skyscrapers. And at night, the city lit up like it celebrated Christmas every day.
I stepped onto the packed subway, grabbed a pole for support, and then scanned the car. I froze when I saw the man in the back. Him! The strange man I’d seen skulking about during my shift at the hotel this afternoon. My heart raced. I had to stop letting men push me around and start standing up for myself. I focused on breathing and tried to think.
I’d become a lot more aware of my surroundings after Flasher Freak, so I’d thought it odd at the time when this guy kept wandering in and out of the hotel as though casing the joint. He wore an overcoat and a hat, but at least he had pants on. In fact, he looked a lot like Inspector Gadget.
Don’t even think about inspecting me, creep .
Grabbing my newly-charged phone, I flipped it open and then hung up, biting my bottom lip. Somehow, I didn’t think the officer manning the desk at the police department would appreciate a second phone call claiming Inspector Gadget was following me. Besides, I couldn’t take any more gum snapping.
I peeked over my shoulder. He shoved something in the inside pocket of his bulging coat and then pulled the edges closed. I swallowed. There might be a gun in there.
With no intention of letting this weirdo know where I lived, I decided to get off at the next stop. I pulled the cord, and the subway car’s brakes squealed as it came to a body-wrenching halt. I stayed still until the last possible minute and then bolted out the door seconds before it closed, hoping to lose the Inspector. With long strides, I put some distance between the subway and me.
A few minutes later, I checked behind me again and couldn’t believe it. Gadget ducked under an awning and pretended to window shop. This guy really was following me. If I couldn’t lose him, then I had to outwit him.
“Okay, pal, two can play at this game.”
I pretended not to see him but slowed my pace to avoid losing him. Rounding a corner, I headed onto a less busy street and then slipped into a deserted doorway. I pulled off my heavy mittens and slid my backpack off my shoulder, unzipped the bag, and then rummaged inside for something, anything, that could be used as a weapon.
Most women carried their lipstick, a brush, some perfume... not me. I never understood why women fussed so much over themselves. All I needed was an extra tampon, some ibuprofen, and maybe a real can of pepper spray. Now those were useful items. How on earth would a tube of lipstick help me if I got into trouble?
Since I didn’t even have Gloria’s deodorant--let alone pepper spray--and I didn’t think a tampon would help me in this crisis, I’d have to make do. But I couldn’t find anything useful in the contents of the main zipper. After searching all the other compartments with no success, my hand bumped against something hard in a side pocket I never used. Frowning, I unzipped the pocket and gasped.
Gloria .
I didn’t know whether to kill her or kiss her for leaving me this little surprise. Some people walked by the entrance, reminding me of why I was hiding in a deserted doorway as dusk settled around me, so I stuffed my shaking hand in my pocket and waited with my weapon.
I’d deal with Gloria later.
CHAPTER SIX
Forget the bongos, a whole flipping drum line banged against my chest as I hid in the doorway. The guy following me who looked like Inspector Gadget would be turning the corner at any second, and I planned to be ready.
Okay, so maybe I was a little nuts. But I couldn’t call the cops. Like they’d believe me after the “cat attack” complaint. I snorted. And calling Dylan? Well, that was out of the question.
As I studied the few people who walked by, a blast of overpowering perfume assaulted my nose. Whew, someone needed to tell Ms. I-Smell-Expensive that less was more. Covering my face with my free hand, I held back a sneeze. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t a
I stepped onto the packed subway, grabbed a pole for support, and then scanned the car. I froze when I saw the man in the back. Him! The strange man I’d seen skulking about during my shift at the hotel this afternoon. My heart raced. I had to stop letting men push me around and start standing up for myself. I focused on breathing and tried to think.
I’d become a lot more aware of my surroundings after Flasher Freak, so I’d thought it odd at the time when this guy kept wandering in and out of the hotel as though casing the joint. He wore an overcoat and a hat, but at least he had pants on. In fact, he looked a lot like Inspector Gadget.
Don’t even think about inspecting me, creep .
Grabbing my newly-charged phone, I flipped it open and then hung up, biting my bottom lip. Somehow, I didn’t think the officer manning the desk at the police department would appreciate a second phone call claiming Inspector Gadget was following me. Besides, I couldn’t take any more gum snapping.
I peeked over my shoulder. He shoved something in the inside pocket of his bulging coat and then pulled the edges closed. I swallowed. There might be a gun in there.
With no intention of letting this weirdo know where I lived, I decided to get off at the next stop. I pulled the cord, and the subway car’s brakes squealed as it came to a body-wrenching halt. I stayed still until the last possible minute and then bolted out the door seconds before it closed, hoping to lose the Inspector. With long strides, I put some distance between the subway and me.
A few minutes later, I checked behind me again and couldn’t believe it. Gadget ducked under an awning and pretended to window shop. This guy really was following me. If I couldn’t lose him, then I had to outwit him.
“Okay, pal, two can play at this game.”
I pretended not to see him but slowed my pace to avoid losing him. Rounding a corner, I headed onto a less busy street and then slipped into a deserted doorway. I pulled off my heavy mittens and slid my backpack off my shoulder, unzipped the bag, and then rummaged inside for something, anything, that could be used as a weapon.
Most women carried their lipstick, a brush, some perfume... not me. I never understood why women fussed so much over themselves. All I needed was an extra tampon, some ibuprofen, and maybe a real can of pepper spray. Now those were useful items. How on earth would a tube of lipstick help me if I got into trouble?
Since I didn’t even have Gloria’s deodorant--let alone pepper spray--and I didn’t think a tampon would help me in this crisis, I’d have to make do. But I couldn’t find anything useful in the contents of the main zipper. After searching all the other compartments with no success, my hand bumped against something hard in a side pocket I never used. Frowning, I unzipped the pocket and gasped.
Gloria .
I didn’t know whether to kill her or kiss her for leaving me this little surprise. Some people walked by the entrance, reminding me of why I was hiding in a deserted doorway as dusk settled around me, so I stuffed my shaking hand in my pocket and waited with my weapon.
I’d deal with Gloria later.
CHAPTER SIX
Forget the bongos, a whole flipping drum line banged against my chest as I hid in the doorway. The guy following me who looked like Inspector Gadget would be turning the corner at any second, and I planned to be ready.
Okay, so maybe I was a little nuts. But I couldn’t call the cops. Like they’d believe me after the “cat attack” complaint. I snorted. And calling Dylan? Well, that was out of the question.
As I studied the few people who walked by, a blast of overpowering perfume assaulted my nose. Whew, someone needed to tell Ms. I-Smell-Expensive that less was more. Covering my face with my free hand, I held back a sneeze. Who was I kidding? I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t a
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