Desire: Love and Passion - By Lesia Reid Page 0,38

up surprisingly early. Her refrigerator was bare. Her cupboards had only coffee, but she was not in the mood for her usual brew this morning. A closer scan revealed hot chocolate. She made a cup and sipped the sweet dark brew down to the last drop. Her house did not have a full size gym like his and she needed to get out and get some fresh air and exercise.

There was a bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle in her driveway. It was not the same design as the one she had before. It was painted sunflower and not the bright yellow of her previous vehicle. She frowned. Under the windshield wiper there was a small envelope. Willow removed the envelope. Inside, was a handwritten note on expensive stationery. She recognized James’ handwriting immediately.

My dearest Will, it began. She didn’t bother to read it. She balled it up and threw it as far as she could.

She started jogging away from the car. The fresh air felt good in her lungs as she ran towards Big Wood Park. She found a trail easily and for the moment, he was gone from her mind.

If it was not for the crumpled piece of paper under the windshield wiper, Willow would have thought her life was back to normal. As she came up her driveway and passed the vehicle, the paper flapped in the wind, mocking her. She stopped, looked around before pulling it out.

My dearest Will. It was the note she had thrown in the brush.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted to the wind and went inside, shoving the paper in her pocket.

The paper ignited new anger as she showered. The more she thought about it, the more she thought about him, and the angrier she began. When she got out of the shower, the anger was so white hot that she had no idea she was capable of such an emotion. She pulled on a tee shirt and shorts without any other apparel. She grabbed the cricket bat and went out to the bright yellow mobile as it sat as if laughing at her.

The first two or three swings of the bat felt good. The more she swung and the harder she swung, the better she felt. The sound of smashing glass and wood against aluminum brought its own sense of exhilaration. When she was done, the anger had not completely burned away. She went inside, stabbed out the number of a towing company and requested pickup. She grabbed her mobile telephone and went outside. She flung the cricket bat at the car. It got stuck in what remained of the windshield. She found the camera app on her mobile and snapped a picture of the vehicle. Willow attached the photo to his telephone number and before hitting send wrote, ‘want to know how well I can use a cricket bat?’

James had seen her rage on the car before receiving her photo. He’d asked Simon to keep an eye on her and Simon had sent him the video of her wielding the cricket bat. It was amusing at first. She had been right about one thing; she threw herself in all projects wholeheartedly. The surprise for him that day was the wrecked car showing up outside his office at St James Place. Of course she remembered he was working today.

Larry had saved the day by paying the tow driver cash to haul the wreck away and keep his mouth shut.

“It’s hard to believe she did all that disaster,” Larry said as they resumed their meeting. “What is she, fifty kilos or so?”

“Not even,” James said.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll talk to her when I get back,” James said.

“Hell hath no fury,” Larry said.

Larry had not entirely liked Willow but he was beginning to see her in a new light. She had annoyed him as a negotiator, but living with her was different. She was always polite and considerate. He also came to appreciate that she did not spend one penny of James’ money the whole time they were together. He had entirely misjudged her.

“I would send her roses but I would hate to think what she would do to the courier.”

“And you think her mood will be better when you get back from New York?”

“She cannot remain mad at me forever.”

“I think she might surprise you in that regard,” Larry couldn’t help himself.

“You’re right,” James said. “I’m going over there.”

“Did you take a good look at that car?” Larry asked.

“I can’t concentrate on this