the stoner tenant would be too mellow to wonder who was coming down the stairs. She got to the bottom and Anni squirmed and made a sharp bark. Andrea shushed her, and Anni settled down as if she understood.
She passed the two doors leading into the downstairs apartments, one on either side of the hallway, and she was almost to the glass door when she saw the glare of headlights as a car pulled into the parking lot. She froze, watching as the frat boys got out of their car. One of them gestured up to their balcony, and she heard him yell, “ What the hell ? ” Oh no. She panicked as she remembered leaving the balcony light on. All instinct and fear, she whipped around to go out the front door, knowing that they were heading this way.
Halfway there, a door opened in the hallway, and a young man stuck his head out like a curious gopher. Andrea pushed past him right into his apartment and he stepped aside to let her in like they’d planned this. She hissed, “Shhh. Close the door.”
He didn’t look the least bit surprised, just shrugged and followed her directions. She whispered, “We have to be very quiet.”
He was about nineteen or twenty with a full-blown bushy beard, the kind young guys grow just because they can. Besides the beard he was clean-cut with short hair and neat clothes: dark jeans and a navy button-down shirt. A bong sat on the kitchen counter next to a bag of chips, but otherwise the apartment was orderly. He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and leaned in conspiratorially. “Why do we have to be quiet?”
“Shhh,” Andrea said, hearing the back door open and the thumping of the frat boys’ steps as they ran past. Anni was getting heavy, but still Andrea cradled her against her chest, glad to see the dog looked content. Hopefully Anni would remain quiet and not give them away.
When she heard the two men’s footsteps up the stairs, she noticed a thump as each one jumped over the missing step. Clearly something they were used to doing. When they reached the top landing, she knew it was time to go. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I have to go. Can you get the door?”
“Sure thing.”
She made a quick decision to go out the front and he followed her to open and hold the door. Participating in this getaway was risky with the frat boys right at the top of the stairs, likely to charge down at any moment, but he did it with gentlemanly ease, no sign of stress on his part. He said, “Take care now.”
“Thanks.” Andrea walked quickly along the side of the building to the back, staying in the shadows as much as possible. Thankfully Anni stayed quiet even as Andrea opened the car door and set her on the front passenger seat. By now her chest was pounding, her heart beating with such force that she wondered if she was having a heart attack, but there was no time to think about herself. As terrifying as it was, it was also thrilling in a spy movie kind of way. Now she knew what people were talking about when they mentioned the adrenaline rush that came with doing something dangerous.
As she backed out of her space, she glanced up. If either of the frat boys had been looking down, they could have clearly seen her car pulling out from under their balcony. Luckily for her, the balcony was empty.
What would they do, she wondered, stepping on the gas. Call the police? Question the other neighbors? She hoped the college student who’d let her take refuge in his apartment wouldn’t be blamed for her crime. She glanced down at Anni curled on the seat, her head resting on her paws. The dog yawned and closed her eyes, looking curiously relaxed. Obviously, she wasn’t aware they were on the lam.
All the way home Andrea darted looks at her rearview mirror, half expecting to see flashing lights accompanied by a police siren. By the time she’d turned down the side street to her condo, her guilt had abated. Anni was neglected and, judging by the length of chain and the fact that she was outside in the
She passed the two doors leading into the downstairs apartments, one on either side of the hallway, and she was almost to the glass door when she saw the glare of headlights as a car pulled into the parking lot. She froze, watching as the frat boys got out of their car. One of them gestured up to their balcony, and she heard him yell, “ What the hell ? ” Oh no. She panicked as she remembered leaving the balcony light on. All instinct and fear, she whipped around to go out the front door, knowing that they were heading this way.
Halfway there, a door opened in the hallway, and a young man stuck his head out like a curious gopher. Andrea pushed past him right into his apartment and he stepped aside to let her in like they’d planned this. She hissed, “Shhh. Close the door.”
He didn’t look the least bit surprised, just shrugged and followed her directions. She whispered, “We have to be very quiet.”
He was about nineteen or twenty with a full-blown bushy beard, the kind young guys grow just because they can. Besides the beard he was clean-cut with short hair and neat clothes: dark jeans and a navy button-down shirt. A bong sat on the kitchen counter next to a bag of chips, but otherwise the apartment was orderly. He hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and leaned in conspiratorially. “Why do we have to be quiet?”
“Shhh,” Andrea said, hearing the back door open and the thumping of the frat boys’ steps as they ran past. Anni was getting heavy, but still Andrea cradled her against her chest, glad to see the dog looked content. Hopefully Anni would remain quiet and not give them away.
When she heard the two men’s footsteps up the stairs, she noticed a thump as each one jumped over the missing step. Clearly something they were used to doing. When they reached the top landing, she knew it was time to go. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I have to go. Can you get the door?”
“Sure thing.”
She made a quick decision to go out the front and he followed her to open and hold the door. Participating in this getaway was risky with the frat boys right at the top of the stairs, likely to charge down at any moment, but he did it with gentlemanly ease, no sign of stress on his part. He said, “Take care now.”
“Thanks.” Andrea walked quickly along the side of the building to the back, staying in the shadows as much as possible. Thankfully Anni stayed quiet even as Andrea opened the car door and set her on the front passenger seat. By now her chest was pounding, her heart beating with such force that she wondered if she was having a heart attack, but there was no time to think about herself. As terrifying as it was, it was also thrilling in a spy movie kind of way. Now she knew what people were talking about when they mentioned the adrenaline rush that came with doing something dangerous.
As she backed out of her space, she glanced up. If either of the frat boys had been looking down, they could have clearly seen her car pulling out from under their balcony. Luckily for her, the balcony was empty.
What would they do, she wondered, stepping on the gas. Call the police? Question the other neighbors? She hoped the college student who’d let her take refuge in his apartment wouldn’t be blamed for her crime. She glanced down at Anni curled on the seat, her head resting on her paws. The dog yawned and closed her eyes, looking curiously relaxed. Obviously, she wasn’t aware they were on the lam.
All the way home Andrea darted looks at her rearview mirror, half expecting to see flashing lights accompanied by a police siren. By the time she’d turned down the side street to her condo, her guilt had abated. Anni was neglected and, judging by the length of chain and the fact that she was outside in the
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