by Tara Mills
“And yet I’m not worried.” Jackson pushed his way into the bathroom, leaving Yeager staring at the door completely mystified.
Jackson got his teeth brushed and his mouth rinsed. He even scrubbed his face, which refreshed him completely, and he was just straightening his tie before heading back out when his telephone rang.
“Hello?”
“Are you at the hospital?” Rob asked.
“I was. How did you know?”
“A patient of mine brought her kid in for stitches, and she thought you were me. She actually called the office to ask if her appointment was still on this afternoon.”
Jackson laughed in amazement. “No kidding?”
“So are you okay?”
“I just took a bite out of a cookie with peanut butter in it, that’s all.”
“Dare I ask?”
“Don’t.”
Rob exhaled slowly. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”
Jackson expected the question. Frankly it was getting old. “Absolutely.”
He grinned all the way back to the newsroom. Everyone must think he was nuts—bad choice of words—crazy, then. What they didn’t understand was that he really liked Sabrina. Not only did the mere sight of her get his blood pressure spiking excitedly, but he just plain liked her. She was fun to spend time with, an enjoyable meal companion, and interesting company. He loved how she responded to new things, so open and unguarded. She was genuine. What you saw was what you got. It was refreshing. He loved that she was quick to laugh and enjoyed quirky humor. That she would stroke his shower like it was Woody Allen’s orgasmatron still broke him up. So what if Sabrina was a spaz? It kept him on his toes dancing his merry way around her, drawn like a moth to the flame. Yes, he’d been singed, but he hadn’t burst into flames, not the lethal variety anyway, but sexually—whoa! No question she lit him like a torch. When they merged it was a nuclear meltdown.
No, he was a guy who appreciated challenges and needed to be stimulated both physically and intellectually. Sabrina was a living breathing thrill ride. He never knew what she was going to throw at him next, but he anticipated it anyway. For the first time in his life, his personal and professional lives were in balance, both delivering a heady shot of adrenaline to his system. Who the hell wouldn’t want that?
He spotted Derek and went to intercept him. “Tell me what’s happening with Keenan Noble and Austin Black. Any charges filed yet?”
They headed over to Derek’s desk to go over his notes.
****
Sabrina burst through the back door at the Oasis and hurried to her office. It was empty. Thirty seconds later Tanya came in.
“John decided to stop by one of his other accounts instead of waiting. He said he’d swing back later because he has new products to show you.”
“Fine.” Sabrina flopped onto her chair and let out a long miserable groan. “So…I just about killed him.”
“Jackson? How?”
“He has a peanut allergy, a pretty serious one.”
“Oooh, fudge.”
“No kidding. It scared the crap out of me. He had to give himself a shot, and then we rushed him to the emergency room. I swear I’m still shaking, and I know he was. He looked like death warmed over when I left him at the station.”
“Poor Jackson.”
“I feel just awful. I keep waiting for him to blow his top and start yelling at me, but he doesn’t. Even after this he was amazingly calm.”
“The guy’s got balls, I’ll give him that.” At Sabrina’s frown, she shrugged. “Sorry, but he does. What would you call it?”
“A death wish.”
“Come on. I don’t think he wants to throw in the towel or cash in his chips or whatever the hell they say when someone gives up on life. I think you fascinate him.”
Sabrina snorted bitterly. “Right, I’m fascinating. The most boring normal woman on the planet, and I’m fascinating?”
“It’s time to revise your opinion of yourself. Admit it—none of your entanglements with Jackson have been exactly normal.”
“I suppose not.”
“There you go. I think he likes tension, mayhem. Look where he works, for crying out loud. People like that are always in the center of the storm, and if they aren’t they’re chasing down another one trying to get into it. If you ask me, I think you’re perfect for each other.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what friends do.”
Sabrina smiled. “How are you holding up today?”
“Good. I called Brian while you were gone. He’s not in a very cooperative mood. What would you say to possibly taking a drive with me tonight?”
“What do you have in mind?”
Tanya gave her a devilish smile and closed the door for a little privacy.
****
They took Sabrina’s car and parked on the street well past the apartment building’s resident lot. Moving stealthily behind Tanya as they darted from one place of cover to the next on their way to Brian’s car, Sabrina couldn’t resist humming the “Mission Impossible” theme song.
“Would you knock that off or I’ll never get that stupid song out of my head,” Tanya hissed over her shoulder.
Sabrina grinned but fell silent. They sprinted the last ten feet, then dropped down behind Brian’s bumper. Both women scanned the area warily.
“Goodies,” Sabrina whispered.
“Goodies,” Tanya repeated, setting her black zippered pack of paraphernalia between them. Their heads brushed together as they both started rummaging.
“Where are the tub crayons? I want to start with the windows,” Sabrina whispered.
“Here.” Tanya put a few in Sabrina’s hand, then went looking for her weapon of choice. When she found the right bottle, her smile glowed white against her black face paint. “You ready?”
“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it,” Sabrina said with a nod.
“Let’s go.”
Tanya crept around the car to the windshield. Rising cautiously, she grabbed hold of the driver’s-side wiper and, using her thumb, flipped open the top of the small bottle.
“Astroglide that, you dick,” she hissed, drizzling the rubber blade liberally. There was a disgusting wet splat when she let go of the wiper and it slapped back into place.
Sabrina looked over at the sound, and they shared a muted giggle. Tanya ran around to the other side to repeat the process.
Meanwhile Sabrina was busy writing little messages on all the windows. The one on the driver’s side was in bright pink and proclaimed, My tiny willie looks really silly. The rear window said, Cheatin’ Cretin in florescent lime green.
“I like that,” Tanya whispered, opening the driver’s side with her spare key.
She carefully applied a nice patina of molasses to the seat, then proceeded to fill the cup holders next. Afterwards, setting the sticky jar aside, she pulled an aerosol spray can out of her hoodie pocket and doused the interior of the car with a liberal helping of Silly String.
“Did you get the steering wheel and pedals?” Sabrina called in an undertone as she wrote more size-relevant comments across the back window in large purple letters.
“Yep.”
“Don’t forget the rearview mirror.”
“I need another can, maybe a different color, because this one is running out.”
Sabrina reached into the bag and tossed her the first one she grabbed. “Very pretty,” she said, admiring Tanya’s attention to detail through the glass. “I think you should put the body paint over the speedometer.”
“Good idea. How about spraying inside the CD player?” Tanya asked in a hushed tone, already shaking the can in her hand.
“Better not.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Tanya dropped her duplicate key onto the driver’s seat and it slowly oozed its way into the deep crevice at the back. She carefully locked the sticky door and shut it quietly. “Inside’s d
one. What else have we got?”
“Fresh gloves first, then it’s on to the colored condoms.”
“Glow in the dark,” Tanya grinned, returning to the bag.
They lost count of how many they blew up, but eventually the antennae looked like a strange variety of foxglove in the dark. Sabrina finished it off while Tanya ran around the car liberally coating each door handle with heated lubricant. Then they stepped back to admire their handiwork.
“Hey, we forgot to shaving cream the wheels,” Tanya whispered.
“I’ll do this side. You can do the other one. Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I second that.”
Sabrina was just finishing the rear tire when she froze as headlights swept into the lot and lit her up. The car stopped so fast the tires squealed.
“Oh, my god! Run!”
The driver’s door flew open and Brian exploded out of it. “What the…? YOU BITCH!” His scream cracked the air like a sonic boom.
Terrified, Tanya and Sabrina took off, leaving their gear behind. Their panic gave them an unnatural burst of speed. Whipping around, Brian jumped back into the waiting car and gunned the engine.
Running as fast as their legs could carry them, the women tried not to think about what he’d do if he caught them.
“Through here. Come on!” Tanya cried, grabbing Sabrina by the arm.
They took a hard left, cutting between two buildings and running well away from the road so he couldn’t follow. The shadows absorbed them but the open spaces were well lit, so they stuck close to the shrubs and bushes. They could hear the car slowly patrolling for them.
“Think he’ll report me to the police?” Tanya asked, gasping as she ran. They cut across a yard and through the adjoining backyard of another house.
“How should I know? You’re the one who lived with him for three years.”
“Bet he does. I’m going to have a cold sore when they pick me up tomorrow. I always get cold sores when I’m stressed. That’s the first thing everyone is going to notice on my mug shot, too.”
“At least he doesn’t know where you are tonight.”
“But he knows where I work.” She touched her lip anxiously. “I think I can feel it flaring already. God, I hate cold sores.” She was short of breath when she asked, “So what would they do for a prank like this, give me a fine?”
“We didn’t do any permanent damage,” Sabrina wheezed, “so probably nothing, but I honestly can’t say. I could call my brother Andy and ask.”
“Would you?”
“Sure.” Sabrina slowed to press on the painful stitch in her side. “Of course you realize we just ran away from my car.”
“Yeah,” Tanya gasped, dropping forward with her hands on her knees as she fought for air.
“Ow,” Sabrina whined. “How long do you think we’ll have to wait before going back for it? We can’t sit here all night, you know. We have work tomorrow.”
“Think they’ll cuff me at work?”
“Get real, Tanya.” Sabrina’s lip twitched and she started to laugh. Painful as it was, she couldn’t help it.
Tanya reached over weakly and swatted Sabrina on the arm, but she was laughing too. “Well I’m not sorry, even if it costs me or I have to do community service.”
“Me neither. The jerk deserved it.”
“No question.” Walking her hands back up her legs and groaning the whole way Tanya said, “I’m seriously out of shape.”
“But you look good.”
Tanya snorted. “Small comfort. Come on, let’s sneak back. Just keep your eyes open. He’s out here somewhere, and he’s not going to let this slide.”
They looked up and down the street nervously before venturing onto the pavement. Unfortunately, they hadn’t gone five feet before a car turned the corner and nailed them with its headlights. Both women shrieked and took off running again, searching desperately for another escape route. Safety eluded them.
Sabrina fell behind, hampered by her side ache. To her horror, the car pulled alongside her and the passenger window slid down. Her eyes darted frantically back and forth looking for an out.
“Sabrina? What the hell are you doing out here?”
Gasping for air as she slowly ran out of steam, Sabrina ducked her head and peered through the window. “Jackson?” She came to a stumbling stop.
He hit the brakes.
“It’s okay,” she called out to Tanya, utterly exhausted. “It’s just Jackson.”
Tanya ground to a slow rubbery stop, finally sagging with relief. “Thank god, because I’m about to die here.”
“Stay there. We’ll come get you.”
Jackson cradled his head in his hand as Sabrina dropped heavily onto his passenger seat.
“You look like a cat burglar,” he told her.
She managed a tired smile. “You think so?”
“The question is why? What are you two doing out here?”
“Nothing,” she said with a distinct wheeze.
He let it go. They pulled alongside Tanya, and Sabrina opened the door and attempted to make room for her friend on the seat, but it was a tight fit. When Tanya climbed in, she couldn’t even close the door.
“You two,” Jackson said with a grin and hauled Sabrina onto the armrest to create more space. “You’d better lock that door,” he told Tanya, then turned to Sabrina. “So where am I dropping you?”
“Two blocks over,” Tanya answered breathlessly and pointed the way. “Would you mind turning out your headlights and driving real slow when we get over there?”
“Is someone looking for you?”
“Probably,” Sabrina said awkwardly.
He shook his head. “Just tell me when, okay?”
“Okay,” Tanya said. “Right now, I’m really glad Sabrina didn’t kill you today.”
Jackson laughed, and Tanya was spared the sharp jab Sabrina tried to deliver, because her arm was pinned.
“Thanks,” Jackson said, grinning into the dark. “I’m kind of relieved myself.”
“Here it is,” Tanya said suddenly, pointing to the left. Jackson dimmed his lights and crept slowly down the street. He spotted Sabrina’s car right away.
“You can let us out here and we’ll sneak up to it,” Sabrina said.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
Tanya nodded. “It’s probably best. I’d hate to see something happen to your car.”
So would Jackson now that he finally had it back in perfect condition. He hit the brakes and Tanya released the door, tumbling onto the pavement like she was spring-loaded.
All three laughed and shushed each other frantically.
Sabrina scooted sideways toward the open door, but Jackson reached over and caught her by the arm. She turned with a shrug and a smile. “Well, thanks for the lift.”
“This,” he said with a wide grin, “is why I can’t help it.” With that he leaned across the armrest and kissed her, long and lingering. When he finally pulled back, he was wearing a Groucho Marx mustache. Laughing, he wiped her black cheek with his finger. “You make an awfully cute cat burglar.”
Just like that, Jackson turned Sabrina into a mushy sentimental idiot. She gave him a swift kiss and hopped out, carefully sneaking up on her car. Seconds later she was safely inside with Tanya. The engine purred to life.
Shaking his head, Jackson put his car in reverse and turned around, leading the ladies out. They parted ways at the next corner.
Sabrina was struck by a bone-deep sadness at seeing Jackson’s taillights disappear into the night.
Chapter 26
Tanya had called it. There was a cop at the back door of the Oasis by ten o’clock the next morning. She was still trying to wake up, both hands wrapped around a cup of coffee, when he dropped in and suggested she accompany him out to his car. Sabrina insisted on going along.
She was so nervous she felt like an out-of-control ping-pong ball. Sabrina could only imagine how Tanya was fee
ling. Of course, she was wrong.
Following him out, Tanya leaned over and whispered, “This is the nicest thing Brian’s ever done for me. Check this guy out! Zero to lust in a nanosecond.” She fanned herself, emphasizing her attraction.
Of course he was all business at the car.
Lost in a daydream, Tanya was looking at him but clearly not hearing the words behind the soothing voice. Alarmed and amused by it, Sabrina gave her friend a discreet poke.
Tanya jumped and shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry, what was the question?”
Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Yes, she knows Brian Emery.”
“He’s my ex,” Tanya confirmed, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
“Not the nicest guy, either,” Sabrina added.
The cop dismissed the additional information. “What can you tell me about his car? He claims he saw you around it last night.”
“His car?” Tanya asked, conveying confusion brilliantly.
“Yes. It was vandalized last night, and Mr. Emery said he chased the perpetrators.”
“Kids,” Sabrina said, shaking her head sadly.
The cop frowned at her. “We don’t believe the attack was random. This was a personal, targeted hit, and Mr. Emory swears you’re responsible.”
“Can he prove it? Is there anything besides his accusation to link me?” Tanya asked indignantly.
“He’s the only witness.”
“Let me tell you something about Brian,” Tanya said. “He’s a run-around. Doesn’t know the meaning of fidelity. That’s why we broke up. I’m only one woman out of who knows how many to realize he isn’t worth crying over. I’m glad to be free of him. Why bother being vindictive about it?”
Sabrina, unwilling to comment on that, simply looked at him expectantly.
“Where were you at eleven p.m. last night?” he asked Tanya.
“We were home, in our apartment. We’re roommates.” Tanya gestured at Sabrina.
“Address?”
Sabrina spoke up and he wrote it down.
“Sorry we can’t be more help,” Tanya said, rather convincingly.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”