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Chapter 5
Liam was impressed for a moment by how much those police stations looked like they did in the movies. The room he entered was stuffed with messy desks that had tired-looking officers sitting at them, typing away on old computers. It wasn’t hard to scout her. Isabella sat next to the desk of an older cop who Liam guessed must be Jerry, the officer who called. She wore a pullover wrapped around her shoulders. For a while, Liam stood there, stealing glances, until her bright blue eyes finally noticed him, piercing through him like a knife against butter.
How did he not notice her beauty before? But then, looks were not something he usually paid attention to any more. Those days of checking out women were long gone, or as his older sister always said, he’d matured into a real man who understood true beauty, or so he thought he did, until he saw her again.
She smiled at him, catching him off guard. Feeling embarrassed for whatever reason, he instinctively smiled back which was more of a grin. Jerry on the other hand did not give him a warm welcome. His eagle eyes analyzed him from head to toe. Liam cautiously walked right next to Isabella.
“You ready?” he said as if they'd known each other for years.
“Yes, thank you,” she replied in a soft voice that clearly signaled appreciation. Liam reached for the big plastic bag right next to her, and sure enough it had her crazy huge period dress in it partly poking out. There were some other items in it which he did not want to bother looking at for being called a creep.
“Is that all?” He couldn’t help but be a bit surprised by how little she possessed.
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” she answered, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.
“We’ll get you whatever else you need, I promise.”
She didn’t answer him and turned to Jerry as she stood ready to head out.
“Thanks for everything, Jerry," she said to the man on the desk who in turn had his gaze still locked on Liam. "I will check in on you and Dan as soon as I can,” Isabella stated as if that was a sure thing.
“That won't be necessary.” Jerry got out of his chair.
“I’m sure Logan here—”
“Liam,” he asserted.
“Yes, Liam… I’m sure Liam here won’t mind me checking in on you. It’s better if you stay away for a bit until this guy is caught… Or would that be a bother for you, Liam?” Jerry squinted at him, adjusting his gun belt.
“Not at all.”
“Daily,” Jerry added.
“As many times as you'd like.,” Liam repeated, unfazed by him. Isabella and Liam were about to make their way out, passing by the clacking sounds of officers typing away on their keyboards, when Jerry's voice broke through the noise.
“You served?”
Some of the officers stopped and looked at Liam. He wasn’t surprised by this question. He already expected that Jerry must have run his name through his computer before calling him.
“I did.” His voice was steady as it echoed across the momentary silence.
Jerry nodded in respect. “Thank you for your sacrifice.”
Liam nodded back across the room of officers who now stared at him, before making his way with Isabella out into the bright sunny day.
Isabella had checked her reflection in the mirror of Liam’s car more than once now. For the first time in three weeks she cared about how she looked. Her heart was softly palpitating under her bosom. She could never forget his face since the night she met him, but now she was able to study his incredibly easy-to-look-at features for the first time in broad daylight. He looked nothing short of irresistible. His black hair perfectly matched his sparkly but kind brown eyes. A body built like that of an athlete. He was tall and muscular but lean at the same time. His skin had a natural darker complexion like he’d just spent yesterday sunbathing on the beach. It was flawless. He turned his gaze, and their eyes met in the side mirror where she stole long secret glances as she clumsily looked away. She felt the sides of her face grow warm.
“Is there anything you could think of that we should get before going back to my apartment?” Liam broke the silence.
“N-no, thank you. I have all I need.”
Liam glanced over her plastic bag on the backseat. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’m afraid you are way too humble. No woman that pretty should have to manage with so few things. I kind of want to insist on taking you on a shopping spree,” he grinned.
The wordhumblecaught her attention. Never had she been called humble before, and for good reason. She was part of what people here in America would call the top one of the one percent. Not too long ago she was no better than those arrogant folks who turn their heads on the homeless. Living with Dan for the past few weeks had taught her a lot about life itself. But above all else, it had taught her humility. Never before had anybody looked down on her like people did when she was on the streets. In her time nobody would ever have dared. Not a day went by when Isabella wasn’t bowed to by servants. Looking back at it now she felt a touch of shame about herself. How ignorant she was, ignoring the poor in their employ the way she did. If the twenty-first century had taught her one lesson that she would treasure for the rest of her life, it was that humans should be equal, and that where you are born is simply a matter of luck, not privilege as she had been taught all her life.
