Table of Contents 21 страница

“I know. Thanks, Hulk. I won’t forget you.”

He cleared this throat a couple of times, and then he handed me an envelope.

“A little travelin’ money, kid. And a reference, jest in case ya get another job as good as this ‘un.”

We shook hands, and he clapped me on the back again.

“Vaya con Dios, kid.

He didn’t come out to the car, but I could see his massive silhouette framed in the doorway. As Momma drove away, he raised one hand in a salute.

I looked in the envelope to read his reference, but was amazed when I counted $1,000 in hundred dollar bills. I hadn’t expected that, but I knew exactly what I wanted to spend it on. It wouldn’t go for gas money, but I thought Hulk would approve the way I was planning on spending it.

In his own way, Hulk had done more for me than my own parents.

I was still thinking about some of the good times I’d had at the junkyard, when we arrived at the doctor’s office for the last of my weekly checkups.

I was suddenly aware that I hadn’t spoken a word to Momma since we left Hulk’s. Maybe she thought I was punishing her, but I wasn’t.

I appreciated her doing stuff for me, but I realized that there was too much water under the bridge for us to have a real close relationship ever again. I was okay with that, and I think she was, too. But at least she didn’t act like she hated me anymore, and I didn’t act like I needed her to. We were good, sort of.

Two weeks after Carson had come to see me, I’d finally admitted to my parents that I was no longer on parole. They’d been quiet, not saying much. Dad said ‘congratulations’ and shook my hand. Momma looked like she was going to cry, but I didn’t ask the reason.

I climbed out of the car and turned to look at her. She was staring straight ahead and didn’t seem inclined to move.

“I guess I’ll be about 30 minutes or so, Momma.”

She gave a staccato nod, and I left her sitting there, still gripping the steering wheel.

I didn’t have to wait too long to see the doc.

It was a month after the eye op now, and he did all the usual checks and seemed pleased with the way it was all going. Better still, he gave me the go-ahead to drive, but only for short distances. I still wasn’t allowed to fly because of the altitude, but even that would probably be okay in a couple of months, and it wasn’t like I was planning on vacationing in Hawaii anyway.

I seemed to be a little more sensitive to light in that eye, which kind of sucked, living in a real sunny part of the country. Maybe I’d have to go live in Alaska after all. Or maybe not, I didn’t think I could handle the glare off of the snow. Torrey bought me some Aviator Ray Bans. I nearly bust a gut when I found out how much they cost. She just laughed.

But as far as I was concerned, the most important question hadn’t been covered yet. So during that final appointment, I made it my priority question once I knew I wasn’t going blind.

“So, um, doc, you know that bit in the leaflet about ‘strenuous activity’?”

“Yes, and even now we advise no heavy lifting. No weightlifting for example,” he said, eyeing me closely, and looking pointedly at my biceps. At least I still had some muscle tone after being a complete freakin’ couch potato for a month.

“Nah, that’s okay. I haven’t lifted any weights. I’ve just been doing a few sit ups and push ups this last week to stop myself completely veggin’ out.”

“Do you run, Mr. Kane?”

I really couldn’t get used to all this mistering.

“I did. I haven’t started again.” I pointed to my chest. “Busted ribs, too.”

“Ah, of course. Even so, I wouldn’t recommend you start running again just yet. Maybe in a couple of months when things have settled down.”

I sighed.

“What about sex, doc?”

“Excuse me?”

“Please tell me I’m good to go. I’m about going crazy here!”

“Ah, I see. Well, it depends on how, um, vigorous the intercourse is. Ideally, I’d recommend against that.”

“Aw, hell! For how much longer?”

“Well, gentle activity will be fine.”

What the hell does that mean?

“In English, doc?”

“Ah, let your partner take most of the, uh, strain.”

“You mean let her be on top?”

“That would be one way of looking at it.”

Okay, I could live with that.

“For how long? When can we … do other stuff?”

He smiled. “Mr. Kane, frustrating as this may seem, it’s really only in your best interests to let nature take its course and allow your eye to heal completely. Within two or three months, you’ll be pretty much back to living a normal life. We’ll have to look out for cataract development, as you know. But other than that, just try to take things easy for now.”

Yep, clear as mud.

I stood up.

“Thanks for everythin’, doc. I appreciate it.”

“Not at all. I’ll make a follow up appointment for you in…”

“Actually, doc, we’re not plannin’ on stayin’ around here. We’re gonna start again somewhere new.”

He looked surprised.

“So, if I could get a copy of my chart to take with me, that would be mighty handy.”

“I’ll certainly do that for you, Mr. Kane.” He reached over to shake my hand. “Good luck with everything.”

As I walked out of the door, he said, “Remember, nothing vigorous.”

Bastard.

But still, it was a green light as far as I was concerned.

Of course, organizing a night of romance wasn’t so simple bearing in mind I still lived with my parents, and my woman was a screamer.

I considered the options: even the cheapest motel would have wrecked my finances. I’d got a couple of month’s wages from Hulk saved up—a few hundred bucks—but the bonus he’d given me was earmarked for something real important. Money was in damn short supply and now I couldn’t work, and what with planning to start fresh I needed to save what I had.

In the end, I had to resort to begging. I phoned Dad at his office.

“Dad, any chance you could take Momma out somewhere tonight?”

He sounded puzzled.

“Out?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, Dad, out. I’d just like to cook Torrey a nice meal and spend some alone time with her.”

Alone time, Dad! Take the freakin’ hint!

“Well,” he said, hesitantly. “Perhaps I could take your mother out to dinner. It might be good for us, too. Fine, I’ll do it. We’ll be home by 9 PM.”

“You could take in a movie after,” I suggested.

He sighed. “I’ll ask her. I’m not promisin’.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Momma left the house soon after five, which gave me just half an hour to get everything ready.

My culinary skills were still limited by my budget, but I’d had an idea. I’d stopped at Krogers to buy a couple of pieces of trout, baking potatoes, and a bag of salad. I hoped the menu would remind Torrey of our first date.

Because I was short on time, I started off the potatoes in the microwave, then slung them in the oven to crisp up, grilled the fish, and cursed myself for not buying candles.

Jeez, I used to have game.

I dug around in the garage and found an old hurricane lamp and a couple of stubs of emergency candles. That would have to do. I ran around like a crazy person, putting finishing touches to my plan. At the last minute I remembered that we needed music. I’d lived without it for so long, it just wasn’t usually something I thought about. I’d saved up to buy a radio in prison once, but it was broken the first week I got it when my asswipe of a cell mate got into a fight with someone he owed money to. I didn’t bother again after that.

Torrey had taken her iPod to work so I found an old CD in Mikey’s room, Smashing Pumpkins, and stuck that on. I’d heard Torrey play it so I hoped that would be a good start in setting the mood.

It didn’t work, of course.

She came crashing in through the door at a quarter before six, late enough to have me pacing up and down.

“Jordan Kane, you’re up to something!” she yelled as soon as she set a foot through the door.

How the hell did she know? Damn woman was psychic.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I said, sweeping her into a tight hug. “How was your day?”

“Groovy. Now why don’t you tell me what the hell’s going on? Where are Paul and Gloria? Their cars are missing.”

“Out. We’ve got the whole place to ourselves. I’ve cooked for us. Come through and make yourself comfortable.”

She threw me a suspicious look.

“What did the doc say at your appointment? You were supposed to text me!”

“Sorry, sweetheart, I wanted to tell you in person. It’s all good. And I got a copy of my chart to take … well, wherever we go.”

She smiled and relaxed. “Aw, that’s great, honey. Come and get some sugar!”

She pouted her pretty lips at me, and I didn’t need a second invitation.

I dropped pecks across the corners of her mouth and then tugged at her lower lip with my teeth.

When she opened, I kissed her deeply, sliding my tongue against hers, utterly caught up in the way it felt: her sweet, coffee flavor; the sensation of being joined with her, tasting her.

We’d avoided doing this for a whole goddamn month because it was just impossible for us to keep from getting carried away.

“Jordan,” she murmured against my lips, “stop tempting me! We can’t!”

“Actually, sweetheart, we can. Got the all clear from the doc.”

She gave a little gasp and attacked my throat with her hot, wet mouth, making me groan loudly. But then she pushed away.

“Wait just a darn minute!” she snapped. “I’m not sure I believe you! Tell me exactly what he said.”

Busted.

I couldn’t lie to her. I just couldn’t do it.

“Okay, fine. He said we could go ahead so long as we didn’t do anythin’ ‘vigorous’. But I’m beggin’ you, sweetheart, I’ve missed this, us, so badly…”

She laughed and raised her eyebrows. “You can have sex but it can’t be ‘vigorous’? Is that even possible?”

Nope, I didn’t think so either.

She wrinkled her nose, suddenly distracted. “Are you cooking something?”

I smiled. “Yep, trout and baked potatoes.”

She grinned at me and let her fingers trail down my back, over my t-shirt.

“Are you trying to seduce me again, Jordan Kane?”

“God, yes! How am I doin’?”

She smirked at me. “Not bad, although did he really say that we can’t do anything ‘vigorous’?”

I nodded mutinously.

“Hmm, well, I guess we might just have to get creative.” She smiled. “Let’s eat first, I’m starving.”

Even though dinner had been part of the plan, I couldn’t help feeling frustrated that food was getting in the way of taking my woman to bed. That and the thought of trying to force food into my stomach when my cock was throbbing in my pants. Fuckin’ luck.

Distraction. Food.

I served up the fish onto warmed plates and slid a potato off of the skewer for her.

“And, um, there’s salad, too,” I said, pushing a bowl of leaves and green shit in front of her.

“Thanks, cowboy,” she smirked.

She knew I hated salad. I just didn’t see the point of it.

“And, um, there’s this,” I said, taking a bottle of champagne from the fridge.

Torrey clapped her hands together and watched as I popped the cork. I poured two glasses and handed one to her.

“To us, sweetheart.”

“To us.”

I sipped slowly, surprised by the way the bubbles felt on my tongue. It seemed strange to me. Truthfully, I’d forgotten what alcohol tasted like. I hadn’t even had a beer in the last month. Despite not being on parole any longer, Torrey had banned it on the grounds that I was taking way too many drugs to mix and match. It didn’t bother me.

I was nervous about drinking again, but I’d wanted tonight to be special.

The champagne was kind of sweet, kind of sharp, and the bubbles made my tongue tingle—all things that reminded me of Torrey.

“So,” she said, slowly. “I guess we really are free to take off now.”

“I guess we are.”

“Well, where do you want to go?”

I shook my head. “I don’t care, just so long as it’s with you.”

“No plans at all?”

“Sweetheart, I’ve had every minute of every day planned for me for the last eight years. So let’s travel, see stuff, go wherever. I spoke to Hulk and he wrote me a reference so I should be able to get a job. If you get one from Gus, we’ll be able to pick up casual work whenever we run out of money. If we find somewhere we like, I guess we just stop drivin’. How does that sound?”

She grinned. “I like that non-plan. What’s for dessert?”

“I was really hopin’ you’d ask that.”

“Were you now?”

“Dessert is upstairs.”

She curled her lips in a smile. “I thought it might be.”

We cleared the plates from the table and stacked everything into the dishwasher. Torrey picked up the champagne bottle, which was still half full, and I carried the glasses.

I swayed slightly. I was definitely getting a buzz from the booze. I decided not to drink anymore; I didn’t want to spoil tonight.

I let Torrey lead the way up the stairs, not just to appreciate the view of her ass, but to hear her gasp of surprise as she opened our bedroom door.

“Oh! You … you did all this?”

I nodded, watching the glow of happiness on her face as she looked around. The hurricane lamp threw a gauze of soft shadows around the room, and the two candles flickered in the breeze from the open window. I’d filled the room with flowers that I’d picked in the fields beyond the cottonwoods. I could name some of them. I used to pick them with Momma when I was a little kid. There were cowpen daisies, flame vines, Mexican heather, butterfly milkweed, and some pink things that I had no idea what they were called. I thought Torrey would like them. They were wild and natural, just like her.

“Jordan, it’s beautiful! You are definitely getting laid tonight, cowboy.”

“Thank fuck for that! My balls aren’t even blue anymore, they’re freakin’ purple after lyin’ next to you night after night and not bein’ able to do anythin’ about it.”

She laughed. “On the bed now! Oh wait, take your clothes off first!”

It was my turn to laugh. “Did you forget how this works?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Like you and I haven’t had sex with most of our clothes on before now because you were too impatient to get me naked!”

That was true.

I toed off my tennis shoes and lined them up under the chair. I knew that Torrey was trying not to laugh at me, but I couldn’t help being tidy. Besides, I knew she’d be messy enough for both of us.

I’d gotten out of the habit of wearing socks. Mostly because the first couple of weeks I’d been home from the hospital, I couldn’t bend down to put them on. And I didn’t want Torrey dressing me like I was a damned invalid.

She watched while I undid my shirt buttons one at a time, and licked her lips. Yeah, my woman liked to watch.

Soon I was standing there in just my jeans. I was so turned on, I knew I wouldn’t last as long as I wanted. It reminded me so much of the first time we’d been together, except now I knew how she felt about me.

I unbuckled my belt and pulled down the zipper.

“You want to do the rest, sweetheart? I’m all yours.”

“Oh, I want!” she said.

She yanked my jeans over my ass and palmed my dick as it leapt out toward her. I was seconds away from coming and she’d barely touched me.

She knelt down in front of me and ran her tongue over and around the head of my cock, and my whole body responded. I grabbed her shoulders to keep from falling.

“Torrey, I…”

“Shh,” she murmured.

“Please, sweetheart,” I begged her. “I’m gonna…”

But she was in charge. Oh boy, was she in charge.

I came so freakin’ hard, I saw stars. It was unbelievable pleasure after a month-long ban, and off the chart pain as my ribs protested at the way I was gasping for breath.

She smiled up at me, licking her lips, as I fought to control my body, trembling from eyeballs to toes.

“That was some dessert, cowboy,” she laughed. “You look like you need to lie down.”

She was still in charge. God, I loved that, but one thing I knew for sure, another few weeks from now and I was going to be the one calling the shots.

“Enjoy it while you can, sweetheart,” I gasped out. “Payback’s a bitch.”

She arched one eyebrow as she smiled at me, stripping her clothes from her beautiful, perfect body.

“I’m counting on it. But for now, I’m in charge. On the bed.”

I didn’t want to disrespect a lady, especially one who had me by the balls—literally—so I lay down.

I tried to run my hands along her body but she flicked them away.

“Uh-uh!” she smirked, wagging her finger at me. “And remember, nothing too vigorous.”

I rolled my eyes. She was never going to let me forget that.

“You know,” she said, thoughtfully, “the first day I saw you, I thought, now that’s a long, cold drink of water on a hot day.”

“You did?”

“Why do you think I followed you out with that darned coffee?”

I frowned in concentration, recalling every detail of that day.

“At first, I thought it was because you felt sorry for me, because … you know.”

“And later?”

“I was confused. I couldn’t work out why you’d done it if it wasn’t … charity. I guess I just thought you were being nice.”

She laughed out loud. “I was!”

“So, you’d have followed me out to the truck if I’d been toothless, bow-legged and with a gut that reached my knees?”

“Oh, especially then!” she smiled. “Honestly, Jordan, I think I would have taken a coffee to anyone just to make dismal Doreen pissed. But you…” and she licked her lips again, “you were definitely a special case. In fact, just looking at you makes me thirsty all over again.”

She reached over to the bedside cabinet and took a long drink from her champagne glass.

“You want some?”

“No, sweetheart. I reckon I’ve had enough for tonight.”

“Pity,” she said, a wicked look in her eye.

Then she dribbled champagne from her mouth onto my chest and down toward my belly button. It wasn’t cold, but it still made me jump. The movement drew a curse from me as my ribs protested.

“Oops, sorry!” she giggled. “Let me make it up to you.”

And she licked down my whole body. My whole body.

“It’s nice having you back in one piece,” she said, with the air of someone at an art gallery. “You’re so pretty.”

“Pretty?” I scoffed.

“Yep. Very pretty. I mean, for fuck’s sake! You’ve got better skin than me, longer eyelashes, and cheekbones that could slice cheese. I have acne once a month and blow up like a beach ball.”

I couldn’t help laughing.

“Crazy woman! Come here and kiss me. I’d come to you, but that might be too vigorous.”

Her lips were warm against mine and sweet with champagne. Just kissing her was the Fourth of July, Christmas and every birthday rolled into one. My hands roamed across her narrow shoulders and down her arms, then back up to toy with her pretty little tits and rose-crested nipples.

I circled them with my thumbs, inhaling her gasps of pleasure.

I slipped one hand down to tease her clit, working her around, sliding my index finger in and out.

“Sweetheart,” I whispered, “bring that perfect lil’ pussy up here so I can taste you.”

She opened one eye and squinted at me.

“You want that?”

“Hell, yeah! Climb on up.”

She crawled up my body, careful to avoid my ribs. They were much better, but I don’t think I could have taken her clamping her thighs down on me. We’d have to work up to that.

I gripped her hips and pulled her body down to my face, breathing in her musky scent deeply. I loved the way she smelled, most of all when she’d been working all day and hadn’t showered. She was less sure, but damn, the way she tasted, it made me crazy.

I flicked my tongue up, and I heard the palms of her hands slap against the wall above the headboard.

“Jordan,” she groaned.

God, hearing her say my name like that.

I circled her, around and around, feeling her body shiver and tremble, touching, teasing, tasting.

When I flicked my tongue again, two, three, four times, she shuddered and moaned, her volume increasing with every thrust of my tongue. Seven, eight, nine times…

Yup, girl was a screamer.

Panting and glowing, she shook her hair from her face and slowly moved back down the bed, until her sweet ass was level with my hips.

“Your turn,” she said. “And my turn again.”

I grabbed a condom from the bedside cabinet and passed it to her.

“I’m going to miss these,” she said, looking down at the small, foil packet. “I think it’s the anticipation.”

“Miss what, sweetheart?”

She tossed the condom back onto the table.

“We don’t need them anymore, baby.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“What are you tellin’ me?”

“While you were … off limits. I got tested and got the all-clear for everything. I’m on the pill so … no more condoms.”

Then she lowered herself onto me, smiling as I cried out softly.

I could feel so much more. I’d never, never gone bare before. There was so much sensation, and the heat around me nearly tipped me over the edge. I had to grit my teeth and concentrate. She felt so soft and tight and silky, and it was like every detail was more intense.

I could tell she was feeling it, and the increased friction was working for her, too.

She continued her sweet torture for another hour, taking her pleasure out of my body as she rode me again and again, until we were both satisfied. Every part of me hurt, and it was so fucking worth it.

As the sweat cooled on our bodies, we lay together, listening to the sound of each other breathing, listening to the music playing softly in the background, listening to the crickets outside our window.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice languid and soft with love.

“Yeah. Really good.”

She sighed happily. “I can’t think of one single, solitary thing that would make this moment better right now.”

I trailed my fingers across the soft skin of her stomach. “Just one thing, sweetheart—the day you say yes when I ask you to marry me.”

She stilled for a second, but she didn’t argue. I smiled to myself.

Life was good.

 

 

Torrey

 

I was soooo looking forward to tonight. Jordan wasn’t.

He’d tried every whichway to beg off, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer. I’d been looking forward to this for a long, long time.

I looked at the new clothes I’d bought for him, still lying untouched on the bed where I’d laid them out an hour ago.

I’d never seen Jordan wear anything other than Mikey’s old shirts, or the secondhand clothes Gloria had found at Goodwill. But tonight was our special night, and he deserved something new.

I may have also splurged on a dress in a dark sapphire. I knew he liked that color on me. He said it matched my eyes. It was rather demure at the front, having a high sweetheart neckline, cap sleeves and a skirt that rested just above my knees. But the back was something else, slashed to the waist, hardly there at all really, and revealing a lot of bare back. Which meant, of course, that I couldn’t wear a bra with it. Yep, he’d go insane. I was counting on it.

I’d also gone to town on the makeup; smoky eye shadow that made my eyes look huge, lashings of mascara, and dark cherry lipstick that I planned for Jordan to kiss off of me later.

I stared down at the black jeans and plain v-neck t-shirt, also black, that I’d bought for him. My man always looked hot, but tonight he was going to look smokin’.

Although right now he was pissing me the hell off.

I marched down hall to the bathroom and banged on the door.

“Get your ass out here now! You’re not getting out of this so just suck it up. You’ve got one minute before I come in there and kick your ass.”

He grumbled something that I couldn’t hear, probably just as well.

I’d counted to 47 when the bathroom door swung open and he walked out, his skin sparkling from the drops of water dewing across his body.

My eyes were drawn automatically to his broad chest, ridged stomach and low hanging towel, before traveling back up his tatted arms and shoulders, across his chest again, to his freshly shaven cheeks, where I finally met his amused gaze.

He raised one eyebrow, his lips curling in a devilish smile.

“Like what you see, sweetheart?”

Oh yeah, I really did.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I know what you’re doing, and standing there looking as tasty as prime rib isn’t going to work. We’re going out to have F.U.N!”

“You sure about that, sweetheart?” he asked, dropping his left hand to the front of the towel and cupping himself.

I bit back a groan. He was just one big slice of wickedness.

“Jordan!” I whined. “I want to go out! It’s been so long. Please do this for me, for us.”

He sighed and looked down. “I know. I’m sorry.”

I stepped forward to hold his face gently. “Don’t be sorry, baby. It’ll be okay. We’re going to have a lovely meal, go dancing, and make love ‘til dawn. Just like you said you wanted to. Besides, Bev and Pete are going to be there … well, not for the last bit, obviously.”

He managed a small smile.

“Yeah, I’m being a total pussy. Just cain’t help bein’ a lil’ nervous, ya know?”

I smiled and planted a kiss on his soft lips.

“The worst that can happen is that you see that I’ve got two left feet and leave me for a woman who dances like Cheryl Burke.”

He shook his head.

“I have no idea who that is, sweetheart, but there’s no way she could be more beautiful than you.”

“Good answer, cowboy. Now get your cute ass into the bedroom and get dressed! ”

He smiled and winked, then strolled down the hallway dropping his towel just before he turned into the bedroom.

Ooh, maybe just a quick… No! No! No! Food… Dancing… Sex later.

God, I hoped I was making the right decision.

He emerged a few minutes later fully dressed. The t-shirt molded to his chest and the jeans advertised his fabulous, taut, toned ass.

“Um, I think you bought a size too small, Torrey,” he said, looking desperately uncomfortable. “The shirt and pants are great but … kind of tight. I really appreciate what you’re tryin’ to do for me but maybe I’d better change and…”

“Don’t you dare change a thing, Jordan Kane!” I barked. “The clothes are a perfect fit. Every woman within a ten mile radius will be unable to keep her hands to herself.”

“I don’t know…” he mumbled.

“Luckily, I do.” I walked forward and ran my fingers freely over his chest and waist, before finally pushing my hands into his back pockets. “See? Just perfect.”

He blew out a breath. “Just so long as you think so,” he said.

I kissed him quickly. “Come on. I can’t wait to show you off.”

I led the way down the stairs and heard the breath hitch in his throat when he got an eyeful of my backless dress.

“Christ, Torrey!”

“You like?” I asked, grinning at him over my shoulder.

“Um, yeah?” he said, hesitantly.

My smile fell. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

His voice was choked when he replied.

“Hell, yeah, but sweetheart I really don’t want to get into a fight tonight.”

“We’re not fighting,” I said, sucking my teeth in irritation. “You’re just being a grump.”

He smirked back at me. “Not fightin’ with you! Some guy is gonna look at you wrong and I’ll have to rearrange his face, that’s all.”

“Oh, if that’s all, no problem. I’ll protect you, cowboy.”

He shook his head, holding back a grin. “I’ll keep you to that.”

Gloria and Paul were sitting watching TV in the family room as we left.

“Have fun, you two,” Paul said, and Gloria offered a small smile.

Jordan just nodded at them so it was left to me to do the civility thing again.

“Thanks! See you.”

I’d already loaded an overnight bag into the trunk without telling Jordan, so there was nothing else to delay us. I heard my phone beep in my purse.

“That’s probably Bev making sure that we’re on our way,” I laughed.

“Damn,” he muttered, “she’s worse than you.”

The drive to Corpus took about 40 minutes. Jordan was twitching and shifting around, part excited to be leaving the town limits, and part anxious about going to the city.

By the time we crossed the Copano Bay Bridge he was practically climbing out of the damn seat. The bridge floated over the warm blue waters of the bay, almost skimming the surface. I’d swear that anyone traveling underneath it in a boat would lose their hat. Jordan was straining to stare out of the window, his eyes clouded with memories.

Another 10 miles and Corpus was spread out in the distance, heralded by the elegant Harbor Bridge.