sharply. “I’m sorry. No, I don’t need a ride from anyone. I’ll be fine. I just want to go home.”
“You’re going to having some awful bruising. If you start to feel worse, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention.”
“Thanks.”
She waited as Theia got into her car and drove off. Theia drove about a block, then pulled over into a parking spot, leaned her head on the steering wheel and sobbed. The shock of being attacked again had hit her full force. Why did these things keep happening to her? Did she make stupid mistakes or did she just have a neon “fuck me” arrow hanging over her? Was she ever going to have a normal life? Why was she the one who was always getting pummeled? None of her friends had to worry about getting beat up when they walked to their cars in broad daylight.
A pedestrian stared at her from the sidewalk. Embarrassed, Theia wiped her eyes and nose with some crumpled napkins left over from a fast food drive-through and jammed on her biggest pair of sunglasses. Blasting the air conditioning as high as it would go, she turned on classic rock so loud it made the stereo system vibrate then pulled away from the curb.
When she got home, she called Lu and asked her to come over, that something had come up. “And Lu, could you please pick up a big honker bag of ice on your way?”
“You’re killing me. What the hell happened?”
“Please, just get over here. My face hurts when I talk.”
Theia curled up on the sofa to wait for Lu. She was going to have to figure out how to have a normal life. Maybe Lu or Mollie could tell her how they do it. No, she would feel like an idiot asking someone how they manage to be normal. She really thought once Foster was dead, her life would be normal, even good. All she had to do was work hard and stay away from men, and everything would be fine. Apparently, she needed a new game plan.
But then she realized her strategy of staying out of romantic relationships was working for her personal life. Her current problem was because of her professional life. She needed to discover a way to avoid cases like Rose’s, where she could get hurt or even killed. She could not face having to look over her shoulder night and day. Not again.
Lu arrived toting a large paper grocery bag in front of her face. As she swung the bag to her other arm, she saw Theia and shouted, “Holy Christ, girl! What army did this to you?” Lu marched into the kitchen, ripped open the bag of ice and dumped the contents into gallon plastic bags.
“You sit down,” Lu ordered.
“I can stand,” Theia weakly protested.
“Sit down, damn it!” Lu demanded. “Let someone do something for you for a change.” She strode into the room with ice bags.
“Okay, now tell me what happened. Take all the time you need. I don’t need a ton of details right now, because I know your face hurts,” Lu’s face lit up with an idea. “Wait - I have a better idea, how about we let that ice numb you up a bit from the outside before you talk. I’ll fix us each a massive cocktail to help you get numb from the inside. And maybe this’ll help chill me out so I don’t go kill someone.”
“Good plan,” Theia agreed.
Lu rattled around Theia’s kitchen, opening drawers and cabinet doors. Theia heard ice clinking into glasses, liquids being poured and spoons stirring.
“You have some righteous booze! I’m gonna have to drink here more often,” Lu said happily. “We DJOs can’t afford this expensive stuff.” Lu charged back into the front room, proudly bearing a huge tumbler in each hand. She never merely walked into the room, or made a graceful entrance. She slammed into a room like a rodeo bull.
“Pick your poison,” Lu invited.
“Is there a difference?”
“Not really.”
Theia grabbed the closest glass. “Thanks. What’s in this?”
“About twelve dollars worth of some of the fiest alcohol
“You’re going to having some awful bruising. If you start to feel worse, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention.”
“Thanks.”
She waited as Theia got into her car and drove off. Theia drove about a block, then pulled over into a parking spot, leaned her head on the steering wheel and sobbed. The shock of being attacked again had hit her full force. Why did these things keep happening to her? Did she make stupid mistakes or did she just have a neon “fuck me” arrow hanging over her? Was she ever going to have a normal life? Why was she the one who was always getting pummeled? None of her friends had to worry about getting beat up when they walked to their cars in broad daylight.
A pedestrian stared at her from the sidewalk. Embarrassed, Theia wiped her eyes and nose with some crumpled napkins left over from a fast food drive-through and jammed on her biggest pair of sunglasses. Blasting the air conditioning as high as it would go, she turned on classic rock so loud it made the stereo system vibrate then pulled away from the curb.
When she got home, she called Lu and asked her to come over, that something had come up. “And Lu, could you please pick up a big honker bag of ice on your way?”
“You’re killing me. What the hell happened?”
“Please, just get over here. My face hurts when I talk.”
Theia curled up on the sofa to wait for Lu. She was going to have to figure out how to have a normal life. Maybe Lu or Mollie could tell her how they do it. No, she would feel like an idiot asking someone how they manage to be normal. She really thought once Foster was dead, her life would be normal, even good. All she had to do was work hard and stay away from men, and everything would be fine. Apparently, she needed a new game plan.
But then she realized her strategy of staying out of romantic relationships was working for her personal life. Her current problem was because of her professional life. She needed to discover a way to avoid cases like Rose’s, where she could get hurt or even killed. She could not face having to look over her shoulder night and day. Not again.
Lu arrived toting a large paper grocery bag in front of her face. As she swung the bag to her other arm, she saw Theia and shouted, “Holy Christ, girl! What army did this to you?” Lu marched into the kitchen, ripped open the bag of ice and dumped the contents into gallon plastic bags.
“You sit down,” Lu ordered.
“I can stand,” Theia weakly protested.
“Sit down, damn it!” Lu demanded. “Let someone do something for you for a change.” She strode into the room with ice bags.
“Okay, now tell me what happened. Take all the time you need. I don’t need a ton of details right now, because I know your face hurts,” Lu’s face lit up with an idea. “Wait - I have a better idea, how about we let that ice numb you up a bit from the outside before you talk. I’ll fix us each a massive cocktail to help you get numb from the inside. And maybe this’ll help chill me out so I don’t go kill someone.”
“Good plan,” Theia agreed.
Lu rattled around Theia’s kitchen, opening drawers and cabinet doors. Theia heard ice clinking into glasses, liquids being poured and spoons stirring.
“You have some righteous booze! I’m gonna have to drink here more often,” Lu said happily. “We DJOs can’t afford this expensive stuff.” Lu charged back into the front room, proudly bearing a huge tumbler in each hand. She never merely walked into the room, or made a graceful entrance. She slammed into a room like a rodeo bull.
“Pick your poison,” Lu invited.
“Is there a difference?”
“Not really.”
Theia grabbed the closest glass. “Thanks. What’s in this?”
“About twelve dollars worth of some of the fiest alcohol
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