Free Playing Doctor: A Central West End Story by Lynn Cahoon

and the art museum, Annie was heading home when she heard a loud noise behind her. Turning, she saw a figure coming toward her. She quickly turned forward, not wanting to draw attention, but the blur of navy formed into a figure of a man in her mind’s eye. A strong man, lithe and fit, trying to keep pace. Her mom’s warning echoed in her head.
    “Don’t go running alone. You never know who or what’s out there. You don’t live in a little town like Sullivan anymore.” Her mom had chastised her about going running today. During last night’s call, Annie had mentioned her weekend schedule. Plans that kept her from driving the hour down to Sullivan to visit.
    Now she wondered if she should have listened. Great. Her first run in Forest Park and she was going to wind up a statistic on the evening news she loathed. She could just hear the announcer now. “A young female nurse was brutally slain by what’s now being called the Forest Park killer. Her parents warning not to run alone went unheeded.”
    Laughing at herself, Annie picked up the pace. If she was going to be attacked by the man running behind her, he would have to keep up. She was half-way back across the massive park towards home. Maybe tomorrow she’d run a little later to make sure there were more people peppering the park. Right now the section she was in was empty. Glancing to her left, there was a major highway. Would someone stop to help her if she headed that way?
    She shook her head. Right now, she wasn’t in danger. The man running behind her may just be running like her. But something felt off. Her best bet was to keep running and head home. She started counting her paces. One, two, three, one, two, three.
    Focus on the run, Annie .
    She glanced behind her. The man was gone. Her breath came faster and she started to laugh. Nothing, he had been just another runner. Annie stopped at a cross path and slumped on the bench. She started coughing and put her head down to catch her breath. She’d been scared for nothing. The sun beat down on her shoulders, warming her neck.
    “You run fast.” A male voice came from in front of her.
    Jerking to a standing position Annie faced the man, trying to remember the self-defense techniques she’d learned. She’d taken the class at her mother’s assistance as soon as Annie had mentioned moving to St. Louis.
    Step one: Show no fear .
    She prepared to swing when she looked in the man’s face.
    “Whoa,” Troy caught her arm. “What’s that for?”
    “Troy?”
    “Who’d you think it was? And why were you going to take his head off?”
    Annie sagged in relief. Her mom had wound her up and she’d played along. Troy had been some psycho killer running behind her.
    “How’d you catch up?” She sank back down into the bench. “I didn’t see you behind me anymore.”
    “I called your name. When you didn’t slow or stop, I took a short cut.” Troy pointed to the other trail. “It’s not as scenic but it cuts about five minutes off the run.”
    Annie held out the ear buds. “I didn’t hear you. I had these in and just heard something behind me. I guess I scared myself.”
    “Well, better safe than sorry my mom always says,” Troy sat down next to her. “It’s a great day for a run. Finally, the weather’s cooperating and we don’t have to be inside on the treadmill.”
    “Now that I’m not going to be murdered, yeah, it is nice.”
    “Sorry about that.” Troy leaned back, soaking up the sun. “I guess it’s time to head back. Do you want to stop for some coffee?”
    Annie looked at Troy sitting next to her. Even dressed in running sweats and an old Missouri University T-shirt, he was hot. And it would only be neighborly to stop in for a quick drink and conversation. “I’d like that.”
    Troy looked at her. “Really?”
    She felt herself blush. “Why would anyone say no to a successful good looking doctor?” Standing, she motioned toward the path.
    Troy fell in step besides her.