Grabbing a water bottle, I fill it up, adding a couple ice cubes. I use the john, brush my teeth, and then get a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My hair is getting long. So long that right now, I look a bit like a dark-haired Albert Einstein. “Alison probably thinks I look like a crazy person.” Better get in to get it cut.
Wetting a brush under the water, I run it through my hair. When it does no good, I decide a baseball cap is the way to go this morning. Next, I search for something I can jog in. After the whole stair debacle this week, it’s obvious I’m not doing enough cardio. I might as well start working on that today.
I locate a pair of sweats and a Morgan Financial Holdings tee that I got for free last year and get dressed, then find a pair of socks and slip them on. Grabbing a zip-up hoodie from the back of my one and only dining chair, I put it on as I make my way back to the kitchen and grab my water.
Sliding on my tennis shoes that were sitting near the front door, I reach for the knob and a sense of sadness hits me hard in the chest. “Sky,” I say softly. If she were here, she’d be going with me, but instead of a jog, it’d be a nice walk through the park. “Damn.” I wipe the tear from my eye. No. I’m not going to be sad. She’ll be home soon.
Wait.She’llbe home soon, andI’llbe at work. Who’ll take care of her? They don’t want her walking around. Hell, I’ll need to carry her out to potty. She won’t be able to do her business without my help. I’m frozen at the door, my mind racing. “I need to be here.” Shaking my head, I tell myself I’ll figure it out. And I will. Right now, running is the best thing for me. It’ll exhaust me and help take my mind off all of my worries. Worries about Sky, and my job, and Alison.
On the street, I do a few stretches and then begin to jog. The park is a block or so away, so by the time I get there, I’m winded. No matter, I’m gonna keep going. If I jog for an hour, I’ll get back to my place in time to shower, drink a pot of coffee, and be at the animal hospital right at seven. The only problem with my plan? After twenty minutes of jogging, I’m breathing pretty hard and am starting to feel the burn in my thighs.
Like I said, I’m in good shape. I lift weights regularly, but I’ve neglected the cardio part of my workout. I knew this. In the last year, my cardio has consisted of walking Sky. That’s it. The night I ran after the bus, I was winded. Then the stairs at work put an exclamation point on my need for more cardio. No. This is good. I need this. Fifteen minutes more and I’m in the zone, as they say. I’ve got a rhythm to my steps, so now I don’t have to think about my breathing or my fatigue.
The park near my house isn’t enormous like Central Park in Manhattan, but it’s big enough to get a good workout doing only one or two laps around it. Plus it’s well lit, so it’s safe.
As I’m about to start my third lap, I see someone step onto the sidewalk. It’s no surprise there are others out jogging and walking at this time of night. New York is the city that never sleeps, after all. But this person is an exception. I quickly pick up my pace and get to her in a few seconds. Reaching out, I tap her on the shoulder and nearly trip over myself when she screams. I’m not talking a little squeak either. Nope, this is a horror movie quality scream.
When she turns, her face says it all. I scared the shit out of her. She’s panting. Her right hand is raised, and I can’t help noticing she’s holding something. Mace.
Smart girl. Safety first.
Holding both hands up, I do my best to calm her down. “Alison. It’s me, Ben.”
“You fucking asshole,” she pants. “What iswrongwith you?”
“Uh….”
“That’s the third time you’ve scared the crap out of me on the street. Don’t you know it’s dangerous out here for us? You can’t just go around grabbing women.”
“I didn’t grab you; I touched your shoulder.”
“At almost four in the fucking morning.” She’s glaring at me. “In the park.”
She’s sure cussing a lot.
And crying. The light is shining down on her, and I can see her eyes are glossy and wetness is running down her cheeks. “Alison.” I take one step closer. “Don’t cry.”
“You scared me.” She sniffles. “You can’t keep doing that, Ben.” Her voice is shaky but soft now.
I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but I take one step closer to her and open my arms. “Come ’ere,” I say so she knows what I’m doing.
Shockingly, she steps into my arms and places her head on my chest. I wrap her up in my arms and sigh because it feels good. Natural. Like she’s meant to be there. She fits perfectly against me.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I coo softly. I’m not sure why I call her “sweetheart,” but for some reason, it feels right. “I’ve never meant to scare you. I just don’t think sometimes.”
“No shit, Ben.” She sniffles, then laughs against my chest.
“You just draw me in like a moth to a flame.”
Leaning back, she looks up at me. “A moth to a flame?”
I nod and smile down at her. “You’re hot.”
She snorts and rests her head on my chest, but only for a second more. I release her as she takes two steps back. “What’re you doing out here at this time of night?” she asks. “Can’t sleep?”
I shake my head. “No. You?”
“Same. Got a lot on my mind.”
