“Are you still going to the shop?” she asked quietly but directly.
I swallowed audibly before answering. “Sometimes,” I admitted. What I didn’t share was that I’d been there this morning. It was odd, I knew, to find comfort in a garage filled with cars and bikes in various states of disrepair, but I couldn’t seem to break the habit.
“Kat,” she muttered in soft admonishment.
“I know, I know. I’m trying to move on. I swear,” I assured her.
“That’s all you can do.” She gave me a quick squeeze of the hand and let the subject drop.
We spent the rest of our afternoon painting our toenails; I had to paint Scar’s because she couldn’t reach, watching movies and gabbing as we always did.
******
I felt the familiar prickle at the back of my neck when I headed back to my place. I was on the two-lane access road I often took rather than the highway to get back to my place from Scar’s. I glanced in my rearview mirror expecting to see nothing unusual as always, but instead saw a huge grey truck bearing down on me.
“What the hell?” I demanded aloud hoping it was just some jackass wanting to pass. I slowed down considerably hoping the truck would go around. Instead, it came that much closer to my tail, flashing its lights and gunning its engine.
I shrieked in fear wishing like hell I’d taken the much more trafficked highway. There wasn’t another car in sight.
I looked immediately to my purse, wanting my phone and groaned at finding it far out of reach on the passenger side floor.
The truck continued to rev its motor while coming frightfully close to my bumper. I sped up as much as my poor four-cylinder could handle, feeling the steering wheel shake under my sweating palms. No way in hell was I pulling over for this bastard. I just had to make it a bit farther before I could get on the highway.
“Fuck it,” I muttered, making a desperate grab for my purse strap. I managed to hook it with my pinkie and haul it into my lap, immediately feeling around for my phone.
Why the hell did I always have to have such a massive purse?
It felt like an eternity later before I had my phone to my ear.
“Kat?” Cole’s deep voice asked clearly confused why I’d be calling him after leaving their house.
I saw the highway ramp up ahead and sighed with relief. Just as I was about to speak the truck swerved into the left lane and sped off at a frightening pace onto the highway and out of sight.
What in the hell had that been about?
“Uh,” I began lamely.
“Kat?” he prompted as I heard Scarlet call out in the background.
What could I really tell him? Some random guy was showing some road rage, please come get me?
“Nothing, Cole, everything’s cool. Tell Scarlet I’ll call her later,” I replied, trying to sound much more collected than I felt. The last thing he needed was to worry more about me.
“You sure?” he asked skeptically.
“Sure,” I replied firmly. “Talk to you later,” I said hurriedly while still glancing out my rear window.
“Okay,” his deep voice rumbled in reply still sounding confused.
I hung up, throwing my phone back into my bottomless pit of a purse and pointed my car for home.
Chapter 3
Iseriously debated cancelling on Gavin. I couldn’t really think of a worse night to have a first date. I was a bit of a mess after being nearly run off the road. But then again, I might as well get it over with. I poured myself a whiskey neat and got dressed.
I caught my reflection in the mirror as I stood in my bra and panties applying my makeup. My hips shimmied to Kongos as I got ready. I’d always been comfortable in my own skin. My body was toned and lean while still soft and feminine. I’d taken up kickboxing in recent months. It was a great way to work my shit out, and the subtle definition which resulted wasn’t half-bad either.
I was tall for a girl thanks to my long legs. My waist curved nicely into my lean hips and my butt was firm and round. My breasts were on the small side, but at least they were perky. At twenty-eight, I hoped they would stay perky for a good while longer. My eyes were wide and blue, framed by dark lashes, which I swept with mascara.