it happened?”
“No.”
“So even though he told you he would take you off the investigation if you were at risk, you didn’t tell him you were in danger?”
“Not the first time.”
“There were more?”
After I had time to breathe, I settled on probably just a random bad driver. Wrong place, wrong time. I mean, no one knew I was at the coffeehouse except for Eli and John, so it wasn’t as if the murderer lurked, happened to see me, and decided to run me down. Or, of course it could be that, but then again, that would assume the murderer knew who I was and that I might somehow have information about him or her, which I didn’t.
The whole business made my head swim and stomach belly flop. So, with shaking hands, I took a few more deep breaths and headed to work.
Once inside the parking garage, I found a sense of security surrounded by people I work with milling around.
Not that I knew them, or they me, but with all these witnesses, if someone did have it out for me, it wasn’t as if they’d be stupid enough to go after me here.
I entered the building and went straight to the security desk, thinking about how much I needed to feel John in that moment.
“Lucy, I didn’t expect to see you so soon!”
I pulled him into a tight embrace and settled in when he didn’t try to end it too soon. I was still shaken, though thankfully my heart rate had returned to normal and the need to cry had washed away.
He finally pulled back and looked me square in the eye. “What happened? Are you okay?”
I told him about the green car and the white light I very nearly walked toward.
“Sit! Oh my Lord, sit down. Do you need water? Need me to call someone? Dee? Lucy, you could have been killed!” He knelt in front of me and held my hands in his. They were warm and big, and I felt small but safe with him.
“I’m fine. Really. I’m fine. I can’t promise I’ll feel like taking an evening stroll down a dark road any time soon, but I’m okay. Truly.”
He tilted his head and stared for a few moments. “I can’t believe that. It’s like…wow.”
“Yeah. Like totally wow.”
When Natalie came in with a short, balding man, I told my story all over again.
“You have the worst luck!” she exclaimed in a voice that sounded wistful and jealous.
I stood and looked from Natalie to the guy she had walked in with.
“Sorry!” she waved her hands as if frazzled. “I can’t believe I did that. Lucy, this is Clive. Clive, Lucy.” I reached my hand forward to shake his.
Clive looked nothing like what I’d expected, though he did have gorgeous green eyes. If bad guys were supposed to look a certain way or give off a creepy feeling, Clive never got the memo. His hand stayed at Natalie’s side the entire time they stood there. “Nice to meet you,” he said before turning to her. “Babe, I gotta get up to Central Processing. Wanna meet for lunch?”
“Of course!”
“Hey, why don’t we join you?” John piped in.
“It’s a date,” Natalie said, her cheeks blooming a bright and happy shade of pink as she, too, headed to her desk.
“Sure you’re okay, Lucy?” John asked again, a worried frown creasing his brow. I wanted to smooth it away.
“Yes. Positive. I’m fine. Fit as an armadillo crossing the road.”
He shook his head. “Okay. Then I’ll see you at lunch.”
He kissed me on the forehead, and I headed to the elevator.
My throat squeezed. A forehead kiss was not the kiss I’d imagined after my near-death experience. I’d expected a back-bending, sweep-me-off-my-feet type of deal. This was more a glad-you’re-okay-sis kind of kiss. My lips puckered into a disconcerting O of confusion as I pressed the button for the elevator. John and I had been going strong. Until that kiss I’d had no question we were headed straight for Relationshipville, population: us. Now, I felt a bit dry and dusty, a wind could have taken me away. Why did he kiss me like that?
Had I read more into John’s
“No.”
“So even though he told you he would take you off the investigation if you were at risk, you didn’t tell him you were in danger?”
“Not the first time.”
“There were more?”
After I had time to breathe, I settled on probably just a random bad driver. Wrong place, wrong time. I mean, no one knew I was at the coffeehouse except for Eli and John, so it wasn’t as if the murderer lurked, happened to see me, and decided to run me down. Or, of course it could be that, but then again, that would assume the murderer knew who I was and that I might somehow have information about him or her, which I didn’t.
The whole business made my head swim and stomach belly flop. So, with shaking hands, I took a few more deep breaths and headed to work.
Once inside the parking garage, I found a sense of security surrounded by people I work with milling around.
Not that I knew them, or they me, but with all these witnesses, if someone did have it out for me, it wasn’t as if they’d be stupid enough to go after me here.
I entered the building and went straight to the security desk, thinking about how much I needed to feel John in that moment.
“Lucy, I didn’t expect to see you so soon!”
I pulled him into a tight embrace and settled in when he didn’t try to end it too soon. I was still shaken, though thankfully my heart rate had returned to normal and the need to cry had washed away.
He finally pulled back and looked me square in the eye. “What happened? Are you okay?”
I told him about the green car and the white light I very nearly walked toward.
“Sit! Oh my Lord, sit down. Do you need water? Need me to call someone? Dee? Lucy, you could have been killed!” He knelt in front of me and held my hands in his. They were warm and big, and I felt small but safe with him.
“I’m fine. Really. I’m fine. I can’t promise I’ll feel like taking an evening stroll down a dark road any time soon, but I’m okay. Truly.”
He tilted his head and stared for a few moments. “I can’t believe that. It’s like…wow.”
“Yeah. Like totally wow.”
When Natalie came in with a short, balding man, I told my story all over again.
“You have the worst luck!” she exclaimed in a voice that sounded wistful and jealous.
I stood and looked from Natalie to the guy she had walked in with.
“Sorry!” she waved her hands as if frazzled. “I can’t believe I did that. Lucy, this is Clive. Clive, Lucy.” I reached my hand forward to shake his.
Clive looked nothing like what I’d expected, though he did have gorgeous green eyes. If bad guys were supposed to look a certain way or give off a creepy feeling, Clive never got the memo. His hand stayed at Natalie’s side the entire time they stood there. “Nice to meet you,” he said before turning to her. “Babe, I gotta get up to Central Processing. Wanna meet for lunch?”
“Of course!”
“Hey, why don’t we join you?” John piped in.
“It’s a date,” Natalie said, her cheeks blooming a bright and happy shade of pink as she, too, headed to her desk.
“Sure you’re okay, Lucy?” John asked again, a worried frown creasing his brow. I wanted to smooth it away.
“Yes. Positive. I’m fine. Fit as an armadillo crossing the road.”
He shook his head. “Okay. Then I’ll see you at lunch.”
He kissed me on the forehead, and I headed to the elevator.
My throat squeezed. A forehead kiss was not the kiss I’d imagined after my near-death experience. I’d expected a back-bending, sweep-me-off-my-feet type of deal. This was more a glad-you’re-okay-sis kind of kiss. My lips puckered into a disconcerting O of confusion as I pressed the button for the elevator. John and I had been going strong. Until that kiss I’d had no question we were headed straight for Relationshipville, population: us. Now, I felt a bit dry and dusty, a wind could have taken me away. Why did he kiss me like that?
Had I read more into John’s
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