Penny Serenade by Ann Cory Page B

going, just like she’d told Betsy. To read more into that was a waste of time and would only get her hurt.
    Aside from the blaze going on inside her body, it seemed stuffy in the car. She hit the switch to put the window down but nothing happened.
    “Um yeah,” Dominic started, “about the windows. Sorry.”
    “What’s the problem,” she asked.
    “Faulty wiring,” he said, offering an apologetic smile. “I haven’t had time to get it into the shop. I’m embarrassed. I didn’t even think of it when I asked to pick you up or I’d have mentioned it.”
    “Oh, that’s okay,” she replied. Never mind that sweat was pooling into her bra and her legs were starting to itch beneath her nylons. Could she feel any less sexy? She should learn to carry travel size deodorant for those just in case times, like now.
    Audrey tried not to think about the heat, but watching the way his muscles flexed and bunched when he shifted gears sent flames searing throughout her body. She squeezed her thighs together tight as discreetly as she could, and hoped he didn’t notice. Though her mind tried to remind her that he was only taking her out to make up for being an ass, her body had a different memory. Like when he first walked in, and how she’d become almost feverish, kind of how she was feeling now. This was so not a good idea. What was she getting herself into? Talk, she ordered herself. Talk so her mind would stop conjuring up racy thoughts.
    “So what is it you do for a living?” She’d on purpose not asked him personal questions at the café, her thinking being that she’d never see him again.
    “A bit of everything,” he answered and changed lanes. “Housing construction and painting, some designing, and sometimes I inspect historical buildings to advise the best way to restore it.”
    Okay, the guy had skills. “Wow, you really do a bit of everything.”
    “My dad was what you called a jack-of-all trades,” he said, “and after he died I became the jack junior of all trades.”
    She started to chuckle when she noticed his jaw flex. Had she touched on a sensitive subject? Before she could change the subject, they’d arrived at the planetarium. Dominic pulled into the nearest parking spot and killed the engine.
    The both sat unmoving, her hand on the door handle and his still on the steering wheel. She took a deep breath, nearly choking on the heat inside the car. “Um, if asking about your job was a bad thing, then I sincerely apologize.”
    The tension noticeably lifted from his face. “Don’t worry about it,” he said and flashed a dazzling smile. “Let’s just have a good time tonight.”
    Audrey nodded and flung open the door, glad to be out of the sauna. The air felt crisp and cool in her lungs. Dominic walked to her side and together they followed other couples into the dome-shaped building. With its blackened windows and space age style architecture, it looked more like a spaceport into another dimension.
    Inside the large room were rows and rows of deep blue seats. She pointed toward the third row and he nodded. She’d sat in different areas over the years and liked the third row best. It also provided the most amount of leg room. An enormous black telescope took up the center of the room, it’s larger than life lens aimed at a pitch black ceiling.
    Dominic nudged her. “This is cool. I feel like a little kid.”
    “Yeah, I love to come here,” she said and settled herself into the seat. “It’s a great way to unwind after work.”
    He sat to her right and then looked behind and around them. “Do these shows inspire you? I mean for your writing.”
    “Sometimes. Mostly it’s an escape.”
    He leaned in close, “What do you escape from?”
    Shivers flitted across her skin. “Memories of my past. The unknown future. The same things most people need a break from when things get monotonous or overwhelming.” And anything that took her out of her comfort zone, she thought. Like now . She