~*~*~*~*~*

            Natalie left the CAC and went to her car; she was happy that she had insisted on driving herself, following Jo to the gallery instead of riding with Jo.  She pushed the button to unlock her door of her Mustang.  Actually, it was Jo’s old Mustang, black and sleek, even with its age, the last on the Fox chassis, Jo had said often of the car.  The shine wasn’t gone on the slick car.  Jo’d taken care of the car and now Nat did the same.  Sometimes she was sure it was her lover; she touched and watched over it more than she ever did with any person she’d ever been with.

            She reached down, popping the trunk, hearing the faint click and she moved to the back of the car with the authority of a woman twice her age.

            She’d made modifications since Jo’d had the car; she ran her long fingers along the inside of the trunk lid, finding the small blue button.  She depressed it, the two sides of the trunk slowly descended on hydraulics that she herself had installed, revealing a bevy of toys.

            Nat looked around, finding just what she was looking for.  She grabbed the wide band watch, turning the dial of the watch and quickly flicking her wrist. 

            The needle shot out, she flicked her wrist again, and it disappeared.  Everything was in working order. 

            “All right, Shane, time to meet me,” she muttered.  The watch would hold at least 60cc’s of blood, enough for a genetic profile, and more than enough to find out just what sort of drug the woman might have been on.

******

Storms

1.13.05

Janet Marie

I don’t remember a time

Where I didn’t know you

My life began

When you walked into my life

A warm wind blew

There you were

By my side

A gale force wind

You tossed my life

Upside down

When the storm passed

My life was in total havoc

Yet the skies were clear

My thoughts no longer confused

You made things crystal clear

The path of my day changed

Forever grateful

Eternally in love