Ticket 1207 by Robin Alexander Read Free Book Online

be warm. I can pick you up at seven.”
    “Okay.”
    Shawn stopped in her tracks and had no clue what to say next. “All right then.”
    “I’ll see you at seven.”
    “Okay, bye.” Shawn hung up the phone and jumped when it immediately rang again. “Hello?”
    “I didn’t tell you where I live, which is above the store. There’s parking and a private entrance around back. If you’ve got something to write with, I’ll give you the gate code.”
    “I do.” Shawn jotted the numbers down as Jill gave them to her.
    “Just ring the doorbell once you’re inside.”
    “I will.”
    “I’m looking forward to seeing you,” Jill said, sounding a bit nervous.
    Shawn smiled. “I’m really glad to hear that. See you soon.”
    Rene was on Jill the second she hung up the phone. “You’ve got a date. You’ve got a date with Shawn! Where are you going?”
    “For a carriage ride to look at the Christmas lights,” Jill said with a silly smile.
    Rene held up a hand like she was swearing an oath. “So romantic. A moonlight ride under the stars, it’s cold so you’ll have to sit close together, probably under a blanket.”
    “She’s bringing one.”
    Rene closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself. “Your shoulders will brush, and that first contact will cause little pinpricks of excitement to flare up on your arm. Invariably, your hands will touch, and she’ll entwine her fingers with yours. The heat of her body will warm you while the cold nips at your face. In the darkness beyond the streetlights, you’ll have your first kiss.” Rene’s hands slowly rose up to clasp her face; her eyes remained closed as she spoke. “Then, you’ll get carried away to the point that the carriage driver has to threaten to report you to the police for public indecency, and he’ll let you off on a corner, well before the ride is supposed to end. Your bra will be up in your armpits, and you suddenly realize that you’re freezing to death.”
    Jill cleared her throat. “Was that a fantasy?”
    “No, it really happened. That’s the closet I’ve ever come to the four-foot club.”
    Jill narrowed her eyes. “Is that like the mile-high club?”
    Rene nodded as she patted her upper lip with a tissue. “The carriage is only like four feet off the ground…or do they call it that because the mule has four hooves?”
    The bell on the door jingled and continued to do so until the end of the business day.

Chapter 5

    At ten till seven, Shawn pulled up to the keypad behind Jill’s building and punched in the code. The solid gate slid open to reveal a long alley that held a few Dumpsters and a little red Mazda Miata parked directly behind the jewelry store. “Sporty, I like it,” she said as she parked her Camaro beside it. Their mutual admiration of sports cars was noted on Shawn’s mental “things in common” list.
    She ate a breath mint and kept an eye on her clock. The second it showed seven o’ clock, Shawn climbed out of her car, grabbed the two towels she’d been loaned, and rang the doorbell. Jill appeared a minute or two later with a smile.
    Shawn held out the towels. “I’m sorry I haven’t returned these sooner.”
    “I only remember you taking one,” Jill said as she opened the door wider and gazed at them.
    “I came by one day when you weren’t here, and I was…a mess. It’s kind of a long story,” Shawn said, averting her gaze. “I had some stuff stuck in my hair.”
    “Ah, that would explain why my shampoo was in the downstairs bathroom. Rene raids my apartment often. Come on up, would you like a drink?” Jill asked as she climbed the stairs.
    “Sure.” Shawn’s knees were knocking, and she hoped that maybe a glass of wine would keep her from blurting out something stupid.
    At the top of the stairs, they went through another door and stepped into Jill’s living room. It was spacious but also had a cozy feel to it with soft lighting and French doors that led out to the balcony. One wall