black
coffee. His favorite. Two cookies also joined the coffee. The man
had a sweet tooth. He also made it a point of coming by every day.
The rational part of her brain knew he
had been a regular even before she started working here, but secretly
she got a thrill out of the idea of him coming here to see her every
day. Yeah, she had become one of those girls.
“How is your day going?”
Drew asked her, as she handed him his order.
That was a loaded question. What he
actually wanted to know was if she had gotten any more messages.
Luckily, the day had been a text free
day.
She rung him up on the cash register.
“Just peachy.” Hopefully he would know what that meant.
His features seemed to relax. “I
have to write a paper before this weekend; so, I’m not going to
the gym tonight. But Chris will be there in case you need anything.”
Lana ignored the rush of panic that
wanted to take over her body at the idea of being on her own. At one
point in time she would have loved the idea of having an evening to
herself, but with all of the texts from Shawn, it no longer sounded
appealing.
“Actually, Tracie and I were
planning on going to the mall.” She ignored the look that her
co-worker gave her.
Drew leaned over the counter and kissed
her forehead. “Have a good time.” Then he was gone.
Later that evening Tracie held up a
piece of lingerie that barely covered anything. “You need to
buy this.”
Lana rolled her eyes. “I have no
need for that.”
“Are you insane, girl?;”
Tracie asked, walking away with the outfit. “You have every
reason to own this. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m
not letting you out of here until you buy it.”
“I don’t have the money to
waste on something like that,” Lana tried to reason with her
friend.
“It’s on sale.”
It was easier to just give in when it
came to Tracie. Lana knew this. Besides it was better to allow her
friend to believe she was capable of having a normal sex life. No
way in hell was she going to let Tracie know her darkest secret.
“How awesome are these?”
Tracie was holding up a pair of handcuffs.
A flash of Shawn holding her hands above
her head not allowing her to move ran through her mind. A hand
squeezed her heart and concrete landed on her lungs. It took all she
had to remind herself that she was not in danger now. She was with
Tracie and not back in that basement.
“That’s where I draw the
line.”
Tracie sighed. “No fun.”
Lana needed to get her friend out of
this store. “Can we just go get something to eat? Then I want
to go get some new workout clothes.”
They paid for their purchases. Tracie
had a few more items than Lana.
The food court was busy tonight. Lana
was tempted to forgo food until she got home. If she did that,
Tracie would ask questions. So, she put her big girl panties on and
made her way through the crowd to order her tacos. OK, maybe Drew
was rubbing off on her a little bit.
As they made their way to an empty
table, Lana could have sworn she saw Shawn walking around the corner
to the men’s restroom.
Don’t be stupid. He’s in Charleston. You’re in
Morgantown. You’re safe.
Needing to feel safe Lana sent a quick
text to Drew.
Time for ice cream tonight?
The reply was almost immediate.
I have all the time in the world
for you.
Lana tried to hide instant grin at his
words.
I’ll pick some up on my way
home.
“See, I told you,” Tracie
announced around a bite of her Thai chicken. “You have it
bad.”
“I do not,” Lana argued.
“We’re friends. Friends can eat ice cream together.”
“Sure they can,” her friend
agreed. “I just happen to know you've not gone a day without
seeing him since you met him.”
“He lives down the hall from me,”
Lana pointed out.
“Piss poor excuse is better than
none.”
Giving into childish behavior Lana stuck
her tongue out in response and then rolled her napkin in a ball and
threw it at her. “Just mind your own business,
coffee. His favorite. Two cookies also joined the coffee. The man
had a sweet tooth. He also made it a point of coming by every day.
The rational part of her brain knew he
had been a regular even before she started working here, but secretly
she got a thrill out of the idea of him coming here to see her every
day. Yeah, she had become one of those girls.
“How is your day going?”
Drew asked her, as she handed him his order.
That was a loaded question. What he
actually wanted to know was if she had gotten any more messages.
Luckily, the day had been a text free
day.
She rung him up on the cash register.
“Just peachy.” Hopefully he would know what that meant.
His features seemed to relax. “I
have to write a paper before this weekend; so, I’m not going to
the gym tonight. But Chris will be there in case you need anything.”
Lana ignored the rush of panic that
wanted to take over her body at the idea of being on her own. At one
point in time she would have loved the idea of having an evening to
herself, but with all of the texts from Shawn, it no longer sounded
appealing.
“Actually, Tracie and I were
planning on going to the mall.” She ignored the look that her
co-worker gave her.
Drew leaned over the counter and kissed
her forehead. “Have a good time.” Then he was gone.
Later that evening Tracie held up a
piece of lingerie that barely covered anything. “You need to
buy this.”
Lana rolled her eyes. “I have no
need for that.”
“Are you insane, girl?;”
Tracie asked, walking away with the outfit. “You have every
reason to own this. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m
not letting you out of here until you buy it.”
“I don’t have the money to
waste on something like that,” Lana tried to reason with her
friend.
“It’s on sale.”
It was easier to just give in when it
came to Tracie. Lana knew this. Besides it was better to allow her
friend to believe she was capable of having a normal sex life. No
way in hell was she going to let Tracie know her darkest secret.
“How awesome are these?”
Tracie was holding up a pair of handcuffs.
A flash of Shawn holding her hands above
her head not allowing her to move ran through her mind. A hand
squeezed her heart and concrete landed on her lungs. It took all she
had to remind herself that she was not in danger now. She was with
Tracie and not back in that basement.
“That’s where I draw the
line.”
Tracie sighed. “No fun.”
Lana needed to get her friend out of
this store. “Can we just go get something to eat? Then I want
to go get some new workout clothes.”
They paid for their purchases. Tracie
had a few more items than Lana.
The food court was busy tonight. Lana
was tempted to forgo food until she got home. If she did that,
Tracie would ask questions. So, she put her big girl panties on and
made her way through the crowd to order her tacos. OK, maybe Drew
was rubbing off on her a little bit.
As they made their way to an empty
table, Lana could have sworn she saw Shawn walking around the corner
to the men’s restroom.
Don’t be stupid. He’s in Charleston. You’re in
Morgantown. You’re safe.
Needing to feel safe Lana sent a quick
text to Drew.
Time for ice cream tonight?
The reply was almost immediate.
I have all the time in the world
for you.
Lana tried to hide instant grin at his
words.
I’ll pick some up on my way
home.
“See, I told you,” Tracie
announced around a bite of her Thai chicken. “You have it
bad.”
“I do not,” Lana argued.
“We’re friends. Friends can eat ice cream together.”
“Sure they can,” her friend
agreed. “I just happen to know you've not gone a day without
seeing him since you met him.”
“He lives down the hall from me,”
Lana pointed out.
“Piss poor excuse is better than
none.”
Giving into childish behavior Lana stuck
her tongue out in response and then rolled her napkin in a ball and
threw it at her. “Just mind your own business,
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