Escape

The car idled in the lot. The mall was a block of concrete.

-I suppose we should get you a change of clothes first? he asked.

Rosa Sharon looked down at her lap. The silk spilled over the console.

-I suppose I do stand out quite a bit dressed like this, she said.

She stepped out. He took both her hands.

-You are a sight to behold, he said5. For a man who will make you feel at peace.

She blushed.

-You have a way of making me feel things I’ve never experienced, she said. Peace. Possibility.

They walked in. The Lululemon was bright and sterile. The staff stared. A bride in a mall.

She touched the fabrics. Soft.

-Something comfortable, she said.

She grabbed black leggings. A gray sweater. She went into the fitting room.

The dress came off. It pooled on the floor. She folded it to carry.

She pulled on the leggings. The fabric hugged her. She looked in the mirror.

She walked out. She felt lighter.

-You look ready for anything, he said.

-Well, maybe not anything, she said.

They walked back to the car. The night air was cooling down.

-We’ll take everything slow, he said.

-Slow sounds perfect right now, she said.

He started the engine.

-Do you want to go back to your house? To take a few things? he asked.

She bit her lip.

-No, she said. I need a clean break. New scenery.

-I have a place by the beach no one knows about, he said.

She leaned back.

-A beach hideaway sounds ideal, she said.

-I hear you, Rosa, he said.

The highway turned into a gravel road. They approached the ocean.

He pulled up to a small structure. Worn shingles, dark windows. It looked abandoned.

-Yours?

He tapped the wheel.

-I know where the key is, he said. Owners are away. Long away.

He opened her door. The smell of brine and seaweed hit them. It was cold.

She stepped out. She shivered.

He walked to the porch. He moved a heavy planter. He found a key.

He turned back to her.

-Let me carry you in, he said. You deserve that tonight.

He scooped her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder.

He kicked the door open and crossed the threshold.

He leaned in and tried to kiss her.

She gasped. She held on tighter.

She pulled back. She looked at him. Her chest heaved.

-There’s something special between us, she said. Undeniably.

He looked at the dark living room. The furniture was covered in dust sheets.

-Let’s rest tonight, he said. Look at the future with fresh eyes tomorrow.

She nodded. The adrenaline was crashing.