Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 82282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Whoever’s in the area. Most of the time it’s Adeline, sometimes it’s Kettle. Other times it’s other girls at work. If nobody is available I call a cab.” I explained tiredly.
“Where are we going?” He questioned.
“There’s a doctor’s office on Main Street in Shreveport. The one in the Business District.” I told him.
“That would’ve been a long cab ride. Cost a lot of money.” Trance observed as I felt the car slowly pick up speed.
Trance’s acceleration was smooth, not jerky, as he merged into traffic.
“You’re a good driver.” I told Trance. “All your movements are smooth and swift. They’re not jerky like some. I like driving with you.”
Trance snorted. “Good thing you couldn’t see the 18-wheeler that I just cut off to merge into traffic.” He said dryly.
I giggled. “That’s the good thing about not seeing. Sometimes it’s the fear of knowing what’s coming that scares you the most.”
Trance made a sound low in his throat. “Can’t say I agree with you. I like knowing whether a man is going to hit me in the face so I can duck.”
“Well, that would be unfortunate for me. I have to have hope that I don’t piss anybody off enough to do that to me. It wouldn’t work so well for you since you’re a police officer and all.” I agreed.
“Yeah, God forbid that ever happened to me. I have high hopes that Radar or Kosher would protect me, though.” Trance said, switching lanes and accelerating slightly.
“Kosher?” I asked as I tried my hardest to focus on him with my limited peripheral vision.
It wasn’t easy to do, and most of the time it was just easier to ignore it completely because it always made me have a headache if I tried to focus for too long. However, it was hard to focus on someone and not turn your face to them. It was a thing that people who could see did to give the speaker their full attention.
For a blind person, it wasn’t quite the same. We didn’t have to look at you to give you our full attention. We just had to focus our hearing.
Trance liked it when my eyes were on him, regardless of whether they were actually seeing him or not. Which was why he turned my face to his every chance he got.
“Kosher is my two year old German Shepherd. I’m actually starting him on the job next week to get him used to things, and in the process easing Radar into his retirement.” Trance replied, slowing slightly, before I felt the car easing off the road.
Now that he’d mentioned it, I remembered, clearly, the dog in question. He was a sweetheart, I just hadn’t realized he was going to be a K-9 officer, too.
His pace slowed exponentially until we came to a stop. Shortly after, we accelerated again.
“You’re retiring Radar?” I asked in surprise. “Is something wrong with him?”
He chuckled. “No, there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s just getting older. His hearing’s not as good. I just think it’s time. He needs a break just like most officers. I’ve been training with Kosher, and it’s time to see what he’s got.”
***
Trance
“That’s actually kind of sad. Are you getting rid of him?” She asked worriedly.
Turning on my left blinker to pull into the doctor’s office, I turned and surveyed Viddy’s face. Her beautiful black hair was in its usual French braid. The braid was curled around her neck and resting in between her breasts, held in place by the seatbelt.
Her clothes were some of the usual I’d seen her in. Black dressy pants and a white button down shirt. I’ve always wondered how she’d dressed when she couldn’t see, but the more I studied her, the more I realized that she probably just had a bunch of things that were inter-matching. She could probably pick just about anything in her closet and it’d match.
“Of course I’m not getting rid of him. What’d make you think that?” I asked, turning into the parking lot between traffic and pulling into a spot near the front door.
“I was cruising the internet for dogs last week. I found a website where you can adopt retired police dogs and combat dogs that performed in a war zone. I just assumed.” She replied, still facing straight ahead.
Was it me, or was she actually looking at me?
Resisting the urge to wave my hand wildly in the air, I exited the car, let Radar out, and went around to Viddy’s side just as she emerged.
Stifling the annoyance that surfaced when she didn’t wait, I followed behind her.
“There’s a step in about five feet. A single one.” I said, distractedly, as I walked in front of her and got the door.
She scaled the step with little effort and walked into the building.
“Thank you for the ride, Trance. I appreciate it.” Viddy said. “You can leave now. I’ll call a cab to get me back home.”
I snorted. “In your dreams, sweet cheeks. You care if I come in with you?”
“Well,” Viddy hesitated. “I don’t think so. It’s not like I’m going for my gynecologist appointment or anything.”
The quip was out before I even realized I was saying it.
“We can play doctor later. I’ll give you a thorough exam.” I teased.
Then my gut tightened. Would she freak out?
She surprised me though, by laughing. “Oh, that sounds like fun. Do men have man doctors like women have lady doctors? I could reciprocate.” She whispered to me and then walked away.
I choked on my spit. The woman was surprising, if anything else.
I watched as she went up to the receptionist desk, Radar at her side, with Viddy’s hands planted firmly around the collar at his neck. She checked in with the woman, and then turned to regard me.
“Where do you want to sit?” She asked.
It rankled that she wasn’t quite looking at me, so I walked up close to her and moved her face slightly until she was staring into my eyes, despite the dreaded glasses that were covering them.
Pushing them up onto her head, I said, “Anywhere. A couple seats in the very back are open. That okay with you?”