Six was early. Very freaking early. But if I wanted to spend time with Seth it was the best option. I could go see him before hitting another few salons and still make it to my afternoon shift on time. Juggling life and work was a bitch. I don’t know how people did it. Let alone throw in a couple of kids, a dog, and a house to look after…I was already exhausted. That life just seemed like way too much hard work for me.
“Throw in coffee, and you’ve got yourself a date.”
“A date, huh? Who said anything about a date?”
“Well then, if it’s not a date I don’t have to put out,” I explained with a wicked grin. Glancing in the rear-view mirror I checked my makeup. While I was smiling like a lunatic, my eye makeup was smudged, and I had lipstick on my teeth. Damn, I was disaster.
“I’ll remember that for future reference.”
“You do that.”
“All right then, little miss sleepy. I’ll let you go. See you bright and early.”
“See you in the morning, Seth.”
I did it.
I still can’t believe I was that girl.
I hated that girl.
We’d said goodbye and all I had to do was hang up. That’s it. Press the damn button and end the call. But no. Like the embarrassing idiot I was, I sat there staring at the phone waiting for him to hang up first. For a full forty-two seconds I sat there staring at my phone, hearing Seth’s breathing on the other end before the call was ended.
I was a damn moron.
Trying to shake the stupidity out of my head, I dropped my phone back in my bag and pulled out my sunglasses. There wasn’t much I could do about the racoon eyes right now so hiding them was my best option. Jamming the key in the ignition, I turned it over only to hear it groan in protest.
“Not today,” I grumbled, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
Trying again, I prayed the bloody thing would start. The last thing I was in the mood for this afternoon was car troubles. After a groan and a splutter, it fired up, and the radio blasted. Probably should’ve turned that down before I parked.
Tugging my seatbelt across my chest, I clipped it in place and released the handbrake. Before I had a chance to move, my door was yanked open, and someone stuck their head in.
“What the…” I started to ask before the blade of a kitchen knife was pressed against my throat.
“Shut the fuck up.”
