Chapter 3- A Surprise Visit

Audrey's Point of View

Audrey had to leave. Despite her desire to remain in Chicago, she was able to secure a position in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the place of residence of the man she loved. She had been pressing Dan to seek a job in Chicago so they could finally move in together, but she was well aware of how unrealistic that sounded. There was just no acceptable entry-level employment in the city. The recent recession had a severe impact on the economy, which was still battling to recover.

It was now up to her to take the initiative and make the move. After months of application, her efforts had paid off, and she was on her way to the Twin Cities to take the next stage in her relationship.

As she drove west, her eyes became strained. Driving in the nighttime was not the best decision she had made, but she was eager to arrive early and surprise her man. Dan was not expecting her until tomorrow afternoon. She couldn't wait to see his face when he opened his flat door and saw her waiting there. Most importantly, she was looking forward to the sex. Her last visit had been several months ago. She felt deprived, and she could only imagine how horny he must be.

She could imagine sliding her fingertips over Dan's slim chest and feeling his hot breath on her neck...

The grinding of stones under rubber drew her attention away from her thoughts and back to the road. She took a deep breath and scolded herself for being sidetracked for a short second.

She first met Dan at a party around the end of her third year in college. He had finished his final semester, and they had been flirting carelessly with each other all evening. That summer had been among the warmest she had ever experienced. She never imagined she could instill so much passion in another person, let alone experience the same level of pleasure and excitement from a man's touch. They couldn't be apart.

When autumn arrived, she returned to college while he hunted for a job. She remembered receiving a call a month before Christmas. He finally found work, but it was in Minneapolis. Crushed was an understatement of her emotions when she heard the news. They met for dinner that evening, and she was expecting him to end their relationship. She never expected him to want a long-distance relationship in which they could only see each other a few times a year.

They resumed their usual daily activities and set aside an hour every evening to communicate on Skype. It was painful at first, but she eventually became used to it. She couldn't believe her luck when she finally found a job near his flat. Things were finally getting better for them.

An hour had passed since darkness fell, and the road had entered a dark, darkened woodland region. She tightened her grasp on the steering wheel as she concentrated on the road. When the radio signal went out, she fiddled with the dial until she could pick up another station. She squealed and turned up the volume when she discovered one of her favorite songs playing.

She was so focused on belting out the words at the top of her lungs that she almost missed her phone ringing from her purse nearby. After turning down the noise, she reached into her purse and began searching blindly while keeping her gaze fixed on the road. Despite her expectation that it would be Dan, she was not startled to see who was calling. She held the phone against her ear.

"Hi, Mom."

"Come back home, Audrey. I can't stand being alone with your father."

She rolled her eyes at her mom's exaggeration. She transferred the phone to the other ear. "I'm certain everything will be alright. What did he do this time?"

"He took my bicycle out for a ride!"

She wrinkled her brow. "But Dad doesn't know how to ride a bike."

"Exactly! When he tumbled over, he was almost hit by a car! He seemed to be trying to recreate his childhood, despite the fact that he hadn't ridden a bicycle in 25 years! I swear the dude is becoming senile! One of these days, he'll murder himself, and you know who the cops will blame! Lord, have pity on my soul!"

She shook her head, aware of her mother's tendency to exaggerate. Audrey always assumed it was to attract more attention, and it worked for the most part. Her father had begun acting strangely in the days following her announcement that she was going to Minneapolis. He had taken out his musty old football jersey from high school, which he had refused to put away after all these years, and began parading around the neighborhood like he was the cock of the walk.

The neighbors were having a great time outside. They laughed so hard that he finally gave up his silly jersey. Hurt his pride as well. He couldn't look any of them in the eyes anymore, and they couldn't help but giggle at the memories.

"Is he alright?" Audrey inquired with concern.

"Of course he is. You do, however, know your father. He wasn't willing to acknowledge defeat until he got back up, attempted again, and severely cut his shin. That killed him. He came home pouting and tended to his boo-boo, refusing to let me look at it. He knew I wouldn't let him hear the end of it if I took a close look at it—and he'd be right, you know."

Audrey exhaled with relief. "Well, I am glad he is okay, but can we talk about Dad later? I'm driving right now, and it's pitch black."

"Oh? Where exactly are you now? You must be getting close to Minneapolis, right?

She looked at the old GPS on the dashboard which her father had given her when she first drove across states to see Dan. "Yeah, about forty-five minutes away."

She noticed a blur out of the corner of her eye. A figure jumped out in front of her, and she slammed on the brakes as hard as she could. The tires screeched on the asphalt, and the phone dropped from her fingers. Her hands squeezed the wheel, and she came to a complete halt.