Afterward they lay happily together in the dark, and Nat rested her head on Angus’s chest, playing with the ends of his hair. “I’ve never slept with a ponytail before,” she said.

“I match my dog, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Nat was remembering the obedience school diploma on his wall.

“She’s a rescue dog, part Afghan, part golden retriever. She looks like a wacky lion.” Angus sounded completely relaxed. “My ponytail is exactly the length of her tail.”

“I don’t want to know how you measured that.”

“No, you don’t. Everybody thinks my hair is a political statement, but it’s just to match Miss Sally.” Angus cradled Nat closer. “God, you are so little. How does so much woman fit into such a tiny package?”

Giving new meaning to Gnat.

“I love your body.”

Nat smiled, too shy to say that she loved his, too. It turned her on that he was so much stronger and bigger. He made love outside the rules. She mentally replayed her favorite scene, and it almost brought her to another orgasm. Nat had just learned that she was a total sexist in bed, which is the kind of thing you realize when you sleep with a caveman.

“God, that was great. Don’t you think?”

Nat liked a Cro-Magnon who needed reassurance. “We both get As.”

Angus laughed softly. “I knew it would be terrific. I called it.”

Nat shifted happily on his chest. “So how premeditated was this seduction?”

“Not very. To be honest, it usually takes more than a toothbrush to get a woman into bed.”

“But you brought a condom.” Nat lifted her head to see him grinning in the dark.

“Correction. I brought three condoms.”

“You’re an optimist.”

“Oh yeah? Talk to me in twenty minutes.”

Nat laughed, and Angus hugged her close.

“You know why it was so great?” he asked.

“No. Why?”

“Because it’s love.”

Nat hesitated. “You think?”

“I know. I told you, straight up. I love you.”

“It doesn’t feel too soon to you?”

“It’s an emotional reaction, Natalie. You can’t time it or analyze it. Yes, of course, it will grow and blah blah blah, but it’s there right now. The important part, the wow. That’s love.”

The wow. Nat soaked in the words. She knew what he meant. Had she ever felt the wow with Hank?

“It’s okay if you don’t know it yet, but you love me, too.” Angus sighed. “I swear, I am so tired. It must be the meds they gave me. You must be exhausted, too.”

“I am,” Nat said, but she was already planning her next move.

“Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be all right.”

“Let’s sleep now. We’re both tired.”

“I’ll get you out of here in the morning, and you’ll be safe.”

No way. “Okay, you’ve convinced me.” Nat had wanted to tell him about the floor plan and her new theory, but the less he knew, the better, for his sake.

“I already set my cell to wake us up,” Angus said. “We can’t miss the train. You need anything?”

“Hush, now.”

“Me, too,” Angus said. His furry chest rose with a deep breath, and in the next minute, she heard his breathing even into slumber.

She waited until he began to snore, then got up and hurriedly put her clothes back on. She gathered her files as quietly as possible, then grabbed her purse and coat and went looking for the money and cell phone he’d bought her. She found the money in the dark, but didn’t find the cell phone amid the clothes and shopping bag. She couldn’t risk waking him, so she gave up.

She tiptoed to the door, pausing to look at Angus’s sleeping form. She hoped he’d understand why she was running out on him. She opened the door a crack, slipped out, and closed it behind her with a whisper.

Wow.

Nat hurried into the frigid night air, pulling her coat around her and patting her purse for the tenth time, making sure the thousand dollars was staying inside. She needed to get away and fast, in case Angus woke up. She scanned the rundown street, which was lined with twin houses and small businesses. There was no traffic, no cabs or buses, and no pay phone in sight. An auto tag place looked closed, as did a tarot parlor with a flickering neon hand in its window. A take-out pizza joint stood on the far corner, and a few old cars were parked in a small lot in front—which gave Nat an idea.

She put on her pink glasses and NASCAR cap, and hurried to the restaurant. She threaded her way through the parked cars and opened the barred door, greeted by a steamy interior and the mixed aroma of oregano, cooked pepperoni, and cigarette smoke. The storefront contained only a few red tables, and one held a trio of teenagers hunched over a hamburger pizza with a pitcher of Coke. They looked up when Nat walked over.

“Excuse me, guys.” She pushed up her glasses. “Do any of you want to sell me your car?”

The teenagers burst into raucous laughter. The tallest one, a good-looking kid with a fake diamond earring, said, “Yo, dude, you for real?”

“Yes. I need a car, now. I’ll pay cash.”

“Cash money, dude?”

“Yes.”

A second kid, who had bad skin, said, “That’s not legal. You don’t have no title.”

A future lawyer. “That’s okay with me. I don’t care.” Nat turned back to the tall kid. “Name your price, pal.”

“A million dollars.”

Or not. Nat turned to the shortest one, who wore an Eagles knit cap. “What do you say? You got a car?”

“An ’86 Neon. Got 120,000 miles and no radio, but it runs good.” Eagles Fan cracked a lopsided grin. “S’my stepsister’s car.”

“I like Neons. You like cash?”

“Yes.” Eagles Fan’s eyes glittered. “And I totally hate my stepsister.”

“Sell it, dude!” the others shouted. “They’re gone the whole frickin’ weekend!”

“This is your lucky day, my friend.” Nat took the envelope from her purse, flashed the crisp bills, and counted them off. “I’ll give you three hundred bucks for the car, right now. Yes or no.”

“Three hundred dollars?” Eagles Fan’s young face lit up.

“Three hundred, dude! We can party all weekend!” They all laughed, and Eagles Fan was giddiest of all.

“Dudes, my stepsister will be so pissed! She’ll burn! She’ll freak!”

“Do it, dude!” the tall kid yelled. “They won’t even know ’til Sunday night!” They all slapped each other five over the table, yelling, “Excellent!” “Awesome!” “We rock hard, dude!”

“I’m doin’ it!” Eagles Fan grabbed for the bills.

Fifteen minutes later, Nat hit the road in an old blue Neon that had a perfumed powder-puff and a graduation tassel hanging from the rearview mirror. She drove past strip malls and houses, traveling as far away as she could before she found another cheap motel and pulled in. Angus wouldn’t find her here, and neither he nor the cops knew about the Neon. She locked the car and went inside to get a few hours of sleep before dawn.

She’d need energy to set her plan in motion tomorrow.