By George Woodruff

Part 8

The drive over to Susan's was uneventful, they chatted and made plans for the weekend. She asked Steven if he wanted to come back with her for some tea or something. He thanked her but begged off as he had some errands and chores to attend to and as much as he would like to get out of them, they were important and long overdo.

Susan said she understood and said she'd see him on the weekend. They confirmed that it was dinner at his place for 7 p.m. and then they'd go to a movie and if she felt up to it, dancing at one of the clubs later.

She waved good-bye and drove back to her sisters. Once again she had that feeling that she was being watched, which was weird, seeing as she was driving. She checked the traffic around her, but it was composed the general early evening crowd gathering for the pre-early show dinner spree.

She could feel the presence and was aware that the watcher or watchers were aware that she was aware of them. She gave up trying to find them, and concentrated on the hectic traffic. She finally escaped the core of the city and was off on the expressway, the feeling of being watched faded as she raced the wind home to her sister's. She arrived there as the three of them were climbing out of the minivan.

"Oh, you're home!" Karen remarked somewhat surprised.

"Yes, why, were you expecting me to be away for a while?" Susan asked.

"Well," Karen smiled and gave her a wink; "I just thought that you might, you know..." she winked again.

"Not tonight, though I did invite him over, but he had stuff to take care of for next weekend." Susan laughed at her sister's implication. "Where did you three go to?" She changed the subject before the kids picked up on the innuendo.

"Oh, we went out to get movies and snacks, we got 'The Matrix' and 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back,'" she said.

"Oh good, I wanted to see that!" Susan smiled.

"Which?" Karen asked. "Matrix or Stella?"

"Well actually both," Susan remarked. Karen rolled her eyes at her sister's taste in entertainment.

Susan watched Matrix with her niece and nephew, and afterward she watched Stella with Karen. The movies over, they sat up and talked, mostly reminiscences of their childhoods and boyfriends. Then Karen yawned and Susan sent her to bed. Buster came into the kitchen with her as she poured herself another brandy.

"Well boy, what are you thinking?" she asked jokingly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The words echoed in her mind as if spoken calmly in her ear. She looked at the dog, which looked back at her with a peculiar expression.