caught her so off guard, she couldn’t have screamed if she’d thought of it. He used the knife to cut away her money belt, where not only her money was, but her driver’s license and credit cards as well. Dumbfounded, she watched him slip the knife between his teeth and reach into her bra, rummaging around for the cash she’d stashed there, too. “Thanks, Kathy.” He flashed his bright smile at her, as he waved the wad of cash and her brand new Smartphone in her face, and he was gone, disappearing into the shadows around her.
A sob escaped her throat, as the enormity of what had just happened sunk into her. She’d been robbed. At knifepoint. In a matter of seconds. Without her ID, she couldn’t even get home. She didn’t even have money for a taxi back to the hotel.
Pulling down her dress and straightening herself the best she could, Kathy did a mental inventory and felt like a complete fool. Her heart pounded painfully against her chest, and Kathy couldn’t catch her breath. She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. Everything she’d done in the past few days came back to her. Darrin was right. She’d left herself in a supremely shitty situation. Everybody had told her so. But she wouldn’t listen, so convinced that this would work.
She’d just assumed this time was like every other time that her desires seemed to go against everyone else’s ideals. Sure, most of the other times had been a mistake, but they hadn’t seemed so dire… Following Dan to Dallas for the docent job at the Art Museum had been a mistake, but not one she couldn’t recover from. In fact, she’d recovered marvelously. And Clown school had ended up not being what she thought it was, but she’d still come out of it knowing how to juggle. Or the time she’d agreed to take care of a friend’s dog who’d gone on vacation but never come back. Opening up all those joint accounts with Aaron, only to have him run up a huge credit card debt and then take off.
She was so fucking stupid.
Kathy stood there, her hands wrapped around herself, trying to get her bearings. She was several blocks away from her hotel, so slipping off her shoes, Kathy pointed herself where she thought she should go, and went.
Her walk went by slowly. Kathy tried to keep her head down, but she had to look up every now and then to get her bearings. Every time she did, she regretted it. Once she thought a man was coming out of the shadows at her, but it was a presumably homeless man lurching to his feet to plod in the opposite direction. Another time, she was sure she saw an exchange of drugs and money.
Even when she didn’t look up, she couldn’t go by completely unnoticed. A couple of times, she scurried past men who called out to her, panhandlers or worse. She wasn’t sure, she didn’t stop to talk to them.
After walking for an hour, she realized she had no idea how near her hotel she actually was, so Kathy found an all-night convenience store to go inside and ask directions. After looking her up and down, the clerk pointed down the street. “Six blocks. You sure that’s your hotel?”
Kathy nodded, put her chin back down and continued her walk, willing her feet to move faster.
“Hey, lady!”
She didn’t stop moving, but looked up as a teenaged boy ran up next to her.
“You got money for me to buy my sister milk?”
“No. I just need to get back to my hotel.”
“Come on, lady. It’s just a dollar or two.” The child’s voice turned petulant, and Kathy wheeled on him.
“I’ve already been robbed tonight. I got nothin’ for you, kid. Why do you think I’m walking? Think I’m stupid or something?” Dropping her head, “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
The kid turned the other way, grumbling something about tourists under his breath.
Five more blocks to go…
Chapter 7
L uke had been pounding on Kathy’s door all night, intermittently. He’d at first decided she’d gone out, probably to pick up a man, or she was out with
A sob escaped her throat, as the enormity of what had just happened sunk into her. She’d been robbed. At knifepoint. In a matter of seconds. Without her ID, she couldn’t even get home. She didn’t even have money for a taxi back to the hotel.
Pulling down her dress and straightening herself the best she could, Kathy did a mental inventory and felt like a complete fool. Her heart pounded painfully against her chest, and Kathy couldn’t catch her breath. She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. Everything she’d done in the past few days came back to her. Darrin was right. She’d left herself in a supremely shitty situation. Everybody had told her so. But she wouldn’t listen, so convinced that this would work.
She’d just assumed this time was like every other time that her desires seemed to go against everyone else’s ideals. Sure, most of the other times had been a mistake, but they hadn’t seemed so dire… Following Dan to Dallas for the docent job at the Art Museum had been a mistake, but not one she couldn’t recover from. In fact, she’d recovered marvelously. And Clown school had ended up not being what she thought it was, but she’d still come out of it knowing how to juggle. Or the time she’d agreed to take care of a friend’s dog who’d gone on vacation but never come back. Opening up all those joint accounts with Aaron, only to have him run up a huge credit card debt and then take off.
She was so fucking stupid.
Kathy stood there, her hands wrapped around herself, trying to get her bearings. She was several blocks away from her hotel, so slipping off her shoes, Kathy pointed herself where she thought she should go, and went.
Her walk went by slowly. Kathy tried to keep her head down, but she had to look up every now and then to get her bearings. Every time she did, she regretted it. Once she thought a man was coming out of the shadows at her, but it was a presumably homeless man lurching to his feet to plod in the opposite direction. Another time, she was sure she saw an exchange of drugs and money.
Even when she didn’t look up, she couldn’t go by completely unnoticed. A couple of times, she scurried past men who called out to her, panhandlers or worse. She wasn’t sure, she didn’t stop to talk to them.
After walking for an hour, she realized she had no idea how near her hotel she actually was, so Kathy found an all-night convenience store to go inside and ask directions. After looking her up and down, the clerk pointed down the street. “Six blocks. You sure that’s your hotel?”
Kathy nodded, put her chin back down and continued her walk, willing her feet to move faster.
“Hey, lady!”
She didn’t stop moving, but looked up as a teenaged boy ran up next to her.
“You got money for me to buy my sister milk?”
“No. I just need to get back to my hotel.”
“Come on, lady. It’s just a dollar or two.” The child’s voice turned petulant, and Kathy wheeled on him.
“I’ve already been robbed tonight. I got nothin’ for you, kid. Why do you think I’m walking? Think I’m stupid or something?” Dropping her head, “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
The kid turned the other way, grumbling something about tourists under his breath.
Five more blocks to go…
Chapter 7
L uke had been pounding on Kathy’s door all night, intermittently. He’d at first decided she’d gone out, probably to pick up a man, or she was out with
Similar Books
