Sunrise at Sunset by Jaz Primo Read Free Book Online

he couldn’t help feeling watched. He got up and looked out one of the windows, but only saw the aged red brick wall of a nondescript warehouse across the alleyway. Immediately outside was the rather unattractive, black metal fire escape platform that ran across each floor of the building. He sighed, chuckled, and silently berated himself for his paranoia.
    Then his phone rang, which startled him. Damn it. He stormed to the kitchen counter.
    “Hello,” he answered in a terse voice.
    “Caleb?” Melanie asked.
    “Yeah,” he replied with a heavy sigh.
    “What’s wrong?” she pressed as her TV played in the background.
    He absently ran one hand through his hair and explained, “Well, I got mugged in the college parking lot tonight.”
    Melanie gasped slightly. “That’s terrible! Did they take your wallet?”
    His eyes widened with surprise, and he demanded incredulously, “My wallet?”
    “Well, yeah,” she insisted. “If so, it’s a real pain! My friend at work, Terri, had her purse stolen, and it took like forever to cancel her credit cards and get her IDs remade.”
    “Huh?” he muttered in confusion as he took the phone away from his ear and stared at it with disgust. You’re kidding, right? he thought wildly before putting the phone back to his ear. What about me? “Well, he didn’t get my wallet,” he said. “Thanks to Katrina, of course.”
    “Katrina? Who’s Katrina?” she demanded in an annoyed voice.
    Caleb took perverse pleasure in her response. “Katrina Rawlings. She’s one of my history students,” he proudly replied. “She’s leading the class average by a mile, in fact.”
    Melanie paused, and the TV clicked off at her end of the line. “When did all this happen?” she asked with sudden interest.
    “About an hour ago,” he said as he glanced at his watch. “It’s a good thing she was there because the guy was carrying a huge knife, Melanie. I tell you, I was-“
    “An hour ago? Didn’t class end way before that?” she abruptly interrupted.
    His mind reeled, and he frowned. “Well, yeah, I guess. I was working late in my office grading some essays, and-“
    “And was Katrina in your office, too?” she interjected.
    “What?” Caleb asked incredulously. “Melanie, what are you trying to say? I get mugged, and maybe stabbed if it weren’t for Katrina, and you don’t seem too damned concerned about that,” he snapped.
    She sighed in a huffy manner and retorted, “Of course, I’m glad you’re okay, Caleb.”
    He didn’t think she sounded too convincing. “Well, I was alone in my office, thank you,” he replied matter-of-factly.
    “Okay, fine,” Melanie replied. “I’m glad that you’re okay and that you didn’t lose your wallet.”
    “Thanks,” he said, unconvinced.
    “Do you want me to come over or anything?” she asked.
    He thought about it for a moment and was surprised to find he really didn’t feel like her company. He felt exhausted, wanting only to take a shower, have a beer to calm his nerves, and maybe go to bed. “No, that’s okay, Mel,” he said tiredly. “I’m beat. I just want a shower and some sleep.”
    “Well, call me tomorrow, okay?” she insisted.
    “Sure,” he replied. “G’night, Mel.”
    “’Night,” she said before hanging up.
    He laid the phone on the kitchen counter and headed to the refrigerator for a beer.
----
     
    Katrina quietly leaned against the black metal railing of the fire escape outside Caleb’s apartment window, well to the side in the shadows so that nobody could see her standing there. She was easily able to hear his voice as she watched him through the sheer curtains of his living room. While concerned for his well being, she felt a little like a stalker.
    She sighed. It wasn’t like she could just call him or stop by his apartment to check on him. Katrina readily detected his interest in her, and the feeling was certainly mutual. But she didn’t want to jeopardize his job. It was all she could do