Almost Lovers
Authors: Cassidy Raindance
Copyright © 2013 by Karisha
Prescott
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written
permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law.
First Edition, 2013
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What a page turner!
Well written, well developed characters and a story that just
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— Johnny, GoodReads.com 5 of 5 stars
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I really love this
series. [Karisha Prescott] is fast becoming one of my favorite
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Loved this book! The author keeps you
longing for more page after page!!!
"
Dani, GoodReads.com 5 of 5 stars
“
I love the speed of this story. I have
re-read a few times already! The characters grab you from the start
and you can't wait to see where the story will go. Can't wait to
see more from this great author
”
Brandi, Amazon.com 5 of 5 stars
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Table of Contents
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Prussia
I jumped out of bed and rushed through the
apartment to get ready for work. My makeup was minimal and my
outfit was the same one I had worn yesterday. Maybe no one would
notice. I didn't bother with toast, though I did make coffee to go
as I rushed. Gulping down a hot mouthful, I grabbed my keys from
next to the door as I left. I had to go back a few precious steps
to lock the door.
By the time I got to my car I was only 20
minutes late but I still had to drive to the grocery store. You
would think a few blocks would be easy but this was downtown
traffic. I could have jogged and made better time. But truthfully,
I wanted the extra time to wake up in the car.
When I strolled through the grocery store
doors I could see Sarah wasn't in yet. And there stood the manager
standing in as a cashier. I winced. Not the best way to start the
morning or end the week.
"You're late," said Tom.
"Tom, I'm sorry," I said, "It won’t happen
again,"
"That's what you said last week," said
Tom.
Tom’s tapping his foot. I know this even if
I couldn’t see the tapping. It’s what Tom always does when he’s
trying to look down on me and make me feel bad.
"Sarah in yet?" I asked, already knowing the
answer.
"Changing the subject does not help the
situation," said Tom, "Prussia, You're good at your job but every
week you end up late at least once,"
"I said I'm sorry," I said, "What else do
you want me to do?"
"Be on time," said Tom.
I bit my lip and clocked into work, stepping
into my cashier role. Tom went into the back manager’s office. I
didn't expect I would see him again until lunch. Sarah came in a
few moments after Tom went into his office. Sarah smiled as she
walked straight into his office without knocking and closed the
door behind her. I expected 15 minutes at least, no more than 30
minutes until she would begin working her shift instead of our
manager. Just another day at work.
Closing time came slowly and the steadiest
customer the grocery ever had came in. She spent fifteen minutes
getting the exact same things she always got each night. She took
her time placing them on the check out counter and I scanned each
item as she recounted her day. It was ritualistic. She always chose
my register and if there was only one other customer in the entire
store and they picked my register, she would wait. She wouldn't go
to Sarah. I think that's why I liked her so much. It annoyed Sarah
which made my day.
"How are you today, Ma'am?" I asked.
"Victoria, please," insisted Victoria. She
smiled at me and patted my hand as she did every night.
"My night is grand. How about yours? Any
plans?" Victoria asked, her eyebrows rising with a big smile on her
face.
"You know me," I said, "I'm going straight
home after work to get ready for date night with Robert,"
"When are you two getting married, anyway?"
asked Victoria, "It has to be soon. You've been dating forever,”
Victoria said as she handed me the money for her purchase.
"No date yet," I said, trying to keep my
smile.
"So he finally popped the question?" asked
Victoria, her eyes lighting up in excitement.
"No, not exactly," I said, "We're waiting
for the right time,"
Victoria's face fell, "You should give him a
few hints." Her face lit up again with the idea.
"Oh I don't know about that," I said, "We're
taking things very slow,"
"Any slower and you might wind up like me,"
said Victoria.
Victoria winked at me and gave a little
grin, "You give that Robert a nudge and if he doesn't budge then he
doesn't deserve you. You know I would just love to set you up with
my grandson. He's a peach. You'd love him,"
"I'm sure," I said, trying my best to give
her my biggest smile, "You have a good night, Victoria,"
"Could you please walk me out, dear?" asked
Victoria.
And as always, I ended my shift with the
slow walk out to Victoria's car, helping her with her groceries.
Every night it was the same song and dance. And every night I had
to race home. It was only a few blocks but it was a long few blocks
when you're late and it’s date night.
As soon as I got into our apartment building
and up the elevator I knew that Robert hadn’t waited. I could hear
the giggling and the music from Lydia's apartment near the
elevator. Since Robert and Lydia had been spending a lot of his
free time together, I figured they were both in her apartment
having a great time.
My suspicions were confirmed when I got in
our apartment and found another note from Robert. Waited, having
tea at the neighbors, the same old note. I crumbled up the note and
threw it across the living room. I would have to pick it up later.
I poured some cereal and plopped down on the sofa with a blanket.
This had become far too common on date night.
The hours slipped away from me and made me
restless as I sat all-consumed on the sofa, cereal all gone and
blankets toasty-warm but lonely. After a few hours of listening to
the nonsense down the hall, I finally got tired of it and decided
to take a walk. The park wasn't far and the weather was warm. I dug
my running shoes out of the bottom of my closet and laced them up.
Grabbing a light jacket and with keys in hand I headed out the
door.
I shoved my keys into my jacket pocket as I
stomped past Lydia's apartment and onto the elevator. Punching
buttons didn't do much but it made me feel better even if by a very
small amount. I jabbed at the elevator buttons and they lit up,
carrying me down to the ground floor.
If I could just breathe. If I could just
think. I could figure out how to get Robert back from the brink of
Lydia. Her influence had crept over Robert these past few
months.
It didn't help that he worked at the clubs
on the weekend. I had been able to keep the other club girls at bay
but having Lydia right down the hall had just been too close to
beat back. I couldn't sit on Robert and watch him all the time. She
had snaked her way into our lives, destroying our chance to take
our relationship to the next level and start a family.
My steps were brisk down the side walk
toward the park. At 1 a.m. nothing was open and the streets were
calm, empty. The noisy clicking of the traffic lights sounded. They
turned from green to yellow to red and back to green without a
single car. I realize as I wait for the walk signal that I’m out of
breath.
Perhaps it was the slight chill in the air
or my anger, whatever the reason my breathing quickened. My body
felt pumped up which didn’t match how completely relaxed my mind
felt. I tried to slow my breathing and the walk signal clicked to
tell me I could continue on my walk. And I did. I walked through
the cross walk and straight onto the walking path for the park.
What had begun as a sure pace became much
faster. I began walking so fast that it turned into a jog and
that’s when it hit me. I felt it all at once. I felt angry. Each
footstep fell and I felt it through my entire body. Each footstep
became heavier until landing as an angry stomp onto the walking
path.
My anger disappeared into the asphalt path
only to be followed with another angry footstep. I lost control of
my breathing and it quickened beyond my stomping steps. My panting
changed into something else. I had begun hyperventilating. I
stopped and leaned over, placing my hands on my knees and panting
in the humid air. I felt it coursing through me for the first time
that I could remember, so much anger bubbling up inside of me that
I could hardly contain it.
The night was still and there was no one
around to observe my complete madness in the deserted park. My
hyperventilating continued and I had to choose between passing out
or getting myself under control. In the middle of a full blown
panic attack, I stood up so fast that I nearly fell to the
ground.
I wobbled on the walking path and began
laughing for no reason. My laugh was a chaotic and uncontrolled. It
would have brought stares if the park wasn't empty. It made my
laughter that much heavier in the silence. I walked a few steps and
I stopped trying to contain it. I laughed and laughed and then when
I couldn't find the breath to laugh any more, I began running down
the path.
