that club I can gladly leave," I huffed.

"There you go yelling again."

"The first time was an accident. This time you're getting on my damn nerves."

Taking a step back he smiled, "Wow Izzy, you've grown a pair I see."

"Fuck this. I'm leaving. Good day and hope you can find someone as qualified as I am," I screamed as I got up to leave. But as I opened the door a hand pushed it closed and I felt the heat coming off his body.

"You're not leaving until I'm done."

Silence.

Spinning me around to face him I saw his mouth move, "Did you hear me damnit!"

"No."

"No?"

"No. What is that some kind of joke? Make fun of the deaf girl?"

"What...deaf?"

"Yes. Deaf. Me. I'm deaf. Didn't they tell you before they set up this interview?"

"Holy Fuck!"

"Yes. Holy fuck! I'm deaf and you're denying me a job. Wonder how HR will see that. Hmm...oh well."

"But you're talking to me. You can hear what I'm saying," he stuttered.

"No I can SEE what you are saying. I've been reading your lips. I try to have some semblance of a normal life. Especially since most people can't sign."

"When...when did it happen?"

"Not that it's any of your business but it began 5 years ago. Completely 4 years ago."

Looking at me as if I had grown another head I watched as he said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought your office told you—"

"Not now. Then?"

"Then?"

Slamming his hand against the wall beside my head his face turned red as he I saw he say, "Don't fucking play games with me. Before...when we were kids. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kids. Sir, I've never met you before last night."

"That's a lie. I've known you all my life. You're Isabelle Jones from Lofton, Texas."

"I'm sorry," I said looking up at him with shock and confusion. "But, I don't remember you."