Phoenix Rising (Phoenix of the Heart) Read online

descriptive to me.”

  “But you have such fiery red hair,” he said, taking a lock of my hair and twirling it in his fingers. “A name like Phoenix would do you more justice.”

  I blushed at the intimacy of the gesture. “Hmm…well I have always liked the story behind the phoenix. The whole rising from the ashes would make me seem kinda mysterious, I suppose.”

  He smiled impishly. “Everyone loves a woman of mystery.”

  “Fine, Phoenix it is.” I typed it on the keyboard and hit enter. The computer identified me as a new user and asked a slew of questions. When I finished answering them, it informed me that I needed to call the next day to see if the SysOp would grant access to his BBS.

  I pouted. “Gee, what fun is that?”

  “That is the way it’s done, noob,” Jim chuckled.

  “Noob?” I grumbled, feeling insulted even though I had no idea what the word meant.

  “Noob as in newbie. Someone who doesn’t know anything about computers.”

  Of course I was a noob! I didn’t want a darn computer in the first place. “Well, I’m proud to be a noob,” I said, sticking my chin up defiantly.

  Jim’s laughter filled the tiny apartment. “And you’re such a cute little noob, too, Phoenix.” He leaned over and kissed me on the nose. I couldn’t help but smile.

  I looked back at the computer screen and frowned. “Jim…what if The Keeper rejects my request?”

  “Don’t worry, every SysOp wants more females. Ladies automatically attract users. You’re a shoo-in.” Jim offered his hand in an elegant manner. “Happy birthday, Phoenix.”

  I took it, and he twirled me around twice, just as he had on the dance floor the night we first met. He whistled appreciatively. “You are looking hot tonight.”

  I was thrilled he finally noticed. “Thanks, Jim.” I glanced at the computer. “You really shouldn’t have. Your gift is too much…way too expensive.”

  He winked at me. “A pretty girl like you should expect expensive things.”

  I blushed for a second time that night. No one had talked to me that way before. He strolled over to my lime green sofa and sat, patting the area next to him. I sat beside him, embarrassed by the hardness of my couch. It was an old hand-me-down from my parents. I appreciated Jim’s sensitivity in not mentioning it.

  “One kiss should be thanks enough for the computer,” Jim announced with a roguish glint in his eye. I suddenly felt obligated to kiss him, and it ruined the romantic mood. So I leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

  “That’s sweet,” he commented, “but I’d like to try that again.” He moved in closer just as his pager went off. I jumped back, startled by the unpleasant noise.

  “No!” he growled, pulling the pager out of his pocket and checking the number. “Damn, I’ve got to take care of this. Where’s your phone?” I pointed at the end table.

  While Jim talked to his boss, I began picking up the packing materials and stuffed them in the largest cardboard box. After he’d finished the call, Jim turned to me. “Unfortunately, I’ve got to go.”

  I couldn’t hide the disappointment I felt. “But I really wanted to have dinner with you.”

  “I know. You’ll have to sup without me, but I promise to come back later tonight, birthday girl.” He nodded towards the computer. “Why don’t you enjoy your present while I’m gone?”

  After he’d left, I sat alone in my apartment feeling sorry for myself. Since Angie was off visiting her parents, I had nobody to celebrate with. I ended up eating Froot Loops for dinner next to Jim’s cold ugly computer.

  He returned later that night with a box full of supplies. I was curious and snuck a peek. The box held a metal shaker, bottles of liquor, cheese, olives and special glasses. “What’s all this?”

  “I happen to be a martini expert and plan to show off my skills tonight, but first I have to ask. Did you play with the computer while I was gone?”

  I looked at him sheepishly, shaking my head.

  “Well, we’ll have to remedy that, won’t we?”

  Jim made two martinis with the stylish flourish of a bartender. He handed me a glass with two blue cheese-stuffed olives on a toothpick. “The olives make the drink,” he gloated.

  It was such an odd combination that I didn’t believe him. I took a small bite of the olive. My mouth burst with the tang of the aged cheese mixed with the saltiness of the green olive. It was so tasty that I popped the whole thing in my mouth. “Yum! Can I have another?”

  He chuckled and stuffed another olive for me, putting it in my drink. “You do realize you are supposed to drink the martini.”

  “If you insist…” I took a sip and tried to hide my shudder. It was unpleasantly strong.

  “Well?” he asked, looking at me expectantly.

  “It must be one of those things you have to experience a few times to appreciate fully. I’m sure it’s very good.”

  “Then drink up. I know I make a damn good martini.” I rolled my eyes teasingly and took another sip. It went down with less of a shudder, so I smiled.

  Jim walked over to the computer and motioned me to sit. “You do realize you have to use the thing to find out what it can do. Why don’t you check to see if The Keeper has accepted you?”

  “I thought it took a day?”

  “Because you’re a woman, the SysOp may make an exception. It can’t hurt to check.”

  I put my martini glass next to the keyboard and sat down. When I typed the word ‘Phoenix’, the screen changed to a completely different scene.

  “Hey, it looks as if you’ve got an email.” Jim said, showing me how to access it.

  Welcome Phoenix,

  We don’t have too many women who call, so I expect you’ll be popular with the other users. Don’t forget to post something about yourself on General. We’ve got a lively bunch, but don’t let that scare you. It’s a good group of people. I look forward to seeing you around.

  --The Keeper

  I was fascinated that someone I didn’t know had written me. I suddenly understood Jim’s enthusiasm for the BBS.

  He showed me the different sections called subs. “Each sub has its own topic of discussion. Political Noise focuses on anything going on in politics. History in the Making is about current issues in the news. However, you should leave your first message on General. It’s more of a socializing sub than anything else, and it’s the first place people check.”

  Together we read through a few of the messages so I could get an idea what people were talking about.

  General Sub

  ____________

  Title: Horrible Day

  From: Mr. Ed #34

  ____________

  Bad day!

  I want everyone to know I’ve had the worst day of my life. Don’t ask me about it either. I feel like punching something!

  --Mr. Ed

  ____________

  Title: Tranquility

  From: Runner #22

  ____________

  Hey Tranquility!

  You are hot! Have you considered taking a dip in a hot tub with Runner? Hubba, hubba! Let me know, gal. I’ll be waiting.

  --Runner

  ____________

  Title: Don’t feel bad…

  From: Daisy #18

  ____________

  Mr. Ed, I’m sorry you had a bad day, and I won’t even ask what happened. My day was pretty good, so I guess we evened each other out. Weird, huh?

  Runner, are your hormones on the loose or what? Get a grip, man.

  Greywolf, how is school going? We haven’t heard from you for quite a while. Remember not to work too hard! We’re here if you need a distraction ;-)

  Where is everyone? We need more people to post. If you read this please respond!

  --Daisy

  ____________

  Title: Keep Your Calendars Open

  From: The Keeper #1

  ____________

  My fellow Lighthousers, I’ve been talking about it for a wh
ile and have finally decided to have the party the first week of December after you all get back from stuffing yourselves with turkey. Even if you have gained 5 pounds, we still want to see you. Keep checking back. I’ll send out details later.

  Mr. Ed, we’ve all had a day like that, my friend. Hang tough.

  Daisy, thanks for staying on top of things.

  Runner, consider continuing your conversation with Tranquility on another sub like Flirtations.

  Tranquility, if he is bothering you let me know. I know where he lives. ;^)

  --The Keeper

  ____________

  Jim explained, “Most of the users call a few times a week. Daisy and Mr. Ed call daily, so you’ll normally see posts from both of them.” Then Jim put his hand on my shoulder and asked, “Hey, you saw that The Lighthouse is having a party, right? I was hoping to take you to it.”

  “Wouldn’t that be kind of weird? I don’t know anybody.”

  He squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Phoenix. You’ll be with me, and I know everyone. It would give me the chance to show you off.”

  “I don’t know, Jim. I’ll have to think about it.”

  “Don’t think too hard,” he quipped, tweaking my nose before grabbing his drink. “Better post a message on General so they know you’ve become a member.”

  I stared at the screen, unsure what of write to a bunch of strangers. I took another sip of the martini to boost my confidence. Here goes nothing, I thought to myself as I started typing:

  ____________

  Title: To Everyone

  From: Phoenix #42

  ____________

  The Phoenix has risen!

  I’m new to the world of computers and excited at the prospect of getting to know everyone here. I’ll tell you about myself if you’ll do the same. I’m originally from Montana, but moved to Colorado two years ago. I’ve been teaching in Denver and LOVE it here! Here are few tidbits about me.

  Favorite color: Blue

  Favorite animal: Wolf

  Favorite flower: The simple white daisy

  Favorite song: “Who Wants to Live Forever” from the movie Highlander (Great scene – makes me cry and a great song by Queen.)

  By the way, if you couldn’t already tell, I’m female. I’ve heard you could use more of them. Type at you soon!

  --Phoenix

  ____________

  After posting, a strange feeling came over me. For better or worse, I felt certain my life was about to change. I disconnected from the BBS and finished my drink. I was surprised at how quickly the alcohol went to my head and I started giggling incessantly.

  Instead of being put off by it, Jim seemed amused. “You know, you are simply adorable when you’re tipsy.”

  I snickered as I bumped his shoulder. “Are you saying I’m not always adorable?”

  Jim pulled me close. “Let’s just say that I find you very alluring right now.” His kisses were hard and aggressive. It felt a bit like an invasion.

  I pushed him away playfully. “Slow down, Tiger. This woman likes to be wooed.”

  He chuckled and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips.

  “That’s much better,” I complimented. I didn’t care for his kissing technique but held out hope he was teachable.

  Jim got up and made another round of martinis. “Drink up, my little Phoenix.” I noticed he put three olives in my glass, and I smiled at his thoughtful gesture. I ate all three before drinking his wicked concoction.

  He winked at me knowingly. “Tasting better, isn’t it?”

  “I guess. The olives definitely help.”

  Jim sat down again and moved in for another kiss. He clasped the back of my neck, pressing his lips hard against mine as his tongue wormed its way deep into my mouth. I pushed against his chest and broke the kiss. “Geez, Jim, entice me, don’t attack me.”

  “I’ve never had complaints about my kissing before.” Then Jim raised an eyebrow. “Are you being coy with me, Beth?”

  I shook my head, insulted by the question. “No, I don’t play games.”

  Jim’s face instantly broke out in a charming grin. “I’m glad to hear that.” He cupped my chin in his hand. “So tell me, Beth, do you like the computer?”

  “Maybe a little…” I giggled at the absurdity of it. I was actually starting to like the beastly thing.

  A New Connection

  My normally sweet first graders were not themselves the next day. Julia came to me crying. “I’m sorry, Miss Lynn!”

  I thought she was hurt and kneeled down next to her. “What happened, sweetie?”

  “I didn’t mean to…please don’t be mad.”

  When I questioned her further, she pointed to the fish tank. I walked over and saw that the tank was swimming in fish food. “How did that happen? You know Bluey only needs a couple of flakes.”

  “I poured it too fast,” she sobbed, tears running down her chubby cheeks. “Are you mad, Miss Lynn?”

  “I’m not mad, but aren’t you supposed to take a pinch of food so this doesn’t happen?” She looked so miserable when she nodded her head that I had to give her a hug. “It’ll be all right, Julia. Miss Lynn will fix this.”

  I spent my lunch cleaning out the tank so our class fish wouldn’t die. Right after recess, Robert informed me that someone had stolen his Pac Man watch from his backpack. I wasted precious class time investigating its whereabouts only to find that Robert had forgotten he’d put it in his lunchbox.

  I would have laughed, except that we were way behind schedule. I clapped my hands. “Okay class, I have a special challenge for you. We usually take twenty minutes for spelling work, but you guys are looking especially smart today. I’m going to set the timer for ten minutes. I want to see how many of you can finish it before the timer goes off. Are you ready?” The entire class nodded in unison. I picked up the timer and set it. “On your mark…get set… go!”

  I smiled as I watched my first graders quickly pull out their spelling notebooks and start on their work. I just loved first graders!

  When I arrived home that evening, I called Angie to talk about my day, but she didn’t answer. I reluctantly left a message detailing my odd birthday and then flopped down next to the computer. I was hesitant to call the BBS, but the idea of talking to other adults was far too tempting.

  I switched it on and listened to the electronic squeals, waiting for the screen of the lighthouse to appear. I typed in my alias and saw that there was another e-mail from the SysOp:

  Phoenix,

  Hello again. Don’t worry about being new, everyone is the first time. Ha Ha (little joke there) I’m happy to help if you have any questions. I see you left a message for the other users. I knew you’d be popular with my group.

  I read your post and understand that if I want to get to know you better I have tell you about myself.

  Using your categories here are my favorites:

  Blue (we are alike on that score)

  Bald Eagle

  Flowers – really? If I had to choose I guess it would be wildflowers on a mountainside

  All of “The Wall” by Pink Floyd. BTW, Highlander is a great movie and Queen is exceptional – nice choice.

  I’ve been running this board for a year now. It’s my hobby. I travel a lot, and this provides entertainment while I’m on the road. I get the chance to meet a lot of interesting people through my board, so it’s worth the trouble and cost of running it.

  Now that I’ve revealed a little about myself, I look forward to hearing more about you, Miss Phoenix.

  --The Keeper

  It seemed amazing that I was communicating with someone I’d never met. It felt as if a whole new world were opening up to me. I began typing back to The Keeper, smiling as I wrote.

  Hey Keeper,

  Thanks for your offer of help and I appreciate knowing more about you. So tell me, what do you for a living that causes you to travel so much?

  A little more about me – I love teaching first grade! Ev
ery day is an adventure with my students. Some more important facts about me: I hate peas, love animals and enjoy dancing. (Grin)

  You’d be able to pick me out of a crowd because of my long red hair. I also have green eyes and freckles. (Your typical redhead, I’m afraid.)

  --Phoenix

  The BBS reminded me of being at a party and meeting strangers, but this was far better. You could be yourself without the pressure that meeting in person brings. After posting my message, I decided to see what he meant about my being popular on the board. I clicked on General Sub and was shocked to see nine posts welcoming me to The Lighthouse.

  I had just finished reading Daisy’s message stating that she appreciated having another woman on the BBS when I heard a light rap on the door. I was thrilled when I opened it to Angie’s smiling face.

  “I didn’t expect to see you today,” I squealed, giving her a big hug.

  Angie had been my friend ever since my arrival in Denver. We met at the DMV while waiting for our driver’s licenses. In the midst of whining to each other about the incredibly long wait, the two of us realized we had a lot in common – including our love of dancing and a phenomenal sense of humor. We’d been inseparable ever since.

  “Happy day after birthday, girlfriend.” She held up a paper bag. “I brought you dinner!”

  “Thanks, Ang.” I nudged her shoulder playfully. “It sure beats my cereal fiasco yesterday.”

  “Yeah, where is this lame-o birthday present?”

  I pointed to the large white monster sitting on my desk. She shook her head in disbelief and then her expression became serious. “How is it going with Jim anyway?”

  “Pretty good.”

  “I hate to break it to you, Beth, but he’s an odd duck and not in a good way.”

  I was completely offended by her statement. How dare she put down the first guy to want me in years! “Why do you say that?”

  She could tell I was upset and gave me a tight squeeze before continuing. “Look, I know I only met him once, but he’s got a vibe I don’t trust. And hello, buying a computer for your birthday is just plain weird.”

  “I do admit his gift threw me for a loop. No one has ever gotten me anything that expensive before.”

  “But a computer, Beth? Wouldn’t jewelry be so much nicer?”

  I felt the need to defend Jim’s choice of gift. “Funny thing is, Ang, I’m starting to like it.” I gave her another friendly nudge. “Hey, I was just checking the BBS posts. Why don’t you sit down and join me?”

  I got two forks out of the utensil drawer while Angie pulled up a chair up. Together we read the next post while we nibbled our food. As fate would have it, the post was from Jim.

  General Sub

  ____________

  Title: Welcome!

  From: Green Lantern #35

  ____________

  Welcome Phoenix, this board definitely could use more lovely ladies. Let me be one of the first to welcome you here. I’m trying to imagine what you look like. Please tell us more.

  Runner, don’t harass Phoenix yet. Give her a chance to settle in first.

  Tranquility, hey good-looking! I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. Do you need me to come over and fix that troublesome computer of yours? It would be my pleasure.

  Don’t worry Daisy, I haven’t forgotten you. Always pleased to hear when you have a good day because I can just picture your stunning smile.

  Another tough day at work, but don’t feel sorry for me. I’m man enough to take it.

  --Green Lantern

  ____________

  Angie made a tsking sound. “What did I tell you? That boy is trouble.”

  I couldn’t understand why Jim was pretending he didn’t know me, and I did not