police arrived. Pictures and statements were taken, with all of the witnesses being interviewed in separate rooms. Eventually the police left and her heart began to slow to a sane speed.
Closing the door behind the police, she got a broom from the closet by the back door and began to sweep up the glass in her waiting room. Luckily the floor was hardwood, so it made the glass easier to sweep. Except the rock used to smash through the window had gouged the wood meaning it would require to be refinished.
The chill from the outside breeze invading her home curled like unwelcome fingers around her vulnerable shoulders. Lyssa couldn’t stay down here alone, she couldn’t even bring herself to turn her back on the broken window. The ink of black sky and the gentle rustle of distant trees whispered like voices of intimidating warning. She couldn’t turn off the light or she couldn’t see to work. But with the overhead light on she would be lit up to the outside world, framed in the shattered pane for anyone outside to admire or despise.
Voices upstairs became raised, carrying down the stairs, and giving her the excuse to leave the cleaning up until later.
In the living room, Keith was seated but Suzette and Pete were facing off.
‘Get your things,’ Pete demanded of Suzette.
‘I’m not running away, leaving my best friend alone.’
‘You’re not staying here,’ Pete said. ‘I had no idea that the danger was so imminent.’
‘If it is we should take Lyssa back to our place, now.’
‘No way,’ Pete said. ‘I don’t want her bringing danger on us.’
‘He’s right,’ Lyssa said, drawing the attention of everyone onto her. ‘You should go home, all of you.’
‘What if he’s still hanging around out there watching, waiting for us to leave?’ Suzette asked.
‘You can come back to mine,’ Keith said. ‘Or I can spend the night.’
The chirp of her cell phone saved her from having to respond to that either selfless or sordid offer. Pete and Suzette were arguing again by the time Lyssa got to her purse in the kitchen.
With preceding events she wasn’t thinking straight and so the fact that it was almost midnight didn’t factor in her thoughts until after she answered.
‘Hello?’
‘You’ll have to cover that window, Cherrypop.’
Just hearing his voice loosened her body, and she inhaled a long, cleansing breath. ‘Colt,’ she whispered.
‘Staying there isn’t smart, honey.’
‘I’ve already had an offer to stay elsewhere.’
‘Suzette?’
‘No, Pete won’t have me endangering her and he’s right. This is my mess to deal with and no one else’s.’
‘Except mine,’ he said. ‘You’re paying me to deal with it.’
‘I guess,’ she said, drooping into a dinner chair.
‘So Keith wants into your underwear?’
‘How do you know he’s the one who made the offer?’
‘There’s no one else there,’ he said. ‘And twice in one week for dinner says he’s interested in more than conversation.’
‘Suzette says he likes me, he knows I’m not interested.’
‘None of my business,’ he said and she was sure she could hear a tone of distaste. ‘Just be careful about hooking up with unknown men while this bullshit is going on.’
‘No one else gets the offer you did, babe. I’ll wait until you’re ready.’
‘You’re a client, Lys.’
‘You said that already. But my curiosity about you has only grown since we kissed. I want you.’
‘Do you think that now is the time to talk about this?’
‘Ok, you be sensible and responsible,’ she exhaled, fingering the strap of her purse. ‘I’m glad you called. I feel safer just knowing that you know.’
‘Do you want me to tell Blase that you’ll be taking tomorrow night off?’
‘Tell him? He’s my boss. If I need the night off I’ll ask Blase if it’s convenient for him. But I don’t want the night off, I’ll feel better out of the house… and I want to see you.’
‘What makes you think that I’ll
Closing the door behind the police, she got a broom from the closet by the back door and began to sweep up the glass in her waiting room. Luckily the floor was hardwood, so it made the glass easier to sweep. Except the rock used to smash through the window had gouged the wood meaning it would require to be refinished.
The chill from the outside breeze invading her home curled like unwelcome fingers around her vulnerable shoulders. Lyssa couldn’t stay down here alone, she couldn’t even bring herself to turn her back on the broken window. The ink of black sky and the gentle rustle of distant trees whispered like voices of intimidating warning. She couldn’t turn off the light or she couldn’t see to work. But with the overhead light on she would be lit up to the outside world, framed in the shattered pane for anyone outside to admire or despise.
Voices upstairs became raised, carrying down the stairs, and giving her the excuse to leave the cleaning up until later.
In the living room, Keith was seated but Suzette and Pete were facing off.
‘Get your things,’ Pete demanded of Suzette.
‘I’m not running away, leaving my best friend alone.’
‘You’re not staying here,’ Pete said. ‘I had no idea that the danger was so imminent.’
‘If it is we should take Lyssa back to our place, now.’
‘No way,’ Pete said. ‘I don’t want her bringing danger on us.’
‘He’s right,’ Lyssa said, drawing the attention of everyone onto her. ‘You should go home, all of you.’
‘What if he’s still hanging around out there watching, waiting for us to leave?’ Suzette asked.
‘You can come back to mine,’ Keith said. ‘Or I can spend the night.’
The chirp of her cell phone saved her from having to respond to that either selfless or sordid offer. Pete and Suzette were arguing again by the time Lyssa got to her purse in the kitchen.
With preceding events she wasn’t thinking straight and so the fact that it was almost midnight didn’t factor in her thoughts until after she answered.
‘Hello?’
‘You’ll have to cover that window, Cherrypop.’
Just hearing his voice loosened her body, and she inhaled a long, cleansing breath. ‘Colt,’ she whispered.
‘Staying there isn’t smart, honey.’
‘I’ve already had an offer to stay elsewhere.’
‘Suzette?’
‘No, Pete won’t have me endangering her and he’s right. This is my mess to deal with and no one else’s.’
‘Except mine,’ he said. ‘You’re paying me to deal with it.’
‘I guess,’ she said, drooping into a dinner chair.
‘So Keith wants into your underwear?’
‘How do you know he’s the one who made the offer?’
‘There’s no one else there,’ he said. ‘And twice in one week for dinner says he’s interested in more than conversation.’
‘Suzette says he likes me, he knows I’m not interested.’
‘None of my business,’ he said and she was sure she could hear a tone of distaste. ‘Just be careful about hooking up with unknown men while this bullshit is going on.’
‘No one else gets the offer you did, babe. I’ll wait until you’re ready.’
‘You’re a client, Lys.’
‘You said that already. But my curiosity about you has only grown since we kissed. I want you.’
‘Do you think that now is the time to talk about this?’
‘Ok, you be sensible and responsible,’ she exhaled, fingering the strap of her purse. ‘I’m glad you called. I feel safer just knowing that you know.’
‘Do you want me to tell Blase that you’ll be taking tomorrow night off?’
‘Tell him? He’s my boss. If I need the night off I’ll ask Blase if it’s convenient for him. But I don’t want the night off, I’ll feel better out of the house… and I want to see you.’
‘What makes you think that I’ll
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