eight blocks from her apartment to town hall she tried to internalize the warning Michael had given her. She wasn’t entirely sure this endeavor was something that could exist in reality. She reminded herself that there would be a point in time when it would be too late to turn back. She still had time to change course and mind her own business, get on with the new uncomplicated life that lay in front of her. She ran Michael’s words through her head over and over, but it didn’t seem to matter. She was committed to this now, and no amount of admonition would be enough to deter her.
She was lost in her own thoughts when she suddenly found herself knocked backward. She had run right into someone and she, being the smaller of the two, had toppled back onto the sidewalk. She felt a cold liquid spread across her chest and stomach. As she regained her bearings she heard a familiar voice over her.
“Oh my,” shouted Judge Lions. “My dear I am so sorry. Are you hurt?” He reached his hand down to lift Piper back to her feet, but shock kept her from taking his assistance. “I spilled my sweet tea all over you. You poor girl.” He crouched down next to her and with his large hands and sausage-like fingers began trying to wipe at Piper’s shirt.
“I’m fine,” Piper grunted, brushing his hand away. She wanted to shove his hand back and ask what kind of man uses the guise of a spilled drink to fondle a stranger, but she held her composure. This needed to be a relatively quick event with no lasting memory for the judge. She didn’t want to be on his radar in any way, especially as the woman shouting at him for groping her.
As hard as it was at that moment, Piper smiled at him. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going, and I’m not hurt. Thank you for trying to help, but I’m on my way to an appointment and have to run.” Now standing, she was close enough to smell his dated musky cologne and to see the large black hairs in his nose and ears. She couldn’t be sure if it was her knowledge of his deviant ways that made him so repulsive or if he truly was a disgusting looking man. Either way, from this close proximity, her stomach turned at the sight of him.
“Are you sure? I’ve ruined your shirt.” He reached out and touched Pipers shirt just over her belly button and it took an enormous amount of self-control for her to not physically strike him.
“I can pay you for dry cleaning costs if you like. Or we can go right into that shop there and I’ll get you a new one, whatever one you’d like. We’d probably get it for free. I’m a judge, you see, and I’ve helped Martha with a few speeding tickets, she drives like a lunatic. I’m sure she’d be delighted to return the favor.” He pointed to the shop across the street that read “Martha’s Boutique and Fine Jewelry.”
Piper winced as the judge’s breath, tainted heavily with the smell of onions, blew across her face. She supposed when you paid people to like you, or even to have sex with you, there was very little grooming required.
She took a few steps back then pointed over her shoulder. “That is such a nice offer, but I really have to get going. I appreciate it.” She let her words trail off as she turned and quickly walked away from him.
She climbed the large cement stairs outside of town hall practically in a run, skipping two at a time. She stepped into the revolving door and pushed it quickly around, pressing herself against the glass and willing it to move faster.
Once inside the lobby, she braced herself with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Her hair had become wild, knocked out of its barrette when she fell. She felt jittery and blood was pumping quickly through her veins, but she didn’t realize how tousled she really looked.
“Piper?” She heard someone calling her name, but couldn’t register it without more oxygen making its way to her brain. “What happened to you?” Piper squinted and looked hard, trying to make out the blurry figure standing in front of her. It was Jules, and she was staring at Piper as if she had seen a ghost, a very out