Page 7 of Push & Pull
“What kind of favor?”
“She asked me to drive you home. We’re both going in the same direction.”
“Home?” Slowly, Simone became more awake. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing, though, as her brain fired off warning signs that she was in a stranger’s car in an unknown place. “I live in New England.”
The woman next to her nodded. More details of her hair and face emerged.Short dark hair. Pronounced nose. Round face. Gray sweatshirt.Nope. None of this rang a bell in Simone’s head. “I’m heading to New York City. What a happy accident.”
“Weren’t we in Miami?”
“It’s now in my rearview mirror. We’ll get a hotel in Atlanta tonight.”
That was it. The triggering event that snapped Simone out of the worst of her brain-fogging hangover.
“I’m supposed to catch a flight at ten!”
“Ooh.” The stranger hissed through her teeth. “It’s ten-thirty. We were a bit late getting out of Hailey’s place. She and I had to figure out what to do with you because you were still out cold. Hey, she’s the one who told me to drive you up north.”
There it was. The panic Simone was supposed to feel in this situation.
“Who the hell are you!”
While the radio station crackled out of range, a snort dominated Simone’s ears. “You really got so hungover that you don’t recognize me anymore? That’s too bad. My name’s Petra. Do you remember me now?” A wide smile turned in her direction. “You’re welcome, by the way. One of the reasons I had to get you out of Hailey’s is because the Marseille sisters’ mother crashed the early morning party and threatened to put everyone in jail. Phew.” That whistle was like an icepick to Simone’s brain. “I’ve never heard a woman cuss people out in French before. Don’t think I want to again.”
“The sisters…” Bit by bit, the night before came back to Simone. Or, at least the evening did. She recalled Hailey getting ready for the party. She remembered the sisters arriving, and Daria being all over her like jam on bread.Then this woman introduced herself…“This woman” must have been Petra, who was now more familiar in the rainy daylight.
Windshield wipers squeaked against glass. The slight rolling of the car as it cruised down the freeway almost put Simone back to sleep.No. Wake the fuck up, idiot.She had no idea who she was, who she was with, and where they were going! What was this about Atlanta?
“You okay, sweetheart?”
Simone clutched her head. “Why am I in a car with a stranger driving toward Atlanta?” she groaned.
“Oh, that’s a really long story. I’ll tell you later when you’re feeling better. Hey, you hungry? Bet a greasy breakfast will make you feel better. I think there’s a Mickey’s up the way.”
“Huh?” Breath became more scarce in Simone’s chest. “How far are we from Miami? Take me back to Hailey’s. My stuff…”
“All of your stuff is in the trunk. Hailey packed it up for you this morning.”
“My wallet…” Simone soon found it in her front pocket. Were these the same pants she was wearing the night before? “How did I get in your car?”
“You’ve been in and out of it for a few hours. How much did you drink last night? I know there was an open bar, but yeesh.”“I didn’t drink that much.” Right? Simone remembered a drink or two from the bar, but it had been a long time since she got blackout drunk.I’ve been too good lately.Drinking her worries away was so post-grad Simone, not the woman trying to put her life back together and be responsible enough to have a place in her family’s company.
“Apparently, you did.”
“Why would Hailey put me in a car with a stranger?”
“I may be a stranger to you, but Hailey and I go all the way back to Chicago. Remember? I told you this last night.”
“I barely remember a thing.”
Petra was contemplatively quiet as she got off at the next office. Simone barely registered the brightly colored sign passing by her window.Something about food…Simone didn’t know if she was hungry or not. All she could think about was pulling herself out of the sludge that had claimed her body.
“Let me tell you whatIknow.” Petra waited to turn at a light. Lifted trucks boasting American flags and sensible Subarus packed with sporty families waited with her. Simone kept wondering if she really were still near Miami. She didn’t recognize this rainy concrete landscape at all. “You got soused at the party last night. In fact, Hailey worried you had OD’d because she saw Yvonne talking to you. Brought me into your guest room to make sure. For some reason, she couldn’t face your possibly dead body by herself.”
“My what?” Simone was sweating. Was it from the heat blasting in the car, or the sweater choking her torso? “OD? Why the hell would I OD? I don’t do that shit anymore.”
“Yeah. Anymore,” Petra muttered, before swinging a right at the green light.
The lurch was enough to make Simone grab the nearest handle. “Seriously. I don’t even remember talking to Yvonne. I was purposely avoiding her because I knew she was still using.”
