Time pirate 3, p.1
Time Pirate 3, page 1
Cast of Characters from Book 2:
Francis ‘Frankie’ Johnston: Human. Main Character. Brown hair. Blue eyes. He works as a security guard at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where he discovers a time traveling pocket watch.
Joan Giles: Human. Love Interest. Short stature, dark hair, and has a love of sundresses. She works as a researcher, and she meets Frankie through her late night trips to the research lab.
Emily Forrester: Human. Love Interest. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Emily comes from the past, the year 1814, to be exact. Frankie helps her escape from her unfortunate betrothal and brings her to live in the modern day.
Lance Thomson: Human. Frankie’s best friend. He’s lanky with red hair, and he works as a researcher at a museum down the road from Frankie.
Craig Thomson: Human. Lance’s husband and DC detective. Cropped hair and broad shouldered. No nonsense kind of guy.
Joe Petrov: Human. Frankie’s new boss after Riggs was arrested. Large and bald. Speaks with a Russian accent. He seems to be very interested in Frankie.
Chapter 1
I clicked the blinker of the dark blue Volvo V40 on before I pulled into the driveway of Joan’s townhouse. As I parked outside of the closed garage door and killed the engine, the front door of the townhouse opened, and Joan appeared wearing her signature flowery sundress with her dark hair loose by her shoulders .
I hopped out of the car with a smile on my face.
“What do you think?” I asked as I patted the hood of the car.
“You got a new car!” Joan smiled brightly as she closed the distance between us and gave me a hug. “Looks great.”
“It’s not for me,” I said as I handed her the keys.
“What?” Joan’s brown eyes went wide, but she took the keys.
“I know you love your old, beat-up Corolla, but I hate the thought of you driving around in that rust bucket,” I explained. “The Volvo is so much safer. I want you to drive this one, and I’ll use the Corolla for now.”
“A-Are you sure?” Joan stammered as she stared at her new car.
“Of course,” I said. “It’s secondhand, obviously. We can’t be flashing our newfound cash with expensive cars just yet.”
Truth be told, I could afford dozens of brand-new Volvos if I wanted. Ever since we’d sold the signed copy of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, I could afford pretty much anything I’d ever wanted. But that sale wasn’t entirely above ground in terms of legality and tax paying, and I was still working my barely-above-minimum-wage job at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It would raise a lot of questions if I showed up with a brand-new Lambo or something.
“Thank you so much,” Joan breathed, and the small researcher wrapped her arms around my waist for a hug.
“Anything for you,” I said as I returned the hug. Then I glanced toward the door. “What are you and Emily up to? I was thinking we could have a fun day out since we’re both off work.”
“We were just reading, but a day out sounds great,” Joan said with a grin. “Did you have anything in mind?”
“I thought we could go to an arcade or something,” I said, and I slid my hand down to hold Joan’s as we walked up the path to the townhouse. “Really blow Emily’s mind with modern technology.”
“Modern,” Joan scoffed. “I don’t think arcade technology has advanced since the eighties. But I know she’ll love that. Ooh, can we go to one with a bowling alley?”
Joan’s face cracked into a wicked smile, and I chuckled.
“Does your competitive streak come out when you bowl?” I asked as we pushed into the foyer.
“Oh, yes,” Joan said as she rubbed her hands together. Then she turned her head and called out. “Emily! Frankie’s back!”
“Coming!” Emily cried out from somewhere in the house.
A few moments later, the beautiful blonde woman appeared at the foyer. She looked stunning in a pair of cut-off jean shorts and tank top that pushed her boobs together magnificently, and her honey-blonde hair was curled around her shoulders and teased up. Looking at her, no one would ever guess she was actually born in the late 1700s. Or that she’d been transported to the present time with the help of a magical time traveling pocket watch I’d come across one day at work. It’s been a big adjustment for her, but she was really adapting to the modern world well.
“Damn, girl,” I said as I looked her up and down. “You’re sexy in any century.”
“Thank you,” Emily said as she jutted her chin in the air and pressed her chest out even further. “I was just reading an article in Vogue about ‘timeless beauty.’”
“That’s you for sure,” I said with a smile.
“We were thinking about going to an arcade,” Joan said as she grabbed her purse from a hook by the door. “You in?”
“Sure,” Emily said with a shrug. “Whatever an arcade is. Do I need to bring anything?”
“Just your beautiful self,” I said.
“And your phone,” Joan added.
“Oh, yeah,” Emily said with a frown. “If I can just remember where I put it.”
“It’s on the kitchen counter,” Joan sighed.
“Right.” Emily snapped her fingers, and then she turned and ran into the house to retrieve the phone.
“She’s still not used to carrying that around, huh?” I chuckled.
“Seriously, I’m thinking about taping it to her,” Joan said with a shake of her head. “I get she’s not used to it, and I kind of hate having to force all this modern technology on her. But what happens if she gets lost or something? It’s for her own safety.”
“I know, babe,” I said. “She’ll get there, don’t worry. You’re so good for her. I know I’ve said it before, but I really appreciate how much you help her.”
“It wouldn’t even occur to me not to,” Joan said with a shrug, and then she smiled. “Besides, that just means I can introduce her to all the stuff we like.”
“It’s like having our own kid,” I laughed, but I froze as Joan’s eyes met mine. “Not that I’m trying to say we should do that right now or anything.”
“Right now?” Joan arched an eyebrow. “Does this mean you want kids eventually?”
“Well… yeah,” I admitted as I rubbed the back of my neck. “I’ve always loved the idea of being a dad.”
“Then Emily is good practice for us,” Joan said warmly.
My heart skipped a beat as a broad grin spread across my face. Joan and I were pretty new, so were Emily and I really, and we were still very much exploring the dynamics of the three of us being together in a relationship. But so far, I was loving it. I could easily see myself doing this for the rest of my life, but I didn’t want to freak out the women by saying that. So, it was really great to hear that Joan was thinking long term about us, as well.
“Got it!” Emily announced as she reappeared at the foyer holding up her phone proudly. She also held up the little blue booklet we’d illegally obtained for her. “And my passport! You said I need this sometimes, right?”
“Yeah, it’s good to have your ID on you,” I said, and I gestured to the door, which was still open. “Shall we?”
“Let’s go,” Emily said as she slipped on her shoes. Then she grabbed one of the purses hanging from the hooks near the door, carefully slid her phone and passport inside, and double-checked that it was zipped up and that the contents were safe.
“Here, you drive,” Joan said as she handed me the keys to the Volvo back.
“You sure you don’t want to give the new wheels a spin?” I asked as I led us outside.
“Whoa, where’d that come from?” Emily asked when she saw the Volvo.
“Frankie bought it for me,” Joan said happily, and then she turned to me again. “I’ll drive it soon, I just prefer when you drive.”
“Passenger princess,” I teased, but I took the driver’s seat while Joan took the passenger seat. Then Emily slid into the back and took the middle seat so she could see us both up front.
“And proud of it,” Joan said as she pushed the button to open her window and popped her sunglasses over her eyes.
“Damn, I forgot the sun shields,” Emily sighed.
“I didn’t,” Joan said as she pulled a second set of sunglasses out of her purse and handed them back to Emily.
“Savior,” Emily said in relief.
“Still having trouble remembering all the modern conveniences?” I chuckled as I backed the car out of the driveway.
“There’s so much to remember,” Emily sighed as she donned her own shades. “The phone is getting easier to remember, though. Especially when you’re not at home. I like being able to talk to you whenever I want. That’s something we just did not possess the ability to do in my time period.”
“Pretty cool, huh?” I said as I merged onto a major road. “Unless it’s your boss that’s trying to get a hold of you all the time, then that’s less fun.”
“I couldn’t imagine if my father had such access to technology.” Emily rolled her eyes and put on a fake voice to mimic her father. “Emily, is the washing done? Emily, your mother would have wanted you to find a nice man and settle down. Emily, what are you cooking for the evening meal?”
“He sounds like a treat,” Joan snorted.
“He’s a good man, just misguided,” Emily sighed before her face lit up. “But luckily he doesn’t have a phone. So, anyway, what is this place we’re going to? An ar… something.”
“Arcade,” I said as I joined in the fast moving DC traffic. “It’s a p lace with lots of games you can play to win prizes.”
“And bowling,” Joan added in.
“And there’s a bowling alley.” I chuckled. “Bowling is a game where you roll a big heavy ball down a lane and knock over some pins. Apparently, Joan is very good at it and wants to showcase her skills.”
“Hell yeah.” Joan pumped a tiny fist in the air. “Get ready to be destroyed, plebes.”
“This all sounds delightful,” Emily said, and she sat back in her seat with a wide smile.
I navigated us through the rushing traffic and through the gridwork of downtown DC until we crossed the water into Virginia. Then I drove us over to the Bowlero Arlington and snatched a parking spot on the street right outside.
“Alright, who’s ready to play?” I asked as I killed the engine and stepped out into the fall air.
“Me, me, me!” Joan said excitedly as she hopped out.
“Are these children’s games?” Emily asked as she tried to squint into the darkened windows of the bowling arcade.
“Sort of,” I said as I led the ladies inside. “But also sort of not, because we can drink alcohol while we play them.”
“That’s the best part,” Joan giggled as we stepped into the arcade.
I went up to the desk and booked us a bowling lane. The worker assigned us lane three and then pulled out shoes for us.
“What in the world are these?” Emily asked as she gawked at the striped shoes.
“Um,” the worker said with a confused look on his teenaged face. “Bowling shoes? Everyone has to wear them, it’s, like, the rules or whatever.”
“Are these… fashionable?” Emily whispered to Joan.
“Not at all,” Joan laughed as she grabbed her pair. “But it’s all part of the fun. Don’t worry, no one from Vogue is in here.”
“Oh, that’s a relief,” Emily said as she grabbed her own pair.
“What are you two talking about?” I asked as I scooped up my own pair and headed to the lanes. “I’ve got two pairs of these back home.”
“Oh… well, I’m sure they look great on you,” Emily said uncertainly.
“He’s joking,” Joan assured the blonde woman, and then she arched an eyebrow at me. “At least, he better be.”
“You caught me,” I said as I kicked off my sneakers. “But maybe I’ll ask if I can buy these and take them home as my own.”
“Please don’t,” Emily said with a grin now that she was in on the joke.
“How about this?” I said as I pulled on my shoes and laced up. “Loser has to take a picture in these shoes.”
“To be used as blackmail?” Joan snorted.
“No,” I laughed. “So we can have a fun memory of today.”
“Aw, that is sweet,” Emily said with a smile. “Even if the shoes are ugly, it would be nice to look back and remember this occasion.”
“Well, I’ll take that bet,” Joan said, and she jumped up eagerly with her bowling shoes tied tight. “Because there’s not a chance I’m losing.”
“Bold words,” Emily asserted as she stood up and puffed out her ample chest. “You’ve never seen me play.”
“That’s right,” I said as I made my way over to the screen. “Emily could be a bowling prodigy, you know.”
“Bring it on,” Joan said with a wicked grin and a glint in her eye.
I got the screen set up for us. Joan wanted to go first, and Emily wanted to go last so she could see how it was done, which left me in the middle.
“Alright, now let’s pick our balls,” I said as I gestured to the long row of banged up looking balls.
“What in heavens…” Emily made a face as she tried to pick up a sixteen-pound ball with both hands. “Must they be so heavy?”
I noticed the teenager working the counter shot Emily a strange look as she struggled with the heavy ball, so I rushed to her side to help her.
“Shit, sorry, I keep forgetting you’re starting from nothing,” I chuckled as I selected the smallest weight available, a six-pounder. “Here, try this one. And you only use one hand. See, look at Joan.”
Joan selected an eight-pound ball and showed Emily how to hold it with three fingers.
“It’s all in the wrist,” Joan explained as she demonstrated how to throw the ball. “You’re going to need to throw it harder than you think, but not like a baseball.”
“Right,” Emily said with a nod. “And you throw a baseball how exactly…?”
“That’s a lesson for another day,” I laughed. “Let’s just show you how it’s done.”
Joan took her first turn, and I could tell she was quite the serious player. She focused down the lane as she squared herself up at the edge of the platform. Then I saw her let out a long exhale as she took four deliberate steps up to the lane and sent the ball soaring down the lacquered wood, and my eyebrows shot up my forehead as the ball barreled into the pins and knocked them all down.
“Yeeee!” Joan clapped happily as she turned back to us with a big smile, and the screen lit up in celebration over her strike.
“Wow, you are good at this,” I said in an impressed tone.
“So, you’re supposed to knock them all down?” Emily frowned at the screen. “But the computer gave you an X. Isn’t X bad?”
“X is good,” I assured the blonde woman as I grabbed my twelve-pound ball. “It means ‘strike,’ which means you knocked them all over, and it’s the best score you can get for your turn.
“Oooh.” Emily nodded. “Well, good job, Joan.”
“Thank you,” Joan said smugly, and she gestured to the lane. “Come on, Francis, let’s see what you’ve got.”
“Prepare to be disappointed,” I snorted.
I hadn’t been bowling in years, but I positioned myself as best as I could remember, took a few steps, and sent the ball sailing. I accidentally twisted my wrist at the last second, which caused the ball to veer to the left, so it rolled down the lane and knocked over six pins.
“I thought you were supposed to get them all,” Emily remarked with a frown as I returned to our pit.
“Well, yeah, but it’s not as easy as Joan made it look,” I chuckled.
“I guess I’ll find out!” Emily jumped up excitedly.
“Wait, it’s not your turn yet,” Joan said. “Frankie gets to go again.”
“Why?” Emily asked with another frown.
“Because he didn’t get them all,” Joan explained patiently. “If you don’t get them all the first time, you get to try a second time. If you get them all the second time, it’s called a spare. But, if you don’t…”
Joan continued explaining the rules to Emily while the ball return machine deposited my ball back to me. I grabbed it and squared up again. I was careful with my wrist position this time, and with the second throw, I knocked all the pins down.
“There we go,” I said as I returned to the ladies.
“Good job, babe,” Joan said with a bright smile. “Now it’s your turn, Em.”
Emily jumped up and grabbed her light ball. She took a few seconds to get used to it, and then she stuck her tongue out in concentration as she tried to mimic our movements. Finally, she sent the ball down the lane, but about halfway down, it dropped down into the gutter.
“Oh, no!” Emily cried out and spun around to face us. “What does that mean?”
“It means you don’t get any points for this turn,” I explained. “But you still get another turn. Don’t worry about it, that’s totally normal.”
“Definitely,” Joan agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “I threw gutter balls for the first year I played. Of course, I was six, but…”
“A whole year?” Emily wailed, and she watched as the pin machine mockingly lifted up all ten pins and swept away nothing.
“Let’s try not to discourage her,” I muttered to Joan before I raised my voice. “Don’t worry, it won’t take you a year. In fact, I bet you get it the next turn.”
“Can you help me?” Emily asked as she batted her wide, blue eyes up at me.
“He can show you how it’s done, once,” Joan interjected in a stern tone.
“Oh, dear, Joan’s competitive streak has come out,” I said in a loud whisper as I leaned into Emily but kept my eyes on Joan. “Come on, give her a break. It’s her first time.”
“We didn’t have this in 1814,” Emily added.
“You use that excuse all the time,” Joan said as she wagged a finger at Emily
