P L A Y L I S T
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Goodbye To You - The Veronicas
So What - Pink
Zari Davis froze in her tracks and leaned in. Throaty moans, heavy breathing, and rhythmic grunts came from the other side of Perry's office door. Maybe he was rearranging furniture. No, he wouldn't do that. He wasn't into physical labor. Could be members of the cleaning crew moving things. She'd seen their van parked on the street. But then again, there'd been no sign of them when she got off the elevator.
She stepped closer and listened harder. Half those noises came from a female, and they sounded more like sex than decorating. Her brain throbbed with indecision. Perry's car was parked out front, but he wouldn't have a woman in there. Would he? No. Of course not.
Zari cleared the thoughts from her head, took another step closer, and listened again. She'd never had sex in an office but admitted it appealed to her. Later, when she told Perry about this, maybe he'd get turned on and suggest they do it. Who was she kidding? In the seven months, they'd been together, he'd never proposed anything remotely wild. He wasn't a risk taker. At least not in the bedroom. For that reason, the pair on the other side of the door had to be strangers. No need to embarrass them, not to mention herself, because she'd be mortified to confront a couple in the act.
With a deep breath, she commanded her feet to ease back down the hall. Rising to her tiptoes, she took one step backward, as the female half of the lovers spoke in a breathy cooing tone.
"Perry. You've got to stop traveling so much. Two weeks is too long to go without you."
Bile rose in Zari's throat. What were the chances of another man named Perry doing it in Perry's office? A man who traveled abroad each month? Wait. Perry hadn't been gone. He wasn't leaving until... tomorrow. None of this made sense.
"Damn, Bethany, you make me come so hard. Starting next month, I'm cutting my travel time down to a week."
It was Perry. Her Perry. Then it hit her like a truck. He'd been juggling her with Bethany. She's as stupid as I am. When she thinks he's out of town, he's with me. And vice-versa.
Zari clamped her hand over her mouth to stop from heaving. That son-of-a-bitch-low-life-cheating-scum-bag-excuse-for-a-man. The screams of their mutual orgasm knocked the thought from her brain, and then Scumbag spoke.
"I'm glad. With you gone so often, this past year has been difficult."
Zari clutched the briefcase she was holding until her fingers numbed, forcing herself to peer around the corner. A flash of butt cheek and she backed up against the wall, out of sight. What an idiot she'd been! When she'd noticed it on the coffee table, thinking he might need it, she'd jumped in her car and rushed to his office.
Perry and Bethany's voices returned to normal. Soon they'd come out, and Zari couldn't face them. No, she had to get out of here, so she willed her body into action and sprinted down the hall, to the elevator, and out of the building.
An hour after witnessing a cheating Perry, she shoved open the door to her apartment and hurled his expensive Corinthian leather attaché to the floor with so much force it snapped open. Papers scattered across the hardwood.
This couldn't be happening. Not again. After her two relationships crashed and burned, Perry had restored her faith in lasting love. He was so affectionate. Patient. Kind-hearted. Perfect.
She fell to her knees, laughing and crying at the same time. God, her brain was on fire. A wave of nausea turned her stomach into a roller coaster ride, and the room spun around her. The laughing and crying evolved into guttural sobs. This couldn't be happening. Not again. She desperately wanted a drink, but no amount of tequila could wash away the image of Perry and another woman that kept replaying in her head, a nightmare loop that just wouldn't stop.
Wiping the tears from her face, she sucked in a long breath, then exhaled as she raked the spilled papers into a pile. The one on top got her attention as she wiped away an errant tear that soaked into the page, blurring a bit of ink.
What was he doing with an offshore bank account in Liechtenstein under his name? Weren't they used for illegal activities? She picked up the stapled document and turned to the next page. Ten million dollars? Not possible. Other than the sporty car he drove, he was the most frugal man she knew. His meager apartment barely had enough seating for more than three people, and his suits came from department stores. No fancy Rolex either. Instead, he depended on his phone for the time. She snapped several pictures on her phone and emailed it to herself, making a note to show it to her godfather later.
Everything that occurred after that had blurred. She didn't remember packing a suitcase, or even getting into her car but somehow that all must have happened because she was flying down the highway headed to only God knew where. One minute, she had stumbled out of her apartment with a duffle of wrinkled clothes and a bag of toiletries. The next, she had turned on the interstate aimlessly, flash bang images of Perry flitting through her head a thousand miles an hour.
She had sworn off love once, and she could do it again. During her rehearsal dinner three years ago, she'd caught her fiancé with her maid of honor in the coat closet and thought that was the worst thing that could happen. How silly she'd been.
Well, chalk one up for the books. Perry was not only a cheater but a criminal too? Yeah, he took first place in the worst of the worst department. She'd have to go back into therapy.
She should have never let her godbrother, Dante, talk her into joining that dating site. But after meeting Perry, the most considerate, dependable, non-judgmental guy on the planet, she'd decided it'd been a good idea.
As if the thought caused it, her phone rang. She glanced down at the screen. Did she really want to talk to him? No. Yes.
"Hello."
"Zari, love. Where are you? It's my last night in town for a while and I thought I'd take you out for dinner."
Zari grit her teeth. It only reaffirmed her anger at him. "No," she spat. "You listen to me, Perry. Take your briefcase, leave the key to my apartment on the counter, lock the door behind you, and go back to your other girlfriend. It looked like you were really enjoying her company. I don't ever want to see or speak to you again."
She didn't give him time to respond. She ended the call and tossed the cell onto the passenger seat, spurned that she couldn't emphasize her anger by slamming her phone down on a cradle. There was nothing he could say. She glanced at her surroundings. How long had she been on the road? Her brain burned with so many questions, she'd not paid attention to the time. She checked the clock on the dash. Over three hours since she'd escaped from his office, and he was just now calling her? He must have taken Bethany to dinner. Or maybe they'd fucked again. Her stomach clenched at the memory of those lustful sounds. Most of the time with her, he didn't even act that interested.
A clap of thunder made her flinch and brought her from her misery. Up ahead, a neon sign flashed Food, Gas, Beer. She wheeled into the drive. With three lanes and eight pumps, it must be a slow day because other than an extended cab dually covered in mud; she was the only customer. After refueling, she went inside.
The kid behind the counter wearing a bright red vest looked to be about eighteen and miserable. She felt his pain. At that age, she'd been taking orders at the local DQ, despite Alisha's protests trying to get her an internship at the hospital. Hard to believe that had only been five years ago. She placed her purchases on the counter.
The boy eyed the customer standing behind her. "Be right with you, sir."
Zari glanced over her shoulder at the tall, lanky dude. Oily hair hung from beneath his cowboy hat. One cheek poked out like a hamster storing food. Yuck.
The clerk rang her sale and grinned. "You need a bag for this?"
She smiled. "No thanks."
On the way out, the magazines display by the entrance caught her eye, but then she remembered the two unfinished romance books she started months ago. She was pretty sure she'd packed them. Not that she wanted to read about love. Murder would be more like it.
As she reached the door, the cowboy pushed it open.
"Need help with that, sugar?"
She cut her eyes toward him and leveled him with a withering glare Medusa would be proud of. "It's just a bottle of water and a candy bar. I think I can manage, thanks."
"Sorry, sugar. Never been able to resist a pretty little princess like yourself." Zari flinched at the usage of her old nickname, but he couldn't have known it hit so close to home.
"Just passing through or visiting?"
Shit. Zari wondered for the umpteenth time if she had a sign on her forehead saying: 'Give me your weird, your poor, your huddled rednecks yearning to hook up with Zari Davis. Send these, the toothless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my skirt beside the golden Volkswagen!'
Mmm. Better not let him think she was alone. "I'm visiting. My Aunt. Over in the next town."
"Grapevine?"
"Uh, yeah." Wherever that was.
He scratched at his greasy beard with oil stained fingers."What's her name? I might know her."
Zari's mind raced. All she wanted to do was jump in her car and drive away from the tobacco-chewing-goat-roper, putting as many miles between them as possible. "Minerva. Minerva McGonagall."
He cocked his head. Narrowed his eyes.
Zari held her breath and bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
"Nope. Don't believe I know her."
"Well, gotta run. Aunt Minerva and my boyfriend are expecting me."
For the next ten miles, Zari checked her rearview mirror to make sure Wrangler Joe wasn't following her. How was it she attracted the wrong kind of men? Where were all the BBC Merlin look-alikes? The King Arthur's? The Sir Lancelot's? Hell, even The Prince Charming's? Not in her world for sure.
At a fork in the road, she veered right. So caught up in worry about being stalked, she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Where the hell was she? This didn't look like the interstate access road.
Fumbling for her phone, she knocked her purse from the passenger seat and dumped the contents onto the floor. Crap. Should've checked her route when she stopped for gas. Not that she had a destination. Only to get out of Dallas and away from Perry. Pick a direction and go. South was as good as any.
She held up the cell. No signal. Trying Google Maps proved fruitless. Off to the left, lights glowed above the treeline. Must be the interstate. It had only been twenty minutes since she'd refueled. Couldn't be too far.
Even though it was only four o'clock, cloud cover made it appear much later. So far, Mother Nature only threatened rain, but from the looks of the sky, a downpour seemed imminent. The last thing Zari wanted was to get lost in the woods. Well, that was next to the last thing. The real last thing was to go back in time before seeing Perry's white ass and the other blond between his knees. When he'd cuddled with Zari in front of the fireplace, a mug of hot chocolate in hand, bingeing on chick flicks. Planning ski trips and tropical vacations. Fantasizing about their future. All of it, a lie.
Her chest burned at the thought of telling her family. She could see Alisha Davis's famous sympathetic expression for another wrong decision. And the list was long. Dropping out of college. Another failed relationship bringing her grand total to three. A lot for her age. But she'd learned a lesson from each. Well, the first two, anyway. Moving in with serious girlfriend number one taught her when cohabiting, always have the other move in. That way, when the relationship ended, they'd be the one to leave, and she'd wouldn't be homeless. Well, she'd never be without a place to stay. She could always move in with her mom. But seeing her disappointment every day would be unbearable. Being in that too-big house surrounded by memories of her father would be even more depressing.
Every phone call ended with her mother passively aggressively expressing how Zari was better than this and throwing her future away. Zari was the only one in the family without a degree. Her mother was a doctor and her dad had been an engineer. And then there was Zari, who didn't live up to anyone's expectations.
Then her job history. Or, the mountain of failure as her mother had so eloquently addressed it when Zari overheard her on the phone with Theodore one afternoon. Bartending, waitressing, and retail sales had terrible hours. Just the opposite for the teacher's aide position for Art Composition she'd kept for one semester before budget cuts. But being around those kids, she'd stayed sick all the time. And as a customer service representative, listening to people complain all day threw her into a constant state of depression. She'd loved working at the bakery, but the ten pounds she gained warned her of bigger things to come. Like her hips.
She wished Dad was alive. He'd understand heartbreak and indecision. Maybe becoming fatherless at thirteen was the cause of Zari's problems.
She sniffed and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her shirt. That was all behind her. She couldn't un-ring any of those bells. Besides, she'd fixed the job problem by going to work in Matthew and Theodore's law office. Didn't take a lot of skill to answer the phone and set appointments. It wasn't what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, but it paid the bills.
At the next street, she hung a left. The lights drew closer, so she must be going in the right direction. Up ahead, through the fine mist, she saw a sign. Couldn't quite make out the letters, but as she turned between two brick columns, it came into focus. Holiday Hills Estate Homes. Winding her way through the neighborhood, it appeared she'd arrived at a Scooby-Doo ghost town. Green lights outlined every rooftop, casting an eerie haze.
She turned onto Mistletoe Lane, then Evergreen Place. Next, she crossed Garland Avenue and Reindeer Road.
Only three days ago kids tricked or treated, but apparently, residents here wanted to be the first to launch the Yuletide season. Or, maybe the decorations were left over from Halloween. She briefly closed her eyes and thought about last week's costume party. Perry's suggestion to dress like Bill and Hillary Clinton had been an amusing idea, but now she wondered if the joke was on her.
A pain twisted in her chest. Should have known then. Lately, he'd been preoccupied, but he always got that way when the stock market fluctuated. She'd thought it was because he felt responsible when his clients lost money, but now, it was quite likely he'd probably been stealing from them while he was cheating on her. She placed a hand on her chest. Breathe. Just breathe.
With two more cleansing gulps, she went back to her primary concern of finding civilization again. No matter how festive, this was the boonies. She pulled to the side of the street and held her phone out the window. Not a single bar. Who the hell lived in a fancy place like this without service? From the look of the houses, these people could pay for a private cell tower.
Great. Just great. She'd made an impulsive decision to leave town without a plan, and now she was lost. It'd be dark soon, and she hated driving at night. Especially in unfamiliar territory.
She rested her pounding head on the steering wheel just as Mother Nature stopped fooling around and unleashed a light show as spectacular as the Fourth of July fireworks she and Perry had attended last summer. Damn. Everything reminded her of him.
Suddenly, rain hammered the car. Thunder cracked the sky. No need to fight the weather. She'd stay parked until the downpour ended. Setting the brake, she dug through the contents on the floor, hoping to find the candy bar she'd bought at the Quick Mart. Nothing like a rainy night and chocolate to ease a broken heart.
At least no one would worry about not reaching her because she'd texted her mom and Dante earlier. Didn't bother with details; no need to burden them with her unhappiness. Not until she could say she was okay and be convincing.
Raking her fingers across the floor again, she latched onto the prize and ripped it open. Mmm. Nougat topped with caramel and peanuts coated in milk chocolate. The first bite gave her a head rush. Even if everything in her life was shit, she could count on chocolate to make her feel a little better.
If she could only turn back the clock. Make everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours a nightmare. Once again, she was left disappointed. Well, no more. Instead, she could see this as an opportunity for a fresh start. Things happen for a reason. One door closes, and another one opens. Positive thoughts make the brain form a habit of optimism. At least that's what Dr. Jackson, super therapist, said.
Pushing her neediness aside, Zari swallowed the last bit of goodness and licked her fingers. Why not? She didn't have to be ladylike for anyone. Not anymore. Her only regret was not buying two pieces of candy. If she could find her way back to the gas station, she'd do that. Stock up and promise herself from now on wasted calories would be her only temptation.
She leaned forward and gazed into the darkness. The rain had stopped. Pulling from the curb, she found the entrance and headed in the same direction from which she came. This time she'd backtrack and take the other choice at the fork.
A gust of wind shook her car. Even though she loved her bug, during storms, she pictured it turning into a giant yellow bowling ball hurling out of control down the highway with her inside. As soon as she escaped the creepy forest, she'd be okay. Get a room for the night and tomorrow she'd decide on a destination. Map a route so she wouldn't get lost again. Running away never solved anything, but she needed a few days to clear her head and adjust to her new resolution.
Someday she would boast with pride how she'd not had sex since the Obama administration. No big deal. Since everyone she'd loved cheated on her, clearly, she wasn't good at it anyway.
Twisting the dial on the radio for an upbeat song to boost her spirits, she landed on a country tune about being a better man. Even the radio mocked her.
What she'd give to talk to Dad. He'd always known how to fix everything. Despite the fact they weren't ever really close, Alisha had done her best to be both parents, but there were some things only dads understood.
Well, she could talk to her godbrothers, they were the closest family she had. Micah would console her. Owen would offer to perform surgery on Perry. Remove the tool from the tool. And Dante, he'd be pissed. Their connection was strong, but this was a problem even her best friend couldn't fix. But since he'd been the one to convince her to get back in the dating arena, he'd feel responsible.
Zari chided herself. No more pity party. She'd do what every girl did when something traumatic happened - chop off her hair and put on some red lipstick. Maybe a little retail therapy. Change her style, change her life. She might even get a tattoo. Something bold. Yeah, she could pull that off even if the wildest thing she'd ever done was TP-ing the band director's house back in ninth grade for giving the first chair clarinet to his niece, who could barely play Hot Cross Buns.
And sex. If in a weak moment she decided to opt for a one night stand, she'd be shameless. Just get what she wanted. No more sweet little nice girl.
She grasped the radio knob again and glanced away for a second, but that's all it took. By the time she looked up, it was too late. She gripped the steering wheel hard and slammed on the brakes. Her bones turned to stone; muscles stretched tight. Her heart jumped into her throat and strangled her scream. The VW slid to the left. She jerked the wheel, and the car slipped to the right, then spun out of control, flipped, skidded, and as Cher sang, If I Could Turn Back Time, everything went black.
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Hi, and thank you for reading!
I'm sure some of you don't care for reading smutty scenes, do not worry. I will always warn you at the beginning of the chapter if there's any graphic sex scenes, and will put a warning before and after the scene so that you can still read the chapter without burning out your retinas.