Page 13 of Stoker's Serenity

“Oh? What’s that, now?” She perked up entirely too quick and I cringed inwardly.

“We traded numbers and we’ve chatted on the phone a few times.”

“Oh, ho, ho! See, I told you it was a great idea you came out with me on Saturday night.”

I frowned. “I was groped six ways to Sunday – almost literally might I add, at that show.”

“And you were picked up by a seriously hot member of one of those bands,” she said, sticking a bite of her salad into her mouth, staring at me with her inquisitive brown eyes, and chewing slowly, waiting for me to concede defeat on the point.

“Fine, yes… you’re right,” I said, and she smiled brightly.

“Thank you,” she sang out, and I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly checked out my own ass.

“I wanted to call him but it’s after two.”

“What happens after two?”

“I think he has to commute home. Kind of hard to answer the phone while driving… or riding or whatever.”

“True, so just call him when you get home.”

“Yeah,” I said and tried to keep the glum feeling that the wait was killing me out of my voice.

“You like him?” she asked.

“Yeah, Linny… I do. I’m not sure what it is about him, but I really do.”

“Well, if he’s a douche, never fear. I got your back and will totally kick his ass for you.”

I laughed and shook my head. God, I loved my friend…

* * *

The drive homewas such a drag.I’d lucked out. My land lady’s eyesight had gotten so bad, she couldn’t drive anymore, so she’d sold me her car – a little 1990 Honda Accord with barely any miles on it – for dirt cheap. In exchange, I took her shopping and to her doctor’s appointments pretty faithfully.

She was sitting on her front porch when I pulled into the garage and perked up and waved at me when I walked out to go around to the stairs.

“Hello there, Serenity!” she called.

“Hi, Mrs. Sedgwick!” I called back.

“Come have a glass of tea!”

“Oh, I wish I could, but I have a phone call to make. Rain check?”

“Absolutely, my dear! My door is always open.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Sedgwick!”

“I told you already, call me Nellie!”

I smiled and shook my head and disappeared around the corner and dashed up the steps to my apartment. Once inside I performed my coming-home ritual. Shoes off, sigh of relief at the cool hardwood beneath my feet, soothing the burning, throbbing ache from being on them all day, and then divest of the rest. Keys on hook, purse on rack, shoes on the shoe rack by the door behind the coat rack, grab phone, and a running leap onto the made bed.

I bounced twice and let myself just meltinto the softness, letting out a gusty sigh. I lit up my phone and called Stoker.

“Ahhh, I was starting to wonder if I was going to hear from you today,” he said without preamble.

“Yeah, sorry. By the time I got my lunch it was after two and I worked until six. I just got home. Is it too late?”

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