half-heartedly. “How was your
nap?”
Clear glanced in the mirror under the
visor and quickly unwound her ponytail, combing through it with her
fingers, she put it back up. “Fine I guess. My neck has a wicked
crick in it.” She rubbed the knot, knowing it was from the way her
head had rested because of her ponytail.
“ Well, we’ll check into a
nice hotel after we go to my daughter’s house. Gotta check in with
the ex and… well… maybe see what you can see?”
Clear glanced at him surreptitiously.
“That’s why I’m here,” she nodded nonchalantly. Despite reinforcing
her mental walls, she could hear and feel peoples’ thoughts around
her. It was simply faint whispers, murmurs, emotions as thin and as
transparent as the wind, but already her head was feeling a bit too
crowded. She rubbed her temples gently, focusing on breathing and
trying to ignore the energy around her.
“ You ok?” Grant asked with
a note of worry in his voice.
“ Sure,” Clear muttered.
She was very nervous about meeting his ex. Grant never really spoke
about her or what had happened to cause them to split, but Clear
had found out on their first meeting that he still held deep
feelings for her. A mental image of some shapely petite woman
throwing herself into Grant’s arms when they walked in made Clear
groan inwardly. She needed to get over this! She needed to stamp
down these stupid feelings for Grant and just focus on the task at
hand. Help him find his daughter. After that she figured he owed
her a long “talk” about what happened before, so at least she could
get closure.
Grant pulled into a six story
apartment building. Clear looked around. The place was probably
once a very nice complex, but the lower class neighborhoods to the
North were encroaching and there were signs of poor management and
upkeep that indicated that it wasn’t as nice as it had once
been.
They walked into the building and a
sign on the elevator indicated that it was out of order. Grant
swore under his breath. Clear glanced at him. “What floor?” she
asked, not particularly concerned.
“ Fifth.” Grant led her
around to the stairs and they began to climb. Taking the stairs
felt good after being cramped in a car for almost two whole days.
Clear took deep breaths and could feel the pent up energy and
nerves being released through the process. Grant was not fairing as
well. By the third floor he had slowed considerably. She glanced
over and made sure he was alright, but despite him slowing down he
seemed to be handling it. She had never thought of Grant as in bad
shape, but she had never seen him take particular care of himself
either. What with the drinking and TV dinners, she imagined he
probably did not have much of a workout routine going
either.
The stairs took a turn and in the turn
Clear brushed against the railings and images flashed through her
mind, throwing her off-balance. She tumbled into Grant and they
nearly fell down the stairs before he planted his leg preventing
it. For a moment Clear was still off-balance, but was painfully
aware that he had caught her about the waist and his hand was
dangerously close to her breast, while the other rested on her hip.
She pulled back a little flustered.
“ Uh.. Are you ok?” Grant
asked, only sounding a bit out of breath.
Clear glared at the offending stair
rail, trying to process what she had seen and felt without touching
the stupid thing again. It had been lustful thoughts of a very
pretty young girl. Thoughts had by a very ugly old man. She tried
to mentally shake the oogy feelings her own body responded with and
tried to focus on the images.
“ Did you?.. oh.” Grant
went quiet, watching her.
She didn’t want to see those images
again, but she had been so surprised by it that she couldn’t
process anything. She slowly moved forward and put just a finger on
the railing and the image popped into stark relief. The old man was
coming up the stairs when the pretty young blond, no
nap?”
Clear glanced in the mirror under the
visor and quickly unwound her ponytail, combing through it with her
fingers, she put it back up. “Fine I guess. My neck has a wicked
crick in it.” She rubbed the knot, knowing it was from the way her
head had rested because of her ponytail.
“ Well, we’ll check into a
nice hotel after we go to my daughter’s house. Gotta check in with
the ex and… well… maybe see what you can see?”
Clear glanced at him surreptitiously.
“That’s why I’m here,” she nodded nonchalantly. Despite reinforcing
her mental walls, she could hear and feel peoples’ thoughts around
her. It was simply faint whispers, murmurs, emotions as thin and as
transparent as the wind, but already her head was feeling a bit too
crowded. She rubbed her temples gently, focusing on breathing and
trying to ignore the energy around her.
“ You ok?” Grant asked with
a note of worry in his voice.
“ Sure,” Clear muttered.
She was very nervous about meeting his ex. Grant never really spoke
about her or what had happened to cause them to split, but Clear
had found out on their first meeting that he still held deep
feelings for her. A mental image of some shapely petite woman
throwing herself into Grant’s arms when they walked in made Clear
groan inwardly. She needed to get over this! She needed to stamp
down these stupid feelings for Grant and just focus on the task at
hand. Help him find his daughter. After that she figured he owed
her a long “talk” about what happened before, so at least she could
get closure.
Grant pulled into a six story
apartment building. Clear looked around. The place was probably
once a very nice complex, but the lower class neighborhoods to the
North were encroaching and there were signs of poor management and
upkeep that indicated that it wasn’t as nice as it had once
been.
They walked into the building and a
sign on the elevator indicated that it was out of order. Grant
swore under his breath. Clear glanced at him. “What floor?” she
asked, not particularly concerned.
“ Fifth.” Grant led her
around to the stairs and they began to climb. Taking the stairs
felt good after being cramped in a car for almost two whole days.
Clear took deep breaths and could feel the pent up energy and
nerves being released through the process. Grant was not fairing as
well. By the third floor he had slowed considerably. She glanced
over and made sure he was alright, but despite him slowing down he
seemed to be handling it. She had never thought of Grant as in bad
shape, but she had never seen him take particular care of himself
either. What with the drinking and TV dinners, she imagined he
probably did not have much of a workout routine going
either.
The stairs took a turn and in the turn
Clear brushed against the railings and images flashed through her
mind, throwing her off-balance. She tumbled into Grant and they
nearly fell down the stairs before he planted his leg preventing
it. For a moment Clear was still off-balance, but was painfully
aware that he had caught her about the waist and his hand was
dangerously close to her breast, while the other rested on her hip.
She pulled back a little flustered.
“ Uh.. Are you ok?” Grant
asked, only sounding a bit out of breath.
Clear glared at the offending stair
rail, trying to process what she had seen and felt without touching
the stupid thing again. It had been lustful thoughts of a very
pretty young girl. Thoughts had by a very ugly old man. She tried
to mentally shake the oogy feelings her own body responded with and
tried to focus on the images.
“ Did you?.. oh.” Grant
went quiet, watching her.
She didn’t want to see those images
again, but she had been so surprised by it that she couldn’t
process anything. She slowly moved forward and put just a finger on
the railing and the image popped into stark relief. The old man was
coming up the stairs when the pretty young blond, no
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