Chapter Three –
“Kat? Kat!”
I glanced up from my laptop, turning down the volume of my mixed adventure film soundtracks – the poignant instrumentals, bizarrely, aided in smoothing my work flow. My fingers loosened around the pen as I set it across the table, my closed door bursting open and slamming against the wall. Jeanie, the second-born of us tres marias, stumbled into the room, her petite frame impressively heightened by her seven-inch, crystal-studded stilettos. She clapped her hand across her mouth, giggling daintily.
“Sorry – your door was stuck,” Jeanie drawled in her trademark nasaly tone.
“Don't worry about it,” I shrugged, looking her up and down, “Well, don't you look snazzy. Where are you and Andrea heading off to tonight?”
Jeanie tottered forward, her heels clumping my carpet, leaving a brief, indented trail of her footfall. She walked into my closet, pouting her lips as she emerged with a brand-new, scarlet, tea-length dress with sheer, lace sleeves, still in its clear bag.
“Actually, we,” Jeanie declared, flourishing her pointed, gold-coated nails at me, “are all going to Plaza X tonight. It's their opening night and of course Andrea and I managed to score a couple of VIP tickets...It's gonna be crazy, Kat! Come on, go-go dancers – oh! And they've got this crazy tube that goes up to the ceiling filled with piranhas –”
I raised my eyebrows in mock alarm, laughing as I attempted to decline her invitation in the gentlest way possible, “Piranhas and a mob of crazy drunk folks? Nah, I think I'm good for the night. 'Sides, as you can see –” I waved my arm across the stack of notes and my open copy of The House on Mango Street, plastered with a rainbow of multicolored highlighted passages and post-its, “I've got my hands full at the moment.”
Jeanie's mouth fell open in protest, jabbing her finger towards the dress on my bed, “But we got you a dress and everything – do you know how hard it is to find a nice dress for a size 14 – but that's not the point. Come on, Katrina, it's so unhealthy to stay cooped up in the house all the time –”
I reclined into my armchair, cracking a smile in amusement, “That's a beautiful dress, Jeanie – more like size 16, but it's sweet. I've got that kid Freddy I told you about that I'm tutoring after school, his reading's got so much better since we started. Anyway, might I remind you that I'm up at seven in the morning everyday for work while you and Andrea sleep in till Mom has to get Marietta to drag you guys out for dinner?”
Refusing to acknowledge my very accurate comebacks, Jeanie forced a smile on her face as she crossed over to me, peeking at my scribbled notes. Her nose wrinkled as she commented, “Whatever you say, Kat. I never understood why you insisted on getting a job – Andrea and I both thought you'd go for something a little more glamorous like – I don't know – a party planner or a decorator –”
“Event planners and interior decorators are actually very tough professions and not as easy as you might think –”
Jeanie flicked me on the forehead, scowling, “Whatever, you know what I mean – definitely not public school. But you do look happier than I've ever seen you before so you must be doing something right,” she finished, smiling.
“Thanks, Jeanie,” I wrapped my right arm around her and gave her a quick side-hug, “You and Andrea have fun tonight at Plan X.”
“Plaza X,” sneered Jeanie, winking as she shuffled towards the door, “Don't overwork yourself, Kat. Have a good night.”
“Stay safe,” I waved as the door swung to a close.
As the sound of Jeanie's footsteps faded, I gathered the strewn out sheets of notes and slipped them into a clear folder. I shut down my laptop and stowed my things out of sight. Truth was, I'd just finished up for the night and had planned on taking Maddox, our gorgeous golden retriever, for a walk. I crept towards the window at the gravelly sound of rolling tires, our driver, Cameron's gloved hand protruding out the window of the family Bentley, signaling towards the housekeeper, who was pulling open the wrought-iron front gates.
After filling my fanny pack with essentials and clasping the buckle on the side of my waist, I pulled a light cardigan over my black tank top and grabbed Maddox's leash, dangling from the coat rack next to my door. The second I stepped foot into the hallway, the sound of Maddox's scampering paws and gleeful panting filled my ears, inducing an instant smile on my face. I crouched down on the floor and scratched the back of his furry, little head as I fastened the hook of the leash onto his collar. Sensing an adventure about to begin, Maddox pounced forward, yanking me forward as we rapidly descended the winding flight of marble steps.
The breezy, late-October night air kissed my pinking skin as Maddox led me down the stony path, wagging his tongue at me expectantly as I pulled open the front gate and slipped through the open crack, guiding him through. I removed my earphones and phone from my fanny pack and shoved the soft buds into my ears, turning up the music as we wandered down the path. As an indie singer's lifeless voice droned in my ear, I decided to turn down the corner towards the closest bakery. I could probably make it before Oliver's Baked Treats shut down for the night. Freddy did a pretty good job today and seemed more focused as usual, after I'd been extra hard on him, which probably warranted one of those double-glazed cinnamon rolls he loved so much, and who was I kidding – I could use a couple of those bad boys myself.
My forehead creased as we continued down the path, Maddox struggling in his leash. I wonder what had him so antsy. I paused, clicking my tongue as I glanced down on the pale glow of my phone screen, aiming to change the tune. I wasn't in a very early 2000's-Christina mood right now. Maddox growled, his frantic whimpering drifting into my ears from the brief silence upon changing the track on my playlist, followed by the horrifying screeches of violently swerving tires.
The color drained from my cheeks, my feet seemingly rooted to the ground as a beige sedan zigzagged down the the road, its screaming tires disrupting the otherwise tranquil emptiness, plowing straight towards me. Maddox lunged forwards, the soles of my sneakers crushing against the asphalt as they dragged forward, the hood of the car clipping me and knocking me onto to the ground. My body rigid with shock, my eyes snapped open as the car halted to a brief stop before lurching on forwards. I blinked, the strangely familiar sound of a roaring engine filling my ears.
My mouth fell open at the Ducati parked next to me. I couldn't believe it – it was the sexy motorist from the highway.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“I – I think so,” I stuttered, my chest heaving, “I don't think he got me too bad –”
“Wait here,” he demanded gruffly, “Hold on, Miss. I'll be right back.”
Before I could utter another word, he sped off after the sedan. I petted Maddox's head affectionately, soothing him as he whimpered worriedly next to me.
“Don't worry, little guy, I'll be fine, just as long as there's no blo...”
My voice trailed off as I spotted the patch of my jeans missing from my knees, crimson gushing from the open scrape. The world hazed around me, my world fading to black.