seat
and kicked off my pink pumps and dug my toes into the carpet.
No work, no school, no lab.
I had a flash of Lance’s face and of Andrew Richards’ seen
through the burning tears caused by the smoke, but I pushed the vision away.
Nothing’s going to stop me
now.
We’d barely made it halfway down the block when a movement
ahead and to the right caught my eye. A tall, lean man in dark sunglasses,
sports coat and jeans, carefully looking to the left and right, walked out of
the doorway of the photocopy store on the corner, and began waving at the limo.
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
The man waved more frantically and I leaned over, keyed the
button on the armrest. “Mr. Tomlinson, stop, please.”
“Ms. Brenner?”
“Yes, please, pull over.”
I moved my hand over, keyed the button on the armrest and
the window slid down.
The man ran up to the window and leaned down.
“Oh, good, it is you, Melanie.”
I nodded.
He looked up the street toward the University, then back
towards my apartment. “Look, I hope it isn’t too much of an imposition, but I
remembered that you were heading out to the airport and I was wondering if you
could give me a lift.” He smiled. He was sweating a little and that lock of
hair had fallen forward and was sticking to his skin.
“Of… of course, Dr. Richards.” I looked toward the driver. “It’s
okay, isn’t it?”
The driver had twisted around in his seat. “Of course, Ms.
Brenner.”
I turned back to Dr. Richards. He was still looking down the
street, the same smile on his face. “Dr. Richards?”
He jumped a little then turned the smile on me.
“It’s okay,” I said.
“Great.” He grabbed the door handle and I slid across the
seat and buckled myself in on the far side. He dropped on the seat, slammed the
door behind him, and rolled the window back up. “Thank you,” he said. “I
appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome.”
He looked back out the darkened glass as the chauffeur
pulled into traffic, then turned back to me and flashed a smile. “You look like
you’ve recovered completely. No ill effects?”
“None. Have you heard anything about Lance?”
A small muscle along his jaw bunched, then relaxed. “He’s
going to be okay,” he said. “He’s got some broken ribs, a pierced lung, a
bruised liver, and a moderate concussion. By the way,” he said as he took off
his sunglasses, and I saw his eyes for the first time. “They said that whoever
bandaged him and got him out saved his life. He would have bled to death. I
told him I didn’t know who you were, just a student I’d seen around the halls.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Last thing I wanted was to get caught up
in something just before my trip.”
“They may still be looking for you,” he said. “And if you
saw anything…”
“I didn’t.”
He sighed. “Good.”
The limo moved into a left turn lane and stopped at a light.
A black and white police cruiser pulled up along the right side and stopped. The
officer behind the wheel glanced over at the black tinted windows. Dr. Richards’
head jerked away from the window, then he casually put his sunglasses on before
turning to me. “I’m glad I remembered that you were heading for the airport
this afternoon,” he said.
I could see my reflection in his sunglasses. “Oh?” I said.
“Yes. It turns out I have to get there in rather a hurry,
and, uh, my car’s in the shop.” The sweat on his forehead was drying, but he
still looked a little flushed.
“I see.”
“Started to call a cab and realized I came away without my
credit cards or enough cash. Or, my phone,” he said. “Would you mind if I used yours?”
“No, not at all.” I slipped my phone out of my purse and
handed it to him.
“Any problem with texting?”
“No. I have unlimited.”
While he typed, I had a chance to study him up close as I’d
never been able to in the lab. Impossibly good looking: skin, facial structure,
hair. I’d been at a Macy’s
and kicked off my pink pumps and dug my toes into the carpet.
No work, no school, no lab.
I had a flash of Lance’s face and of Andrew Richards’ seen
through the burning tears caused by the smoke, but I pushed the vision away.
Nothing’s going to stop me
now.
We’d barely made it halfway down the block when a movement
ahead and to the right caught my eye. A tall, lean man in dark sunglasses,
sports coat and jeans, carefully looking to the left and right, walked out of
the doorway of the photocopy store on the corner, and began waving at the limo.
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
The man waved more frantically and I leaned over, keyed the
button on the armrest. “Mr. Tomlinson, stop, please.”
“Ms. Brenner?”
“Yes, please, pull over.”
I moved my hand over, keyed the button on the armrest and
the window slid down.
The man ran up to the window and leaned down.
“Oh, good, it is you, Melanie.”
I nodded.
He looked up the street toward the University, then back
towards my apartment. “Look, I hope it isn’t too much of an imposition, but I
remembered that you were heading out to the airport and I was wondering if you
could give me a lift.” He smiled. He was sweating a little and that lock of
hair had fallen forward and was sticking to his skin.
“Of… of course, Dr. Richards.” I looked toward the driver. “It’s
okay, isn’t it?”
The driver had twisted around in his seat. “Of course, Ms.
Brenner.”
I turned back to Dr. Richards. He was still looking down the
street, the same smile on his face. “Dr. Richards?”
He jumped a little then turned the smile on me.
“It’s okay,” I said.
“Great.” He grabbed the door handle and I slid across the
seat and buckled myself in on the far side. He dropped on the seat, slammed the
door behind him, and rolled the window back up. “Thank you,” he said. “I
appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome.”
He looked back out the darkened glass as the chauffeur
pulled into traffic, then turned back to me and flashed a smile. “You look like
you’ve recovered completely. No ill effects?”
“None. Have you heard anything about Lance?”
A small muscle along his jaw bunched, then relaxed. “He’s
going to be okay,” he said. “He’s got some broken ribs, a pierced lung, a
bruised liver, and a moderate concussion. By the way,” he said as he took off
his sunglasses, and I saw his eyes for the first time. “They said that whoever
bandaged him and got him out saved his life. He would have bled to death. I
told him I didn’t know who you were, just a student I’d seen around the halls.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Last thing I wanted was to get caught up
in something just before my trip.”
“They may still be looking for you,” he said. “And if you
saw anything…”
“I didn’t.”
He sighed. “Good.”
The limo moved into a left turn lane and stopped at a light.
A black and white police cruiser pulled up along the right side and stopped. The
officer behind the wheel glanced over at the black tinted windows. Dr. Richards’
head jerked away from the window, then he casually put his sunglasses on before
turning to me. “I’m glad I remembered that you were heading for the airport
this afternoon,” he said.
I could see my reflection in his sunglasses. “Oh?” I said.
“Yes. It turns out I have to get there in rather a hurry,
and, uh, my car’s in the shop.” The sweat on his forehead was drying, but he
still looked a little flushed.
“I see.”
“Started to call a cab and realized I came away without my
credit cards or enough cash. Or, my phone,” he said. “Would you mind if I used yours?”
“No, not at all.” I slipped my phone out of my purse and
handed it to him.
“Any problem with texting?”
“No. I have unlimited.”
While he typed, I had a chance to study him up close as I’d
never been able to in the lab. Impossibly good looking: skin, facial structure,
hair. I’d been at a Macy’s
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