Free Street Safe by W. Lynn Chantale

bookshelves. He stepped farther into the shop, the door whispered closed behind him.
    “Na’arah?” he called. A soft moan drifted from the back of the shop. He hoped she wasn’t hurt. On guard, Street inched toward the rear of the building. Gentle squeaks punctuated the air along with occasional grunts.
    He followed the noises to a room on the end. All the other doors were open, except one, it stood ajar. Two bodies could be seen through the three inch wide gap.
    “Oh yeah,” a husky masculine voice said.
    Street stopped short. He recognized the voice. Auggie was out already? Street moved closer to the door. Lightly tanned skin and a warm brown arm came into view. He froze. No! The air left his lungs in a whoosh, while betrayal burned a hole in his gut. After everything they’d shared. He spun on his heel and stalked from the shop, slamming the door on the climatic crescendo.
    He hopped on his bike and brought it to life with a roar. This would be the last time she would have an opportunity to hurt him.
    ****
    Twenty minutes later Na’arah sauntered into the bar. She’d waited, on the sidewalk in front of her shop for Street, but he’d never showed. Now she wanted to know why he stood her up.
    A quick glance toward the bar showed a good-looking young man with short black hair in an earnest conversation with Derrick. She lifted a hand in greeting and continued toward the back.
    The door to Street’s office was closed. She raised her arm and rapped on the door with her fist.
    “C’min.”
    She twisted the knob and pushed open the door. Street sat at the scarred desk, his head bowed over a spreadsheet. A blue highlighter was clutched in one fist, while he slid a ruler down the page with his other hand. He didn’t even look up.
    “I thought we had a date.”
    When he lifted his gaze, she shuddered beneath his dark scowl.
    “Rue?”
    He stood and advanced so fast, she stumbled backward into the door. Heart pounding, she studied him. His hands were clenched at his sides and she couldn’t quite stop from flinching from his scathing glare. She firmed her spine, but her hands trembled. She clasped them behind her back to keep him from seeing.
    “Why are you here?”
    She tilted her head to the side. What happened in the last few hours? And why was he so upset with her? “We—we had a date. You said to meet you in front of the spa. I showed, you didn’t.”
    “I was there!” he said with a growl.
    Huh? “Well if you were there, why didn’t you wait for me?”
    He stepped closer, towering over her small frame, but she refused to let him intimidate her.
    “You really expected me to wait for you after I saw you with Auggie?” he demanded.
    “I was never with Auggie!”
    “I saw you. This afternoon when I came to pick you up.” His eyes glittered with anger. “If you thought I was going to stick around for that you’re sadly mistaken.”
    Na’arah chewed her lower lip. She was in the shop. The only time she’d seen Auggie was a few moments ago. Zee! Damn her sister. Na’arah clutched his sleeve and he snatched his arm away.
    “Get out of my office.”
    “I can explain.”
    “I don’t want an explanation, I just want you gone.”
    She studied him a moment. His full lips had thinned to a hard line and his jaw was clenched tight. He truly believed she’d been with Auggie. Her temper flared. “You’re not even going to hear me out?”
    An icy glare was her reply.
    Her heart clenched and she nodded. “Fine.” Silence stretched between them. With one last look over her shoulder she stomped from the office. The door slammed behind her and she winced.
    Hot tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked to clear her vision. She wouldn’t give him the luxury of tears. She stalked to the front of the bar. Auggie stepped in her path.
    “Hey Arah, I’m out!” He grinned. “We should do lunch to celebrate you officially taking over the spa.”
    She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Her palm