Page 285 of The Skeikh's Games

“What do you do?” he asked.

“Nothing quite as exciting your job, I’m sure. I’m an accountant, believe it or not.”

“A number cruncher, huh? My parents wanted me to be an accountant. Sometimes I think I should have listened to them.”

When they arrived at the gas station, she leaned over and gave Max hug. His stubble tickled against her ear. “Listen, I really can’t tell you how grateful I am for helping me out last night and then listening to my sob story this morning.”

Max smiled warmly. “Really no problem at all.”

“See you around,” she said, getting out of the car.

“April, wait,” said Max. “Why don’t you take my number? If you have any more trouble with Brian you give me a call. You never know with guys like that.”

April thought about it for a second. It would be good to know she had someone to call just in case, although she already felt like he had done so much. Besides, it was doubtful Brian would ever show his face around her again. One the other hand, once this whole thing blew over, she wouldn’t mind meeting up with Max for dinner sometime.

“Okay, sure,” she said, “good idea.”

He found a spare business card in his glove compartment and handed it to her. “There you go,” he said. “Any time, you just call me, okay?”

“I will. Thanks.”

“You take care now.”

She gave him one last wave goodbye and watched him drive away as she finally filled up her tank.

6

April checked herself into a motel on the outskirts of town and only once she had set down her suitcase and flopped onto the bed did the realization come that it could well be the same Motel where Brian and his floozy had spent the weekend. The idea disgusted her, but she reasoned that the chances were pretty slim. There are plenty other motels around here, she told herself, although she couldn’t think of a single one.

She tried to push away the thought of Brian and another woman rolling around on the same bed she was lying on and then gave up on trying to do it herself. She called Marisa first and then Tracey to tell them what had happened. No point calling her mom just yet, it would only upset her and in her fragile state, April didn’t think she could deal with her mom and her feeling down.

She called for pizza a little while later when her stomach began growling and she remembered that she hadn’t even eaten yet.

Pizza for Sunday lunch? she asked herself.

Why the hell not? I’ve already had a shot of whiskey for breakfast, may as well break all the rules.

Afterwards, she put the phone on the side table next to her bed, tried to read, had little success in being able to concentrate, so instead turned on the TV that stood on a doily covered table in the corner of the room.

About fifteen minutes later, there was knock on the door. That was fast, she thought. But then a familiar clearing of the throat from the other side of the door caused her to freeze in her tracks. Through the blind of the window beside the door, she could make out the outline of a man’s shoulder. Instead of answering the door, she tiptoed quietly to the window and with two fingers, parted the blinds to look out.

It was Brian.

Oh no! she thought. His eyes were still focused on the door and she had just enough time to see that he was holding something in his hand. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought it may have been a gun. His eyes flicked towards her just as she recoiled away from the window.

Did he see me?

“April!” he shouted. “I want to talk to you!”

Hide hide hide, her mind raced.

She dashed across the room and dived over the bed, crouching down on the other side of it where she could keep an eye on the large windows.

“Let me in!” shouted Brian from outside. “I know you’re in there. It’s the twenty first century, April. You can track just about anyone these days.”

He paced back and forth past the window before stopping in the middle to cup his hands to the glass and peer in. She ducked her head down behind the bed, her hand pressed tightly against her lips to hold back the scream threatening to tear from her throat.

The phone was at the other side of the bed on the side table. To reach it she would have to dive over the bed and risk being seen by him. On the other hand, if she didn’t, he might break in anyway and it was anyone’s guess what he would do then.

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