Page 15 of Monsters' Touch

Chapter6

Lily

“Well, at least she got it over with quickly,” I say to self-soothe, arms wrapped around myself in a pitiful hug as the elevator takes me to the underground garage.

I’d heard horror stories of people getting let go after working a whole shift. Or worse, right before a holiday. Rhonda had spared me that, at least.

Honestly, I could tell she hadn’t wanted to. She made it clear her hands were tied, and she was strictly following policy, which helps.

Only a little, though.

I fish for my car keys while heading toward my parking spot. Surprisingly, the tears of overwhelm and frustration never come, and instead I’m hit with sweet, numb nothingness.

But unlike the nothingness of losing time, I’m still cognizant of everything around me. I just don’t feel any of it.

And that’s fucking great.

My thoughts come slow like honey as I exit the garage.

I’ve never been fired before. Never had a write-up before the last few months. But pretty quickly, I realize I have some “just got fired” math to do.

I’ll have to double check when I get home, but I think I have enough in savings that I should be OK for a little while.

Not long.

But I don’t have to pound the pavement looking for a new job today. Tomorrow? Probably. Hopefully, I can have something lined up by the end of the month.

I remind myself to check my bank accounts when I’m not driving and head out of downtown, letting myself zone out as the yellow and white lane lines hypnotize me.

What sucks the most is Ijustdecided to put my name in the hat for the new department.Justdecided to get myself together. And now I had to find something new, with no idea what I actuallywantto do.

Though, on the other hand, needing money to live was a sure-fire way to get through that mental block and simply take the best offer out there, regardless of what it was.

And maybe that was for the best.

Maybe I don’t need to worry about finding fulfillment through work.

I ponder that for a while, considering what kinds of hobbies might fulfill me, and soon enough, I’m halfway home completely on autopilot.

I refocus on driving, schooling my eyes and attention to the flow of traffic and out of my head, when from the corner of my eye, a blur of platinum catches my attention.

In the back of the town car next to me, a streak of platinum bobs up and down.

Realizing exactly what I’m seeing, I let out a little gasp and glue my gaze in front of me.

My brain refuses to wrap itself around the image. Refuses to accept that the platinum blur was blonde hair, and the bobbing was—

Olympic level road head. Like, the fastest, most brutal blow job to ever exist, as if someone had hit fast-forward on the porno.

The town car keeps pace with my car and I keep my eyes on my own goddamn paper. Not my business or problem. However weirdly interesting I find the situation in the car next to me, I refuse to glance over.

Eventually, the town car pulls ahead and speeds off.

I shake my head, squashing the urge to step on the gas and follow closer. “You’ve got enough problems without adding super highway head to the list,” I scold myself and signal for my upcoming exit.

Three blocks from the condo, at the same traffic light I always pass through, something else catches my eye.

I signal and make a hard left into the convenience store advertisingThe Hottest Wings On This Side Of The Riverin neon pink lettering. I’ve seen the sign at least a zillion times and never once thought about trying them.

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