What Is Love?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Danny Dare

I was about to close my register and clock out for the day when the two men walked in. Initially I didn't take any notice - the first man looked fairly normal, and maybe slightly touristy with his floral shirt and fedora, while the other looked like he could be a local. The local guy seemed fidgety as he glanced around the store, his glasses sliding down his oily nose. The other stood with an arrogant confidence, sporting a crooked smile and mischievous eyes.

The man with the fedora strutted over and leaned against the counter in front of me while the younger looking black man followed behind awkwardly. "Hey there sweet. Mind helping us out for a sec?" Mr. Fedora smiled.

An involuntary shiver ran up my spine - there was something very off about these two men - something I couldn't quite put a finger on. "Sure, how can I help you?" I half smiled hesitantly.

"Well, my name's Evan, and this twitchy bastard-" the other man shot Evan a cold stare "- is Kevin. You see, numbnuts here accidentally backed into someone's car out in the lot and we were wondering if you could make an announcement over your little intercom there for whoever the thing belongs to."

I nodded and reached for the intercom. "No problem, what type of car is it?"

"Pontiac Grand Prix."

I froze, my eyes wide. "Red?" I asked.

"Yup," Evan said easily, seemingly unconcerned with the whole affair.

"Parked out towards the road?"

"Mhm."

"That would be my car then..." I said quietly. Fuck! Just what I needed: car repair payments. Damn this hurricane that was blowing in, or I could have just walked to work this morning and saved the poor machine...

"Well whadya know! Guess you don't have to make that announcement after all! Terribly sorry about your car though miss. Shall we go out and take a look at the damage see?" Evan said completely insincerly.

I sighed. "Yeah, I was just about to clock out. Give me one minute, okay?"

A few minutes later I felt horribly depressed as I stepped out into the rain with these two strange men and saw where the silver SUV parked beside me had taken out the back left corner of my car. "Shiiiiiit," I hissed under my breath, and out of the corner of my eye saw Evan fight back a grin - what a dick.

"Soooo," he said shoving his his hands in his pokets and looking at the new cave in the back of my car, "Kev, aren't you gonna tell Miss Danny you're sorry?" he prooded almost mockingly.

Kevin, who I had yet to hear speak, shot his companion another hostile glare that made me wonder if maybe these two didn't get along very well. The boy had just opened his mouth to speak when an angry horn cut through the sound of rainfall, and an even angrier voice growled out the window "What the hell are you doing here?"

My stomach clenched in a tight knot as a recognized the voice instantly. In my head I found myself echoing back his own question, 'What is he doing here?'

Kevin looked like he was about to panic and pass out while Evan's face nearly split in half from his renewed grin. "Hey boss!" he called merrily.

'Boss?!' I thought bewildered as Slen's tall frame stepped out of the car and into the rain.

"Sir, I -" Kevin started to speak, sounding almost fearful.

"That will do," Slen snapped and instantly the man quieted again.

Then Slen looked at me for the first time since pulling up beside the wrecked cars. His eyes were hard and black, reflecting the stormy skies like mirrors. "Are you alright Ms. Dare?" he said in a softer voice, however his eyes were still hard and guarded. I didn't realize until I missed the rain on my skin that he'd pulled an umbrella from his car and was holding it open over me.