Dear Diary, it’s strange, isn’t it, how fast your life can change? One minute I was deciphering hieroglyphs on ancient, crumbling columns in the middle of the desert. The next minute, I was in the hospital, sitting next to Beckett’s bed. For days on end. And no matter how much I walked around or stretched, my butt was beginning to hurt from all the sitting.
Still, I couldn’t complain since Beckett had nearly been crushed to death under a pile of rubble that very well could have landed on me. I didn’t suppose my sore backside really rated a mention compared to what he’d suffered.
It did amaze me how quickly he seemed to be bouncing back. He must have bones of steel and nerves to match. I know I would’ve been a total wreck if this had happened to me.
Beckett slept a lot while in the hospital. As he grew stronger (no thanks to the food he was served), we walked the halls and chatted. As we made our way around the unit, he pushed the I.V. stand, one wheel always squeaking mercilessly.
Finally, the day came when a nurse came in and unhooked the tubing from his I.V. She left the catheter part in his hand (that’s what she called it) but at least now he had the freedom to move about without dragging or pushing the noisy stand with him.
It seemed to me, he’d be able to go home soon, but then what?
One of the last days we were there, he must have seen I was trouble because he asked me what the matter was.
“Our dig site is closed down because it was determined the skeleton isn’t ancient. The authorities have shut us all out and are investigating.”
He seemed troubled, too, after hearing this. “That’s awful. What are you going to do?”
Shrugging, I said, “I’m not sure. I figure I’ll hang out in Cairo for a while in case this is all cleared up and we can get back to work.”
“Do they know who it is? The skeleton, I mean?”
“I don’t know. Dr. Tammam said they’re keeping their information close to the vest so he doesn’t know any more than we do.”
Beckett’s eyes seemed to cloud over as he thought about what I’d said. Then he sighed and turned back to me. “I don’t think you should pay for a hotel while you wait. When I’m discharged, I’ll be going to one of my dad’s houses here in Cairo. I’ll still need some help with things, so why don’t you just stay at my place? Uh, if you want, I mean.”
“Will anyone else be there?” I asked. It was really strange to me that Mark Quinn, Beckett’s father hadn’t made an appearance while his son was hospitalized.
“No, it will only be us – the maid service comes in about once a week and we have a pool guy that comes every so often, but that’s it.”
“I’m surprised your father hasn’t come to see you or even called.”
He sighed before answering. “I told you, he hates me, Marty. Sometimes I think I may as well be dead already. If I was, he wouldn’t even miss me.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Well, you must have had a good dad, then.”
He was right about that. My father would have been on the first plane here if he’d heard I’d gotten hurt and was in the hospital.
Beckett’s home – or should I say, his father’s home – in Egypt was no small place. In fact, it looked nearly as big as the hotel I’d been staying in.
As for staying with Beckett, part of me wanted to remain independent and not take him up on his offer. However, while I wasn’t exactly poor, I wasn’t made of money and not having to pay for my room or eat out constantly did seem appealing. Not to mention I felt I owed Beckett some help after he’d saved my life and everything.
By the time we got to the Quinn estate, Beckett was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately on one of the sofas. With nothing else to do, I took a look around the place.
The layout seemed a bit strange to me with tight corridors and staircases going this way and that. It didn’t take me long to get really confused. Finally, I found the living room again, much to my relief.
As he recovered, he spent days by the pool, getting some sun which glinted off the deep blue water, making it sparkle.
“Can I ask you something?” he said one day.
“Of course.”
“Why do you dress like that?”
“Like what?” I huffed, my ire already spiking.
“Relax,” he smirked.
“Fine, I’ll relax, but if you’re saying I dress like a frump, I don’t think I’ll forgive you anytime soon.”
This time he laughed, the sound bouncing off the stone floor and half walls that encircled the pool. It made me smile slightly, despite myself.
“You’re not a frump, believe me. You just dress so plainly for someone so hot.”
This took me back. “Hot? Me?”
“Uh yeah! Especially with your hair down. I didn’t realize it was so long and beautiful. You’re really gorgeous if you don’t mind me saying. Why don’t you wear it that way more often?”
“Because I’m usually at a dig site, in the dirt and I don’t like my hair in my face. If you must know, I don’t have long hair on purpose. It’s just been years since I bothered to get it done.”
“Well, I hope you’ll leave it down… for me,” he said, almost shyly.
Almost. There was a slyness in his eyes that led me to believe this forward way of speaking he had wasn’t really embarrassing to him at all, he just wanted me to think it was. Still, it had been a long time since a man flirted with me. And even longer since I’d partaken in any type of romance at all. I guessed it was about time I opened up to some possibilities in my life. All work and no play… you know how the saying goes.
“I have an idea!”
Flashing my best genuine smile, I said, “Oh?”
“I’d really like to thank you for all you’ve done for me and I won’t take no for an answer. Consider it rude to say no, Marty. I mean it.”
I began to laugh. “To what am I not saying no to?”
“Tomorrow night, dinner, cooked by me, for you. Oh, and a special package beforehand.”
Instead of being put off by the mystery, I was sucked in, hook, line and sinker. I wanted a surprise. I longed for something new and exciting.
The next afternoon, Beckett was mysteriously absent. After a long swim, I returned to my room to find a package on my bed with a pretty blue ribbon on it. Inside was a black dress with white collar and fairly low heeled black pumps.
Delighted that everything fit, I twirled in front of my mirror a few times before making my way downstairs to the dining room.
Beckett was checking the oven and whatever was in there smelled really good. My stomach growled in appreciation as I realized it might be lasagna.
He turned to face me with a bright smile and twinkling eyes that appraised me in my new outfit.
“Well?” I asked, a bit breathless by his openness.
“You look just like a little china doll.”
Huh? I wasn’t sure that was a compliment until he took my hands in his and kissed my cheek.
“So you approve.”
“Well, I wish your hair was still down, but you are a vision, Marty.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Dinner smells really good.”
“It’s going to be a little bit still before it’s ready. Shall we go to the living room?” Without waiting for my answer, he produced two glasses of wine, giving one to me, then lead me into the living room.
The lights were dimmed and soft candlelight flickered in a slight breeze from open windows. The light played and danced along the walls and ceiling as he tapped his glass to mine and took a sip.
I wasn’t a heavy drinker so I knew enough to sip it slowly and take my time or else the fizz of intoxication would soon muddle my brain. It really didn’t take that much for me.
As I gazed out the window, he turned the stereo on and soft music began to play that was just as intoxicating and romantic as any alcohol.
Coming up behind me, he slipped his arms around me as if they’d always belonged there. It seemed a good enough fit to me, anyway. Leaning in closer, his breath in my ear, he whispered, “I’ve really grown to like you. A lot.”
A soft smile played on my lips as I considered what he said. “Really?”
“Yes,” he said as he began to sway slightly to the music, bringing me with him. “We’ve had so many great talks. I’ve been thinking endlessly for the past week that I’m falling in love with you.”
“You are?”
Turning me around to face him, he never missed a beat. It was all one fluid motion and we continued to sway to the music.
“Could you ever feel that way about me?” he asked.
I gulped, feeling a constriction in my throat. If I would just let myself go, I knew I would allow him to seduce me. What I didn’t know was whether he was just trying to do that or if he was sincere with what he said. It’s not like I had a ton of experience in this department.
When I didn’t answer right away, he shrugged it off. “Nevermind. That isn’t what matters right now. What’s important is that we have this amazing connection. I felt it from the first moment I met you.”
Looking into his eyes, I had a choice. I could kick him where it hurts the most and tell him to back off in pure Marty fashion… or I could do another Marty thing. I could throw caution to the wind and jump in with both feet, just letting this take me wherever it wanted to.
I was still debating my options as he put his hand on my waist, his fingers caressing me lightly, his eyes smiling into mine.
Before I knew it or was ready, he pulled me right against his chest and planted a big one on my lips. I know that’s not a romantic description, but I never said I was a romantic, did I?
At first, I pushed against him, trying to get him to stop. When he finally did, he casually stepped away and I guess he was waiting to see what I would do.
In that moment, my mind was made up.
Grabbing both his hands, I pulled him back to me and kissed him. This time, I was in charge as our mouths worked furiously against each other. Our kiss became so intense and feverish, we were nearly gasping.
In a mocked faint, I stretched out on the floor, right there, my lips still tingling and wanting more.
He knelt down next to me and our eyes met again.
“I want you, Marty,” he said, his voice wrenched from his throat. And that’s all it took.
He wanted to carry me to his bedroom, but his sides were still too sore from the accident to manage it. That was fine with me, though, as even in a moment like this, I preferred to stay on my own two feet, under my own power.
We raced like two giddy teenagers to his room, quickly undressing each other, our hands everywhere…
… afterward, to my disappointment, he fell asleep immediately. I don’t know how long I stayed like that, watching him as he snored very softly, but after a while, I turned out the lights and snuggled down. It didn’t take long at all before I was sleeping, too.
I abruptly sat partway up, my eyes blinking against the darkness, willing them to see. Had I been dreaming?
Straining against the enveloping night, I listened for any sound, wondering again if it had been real or a dream.
No, there it was again. It sounded like… crying. A woman sobbing in misery.
Sitting up all the way, my eyes began to get used to the dark as my feet touched the floor. Beckett stirred, lifting his head.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.
“Nothing. I thought I heard something, but it’s probably nothing. Go back to sleep.”
Slowly, I stood and crossed the room, my ear against the door. Then I heard it again. A woman wailing as if her heart was broken and it could never be fixed.
Quickly, I yanked on the doorknob and stepped out into the dark hallway, standing statue still. I was hoping to hear where the crying came from but was met with only silence.
Not wanting to get lost in the dark, I checked the nearby rooms and one floor below me to see if I could figure out where the noise had come from. But, I had no luck.
Suddenly, Beckett’s arms were around me again, holding me close against his warm chest.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
“I thought… I mean I did… I heard a woman crying.”
“I don’t hear anything,”
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t hear it,” I reasoned. “You sure no one else is staying here?”
This made him chuckle, much to my dismay. “I think if anyone else was staying here, we would have noticed by now. Besides, I told you, it’s just us.”
Still feeling unsettled, I shivered.
“You’re freezing,” he said. “Let’s get you back to bed.”
As I began to protest, he took my lips with his. Despite my earlier trepidation, I began to feel better and let him coax me back to bed.
It was easy to dismiss one occasion of hearing these strange cries. Hopefully, I would never hear them again.
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I do not like that he calls her doll xD
But then, I bet she needs some male attention, after all the disappointments! So, I hope she’ll have her fun, and not get into trouble afterwards!
If it wasn’t for him saving her life, I wouldn’t trust him one bit. He’s too smooth. And we still don’t know the real reason why his father hates him. Then there’s the skeleton that wasn’t ancient… Marty, I’m really hoping you’re not dating a serial killer…
Thank you so much. 🙂 Yes, I totally see where you’re coming from. I don’t blame you for reserving your judgment about him.
Beckett’s a sly one and a charmer! Not sure how I feel about how this all went down, but I’m not passing judgment…yet. As to the crying…is Beckett’s house haunted? Oh, please pacify my Supernatural heart and tell me there are otherworldly forces with us. ❤️
You’ve got Beckett down pat there, I think. lol Beckett’s house haunted? Hmmm…. stay tuned! 😀
I am loving Marty’s story so far. There is something about Beckett though, I don’t trust him. What’s with that dress? After saying she’s hot that’s what he gives her to wear?!
One more thing, I am a little confused about the catheter in the hand. I had to have one not long ago and it definitely didn’t go in my hand! Did you mean cannula? Hope you don’t think I’m being too picky but I had to mention it as it was bugging me.
Thank you, TinyPiglet! 🙂 What I was describing was basically a heplock (a saline lock is an intravenous catheter that is threaded into a peripheral vein, flushed with saline, and then capped off for later use). I hope this makes sense. I think in the US, catheter and cannula are interchangeable. There are other kinds of cannulas, too. A nasal cannula, for instance.
I’m so glad you’re loving Marty’s story. I don’t blame you for being a little suspicious of Beckett – that was kind of a strange dress he gave her. Good eye you have!
It gets a bit confusing when things have different names in UK and US. I just remembered it from when I was in intensive care not long ago. Thanks for clearing that up for me. 😊 I really like Marty and I can’t wait to find out what happens to her next.
Oh that would be confusing for sure. lol I’m sorry you were in intensive care. I hope you are well now. 🙂
Tiny Piglet, I’m sure you must not know that Rosemary is a nurse and has been all her working life? However, I will also say that in Canada, catheter is also the correct medical usage. I’m glad you like the story though, otherwise.
I know she is a nurse but in the UK a catheter is for urine collection when someone has difficulty urinating normally so you can understand why it confused me a bit!! 😁
Wow Marty really doesn’t learn does she? I mean she just doesn’t think before she leaps into things. I mean how do you go from hating the guy to sleeping with him? I know she’s been sitting by his bedside and she feels grateful to him for pushing her out of the way of but that doesn’t mean she knows anything about it him. Plus it’s a little weird that he just so happens to know her dress size. Has he been snooping in her things to know what size to get? Creepy! Now the strange woman crying and he doesn’t hear. Nope don’t buy it all.
Thank you so much. 🙂 No, Marty doesn’t learn. lol She definitely leaps before she looks and the attention Beckett is giving her doesn’t help her decision making either. The dress thing is creepy, for sure.
I honestly have no theory this time. I was going to be like Xalan and Beckett were long last brothers and would end up fighting over Marty once she returned home but then I thought that was too ridiculous even though my previous suggestions were kinda wild. I just want to know if this story is gonna get supernatural again. If it is I’m ready, I’m so ready for Marty to be like a spirit medium and have Beckett be able to see into people’s pasts… wait, I guess I did have another theory!
LOL No theory? Oh wait, you did have one! LOL 😀 Now that is one cool idea! Like I said before, I think you should be writing this story. lol
episodic.
Thank you 🙂
Awe… I ship Beckett and Marty so much!! <3 <3 Theo who???
And way to leave the chapter on such a mystery. I, like Marty, must know more about where the crying is coming from!!
Thank you so much! I saw your other comment before I saw this one. lol Theo who is right, though! 😀
Even though I take back the liking Becket part I stand firm with my “Theo who”
Oh yes, I like that! 😀
Oh, and while we’re at it – where is the stripey dress that Marty wears in the first couple of pictures from? It’s just gorgeous.
Thank you! I love it, too. You can find it here. It is in the fourth row down, last in that row. 🙂
Nope. Don’t like him 😛 Marty, girl, you’re smarter than that. Besides, didn’t anybody tell him that it’s not nice to kiss someone when they’re trying to flipping push you away? I know she ended up liking it, but it’s still creeptastic and not okay. Get out of there, Marty!!
LOL! Right? Ruuuuun, Marty, ruuuun! lol I think she’s been very lonely and she’s grateful that Beckett saved her life. I think it’s easy for her to think she has feelings for him even if it’s for all the wrong reasons.
All these comments and hints about creepiness and ghosts… I like what you’re cooking up! 😂
LOL! Thank you so much! Hopefully, it will be good! 😀
Pfft. I’m sure it will be. Everything else is! 😂
Awww thanks. 🙂
Ok, either Becket might turn out to be a creep, or there’s something weird at the house that he doesn’t know about. I mean, if he was a bad person, I doubt he would’ve risked his by pushing Marty out of the rocks.
But then again, who knows?
Thank you so much, Violincat. 🙂 You have some good points there, for sure. Maybe he’s good and bad. lol As for the house, you’re right that he may not know what’s going on.
That rolling over and falling asleep was not a good sign. He’s hiding something. Creepy!
I couldn’t agree more! Hopefully, our girl will figure things out soon.
Gosh…I hope that lasagna is ok LOL. Beckett is a tad bit too smooth for my tastes. Very forward too. I hope he’s not one of those spoiled rich boys who usually get whatever they want.
LOL! Thank you, Jes2G! haha I hope the lasagna isn’t still in that oven. LOL Details, details! 😛
As for Beckett, I couldn’t agree more. Hopefully, Marty keeps her wits about her.
I notice the most random things sometimes lol
LOL! You have a sharp eye. 😀
I was thinking about this while brushing my teeth lol. I’ve decided I’m suspicious of this “my dad hates me” situation. That’s all…carry on. 😂
LOL! 😀 Well, I am flattered you think of this story while you are away from it. haha You are right to be suspicious, of course.
Of course lol. I always think about the stories I love when I’m away from them. There aren’t that many. 😉
Awww that’s so sweet. <3
OMG, I they say the skeleton is from a woman I even suspect more about Becket! That was creepy! Why schould a woman cry and in a house where no one lives and only once a week comes someone to chlean llll This was a very bad twist! In one thing is Becket right! Marty is indeed gorgeous. She looks now much better than as child or teeny! Age suits her well! ♥
Thank you so much, hafuhga! 🙂 Things are getting strange, aren’t they? I can’t wait for you to find out what is going on. 😀
I agree that Marty has improved with age.
I knew Beckett couldn’t be trusted. He did not “feel it from the moment they met” considering the moment they met Marty gave him the riot act and all but cut his balls off.
He most certainly has something to do with that skeleton that was found. I mean in their line of work seeing bodies, skeletons and mummies is a given, so why so nervous and scared about this one?
Also does he not have a smoke detector in the house? I mean dinner most certainly burnt in the oven and would have started smoking being left in there so long, unless of course he had nothing in there and just used some spices to make the oven smell good like he was cooking when in fact he wasn’t because he planed on seducing Marty from the get go.
LOL Thank you, Lil. 😀 Yeah, I forgot about din din. Oops! You did call it about Beckett, I remember. And you’re right about the skeleton; it’s very strange that should have bothered him.
So many questions!!! And what was that about “I felt it from the first moment I met you” garbage – she did everything but kick him in the shins the first time they met!!! He is just becoming too much of a smoothy, and I find the dress he bought her a bit on the creepy side! There is a ghost, perhaps the ghost belongs to that skeleton?? Just a lot of questions needing answers – and the biggest question I have is, what happened to dinner??? Did he even cook anything, and did it burn? You can tell where my thoughts are (I’m hungry!)! =D I can’t wait until next week and we get some more clues to this mysterious turn of events, or lots of turns, actually!
Thank you, Marj! 🙂 Garbage is right! lol The dress is not the sexy, little black dress you’d normally expect, was it? lol There might be a ghost and it might belong to the skeleton… 😀 😀 I wish I could tell you.
As for your biggest question, I thought of that after I wrote it and meant to go back and tie that up, but dear me, I forgot! LOLOL So funny.
Lasagna sounds kind of good to me right now. 😛
Okay, no. I liked Beckett before because he seemed very cautious and polite but… this chapter threw me off. His sudden change in personality to that confident seducer was unnerving. There’s something suspicious here, especially with those strange cries. I am starting to get creeped out. Xalen, I like you more after all!
Great chapter, can’t wait to see what happens next. 😊
Thank you, Lila. 🙂 Beckett is a many faceted character, but I agree that it is disturbing how quickly he can change gears. I hope you don’t mind being creeped out (little warning there! lolol).
I don’t like this. *pouts* I don’t like Beckett or the creepy noises he refuses to acknowledge! He’s hiding something. I get the feeling he knows more about that mysterious skeleton than he’s letting on!! Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it because I don’t want him and Marty together. XD Bhahaha.
Thank you, Rosie. 🙂 LOL at reading into it because you’re shipping someone else! haha There is definitely more to Beckett than Marty knows. I think she’ll figure things out, though. 🙂
A haunted house or a girlfriend who is catching him cheating on her.
Thank you! 🙂 Oh, now that is a good thought! It could be a jealous or jilted girlfriend. 🙂
😱 it’ll be so horrible if we’re right..
I think you’re right about that! :O :O
Marty really needs to find somebody that she can trust , not liars.
Thank you. And yes, you are right, that’s for sure. I think she should reassess her feelings in this matter.
She is a good girl and to see her wasting her time with the first boy who turns around her is sad.
It might get sadder. lol But not to fear because in the end, I always have a silver lining behind that cloud. 😀
To have sad time is life .
Yes, that is true.
Hmm I’m a bit suspicious of Beckett now, especially since he seems to know something about that skeleton. And hooking up with Marty so fast? Not a good sign….. The crying could be coming from his mother, or maybe it’s not as simple as that. So many mysteries!
Thank you, Raymond! That’s a good guess about the crying. If it is his mother, is she alive or dead? Or is it someone else altogether? As for Beckett, I would definitely be cautious about him.
Beckett seemed very nervous around Marty before. This sudden charm and confidence seems a tad out of place. I’m not going to go as far and say that Beckett is evil, but something is definitely up. I suppose it’s up to Marty to solve the case, huh?
Thank you 🙂 Was Beckett nervous or was he calculating to put Marty at ease? Hmmm….. 😀 You’re right that Marty will have to figure this one out.
No Bluebeard situation please (insert Puss in Boots sad face here).
Not that I couldn’t see it working, but I’d rather a ghost and a mystery which brings them closer together. 😉
Thank you, Mama Dragon. 🙂 We can safely say there is no Bluebeard stuff going on, although I am not ruling out the presence of ghosts. 😀
phew!!!
LOL!
Oh….I think I may have totally misjudged Beckett…he seems like bad news. Something bad is going and on and I have a feeling that Beckett is big time involved. Ugh….she shoulda kicked him where it hurt. And what was with the dress? It wasn’t particularly sexy, more school girlish….creepy vibes all around.
LOL Thank you, Audrey. You have a good eye regarding the dress. 🙂 I will say, something is definitely going on here! 😀
So I wasn’t wrong about that. Ewww
When this story all comes together, you will understand, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t an ewwww. :O
I don’t trust him. I do trust Marty, though, so I hope she has friends she can trust if the persuasion he’s showing veers into controlling (which it already sort of is … I never trust anyone who questions what I wear and how I do my hair, and if he tells her to wear make-up , I might have to punch him!)
LOL! Thank you, Cathy! 😀 I feel the same way about the makeup thing. (Although, I would kind of like to see you punching him 😛 That would be fun.) He does seem controlling, though, I agree.
Oh, that last part creeped me out a bit!! 😓 Who could that woman be?? Maybe Beckett’s mother (since nobody has mentioned her from what I can recall)!
Beckett suddenly seems too good to be true… He could be a really disturbed person for all we know! But I hope professor Xalen Hottie will return to save the day <3 <3
And I didn't appreciate all the smooth talking, the gifts, the playing coy… just to fall asleep right after the deed! Tsk tsk tsk…
You have at the edge of my seat with that last part! Can't wait to find out more! 🙂
Thank you so much! LOL Oh yeah, falling asleep! LOLOL What a cad! 😛
I hope you weren’t creeped out too bad because it might just get creepier! lol Good thought about how no one has mentioned Beckett’s mother.
Wouldn’t it be great if Xalen showed up? haha
Oh no no, I don’t mind getting creeped out, quite the opposite! Lol I’m weird 😂 That’s why I’m so looking forward to the creepier stuff! 😀
Hahahaha! Well, put on your seat belt! haha 😛 (Actually, I’m the same way! lol)
Blue’s prom partner came to my mind after reading this chapter…
Oh wow! That’s a good point!
Oh wow. What are you doing, Marty? I would’ve preferred Marty thing #1, because that Beckett seems like no good news at all! He just seduced her like that. And those cries…is it Beckett’s girl or something? Something is very not right here. Well, Marty was cautious with Xalen and when it came to guys like that, well…Gosh, I feel like she was right that first moment when she got so angry with him! The skeleton…I wonder what that is about.
Thank you, Jowita. Something is not right, that’s for sure. Maybe Marty should have gone with her first instinct, eh? I can’t wait until you know more about what’s going on! 😀