Out of the Flames

Chapter 6. Surprise Date

"Why are you so nervous?" Edi asked.

"I'm not nervous." I said defensively.

"Yes, you are."

"Suddenly you're an expert now?" I said relaxing a bit now that we had mostly switched topics.

"You were looking around for a distraction, drumming your fingers, which is an either bored or nervous tendency, when I leaned in you pulled back to keep distance between us and when we switched topics your posture relaxed. Therefore, you are hiding something you don't want me to know about you, Kansas and dangerous people who have you in their bad books." He finished leaving me slightly wide-eyed and panicking.

"You need to shut up and never talk about this if you ever want to see me again. Never ever bring up the subject again." I hissed checking over my shoulder to see if there was anyone was sitting within hearing distance. When I turned back to him he had a funny expression of realization on his face.

"Tina, you are scared. They are after you. My goodness, what did you do?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"Nothing! Now you really need to be quiet. I am dead serious. In fact we need to leave. Right now. I need to go home." I quickly ate the last bit of my ice cream before standing up and turning to go.

"Tina, wait, tell me what is going on." Edi asked catching my arm so I couldn't run.

"Let go." I told him with a glare.

"Not until you tell me, I can help you."

"Let me go." I said louder. I looked around the area to see if anyone would help me.

"Tina please. Just tell me why you are so scared!"

"I can't! So let me go Edi!" I cried trying to jerk my arm out of his grasp.

Finally, a tall man in a nice suit approached us, "Ma'am, are you ok?" He asked me with concern.

"I will be once he lets me go." I told the man giving Edi a pointed look. Edi released my arm and held up his hands in surrender, he shook his head in disbelief.

"Just let me help you." Edi begged looking at me with his fake blue eyes that were filled with real compassion and kindness.

"You can have one more chance. But I still need to leave." I told him before addressing the man in a suit, "Thank you sir, I appreciate your help."

"No problem, but if he isn't treating you right, you ditch him, ok?" He said looking me in the eyes with serious eyes.

"We're not together, I think. And he really didn't mean any harm." I said defending Edi. "He's a nice boy he just got a bit carried away. Thank you again for your help."

"No problem." He said. I gave him a small smile before I bolted out the door. I walked calmly down the sidewalk being careful to neither look nor not look at my car. I walked half a block and stopped at the bus stop. I forced myself to act natural. Anyone who might be following me would be looking for signs of stress and anxiousness. I waited for about thirty seconds before a bus pulled up, I got on and rode for two minutes before getting off. Then I slipped into a clothing store and grabbed the cheapest sweater I could find in twenty seconds and brought it. I put it on and pulled my hair out of its ponytail. I let it fall in my face. I visualized that my hair was pale blonde and that I was 5 feet tall with a full figure. The change in height was so sudden that I had to take a moment to get reoriented.

I walked out the back of the shop with a completely new look. I hurried back to the open street and hailed the first cab I saw. I got the driver to take me to a block north of the ice cream store. During the drive I turned my new jacket inside out to freshen my look and braided a piece of my blonde hair back. I also decided that three more inches and twenty less pounds would be a good change. When we arrived I payed him with cash then walked with hunched shoulders and a very realistic limp over to my car which was parked beside the ice cream place. I quickly hopped into my car and drove away smoothly. I went for a slight detour, ran a few yellow lights and took a couple of back alleys before I pulled over and did a twenty second switch of my license plate. I got back in my car and drove home.