A Year to Remember by Shelly Bell Read Free Book Online

do it without violating client/psychologist confidentiality.
    While Dina babbled incessantly, my imagination wandered to my date tonight. Even though we’d only be getting a drink together, should I shave my legs? I bought new sexy undergarments to wear on the dates, even though I realistically knew no one other than me would see them.
    Missy would be proud of me. Rather than the black I normally prefer, I chose red, purple, and hot pink bras and panties made of silk and lace. I don’t think I’d ever spent so much money on clothes no one could see.
    Tonight, I would wear the red.
    Finally, the session ended, and I had exactly a half an hour to put on makeup and get across the city. It would normally only take ten minutes to get to the bar, but it was snowing at the rate of an inch an hour and the meteorologists predicted at least six inches by midnight.
    Born and raised in Michigan, my father had made certain I knew how to drive in the worst possible winter weather conditions. Besides, I drove an un-ecofriendly SUV with four- wheel drive, a must-have for the winter savvy population of Metro-Detroit.
    Unfortunately, even in my gigantic American-made vehicle, I couldn’t get through the traffic any easier, since apparently no one else on the road had yet mastered driving in the snow. At ten miles per hour, it would take me an hour and a half to get to the bar.
    I debated for a few minutes whether to call Jacob and let him know I’d be late. Once it became clear I would never meet him at the scheduled eight o’clock time, I decided I’d have to call him. I hoped he wouldn’t want to reschedule or God forbid, cancel the whole thing.
    My vehicle has the hands free system, which meant in theory I could keep my hands on the wheel and my eyes on the road.
    I listened to the prompt of my car. “Phone.”
    “Call Jacob on mobile.”
    “Calling Jennifer Dubb on cell,” it responded.
    “Aaah, no!”
    I tried again. “Call Jacob on mobile.”
    “Press one to call Mom at home. Press two to call Club Workout at work. Press three to call Missy Stein on cell.”
    How did my car’s computer confuse Jacob with Missy Stein? It wasn’t even close.
    Technology is a fabulous thing, when it works. When it doesn’t, which seems to be quite often, I felt like one of Missy’s residents in the retirement home longing for the good old days.
    I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and scrolled to find Jacob’s number. I could get a ticket for it, but something tells me the cops have other things to worry about today, since I passed two accidents in the last twenty minutes.
    I expected he would answer his phone, but instead I got his voicemail. He probably couldn’t answer it because he kept his hands on the wheel when driving.
    “Hey, Jacob, this is Sara. I’m on my way to O’Leary’s Bar, but I’m stuck in traffic. I should make it there by 8:45. If you get this message, call me back. See you soon.”
    For the next forty-five minutes, traffic moved slowly and I watched as car after car spun out on the snow and ice. On days like this, I dream of moving somewhere warm like Florida. How nice it would be to never worry about snowstorms. I mean, what’s a little hurricane compared to a blizzard? I’d take the hurricane any day.
    Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I reached my destination.
    Before going in, I reviewed the notes I had taken from his profile and his emails. He described himself as five foot ten inches and two hundred pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes. His photo had been grainy, but from what I could make out of it, he seemed relatively handsome. He enjoyed watching sports and gambling.
    I enjoyed sports and gambling now and then, but not enough to identify them as favorite activities. Still, how bad could it be to go to an occasional hockey game or visit a Detroit Casino? Definitely preferable over spending another date night alone with a carton of Ben & Jerry.
    As I entered O’Leary’s, I