Second Chance For Eternity CH3.

Mira woke up with the most delicious ache all over her body, remembering her dream she blushed. She hadn’t had a dream that vivid in… well, never. As she moved she noticed her body felt like she had indeed had marathon sex all night, but figured the dream had felt so real her body just reacted to it. She certainly felt great, except for her pounding head. Groaning at her stupidity she jumped at the voice outside.

“feeling alright in there?” Jenn’s voice sounded bouncy and great, given she had drank as much as Mira had. Mira unzipped the door a crack and peered out. Her sleep rumpled hair was tangled and wild and her face was pumped with color.

“Aspirin, please!” She purred, god her voice even sounded satisfied. Jenn quirked an eyebrow.

“Did you have a visitor last night? I thought I heard something coming from this way early this morning!” she wiggled her eyebrows and quirked her mouth.

“No! I was sleeping off the alcohol you let me drink last night! Gave me weird erotic dreams though.” Mira swiped her hand through her thick hair, mumbling the last bit more to herself than to Jenn.

“Must have been some dream! You look ravished.” Jenn handed her a bottle of water and a few tablets of aspirin, ignoring the dark flush that colored her friends cheeks.

“I’ll be out in a few, let me get dressed.” She closed the door and noticed a piece of paper stuck to the inside. Grabbing it and looking closely she gasped. It was part of her note that she had left. It had just been a dream, hadn’t it? She reached down and felt the sensitive skin between her legs and gasped at the moisture there. She looked at the paper again. Four words stared at her in stark relief. Find me, Follow me.

Mira had searched everywhere for Leeland. No one had seen him and no one had heard from him. Which only confirmed her suspicions. That had been no dream! Also that he was hiding from her until she left. What a coward! She ground her teeth in frustration and she boarded the plane. Going back home early had been her choice. If he didn’t want to see her, she most definitely did not want to see him. Although she was pissed about the whole ‘dream’ thing, she would forgive and forget, immediately. So as she boarded the plane preparing for a two hour flight from hell, considering that she had seen at least two mothers with cranky babies and a few men that obviously had a bad attitude getting ready to board the same plane, she sighed a small regret at having to leave the coast early.

She was happy though at the thought of returning home. Her roses should be in full bloom and she would have to cut the grass. She didn’t have any pets, and no one lived with her, less to worry about if she wanted to travel. And due to her lucrative job, especially as of late, she was able to afford things she once considered a luxury. A sad smile formed on her lips as she recalled why small things had been a luxury then. She would easily trade her extra money for her family again anytime. She spent the remainder of the flight thinking about her home and the things she could do until her vacation was up. Maybe she would take some extra time off and stay home to enjoy herself, perhaps start that book she always wanted to write? She thought of the possibilities and before she knew it they were landing and she was ushered off the plane with the other passengers into the crowded boarding area.

The air was dry and stale despite the whirring of the ventilation system overhead. That was desert air for you. She began the slow decent from the second floor boarding to the first floor baggage claim in the Las Vegas airport. She quickly grabbed her bags and turned, freezing. Across the room she thought she saw Leeland! Just as she was turning someone who looked like him had disappeared from sight around a corner, and it seemed like they had been looking at her! Glad she only brought a small suitcase, and even more grateful it had wheels, she took off in the direction she had seen him. But as she turned the corner she realized it dead ended after a few feet into a security clearance area. Shaking her head and admonishing herself for her hallucinations, she turned and headed for the car rentals on the other side of the building.

She got a small car for the six hour long drive and was glad when she was on the road. Not paying much attention to the cars around her, except for the few idiots that cut her off without a blinker, she relaxed on the way home. After she had crossed the dam and was headed onto the more open highway she noticed a few cars that had followed her from the airport, obviously traveling themselves. There was a red prius, like her green one at home. There were two trucks, both white, and an SUV in gold. Entertaining herself by wondering where they were going and what they might be planning she continued down the highway. Soon she came to a turn off for White hills, and one of the white trucks that had passed her a while back turned off. She looked back and the other three were still there. She smiled thinking how they were keeping her company.

She had kept going and listened to the radio once she had come in range of a good station, singing along to her favorite songs. She watched the sun get lower in the sky, it was around two and she had only been going an hour so she figured she would get home around seven tonight. Thinking ahead she figured she would stop in town and get a bite to eat before taking the long road to her house. She lived on the outskirts because she wanted nothing more than to not have any neighbors. Even if that put her in the middle of the nowhere. Coming up to a sign telling her the turn off to Kingman was coming up she began to pay more attention to the road. Noticing the turnoff she put on her blinker and noticed that all the vehicles behind followed her.

She went through the loop around and ended up going up and over a steep hill. Finding herself in a small strip of road crammed on both sides by truck stops and gas station mini marts before coming up to an overpass, which she then had to turn right and run parallel to. The red prius continued under the overpass while the white truck and gold SUV turned off with her. The sign said peach springs and she sighed. A long time yet to go. The highway was sparse and there were no towns for a long time. She enjoyed the bare scenery, catching glimpses of antelope running full tilt across the rolling hills and javalina rutting in mud holes formed from the summer monsoon rains. They were ugly wild pigs, but it always struck here as interesting that they lived in such extreme heat.

Finally she saw the turn off for Williams and knew she had only a short way to go. The sun was now hovering just above the mountains behind her creating a soft orange glow along the horizon. Soon she would see it deepen to red and purple as it kissed the tops and sunk behind them. She noticed that somewhere along the line she had lost the golden SUV, either that or it was lagging so far behind she just couldn’t see it anymore. But odds were she hadn’t noticed it turn off at some point. The white truck was her lone companion. Since they had passed Williams she knew it was either headed to flag staff or somewhere farther. Sighing she focused on the last small stretch of road ahead of her.

After the sun had disappeared behind her, casting the world in a purple blue haze, she finally saw the evening lights of Flagstaff spread wide in front of her. Her body relaxed and her mind hummed in satisfaction. She was nearly home. At that precise moment her stomach growled, as if reminding her of her earlier promise to feed it. She checked her clock and saw that it now said seven thirty. The last bathroom stop in Seligman had boosted almost thirty minutes to her time as she had had to wait for a family of seven to use the bathroom before her, all girls. Glad to finally be entering the city limits she decided to stop and have a bite at her favorite restaurant, Cottage Place Restaurant. It was a fine dining place and she rarely visited because it was such a drive from her home. But since it was on her way from here she wouldn’t pass up the chance.

She watched as the traffic got heavier and didn’t notice when the white truck fell in behind her, one car back. She was intent on eating something tantalizing and frivolous to make up for cutting her vacation short. When she remembered why, she grimaced, her irritation returned. Thinking ahead she reached for her phone and pressed the speed dial for the restaurant, thinking it would be better to get it to go and relax at home. She listened as the dial tone rang on speaker, the shrill sound filling the car. After three rings she heard the familiar greeting.

“Good Evening, Cottage Place Restaurant. My name is Sara, how may I assist you this evening?” the soft feminine voice made her smile, Sara was a young college girl who was working nights to make rent so she wouldn’t have to live in the dorms. She always tipped Sara more than usual.

“Hi Sara, it’s Mira. How’s it going today?” She dropped the formality.

“Hey!” The excitement was genuine in her voice as she exclaimed loudly.

“Are you coming in tonight? That’d be great, its real slow and bobby has been hanging around again, ugh!” Mira smiled as the gross factor rang true in Sara’s voice. The younger guy had been sniffing around Sara for the last year, driving her nuts to go out with him. He just couldn’t get the fact that she wasn’t interested in dating right now.

“Give the boy a break, he adores you. Anyway I am going to grab a bite. I am on my way back from vacay in Oregon but I don’t want to stay. This drive exhausts me you know and I thought a nice bottle of wine, hot bath, soft music, the works. Sounds real good right now.”

“Yeah, now all you need is a guy to share it with. And the it I am referring to was not the wine.” Sara said, giggling at the end.

“So not going to happen.” Mira said, for more reasons than one, she thought. The only one she wanted, obviously didn’t want her. His disappearing act was proof of that.

“yeah, yeah. I know, men are hands off. Got it, cant blame me for trying though. So whatcha want?” The other line was quiet except for the faint sound of dishes clinking together and soft voices murmuring to one another. The phone line being near the kitchen.

“Hmm, first the herb stuffed mushrooms and a caprese salad. Put the dressing on the side if you can. Hold on making a turn.”

“K.”

“Alright. Then the spinach and goat cheese strudel. Can I get a bottle of merlot with that?”

“Sure, which one do you want?”

“Uuuummm, the Ferrari-Carano.”

“And for dessert? I know you wont forget that.”

“Same as always.”

“The cheese cake.”

“Yep, the cheese cake. I should be there in about twenty minutes, if this idiot would use his gas peddle. Is that enough time?”

“yep. Package separate right?”

“Yeah, thanks and I will see you in a bit.”

“bye.”

“bye.” Mira pushed the small end button and smiled to herself. Sara was great to talk with, maybe she would invite her up this weekends to spend some time in the sauna or hot tub. It was summer, but the evenings were great for a nice steam bath and then some coffee on the veranda in the cooler night air. Really opened up the pores. Mira followed the streets turning left or right as needed to get to the restaurant. Before she knew it she was there and her stomach was begging her to stay to eat. Chastising it into silence she got out of the car and locked the doors before heading in the front door. Not noticing the truck pull in and park a few spaces across from her, she closed the door behind her.

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He watched her go into the restaurant, wondering if she was going to eat there or not. Getting out quickly before she had a chance to catch him, he walked over to the car and peered inside. A few coffee bottles sat empty in the cup holders and some candy wrappers lay on the floor of the passenger side. But other than that it was clean. Her luggage sat tucked behind her seat with the tag facing up. He peered at it, reading her cell number off the card. No address, but if he called her and heard her voice he could find her. After all that’s what she had said, Find me, Follow me. He wondered if she figured it out yet? Doubting it, he committed the number to memory and walked back to his truck, he expected to wait a while.

Soon enough the doors opened and she walked out talking to some young girl with blond hair swept back into a soft chignon, and a formal uniform in white and navy blue. Her skirt was an uncharacteristically long cut, flowing gently near mid calf, and the shirt was a business like starched white blouse with slightly puffed sleeves and pearl buttons dotted down the front. She looked every bit the part of the demure accommodating hostess. But one look at the smile she gave Mira, and he knew from her face that she was anything but. Mira walked to the door of her car, clicking it unlocked with her key fob on the small chain. She carefully set the bag inside, and two bottles of wine next to it. Climbing in and shutting the door, she turned the key and the angry red glare of lights lit up the back of her car.

He watched her leave from the shadows he had pulled around himself to appear invisible. She was starting to catch on, smart girl. So as she pulled out he watched her go, the bright red eyes of her car disappearing around a corner. She would take off roads and try to ’lose him’, but he wouldn’t follow her. He had what he needed, and now would find himself a decent place to rest his head. He found a place near where she had turned off and paid to rent a room. He paid for a week, he wasn’t sure how long it would take for her to let him stay with her. After unpacking and letting the shower wash the long drive away, he decided to watch TV. He didn’t know how long to wait but figured she would have to eat first. Thinking about it he was a bit hungry too, going out for a bite sounded good. Grabbing his door key and a dark shirt he headed out to see what there was in way of food.

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Mira smiled as she opened the restaurant door, the smells of good food assaulted her nose and it was cooler in here than outside. Even now when the sun had gone down it was still in the low eighties, and the heated breeze didn’t help. She thought about that for a second, when she thought of breezes they were always cool and refreshing making her wonder if there should be another word for the hot air that blew in the desert, because the two didn’t match up in her mind. Just as she was thinking up odd names for a warm breeze Sara appeared carrying her food.

“Right on time, I figured you’d be here any minute.” Sara set down the bottle of wine and three paper boxes. They were printed with little green recycle triangles all over them and at a far glance it would appear as if small green peace signs dotted the outside. They were recyclable containers that had a special slick coating on the inside made from vegetables. It was really neat what people thought of these days. And being a very environmental conscious person she was glad her favorite restaurant thought along those lines. Other wise she would be inclined to eat inside to avoid Styrofoam containers.

“Thanks Sara, hey are you free this weekend? I had to cut my getaway short and I wanted some company out at the ranch.” she watched as Sara’s face registered surprise, then smiled warmly. She guessed the girl didn’t have many customers ask her to visit.

“I think I am.” Sara nodded her head with a considering look on her face. Thinking she may have to sweeten the deal Mira spoke up quickly.

“I’ll buy a second bottle of wine, your choice and…” she let the sentence hang for about two seconds before continuing, noticing that Sara was riveted on her next words as expected.

“I also have a hot tub.” Mira smiled as Sara’s eye sparkled in delight. This was probably as close to a spa as the girl was ever able to get.

“Oh, honey you had me at bottle of wine.” Sara laughed and proceeded to swipe Mira’s debit card, turning the key pad toward her and looking away as she punched in her pin.

“What time do you get off on Friday?” Mira asked when she had finished with her pin number.

“Oh, I have Friday off with the rest of the weekend, I asked for them off because finals were yesterday and I have been studying crazy hard to get ready for them and I wanted a three day weekend to recoup. So when ever you think is good.” She tore off the small receipt that had printed and separated the white and yellow pieces, handing one to Mira.

“Alright, I’ll give you the directions and then you can come up whenever your ready. I am always up early, watering the flowers and garden. I have to in this heat so it wont evaporate.” Mira helped Sara hold the bag open as she placed the boxes inside.