Author's Note
Welcome readers. I appreciate all the votes, comments and feedback you've given me so far. A big thank you goes to Techsan for his great edit. Enjoy!!
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The blank page stared back as if it had eyes. It was an eerie feeling that gave Sophie Michaels the chills. She reached over and flipped the light switch but nothing happened. She grimaced and remembered the bulb had gone out a couple of days before. The storm clouds had long ago hid the sun and the room was getting dark. As the one lamp in the small room flickered, Sophie tried to think where the flashlight was, in case the power went out.
She rummaged around in the small closet for the flashlight and another light bulb. Organization was something foreign to her and it showed. Schoolbooks, sports equipment, papers and shoes filled the shelves. Stuck in a corner was the empty light bulb package. The house shook from the sudden clap of thunder. Or was it from the way she slammed the closet door? Shadows flickered on every wall from the non-stop lightning.
Rain pelted the windows as the storm intensified. A bolt of lightning struck the old maple tree in the backyard and split it in two. As the branches crashed to the ground, they fell across a power line, sending sparks through the air. Sophie screamed at the instant blackness in the room as the storm raged on.
A sudden intrusion of lights several minutes later scared Sophie even more. With her eyes shaded against the brightness, almost afraid to check, she made her way to the closest window. Through the sheets of rain, she could see two fire trucks, and an assortment of emergency personnel. Men were standing next to a car and pointing to the fallen wires. Sophie watched as some of the crew turned a hose onto the neighbor's garage. Flames and smoke spewed out of the small building.
Without thinking, she ran towards the door, afraid for the people living in the house next to her. After stumbling into furniture, she turned the knob, flung the door open and ran outside. The smoke was thick and curling into the air from the fire. People were coming out of their homes to gather in the front yard. Sophie watched the organized chaos as she hurried to join the group.
"Sophie, over here!" she heard from the crowd.
"You're lucky that tree didn't fall on your house, too," another voice called out.
"I swear it was the loudest thing I ever heard," someone said.
"Where are the Calhouns? Has anyone seen them?" Sophie asked no one in particular.
"They're with the fire chief. One of their kids smelled smoke and woke Mrs. Calhoun up," the first voice replied. "Thankfully it was the garage and not their house."
Sophie stood next to the growing circle of concerned neighbors. She heard one of the firefighters telling another how fortunate the homeowners were. It occurred to her that it could have been much worse if the garage hadn't been a separate building. She shivered and wished she had thought to grab a jacket. Even though the rain had let up, and it was a warm night, her blouse stuck to her skin.
A man with a jacket identifying him as being from the local electric company walked their way. Sophie heard his velvety rich voice as he spoke to an older man from down the block. Soon he turned her way and smiled. Her heart pounded when she saw how gorgeous he was.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Luke Flynn from the electric company. I understand you live next door here," he stated.
"Yes," Sophie confirmed.
"I wanted you to know the men will get your power back on as soon as possible," he explained.
"Okay. I couldn't find my flashlight though," she blurted.
"Your flashlight?" Luke asked with a confused look.
"I was looking for it because the light bulb burned out and then I heard the tree and saw the lights and it was too dark," she rambled.
"Are you alright? You didn't fall and hit your head..."
"No, I'm just nervous," Sophie mumbled.
"There's nothing to be nervous about. Things should be in order by tomorrow," he told her.
"Tomorrow? How do I see tonight?" she questioned. "I mean, it's dark in there and..."
The chuckle Sophie heard was warm and friendly. She blushed as she realized how dumb she must have sounded and tried to think of something smarter to say. Luke excused himself to talk with another worker and soon walked back to the truck. Sophie gave a quick wave to her neighbors and ran back into her house.
After feeling her way to the bedroom, she stripped off her soggy clothes, slipped on some pajamas and stumbled back to the living room. Sophie forgot all about the new story she had been trying to write earlier. For the next hour, sitting on a chair by her window, Sophie watched the crews work. When her eyes drifted shut, she settled lower in the chair, pulled a throw over her shoulders and slept.
A crick in her neck from sleeping in the chair woke her up several hours later. The sun was shining as if the storm of the night before had never happened. She took a fast cold shower since the power was still off and dressed for work. The clock had stopped so Sophie checked her watch. Running late was typical for her even without any excuses. Shuffling through her purse, grumbling at the junk inside it, she grinned when her fingers touched her keys.
It crossed her mind that it was a good thing her garage was too messy to fit her car inside. Without any power, her electric garage door opener would be useless, and she would be stuck at home. Hearing her stomach rumbling reminded her she missed breakfast. Several miles away she decided to grab some coffee and a donut from one of the convenience stores. Zipping in should take almost no time she told herself.
Sophie pulled into the store's parking lot and aimed for the empty spot near the door. Still cursing at herself for running late again, she slammed the car into park and grabbed her purse. It didn't matter how early she woke up, or how good her intentions were, something always happened to make her run late.
Scrambling out of her car, her mind on the meeting she was due at in half an hour, Sophie swore when she felt her nylon catch on the seat. Almost afraid to look at the damage, she stood up, slammed her door shut and twisted to check it out. The hole already had a run going from her ankle to above her knee.
"Great, now I have to buy a new pair," Sophie muttered. "What next?"
"Were you talking to me?"
Sophie thought she knew the voice but couldn't quite place it. She turned as she straightened up and found Luke Flynn standing a few feet from her. Sophie was mortified that he heard her talking to herself.
"Hello," she said. "You're from the electric company."
"That's right. We spoke at the fire last night." Luke explained.
A deep breath calmed Sophie's nerves. "I'm Sophie Michaels."
"Good morning, Sophie. I hope you didn't struggle too much without power last night."
"That was nothing compared to the cold shower. I had goose bumps all over," she replied.
The look she received from Luke at that statement brought a blush to her cheeks. Sophie knew she was built decent, but in her opinion, she was just average. Her short auburn hair framed her face enough to draw attention to the startling green of her eyes.
"I can imagine you did," Luke said. "Yes, I can imagine it."
The subtle flirting surprised Sophie. Luke had been working last night and had talked to so many people.
"Luke, it was nice to see you again but if I don't get to work on time my boss will have a fit," Sophie explained.
"No problem, Sophie. I really should be at work already myself," he confessed.
"Have a great day, Luke."
Sophie hurried into the store and scoured the racks for the panty hose. With a pair in hand, she cut down the rows, looking for the coffee machines. Lucky for her there was no line. While filling a cup with the dark brew she pulled a few napkins from the dispenser. Adding a lid to the cup, distracted when it failed to go on straight, she bumped someone on her left.
"Excuse me," she apologized.
"Following me, Sophie?"
Luke stood so close that Sophie could smell the lime cologne he wore. She saw the gleam in his blue eyes as he smiled down at her.
"Would you like me to?" she teased.
"There are many things I'd like you to do," Luke whispered close to her ear.
Sophie felt the chills go down her spine at the implications in his words. Several images popped into her mind as he looked at her. When another customer wanted coffee it reminded her where they were.
"I'd like to hear about them sometime, but right now, I should be at work," she said.
"Good point. I don't want to rush when I tell you either," Luke grinned.
They each paid for their purchases and walked to the door together. Sophie tried to think of a reply. Luke saved her as they reached her car.
"Is it alright if I call you sometime?" he asked.
"I'd like that, Luke," Sophie told him.
Luke opened her car door for her and waited until she had settled to close the door. He leaned into the open window as she started the car. Scrounging for some paper, she ripped a piece off her grocery list, scribbled her number on it, and handed it to Luke.
"Have a good day, Sophie," he said. "By the way, you have gorgeous legs."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he stood up, waved and walked over to his vehicle. Sophie sat there stunned that he had noticed at all. She was wearing a calf-length skirt since she was on her way to work. Then it occurred to her he must have been watching when she pulled it up to check the run in her hose. As she drove to work, she remembered the heated look he gave her in the store. She was still smiling when she parked her car at work.
The day flew by for Sophie and soon she was on her way home. A quick stop at the market provided the makings for a salad for her dinner. Sophie pulled into her driveway a short time later still unsure if the electric was on. The chaos from the night before was gone only to reveal the burned out shell of her neighbor's garage. She could see just how close some of the tree branches had landed to her house and shivered at the thought.
Sophie brought her groceries in and dropped them onto the counter. The blare of music greeted her from her bedroom. Afraid for a moment that someone was in her house, she hesitated to go further. She kicked off her heels and picked one up as she made her way silently through the rooms. Her computer blinked at her from the desk. With a laugh, she remembered the radio had been on when the electricity went out the night before.
A quick change of clothes and Sophie was back in the kitchen fixing her dinner. Her mind was on the work she had tried to do the night before. Only a few people knew that Sophie dabbled in writing in her spare time. They had read a couple of her romantic stories and enjoyed them. None of them had an idea she also wrote erotica. Sophie wasn't ashamed of it. She was just a bit unsure how others might take it. It was her secret for now.
An idea had formed during the course of her day and she went to work getting it onto the computer. Sophie finally turned it off at midnight and went to bed. The next several days followed a similar routine of work and then home to write. Over the weekend, she cleaned her house, did the laundry, and caught up on errands.
Monday was a busy day at work and Sophie left exhausted. Once home she decided to order a pizza for delivery instead of cooking. The telephone rang minutes after she hung it up.
"Sophie?" she heard through the receiver.
"It is," she replied.
