Chapter Seven
Vicky looked around the parking lot nervously. All the other students had left, and her car was the only one left on the lot. She had been standing by her car waiting on Luke for the last ten minutes. She opened her car door and tossed her bag inside and then slammed the door tight.
“Come on Luke . . .” she said under her breath. This had been a day from hell. That run in with Sara in the bathroom had been the last straw. All she wanted to do was to go home, take a hot bath, and try to forget about the day’s events, but she had agreed to meet Luke after school. If he didn’t hurry, she was going home. She wanted to forget that this day had ever happened.
“Miss me?” Luke said softly.
Vicky jumped and brought her hand up to her chest to still her racing heart. “Luke,” she said breathlessly. “You scared me again. Where did you come from?”
He laughed softly. “I’ve been around.” He leaned against her car door. “Today’s been tough for you. Tomorrow will be better.” His eyes sparkled. “Tonight could be better.” He lifted his hand to her cheek and brushed a stray lock of hair away tenderly. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out for dinner tonight.”
She bit her bottom lip and grinned flirtatiously. “Having dinner with you does sound like fun, but I have to go shopping tonight to get a couple of school uniforms to wear tomorrow.”
He grinned. “That wasn’t an out and out ‘no’. Will you go out with me if I take you shopping too?”
Her grin got bigger. No guy in Fort Lauderdale had ever offered to take her shopping too.
“I’ll have to check with my dad first.” She bit her bottom lip, looked away, and flushed. “He’s probably going to want to meet you before he’ll give me an answer.”
He put his finger under her chin and made her look at him. “I don’t mind talking to your dad first,” he said. He let go of her chin, and then he laughed. “My name hasn’t crossed his desk at work, so I should pass his test.”
She shook her head and laughed. “I don’t know. My dad can be pretty tough.”
He grinned. “Have no fear babe. Getting on your dad’s good side should be a piece of cake.
I can be very persuasive when I want to be.”
She laughed softly. “I’m sure you can, but if you want to get on my dad’s good side you can’t clown around. He’s a very serious man, and he takes his daughter’s safety very seriously.”
He put his hand over his heart dramatically. “I will protect you with my life.”
She laughed harder. “You’re teasing me.”
His eyes sparkled mischievously. “I never joke about a beautiful girl’s safety.”
“Pick me up at seven,” she said excitedly. “Do you know where I live?”
He nodded. “I’ve lived here all my life, and it’s a very small town. I know where everybody lives.” He took her hand in his and kissed her fingers. “I’ll see you at seven,” he said and stepped away from her car door.
“Okay,” she said and turned to open her car door. She opened the door, turned back around to tell him good-bye, and he was gone. She searched the empty school parking lot with her eyes in disappointment. He was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged, and then her eyes caught a movement at the edge of the woods. There was a large black wolf staring back at her. It wasn’t making any aggressive advances toward her. A cold chill ran up and down her spine and her heart raced. She quickly jumped into her car and slammed the car door shut and locked it.
She sped out of the school parking lot, and stared at the wolf as she drove by. He didn’t advance, and he didn’t run. He just watched her car leave.