Page 59 of Smokey's Distraction
“Would you like anything else?” the waitress asked, interrupting their conversation.
“I’m good,” Nicole said, putting her crumpled napkin onto the empty plate.
The lithe server placed the bill holder on the table. “Okay. Here you go.”
“It’s on me,” Ashley said as she reached over and grabbed her purse, pointing a finger at her friend. “Don’t argue with me.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” A smile spread across Nicole’s face. “Thanks.”
When the two women left the restaurant, there was a line halfway down the block of people waiting to get in.
Nicole whistled. “I’m glad we came when we did. I hate waiting in line when I’m starving.”
Walking into the parking lot behind the eatery, Ashley immediately saw that her car had been vandalized. Her eyes darted to the other cars in the lot, but it was only hers that had been trashed. Anger crept up her spine, entwining with the fear coursing through her.
“Shit!”
“What’s wrong?”
She pointed to the Buick. “Look at my car.”
“What the hell?” Nicole shouted as they approached the vehicle. “It looks like someone egged it.”
“Yeah. This is a real pain in the ass.” Popping the trunk, she rummaged through a bag and took out a bottle of window cleaner and a roll of paper towels.
Nicole laughed nervously. “It looks like yours is the only car that got it. Did you piss someone off?”
“Only Jeffrey Elion,” she replied in a hushed voice, vigorously spraying and scrubbing the front windshield.
Nicole’s eyes widened. “No way. You think that douche drove all the way up here to egg your car? How would he even know where we were?”
Ashley paused. “When you say it out loud like that, it sounds far-fetched and ridiculous. I keep thinking it’s him, but I know Jeffrey wouldn’t waste his time driving all the way here just to egg my car.” Sighing, she scrubbed harder.
“Has other crap happened to you since you’ve been here?” Nicole grabbed the window cleaner and some paper towels and spritzed the back window.
“My tire was slashed several nights ago when I was at the diner.” The image of Smokey fixing the tire flashed through her mind.He was so sweet and concerned. He even got Zach to put in the alarm. He really is a good guy.
“Hey, are you zoning out on me?”
She looked over at her friend. “Sorry, I was just thinking about something. This and the tire are probably just coincidences.”
“I doubt it. I mean”—Nicole gestured around the parking lot—“there are absolutely no other cars hit, and I bet your tire was the only one slashed that night. Am I right?”
Ashley nodded. “What should I do about this?”
“I’d go to the police. It sounds like someone may have a grudge against you, and is probably following you around. Either way, what’s happened is vandalism, and that’s a crime.”
“You’re right. It’s probably some kids who think it’s funny to harass the city woman.” Ashley forced out a small laugh despite the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Let’s go to the car wash. I hope the egg shells didn’t chip the paint.”
“Sure. And then I could use a drink.”
“I second that.” Gathering the cleaning supplies, she threw them back inside the trunk. “After the car wash, we can go to this really cool place I told you and Danielle about.”
“Is it where you saw the Raging Demons?”
“Yes. It’s got a great vibe. I met this really nice bartender, Whitney, and we’re having dinner tomorrow night. The work staff is pretty nice too.”
“Sounds great. I wonder if they’ll have live music tonight?” Nicole said as she slipped into the passenger seat.
