by Dan Dillard
Chapter 5
Emily left Ethan standing in Aaron’s driveway and stopped on the way home for a slushy. On the way to the counter, she grabbed a pack of jerky for Squirt. The counter jockey was an old man and not as subtle as her dinner companions. He didn’t just look at her cleavage, he was taking a mental video. She pretended not to notice as she leaned on the counter, pushing her boobs together with her arms to give him a good long stare. She thought it might just get her a discount.
Then she wandered out the door, swinging her ass for the pervert, turning to give him vicious fuck-me eyes before she left, all in good fun.
As she sat down in the car and scratched the dog, her cell rang, startling her. She cranked the engine and then picked up the phone. The number was the one she had just saved to her phone ten minutes before.
That was quick.
“Hey Emily? It’s Ethan.”
She smiled and let him fumble for a moment.
After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, he said, “How are you?”
She thought it was cute and was surprised at her own excitement to hear his voice.
“Hello, Ethan. Since ten minutes ago, I’m fine.”
She was riding on a high. Between meeting a decent guy and revving the old attendant’s motor, it had been a good night. The old attendant was still staring out the window.
“Did you miss me already?”
Maybe a bit flirty, but she didn’t care. She waved at the attendant as she pulled out of the parking lot, phone propped to her ear.
“You still driving?” he asked, his voice fuzzy with the mediocre reception.
She had the radio on and the window down, but quickly remedied both issues before responding.
“I had to stop at the store. What are you up to?”
“I was distracted tonight and wanted you to know it wasn't anything to do with you. So I'm apologizing.”
“You should. I was devastated,” she said.
Now it was his turn to pause.
She laughed joyously, “Really, you were fine. I thought we had a great talk.”
Squirt sat on the passenger seat, safely buckled into his doggie seat and gnawing on his treat. They talked through the rest of her drive home and she told him where she lived. Being a town native, he knew the precise location.
“So, now that I know where you live, can I pick you up for lunch sometime?”
“You don't know which apartment it is.”
Ethan thought for a second before responding, “True, but I do know what kind of car you drive.”
“Okay, stalker,” she said.
“Right. Maybe we could meet for lunch, then?”
“I'd like that,” she said.
They finalized a simple plan that would give them a chance to talk before the next dinner at Aaron’s place. Aaron had promised to make things up to them for taking the work call and disappearing.
Emily hung up and finished her slushy, walking in the door. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then slipped into a t-shirt and crawled into bed. She looked over the edge of the mattress at the little dog who was already curled in his bed next to hers, sleeping peacefully.
“What’d you think, Squirt?” she asked.
He raised his sleepy head, fur matted around his dry little nose, and looked back. His tail flopped a few times and he put his head back down.
“Me, too,” she said, and popped the alarm clock’s switch to ‘ON’.
..ooOOoo..
Across town, Aaron was still on the phone.