"Tina Wainscott - Dreams of You [rtf]" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wainscott Tina)

That morning he put on the old blue jeans, faded black shirt, and worn sneakers. The only things he left on from his normal life were his Calvin Klein briefs and his gold chain with the cross on it. Fingering the cross, given to him by his Aunt Stella, Adrian figured he could use all the help he could get.
It was a chilly morning, though he still put the top down on his convertible. His hair was loose, and he absently scratched at the beard to which he was unaccustomed. He drove down Oceanview Drive, drawing in the salty air as one does before entering an airless place. He found a busy parking lot not far from Nicolina's part of town and walked the several blocks to the city.
Even though he had purpose in being there, it couldn't appear that way. Most of the people who stood around looked as though they were waiting for the earth to drop out and swallow them. Adrian slowed his pace and took a deep breath.
A big black man leaned against a bundle of garbage bags that Adrian assumed was out for trash pickup. As Adrian walked by, he realized that bundle was the man's life, his very existence. He eyed Adrian suspiciously as he walked by, spreading his bulk a little more over his bags.
The Lord's Shelter was Adrian's first stop. The front door was open, but he was met by a man his age wearing a sweater and dress pants. He had blond hair and wore glasses, maybe an associate preacher or the like.
"I'm sorry, but we're at capacity right now," he told Adrian in a soft, sympathetic voice. "But we're serving soup and hot biscuits at noon if you'd like to come back then."
"Th- thank you, I appreciate that." Adrian felt silly standing there, perceived as a beggar grateful for soup, when he had a thick steak waiting at home for him. "I'm looking for someone; can I take a look around to see if she's here?"
"She?" the man asked, a surprised expression on his face.
"Yes. I met her here a few years ago, and wondered if she was still in the area."
The man seemed to think about that, then stepped aside. "You're welcome to take a look around for a minute. We don't allow anyone in the sleeping quarters after eight o'clock in the morning, so she'll be in the main area if she's here. But please, only a minute."
Adrian put his hand on the man's shoulder as he walked in. "Thank you."
He walked inside, confirming his first thought that this had been a church before. In the main room tables were scattered about, and the people sitting at those tables had listless expressions on their faces. Sad faces. Adrian wished he'd brought his camera, and he now understood why Nicolina photographed the homeless. Their hopelessness was a sad reminder of this part of society. Sunlight streamed in through the jalousie windows on both sides, giving millions of dust motes a stage in which to dance. Adrian scanned the room, but didn't see Nicolina anywhere. As he headed out, the apparent manager of the mission called out, "Don't forget lunch! Hot soup."
Adrian nodded, wondering if maybe Nicolina might be there for some soup later. He stepped over a sleeping man and continued down the sidewalk.
By afternoon, he had visited the other shelters in the area, and although they were all full, he was allowed in to have a cup of coffee and take a look around. He returned to the Lord's Shelter for a bowl of soup and another look. As he ate the tasteless broth and chunks of vegetables, he thought of a recent dinner he'd had at Carmine's in New York, the table covered with huge plates of bountiful Italian dishes. So much food, it went to waste.
"We have a men's Bible study tonight," a voice said from behind.
Adrian turned around to see the man he'd met earlier. "No, thanks. I'm looking for a woman." At the man's shocked expression, he added, "That friend I mentioned earlier. IЕ er, just moved down from New Jersey, for a job that didn't materialize. I know my friend used to live around here."
The man sat down next to him. "I'm Dave, by the way. I run this place. What's your friend's name? Maybe I can help."
"No, that's all right." Adrian stood up. "Thanks for the soup."
"You're welcome. If you change your mind about the Bible study, we meet here at seven, after the evening meal. Come for spaghetti and learn about the Bible with us. If you find your friend, why don't you invite her to join our women's study group. We don't have many, as you can see."
Dave gestured toward the place the pulpit used to be. A table and group of chairs sat beneath a large gold cross and stained glass windows. And sitting at that table alone, in a shower of muted colors cast by the sun, a woman leaned over a Bible. Her long, blond hair hung in curls like a curtain around her, and a slender hand swept a strand of it behind her ear.
Adrian stood mesmerized by the woman, his heart crushing under a great pressure. Dave turned to follow his gaze, breaking Adrian out of his spell. He cleared his throat.
"Maybe I will come back for that Bible study, Dave. What time did you say it met?"
Dave's fair face lit into a smile. "Seven."
Adrian nodded toward the woman. "She's the only one in the women's Bible study group?"
"Sometimes we have two or three. There aren't as many women on the streets as there are men. She comes every week and reads the Word for an hour, no matter how many people come."
"Who is she?" Adrian's voice had lowered to a whisper, and he cleared his throat again.
"Nikki." Dave shrugged. "Don't know her last name. I don't think I know anyone's last name around here."
Adrian held out his hand to Dave. "My name's Adrian. Adrian Nash." He doubted anyone around here had heard of his photography, but he didn't want to take any chances, especially now that he'd found her. Nicolina. Nikki. She really exists.
"Welcome, Adrian. I'm Dave Watts."
Adrian pulled his gaze away from Nikki again, focusing on Dave. "Wish we were meeting under better circumstances."
"I hope you get another job soon. Until then, we're here if you need us." He glanced around at the room. "There's room now if you want to hang out and read. We've got books and magazines over there on the shelves. Beds are given on a first come, first get basis tonight if you need a place to sleep." Dave smiled, then walked over to the shelves to help an elderly woman who was trying to reach a book.
Adrian watched Nikki, letting it sink in that he'd found her. Wasn't that what he wanted, just to find her, to know she existed? He took a step closer, feeling it somehow appropriate to find her in this holy place. He clenched his fingers, watching her lean back in her chair. He could hear the memory of her heartbeat as he'd passed from the tunnel into her soul. Was finding her enough? Could he walk away now? He took another step closer, finding it difficult to breathe. No. It wasn't enough.
Stella's words drifted through his mind. Your destiny is entwined with this woman of the golden tresses and eyes the color of a stormy sky. Her life is in danger. If you seek her out, you may be able to save her. Or you may bring her even more risk.
Her life was in danger. Was that why she hid on the streets? Could he risk bringing her more danger? Walk away, that's what he should do. He turned around, closing his eyes for a moment. That horrible drowning nightmare lurked ever near to his conscious, and he thought of that angelic woman breathing in the cold water. His presence in her life might bring that death to her, or it might save her. Walk away or face his destiny. His hands felt clammy, his throat dry. Walk away or stay?
He turned around again. She was immersed in her reading, not even noticing his struggle. He walked nearer, and his breathing eased. She looked up briefly, then burrowed back in the Bible, obviously ignoring him or probably hoping he wasn't approaching her. Adrian remained there, feeling an enormous sense of deja vu as he watched her. Those images in the tunnel flashed through his mind like a movie. She was the woman in those images, and she was the woman in the photograph.
He wanted to reach out and touch her hair, touch her skin, her hand, anything, just to make sure she was real. He also knew that would violate any trust she might ever have in him, so he remained there waiting for her to acknowledge him. Every second seemed balanced on a fine wire. To say a word, to move any closer, would shatter that balance.
Adrian didn't have to say anything. Nikki's fingers nervously toyed with the edge of the delicate paper, then she looked up at him. The blast of emotion at seeing her for the first time in the flesh made him take a step back. Part of her soul lived within his; he had felt her heartbeat surrounding him. She was more beautiful than he ever imagined. Her haunting green eyes seemed filled with all the mysteries of the rain forest, tinged with the gray of rain clouds. Her full lips were slightly parted in surprise, as if she were about to say something but nothing would come. He found that suddenly his voice didn't work either.
More unnerving than the feeling you were being watched was looking up to find the watcher standing only a few feet away blatantly staring at you. Nikki looked at the man who stood by the cherry wood railing and who appeared as surprised as she felt. Even more unnerving was that he had the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen. It seemed insane to even notice something like that after all this time. Bedroom eyes, dark brown, sloped to give them warmth. Dark, straight eyebrows formed a ridge above them.
Her first instinct was to look away and ignore the man, as she had ignored the many men who strayed in here from time to time. She felt paralyzed, unable to draw her gaze away from him. There was something about him, something undefinable that shivered through her body and made her heart quicken. Then he smiled. He had sensuous lips surrounded by a soft-looking beard, and a smile that filled his eyes with compassion.
"Is this where the Bible study meets?" he asked in a velvety voice.
She blinked, trying to break out of his spell, and glanced down at the Bible in her hands. "Uh, this group is for women only." Nikki glanced at the empty chairs. "It's a small group today."
He smiled again. "I can see that."
"I think the men's group meets later tonight. You can ask Dave about it. He's the guy in the white sweater."
"I'll do that." But he didn't leave. What was it about him that gave her a funny feeling inside? When he finally lifted himself from the railing, she felt a peculiar longing and buried herself back in her Bible. The man walked around and sat by her at the table. Despite her strange feelings, she wished he would go away. In her world, she could trust no one, not even if he was handsome and had compassionate eyes. For some reason, the rudeness she was always able to summon did not come. She wanted to ignore him, but she found herself looking at him. "I'm Adrian Nash." He held out his hand to her. She looked at his hand, large and strong, suspended over the table. When she had decided to ignore the gesture, her hand moved hesitantly to his without her permission. His hand was warm and soft, and that warmth seeped down her arm and into her stomach.
"I'm Nikki," she almost whispered back, finding the will to look back at the pages. The words swam in front of her. Her hand tingled from his touch. She couldn't remember ever having that happen, even when her life was normal. Even when she'd first met Jack Barton.
His finger grazed the binding on the Bible. That action made her stomach clench, as if he were touching her.
"Have you ever read this from front to back?" he asked.
She shook her head, pushing away her mind's straying thoughts. "No. Have you?"
"Yep. My father made me when I was a kid."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Are you a preacher?"