The Witch Next Door

TWND-Chapter Three

Copyright © 2012 Dionne Tuttle

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of boththe copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Chapter Three

     I spent a restless night tossing and turning, images of witches and broomsticks dancing in my head. I finally nodded off just before dawn, only to have the alarm clock jar me out of a restless sleep. I looked at the numbers on the clock and groaned. If I didn’t hurry, I would be late for work. Again.

     I was halfway dressed when I remembered that my car was temporarily out of commission and that I wouldn’t have a ride. I quickly called information to get Jake’s phone number. Then, praying that Jake hadn’t left for work yet, I dialed the phone.

     “Hello?” His voice sounded sleepy and sexier than I would have expected this early in the morning.

     “Jake? I need to take you up on that offer of a ride. If it still stands?”

     He yawned into the phone. “Who is this?”

     I reared back in annoyance. “How many women do you have calling you at seven in the morning to ask for a ride?”

     “More than you might think.” He laughed low in his throat and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up in response. What was it about this man that got under my skin? “Good morning, Jane. Sorry I didn’t recognize your voice. I just woke up.”

     I flipped my wrist and looked at the face of my watch. 7:05. “We have to be at work in fifty-five minutes. When do you think that you might be ready?”

     “Yes, now I know you. You’re the drowned rat that I took home last night.”

     “Jake,” I began impatiently.

     “I’ll be there in about forty minutes.”

     “I’ll expect you then.”

     “You’re welcome, Jane.” There was amusement in his voice.

     “Thank you.” I hung up the phone and sighed. Somehow, Jake always managed to make me forget my manners.

     Jake pulled up to the door with one minute to spare. He actually got out of the car and walked around the side to open the door for me.

    “What is it this time? Afraid that I’ll scratch the paint?” I regretted the bitchy words as soon as they left my mouth. “I’m sorry. That was really rude. Thank you.”

     Jake smiled at me. “Someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

     “My bed only has one side.” I could have bitten my tongue off. Why had I said that to him? I quickly scrambled into the car to try and cover my embarrassment.

     He laughed. “I’ll have to remember to be careful, then.” He closed the door behind me while my face flushed hotly.

     He couldn’t have meant that the way that it sounded, I thought uneasily to myself as Jake climbed into the driver’s seat. The car pulled away from the curb and Jake turned the volume up on the radio.

     The next few minutes of the ride passed in relative silence. A song that I really liked came on the radio and I began to absently hum it. All of a sudden a loud booming noise echoed around the car, causing me to jump nervously. I looked up at the sky and frowned. There wasn’t supposed to be a thunderstorm today. “Did you hear that?”