Louise Colln

An Excerpt

San Antonio Seduction

Chapter 7

Cassie found a full skirt, and off the shoulder blouse to wear with Ian on their musical experience playing in the streets. She couldn’t do anything about her short hair so decided to simply leave it with a tousled look. She went down to the shop early in the morning, taking her fiddle with her. She spent the morning, between customers, a little nervously picking at a few things she wanted to do; straightening the merchandise and being sure that each item or basket was price tagged to make Sarah’s first hours in the shop easy.

She was surprised at her feeling of something near reluctance at letting someone else, even someone as pleasant and efficient as Sarah, take over her shop for a few hours. With a mental shrug she accused herself of considering it her baby, then decided she wasn’t feeling any guilt about that. Mentally and physically, Teddy Bear’s Christmas Shop had taken her whole concentration since she arrived in San Antonio.

She ate her lunch, and then stood at the register and looked at the shop while she waited for Sarah and Ian. It was a shop anyone would be proud to work in, she decided with a warm feeling of pride. Well worth the chances she was taking with her finances.

Sarah and Ian came in together, Ian carrying his guitar. It was soon obvious that Ian was right. Sarah easily understood the flow of the merchandise set-up and the method of pricing. In the few minutes it took to make her ready to take over the shop, Cassie lost her apprehensions and was ready to enjoy the fun trip with Ian. Sarah, who knew Little Bit well, and knew the story of his love affair with the bear, just smiled when she saw him on his perch.

Cassie felt a surge of pure happiness, somewhere close to being let out of school, as she went out on the street with Ian. Even so, she was aware that Ian chose to go the other way rather than pass in front of Mitch’s shop. She wondered why, since he hadn’t hesitated to go by when taking her out to dinner.
She decided to ask him why later. She didn’t want to spoil the vibes now.

They followed the River Walk for a while, and then went through a hotel lobby to the street. They crossed the street to wander through Alamo Park and past the Alamo, playing as they went. They spied a young couple, undoubtedly honeymooning, riding in a horse drawn carriage and followed it, playing their own version of I Love You Truly. When they stopped as the carriage made another turn, the young man flipped them a silver dollar. Laughing, they gave it to the first child they met.

They came back to Alamo Park and played for a while for a group of children and their teachers or mothers on an outing, feeling a little like St. Francis surrounded by little birds, as the babbling children ran in happy circles around them.

Waving good-bye to the mothers who had taken a moment to sit down and relax while the two entertained their children, they went back down to the River Walk, and up to the top of one of the bridges. There they did a playful rendition of London Bridge Is Falling Down, while two giggling young girls, forgotten for the moment by their parents, tore a flower and dropped the petals down on the people in a tour boat.

Back down on the River Walk, they played As Time Goes By for an older couple sitting at an outdoor café and for two young people walking hand in hand who stopped to listen. With smiling waves, they refused the bill that the older man held out toward them, and drifted on.

They went through the fountain area and back onto the street. Shortly after that, Cassie became aware of a harmonica joining in behind them, harmonizing perfectly with the old Irish tune they were in the midst of. Since Ian went on playing, Cassie did also, thinking this must be someone Ian knew. After Ian had murmured a suggestion of a Western medley, and they were close to the end of it, she felt the harmonica player step in between them.
“I’ll just walk along with you,” a low voice said. “You just don’t stop playing and don’t look at me.”
Surprised, Cassie turned to see who was talking, letting her bow drift across the strings into silence.

“I said don’t look at me. I said keep playing.”

She only had time for a fuzzy outline of a not-too-clean man with whiskers and a pungent odor before the coarsening of his voice told her to do as he said.

“That’s a knife against my ribs?” Ian sounded amazingly calm. Cassie thought he hadn’t missed a beat on his guitar. She nervously picked up the medley from the beginning again, not playing well.

“Sure is, Buddy. Now, which pocket? I don’t want people thinking I’m going through all your pockets. Got a watch on worth anything?” The man sounded friendly again.

“Back pocket,” Ian told him. “Would you mind taking the driver’s license out and putting it back? It’s a pain to get it replaced. I don’t have a watch.”

“Okay.” The man was amazingly quick. “Now, Lady, let’s have yours.”

Cassie gulped, but tried desperately to keep her voice as casual as theirs were. “Do I look like I can be carrying anything valuable? I’m not wearing a watch, either.”

She could sense him looking at her clothes, obviously trying to figure where the pocket holding the paraphernalia any woman would carry, could be. “I’m going to pat you down. It’s gotta look like I’m just being friendly so don’t scream or anything or I’ll have to leave my knife hanging from your boyfriend’s ribs.”

Feeling his left arm around her and his hand running over her body, Cassie got much more of a whiff of his body scent than she wanted. She forced herself to submit to the frustration of having his dirty hand on her person. Thankfully he was quick and there was no lingering that would show any sexual thoughts. The word professional went through her mind. Satisfied that she didn’t have anything, he dropped his hand.

“Okay. It’s always good to do business with people who cooperate.”

“Man, you’re pretty good with that harmonica,” Ian said. “Why don’t you get your money that way?”

Cassie wanted to scream at him to shut up and let the man go.

“Ah, sometimes I do. But it’s slow coming in. Real slow. How much you take today?”

“Not much. Actually nothing. But we’re just playing for fun today.”

“Man, I can’t afford to do anything for fun. I like to eat.”

Ian seemed to insist on not letting the man go. “We have a little group that plays around sometimes. You want to come practice with us?”

“Ian.” Cassie put her whole feelings in that name.

“Don’t worry, Lady. I’m not that innocent. He’d have the cops there.”

“Well, if you’re feeling daring sometime, come and see.” Ian still seemed to be paying no attention to Cassie’s alarm.

“Gotta leave you now. There’s a bike cop riding over there. Don’t they look cute in their little shorts? If you’re gonna report me to one of them guys, don’t bother. I’m outa here right now.”

As suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. Cassie stopped playing and stood still. “Are you going to report him? We can catch the policeman now.”

Ian set the end of his guitar against the sidewalk, looking toward the corner where the thief had disappeared. “No. They’d never catch him. But that policeman helped us just by being there. You know he was pretty good with that harmonica.”

“Ian. He took your wallet. All your money. Your cards. Why don’t you report him? ”

He grinned. “No cards. I don’t have any. If he thinks the money in that wallet will get him anywhere he’s in for a shock. He put the driver’s license back in my pocket. Pretty thoughtful, I’d say. Sometimes these guys get mad when you don’t have much of anything to be robbed of. Maybe we can help him go straight and play harmonica in our group sometime.”

Cassie shuddered. “Give him a bath first.”

He looked thoughtful. “Maybe Nerina knows him,” he said, almost to himself.