Page 33 of Killer Summer
“I’ve got a little more shopping to do,” he said. “Have a good night.”
“You too.”
Dani gave an awkward half-wave, her cheeks still flushed as she watched Ethan walk away.
“Well, fuck.” She sighed and shuffled toward the checkout line.
Thirty minutes later the sky was fully dark as she pulled into her driveway. Halfway home, she began to notice a pair of headlights tailing her, or at least Dani thought they were. Now, as the taillights pulled in behind her, Dani knew that she wasn’t paranoid or crazy. Her pulse quickened as she pulled a handgun out of her console. She stepped out of the car and pointed her weapon at the driver. The headlights blinded her, obscuring her view, but Dani was a good shot. She could take care of business with her eyes closed.
“Hands where I can see them!” She shouted.
“Whoa, whoa! Dani! It’s me!”
The headlights cut out and Dani saw stars. She kept her stance straight and evened out her breathing as the driver came into focus.
“Ethan?”
“I’m sorry I scared you!” He shouted through the open window. “I’ve been trying to get your attention since we left the grocery store!”
“Oh my god.” Dani let out a long, relieved breath and lowered her weapon. “You scared me to death.”
“Sorry, just, you dropped your wallet. I wanted to make sure you had it.”
Ethan opened his car door and exited with both arms raised. Sure enough, her black leather wallet was clutched in his left hand.
“Where did you find it?”
“In the parking lot,” he said. “Man, you sure drive fast.”
He gave her an unsure smile as he handed her the wallet. Dani peered over his shoulder and sized up Ethan’s vehicle. She nodded in approval, pleasantly surprised to discover that he drove an older model sedan and not some kind of pretentious, expensive luxury car. The last guy that she attempted to date was obsessed with his car to the point of being boring; a modest vehicle signaled that at least one of Ethan’s priorities aligned with hers.
“So you really drove thirty minutes out of your way just to bring me my wallet?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “I mean, I figured you probably needed it.”
“That was very kind of you,” Dani said. She glanced up and down her street. It didn’t feel safe to be outside and so exposed. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” he said. “Well, goodnight.”
Dani bit her lower lip. It felt reckless to have Ethan anywhere near her, but even more reckless to leave him alone. If another podcast bro was out there watching her, then there would be nothing stopping him from following Ethan home and doing something horrible to him too.
“Wait,” she said. “I feel bad that you came all this way. Still feel like having dinner?”
Ethan’s expression brightened. ‘Well that wasn’t my intention, but …”
“But what?”
“I mean, yeah. I’d love to.”
“Come on, then. I’ll show you inside.”
Dani checked the home security app on her phone, and thankfully, nothing seemed amiss or out of place. No alarms had been tripped, no security measures breached. As she let him in, Dani remembered the strange scented scrunchie still sitting heavy in her pocket like evidence of her unsavory past. A promise of something bad to come.
“Should I take off my shoes?” He asked, stepping into her entryway.
“You don’t have to. I like to keep my shoes on most of the time. Never know when you’ll need to run.”
“Interesting point,” he said, glancing around the room. “Wow. Minimalist.”
