Rod, again - Chapter 10, Debbie's drive

Debbie sat down on the edge of the hotel bed and let out a long sigh. The flight to Phoenix had gone smoothly but she felt drained nonetheless. She traced her finger along the bed cover’s floral pattern; orange roses on a brown background. Debbie wondered to herself about the people who designed hotel bed linens. Did they purposefully choose hideous patterns to deter theft, or did they just have really poor taste? The bed was ugly, there was no doubt about it. But, at the moment, Debbie didn’t care.

Even though the dress was technically Spencer’s project, Debbie had thought it best that she be the one to meet Cindy and take her measurements. It was a job that could have been done by any dress shop in town, but Debbie wanted to meet this person who seemed to share her sense of taste. Plus, she wanted the dress to be perfect and that meant a perfect fit.

Debbie had assumed Cindy lived on the East coast, near her parents. When Spencer informed her that Phoenix was the destination, she almost backed out. It was Donna who urged her to go anyway. Phoenix was a big city and this was a chance to prove that she had indeed moved on. She was glad that she had decided to fly in the night before her meeting with Cindy. She needed a chance to relax a little. She was just settling into some reality trash TV when her cell phone chirped. It was Spencer texting her Cindy’s address. Even though she already had it somewhere in the pile of papers in her portfolio, Spencer knew she would prefer to have it on her phone.

Debbie entered the address into the phone’s mapping application and studied the route from the hotel to Cindy’s apartment. She was always a little leery of the router’s accuracy, having been directed the wrong way down a one-way street in the past. She checked the route against a map she’d purchased in the airport and studied it. Everything seemed in order. Debbie texted a thank you to Spencer. Before she could put the phone down, it chirped again. Another message from Spencer.

Spencer’s message was brief: “I almost forgot. Cindy says if she doesn’t answer, try her fiance’s apartment next door. Name Rod Piston”

It took a moment for the message to fully register. Suddenly, Debbie dropped the cell phone on the bed and stared at it as if it had just bitten her. She breathed in short gasps, never letting the air fill her lungs. She was grateful to already be lying down; it saved her the trouble of fainting. She lay there for fully sixty seconds, struggling to slow her breathing and contain her sense of panic. Gradually, she gained some control although she felt like she might vomit any moment.

Debbie stood and tested her balance. She went to the window and opened it, hoping for a fresh breeze. It was early evening and the air still held much of the day's heat. Sadly, no breeze. She needed to get away from the stuffiness of the hotel room. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. Finally, she grabbed her cell phone and purse and left; intent on finding some fresh air.

Without really thinking, Debbie climbed in her rental car and drove out of the hotel parking ramp. With the windows down, Debbie raced along Phoenix’s highways, feeling some relief in the wind blowing through the car. She drove automatically, idly taking exits and corners as if she knew where she was going, unconsciously following the only route that was familiar: the one she had just studied. It wasn’t until she’d entered the parking lot that she realized she'd driven to Cindy’s place. Rod’s place. Debbie pulled into a parking spot in a dark, far corner of the lot and stopped the car. Leaning forward and resting her forehead against the steering wheel, she wondered what cruel twist fate had in store for her next.