Free Blood Lust by T. Lynne Tolles Page B

cabbie I just had? You both ought to have your own comedy hour.”
    “We have a 10:20 flight getting you in at 3:04 with one stop,” the woman smiled.
    “Is it a change of planes?”
    “No.”
    “Fine, book it, Dano.” The girl looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “Oh I see,” Darby said, “you can be funny, but I can’t?” The woman smiled and booked the flight for Darby, printing out her tickets and boarding passes. “Thanks,” Darby said as she turned away from the desk and headed for the door.
    She set her bag down, put her ticket in her purse, and was trying to get her bearings when a red blur came screeching its tires to a halt in front of her. Devon got out and slid across the hood of the car, planting himself in front of her, looking very much like an action hero.
    “Oh no, you don’t. You get right back in that flashy red car and go home. I’m not talking to you anymore today.”
    “Sir, you need to move your car. You can’t park it there,” a security guard said to Devon.
    “Just one minute,” Devon said to him. “Darby, I’m sorry. Please can we go and talk somewhere?”
    “No. Go away!”
    The security guard said, “The lady doesn’t want to talk to you, sir, you need to move your car.”
    Darby was still walking. “Darby, please. I’m begging you, if I’ve ever meant anything to you at all, please stop and let me talk to you.”
    Darby stopped and turned. “If you ever meant anything to me? How dare you? You’ve meant more to me than the sun and the air I breathe and I’ve told you so hundreds, maybe thousands of times.”
    “Ma’am, you’re not helping, he needs to move his car. He can’t park there.”
    “I’m sorry, you’re right. Please, can’t we just talk about this?” Devon pleaded.
    “Oh, you’ve said plenty but nothing at all.” Knowing that really didn’t make sense, but it had sounded so right when she was thinking it, she stomped her foot and dropped her bag in frustration.
    “Sir, you need to move your car.”
    “Fine. Tow it. I don’t care. I need to talk to her.” Devon turned his attention back to Darby. “Darby, I’ve been an idiot and I’ve been pushing you away. I know that now. I’m sorry. Please let me explain.”
    “Why?”
    “Sir, it’s really expensive to get your car towed and you know the tow truck drivers that come here, they don’t care if you have a nice car and well, I’d hate to see you get your car all banged up for nothing, when you could just move your car.”
    They both looked at the security guard and started laughing. “You are very persistent, Mr…” Devon looked at his name tag. “…Howard.”
    “Well, it’s my job sir. Keep things moving along, you know. Can’t just have any ‘Joe’ parking where he wants to. Got to get the passengers to their planes and what not.”
    Devon looked at Darby, pleading, “Please, Darby. Come back with me. I need to explain some things to you.”
    “Duh! Which you should have done when this all started!”
    “So are you guys going to move the car? I mean, lady, he seems pretty sincere. Look at those puppy dog eyes he’s giving you.”
    She looked at Mr. Howard and said, “So you think I should trust him, just because he’s giving me puppy dog eyes? You didn’t hear what he said to me this evening. Or how he’s been treating me since we got here or how he didn’t even visit me in the hospital.”
    “Well, that does put a different slant on the puppy dog eyes. Got anything to say about that, Mister?”
    Surprised to find himself responding to this complete stranger, Devon said, “Well, I don’t have an excuse for my rudeness. That is true. But I have seen myself through my uncle’s eyes this evening and it was not something I’m proud of. I think if I’m given the chance to explain, it would give Darby some insight as to why I acted the way I did. I’d like to make it up to her if she would allow me.”
    “Yeah, I gotta say that sounds pretty sincere, Miss. And