The bus wheeze-squeaked its departure as soon as Laina's boot heel hit the curb. Graffiti tattooed the dingy bodies of buildings and passers-by alike. Half-dressed toddlers screamed from the hips of terse-lipped teenagers. A frigid breeze whipped a fringe of ragged towels and stained clothing on the firescapes. Shoes dangled from their…
Laina stirred her float and studied its milky spirals. Greasy aromas flooded the diner, so she could almost taste the burger she ordered--she glanced at her watch--twenty minutes ago. "Got another date later?" Rory asked. "Huh?" She looked up from the entrancing eddies of her root beer. He propped his elbows…
Laina slung her purse under her desk and grinned at her watch--two minutes early. As she pulled back her chair, a sticky note fluttered off the back and drifted onto the seat. As she turned it over, her smile wilted. Please meet me in my office at 9 AM - M.…
A rusty blue hatchback hugged the curb near the sidewalk waste bin. Arden withdrew his key and unlocked its passenger door. "Say hello to my girl, Bessie." "No remote key fob?" Laina chuckled. "Funny." He held open the door, patting the top of the frame. "Talk nice to my car, now. She's…
Cool sips of water trickled through her constricted gullet, easing her garbled voice. "Thanks. I don't think the police escort would've offered me a chance to decompress. I don't want to keep you late. You'll probably have to be at your office early in the morning." "No problem. My work day…
As a pack of Harleys rumbled onto Forty-Ninth Avenue, Laina hustled toward the inner edge of the sidewalk. An exhaust pop snapped her attention to the lead FatBoy, slowing near the curb. The grisly-bearded rider sneered, his gold-capped canine teeth glinting in the streetlight. "Want a ride, sweet thang?" She shifted…
Coats swished into the hall as hours robbed natural rays from the cubicle hive. Electronics and clicking keys fell silent, leaving her alone under the intensifying hum of bile-hued lights. Laina pecked away at her report until the screen blurred. She blinked and strained her eyes to type the conclusion. Send. Tight…
Coats swished into the hall as hours robbed natural rays from the cubicle hive. Electronics and clicking keys fell silent, leaving her alone under the intensifying hum of bile-hued lights. Laina pecked away at her report until the screen blurred. She blinked and strained her eyes to type the conclusion. Send. Tight…
Bitter chills swept over Laina's skin. She tightened her scarf for the fourth time as she strolled down the deserted sidewalk. Gusts howled through the alleys and rippled across inky street puddles. She snapped her attention to scuffling behind her. Litter tumbled and skidded across the concrete. She quickened her pace…
Earthy scents of sandalwood and spices wafted from the shelves. The heady odors clawed into her nostrils and down her throat. She coughed and blinked away tears blurring her view of the storage room. A fluorescent bulb flickered overhead, threatening to join its dead twin. Rory's voice echoed from the bend in…