traveled a lot of miles together.
When she pulled in the driveway, she stopped and let Dowser out for a run, then turned toward the house. Waiting on the steps were two huge baskets of red roses. She parked quickly and ran over to the house; she laughed as she read the note.
This is all the florist had.
Love, Sam
She took the baskets inside and put one arrangement in the living room and the other in the bedroom. Cupping one bud in her hand, she inhaled the sweet fragrance. No one had ever sent her roses before. She was humming as she went in to take a bath, fantasizing all sorts of delicious scenarios for tonight. “A softer place,” he’d said.
* * *
It was almost ten o’clock. The chicken was dry, the broccoli was mush, and the parslied potatoes had congealed in their butter. Max stashed the whole mess in the refrigerator and blew out the candle on the table. Where was Sam anyway? She’d been sure he would come over. Now she felt like a fool for putting on a silk dress and sexy underwear. She didn’t even know why she’d packed such things.
She tried not to think about Sam, knowing that with the least provocation the lump in her throat would change to tears. Instead she put on a nightshirt, popped a big bowl of popcorn, and climbed into bed to watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
* * *
Her body clammy and tangled in twisted sheets, Max came half awake. Dowser whined and his wet nose nudged against her cheek. The room was dark. Her heart was still pounding heavily with the horror of a nightmare. Monsters, body snatchers, had surrounded the house and were about to come in the windows after her. She’d been trying to scream, but no sound would come from her throat. It had seemed so real.
The Doberman whined again and raised his head toward the window, which was at her back.
Max’s heart switched to triple time as childhood terrors rose up like specters, sucking the air from her lungs, paralyzing her limbs. It was real! “They’re here,” she whispered with lips almost frozen by fear.
Her first inclination was to bury her head under the covers and wait, shivering, for the inevitable. Using every bit of willpower she possessed, she forced herself to roll over and face the dreaded creatures.
Standing outside the window, his grotesque face illuminated by moonlight, was the most hideous monster Max had ever seen or imagined.
Chapter 6
Max screamed and bounded from the bed in a mad dash from the room, flipping on lights as she went. Damn! Her cell phone was on the bedside table. No way was she going back for it. She ran to the kitchen phone instead. Sam’s number was the first thing she saw on the note board, and she jabbed at the glowing buttons on the dial. He answered on the second ring.
“Sam, call the police! It’s the body snatchers! They’re after me!” She slammed down the receiver and sank to the floor.
Knees drawn up to her chin, she sat huddled by the kitchen cabinets, shivering, trying to catch her breath. Dowser lay beside her, his head in the crook of her arm, his body shaking as hard as hers.
A few minutes later there was a hammering on the door. She nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Max! Open up!”
Sam. It was Sam. She ran to the front door. Her fingers were trembling so badly that it took her three tries before she could turn the lock and slide the bolt. She flung open the door and threw herself into Sam’s arms.
“My God, Angel, you’re shaking like a leaf. What’s wrong?”
“A monster. He was after me.” She buried her face in his bare chest and waved an arm behind her. “I saw him. In there. Looking in the window.”
He held her close and made soothing noises. “It’s okay, love. I’m here.”
A siren came wailing up the drive, then a car door slammed. When Sam tried to move, Max wrapped herself around him with a death grip. “Don’t leave me,” she whimpered.
“I won’t leave you,” he said. “I just need to
When she pulled in the driveway, she stopped and let Dowser out for a run, then turned toward the house. Waiting on the steps were two huge baskets of red roses. She parked quickly and ran over to the house; she laughed as she read the note.
This is all the florist had.
Love, Sam
She took the baskets inside and put one arrangement in the living room and the other in the bedroom. Cupping one bud in her hand, she inhaled the sweet fragrance. No one had ever sent her roses before. She was humming as she went in to take a bath, fantasizing all sorts of delicious scenarios for tonight. “A softer place,” he’d said.
* * *
It was almost ten o’clock. The chicken was dry, the broccoli was mush, and the parslied potatoes had congealed in their butter. Max stashed the whole mess in the refrigerator and blew out the candle on the table. Where was Sam anyway? She’d been sure he would come over. Now she felt like a fool for putting on a silk dress and sexy underwear. She didn’t even know why she’d packed such things.
She tried not to think about Sam, knowing that with the least provocation the lump in her throat would change to tears. Instead she put on a nightshirt, popped a big bowl of popcorn, and climbed into bed to watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
* * *
Her body clammy and tangled in twisted sheets, Max came half awake. Dowser whined and his wet nose nudged against her cheek. The room was dark. Her heart was still pounding heavily with the horror of a nightmare. Monsters, body snatchers, had surrounded the house and were about to come in the windows after her. She’d been trying to scream, but no sound would come from her throat. It had seemed so real.
The Doberman whined again and raised his head toward the window, which was at her back.
Max’s heart switched to triple time as childhood terrors rose up like specters, sucking the air from her lungs, paralyzing her limbs. It was real! “They’re here,” she whispered with lips almost frozen by fear.
Her first inclination was to bury her head under the covers and wait, shivering, for the inevitable. Using every bit of willpower she possessed, she forced herself to roll over and face the dreaded creatures.
Standing outside the window, his grotesque face illuminated by moonlight, was the most hideous monster Max had ever seen or imagined.
Chapter 6
Max screamed and bounded from the bed in a mad dash from the room, flipping on lights as she went. Damn! Her cell phone was on the bedside table. No way was she going back for it. She ran to the kitchen phone instead. Sam’s number was the first thing she saw on the note board, and she jabbed at the glowing buttons on the dial. He answered on the second ring.
“Sam, call the police! It’s the body snatchers! They’re after me!” She slammed down the receiver and sank to the floor.
Knees drawn up to her chin, she sat huddled by the kitchen cabinets, shivering, trying to catch her breath. Dowser lay beside her, his head in the crook of her arm, his body shaking as hard as hers.
A few minutes later there was a hammering on the door. She nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Max! Open up!”
Sam. It was Sam. She ran to the front door. Her fingers were trembling so badly that it took her three tries before she could turn the lock and slide the bolt. She flung open the door and threw herself into Sam’s arms.
“My God, Angel, you’re shaking like a leaf. What’s wrong?”
“A monster. He was after me.” She buried her face in his bare chest and waved an arm behind her. “I saw him. In there. Looking in the window.”
He held her close and made soothing noises. “It’s okay, love. I’m here.”
A siren came wailing up the drive, then a car door slammed. When Sam tried to move, Max wrapped herself around him with a death grip. “Don’t leave me,” she whimpered.
“I won’t leave you,” he said. “I just need to
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