Amantha spent much longer shopping than she had intended to. That was mostly because she never found what she was looking for. She was a spontaneous kind of person, and earlier she’d gotten the sudden urge for a new handbag. But not just any handbag. She was as picky as she was spontaneous. If she wasn’t, she’d end up spending a fortune on all kinds of worthless crap.
She stepped outside the store and was surprised by how dark it was all of a sudden. Had it really taken that long to browse through Target’s handbags? The sudden darkness was due to a storm that was brewing. She looked above her and saw charcoal gray clouds threatening to dump rain on the thirsty grounds. Her auburn hair flew across her face, and she reached a hand up to pull it away. She hated the thought of having to walk home in the cold wind and rain, but she didn’t expect to be able to get a ride at the moment if she called anyone. Her husband, Roland, was at a doctor’s appointment, and she didn’t want to bother anybody else by having them leave their warm, dry, comfortable homes to go out in the storm.
Figuring the exercise would do her good anyway, she began walking briskly across the parking lot. It would take about twenty minutes to reach home, or maybe even thirty if it really started coming down hard.
She was barely out of the parking lot when she noticed a car slowing down close behind her. Come on, nobody got picked up in a rainstorm, did they? Plus, she felt like she looked horrible at the moment with her hair all disheveled from the wind. She pushed her small, still-youngish body through the driving wind.
No, she hadn’t imagined it. The person in the car really was trying to get her attention. Thinking it might be someone she knew, she turned and looked at the shiny car that had stopped before her. The passenger side was closest to her, so she couldn’t see the driver clearly at first. She could tell it was a woman with a slim face and light hair, but that was all she could make out. Could it be a neighbor? She couldn’t think of anyone they resembled, and she didn’t recognize the car. But then the passenger window lowered and she approached it cautiously. She bent down and peered into the car. Recognition hit her instantly.
It was Kathleen. Kathleen was her dentist’s office manager, and she’d always liked the friendly, soft-spoken woman.
“I thought that was you,” said Kathleen. “What are you doing walking in this weather, Amantha? Are you waiting for someone to pick you up?”
“Oh, wow. Hey, Kathleen. No, I don’t have a ride actually. I have about a half-hour of walking to do, but I’m sure I can make it, even though I didn’t expect the weather to turn so suddenly.”
“Why don’t you hop on in instead and let me give you a ride? It’s really pretty nasty out here.”
Grateful, she didn’t hesitate to accept the ride. She really liked Kathleen, and it would be the first time she was alone with her. Roland drove her to the dentist and sat in the waiting room while she was being treated. “I really do appreciate this,” she said as she slipped into the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt. “My husband is busy getting his yearly checkup right now, and I don’t want to bother the neighbors or anyone else to come and get me in this storm.”
Kathleen smiled understandingly.
She gave the tall, blue-eyed blonde her address.
“Pretty sure I know where that is,” Kathleen said.
“It’s not too far. It’s a fairly upscale community. It’s pretty nice.”
“Yeah, that area of town has always been nice.”
“It’s a gated community. Little noisier than I’d like in the daytime, but quiet at night.”
“Is that so?”
She nodded. “So how are you doing today?”
“I’m fine,” Kathleen said, showing off her perfect pearly whites that any dentist would love working for her. “I’m just running some errands today.”
“Turn left and then you’ll see the gate.” She gave her the code and Kathleen easily reached a long, slender arm out to press the numbers on the keypad. The gate slowly slid open and she directed her through the streets of the community.
“This is a pretty good-sized place,” said Kathleen.
“Yeah, there are over a thousand homes in it.”
“Wow.”
“It’s the house right there,” she said, pointing to a lemon-yellow house.
“Oh, what a cute place you have here.”
“Thanks. Roland’s done a good job keeping up on it in the years we’ve been here.”
Kathleen pulled into her driveway and stopped the car.
Amantha then turned to face her. “So you pass by this area often?”
“Sometimes.”
“Well, if you ever want to get together for coffee or something, feel free to look my number up at the office or message me on Facebook.”
Kathleen smiled brightly. “Really? I’d like that, Amantha. Thank you.”
She was surprised yet pleased by how much Kathleen seemed to like the idea of getting together. She’d always sensed that Kathleen, whom she guessed to be in her early forties like her, might actually like her, based on the way she looked at her and complimented her on her fashions when she visited the dentist’s office. Or maybe she was just being friendly. She couldn’t say for sure.
“Well, thanks for the ride, Kathleen. Hope I didn’t get your car too wet and that you get home safe.”
“Oh, it’s fine, sweetie. You take care now.”
As soon as she disappeared into the house that very wet day, Kathleen quickly scribbled down the code to the gate before she could forget it. One just never knew when certain information might come in handy.
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.