Another Few Days Chapter 1

"I need birth control." Sara's statement made her roommate sit up from her usual reclining position on the sofa.

"What? What?" Paula's green eyes flashed open, her book flipped to the floor. "All night you kept that smirk on your face! I knew it, I knew it! I knew something had gone on!" She was up and walking circles around Sara, who broadened her smile and gave a slight nod. "You disappeared all day, then managed to keep this secret all shift! Even after I asked where you had been all day—you are so—I do not know how to describe it!"

By now Sara was laughing. Her roommate's words streamed out. "How can you keep so quiet? How long has it been? Years, I know. Did you really take this guy to bed? His hotel room? I should have known." She flopped back on the sofa. "Did you? Oh, gawd, girl, did you use birth control? Did you practice safe sex? You don't even know this guy. He may have a wife and five daughters back home!" Her voice went from a shriek to a whisper.

Sara folded her legs under her, kept the smile on her face and watched her roommate's hysterics continue as she made another circuit around the room.

"Tell me! You know how excited I get. And to think, I was feeling sorry for you cause you were out there with this old guy. How old is he? And just what did he do that caused you to give up the sweet stuff?" Paula stopped in front of Sara, squinting her eyes into narrow slits. "Necklace—that is new. Did he buy that? I should have known this hours ago! Okay, tell me," she sat on the edge of the sofa. "Everything!" She slapped her hand to her forehead. "I should have guessed this." Before Sara could say a word, she was back on her feet. "Don't tell me you need—like massive birth control pills? You know that works as a morning after? Tell me, please, you used a condom."

By the end of this tirade of words, Sara was laughing enough to have tears in her eyes. "If you will be quiet for two minutes, I'll tell you—at least what I want you to hear."

"Wait," Paula got up again, "I need a beer to hear this." She brought two bottles from the refrigerator. Katie Couric and Matt Lauer were talking on the television as they swallowed their first mouthful.

"Tell." Paula demanded as she upended the bottle. "I can take anything with a beer before eight in the morning!"

Sara's eyes rolled as she sat the bottle on the floor, her fingers went to the necklace. "Yes, he gave me the necklace. Yes, we spent the best part of yesterday together, in a bed—very nice bed, very nice—everything. Yes, we used condoms, thank you, because I was not born yesterday. He was very—very—mature about everything."

She leaned over to her roommate. "And he isn't married. I asked Boss Man, who has known him for years. No wife—ever."

Paula, looking curious, punched a pillow behind her back. "Tell more! That's not enough—when's he coming back?"

Her voice changed to a whisper. "How do you know he's safe? I mean, how did you decide to take him with you to bury that dog? You—Miss Always Playing it Safe? And the same day you decide to poke him. If I didn't know you so well, I'd swear you were lying to me."

Sara continued to laugh at her roommate. The reason they got along so well, she thought, Paula talked, they both laughed. Usually Paula was the talker, Sara listened. This morning she let Paula ask questions. Sara would eventually answer some of them.

"He says he's coming back. He really is sweet, considerate." She had been serious for a second, before adding, "He didn't know what a sports bra was."

"No!" Paula's eyes opened wider. "This man has been out of circulation for a while!" She crossed her arms and chuckled. "Perfect. You two just may be perfect for each other. Let me look at that necklace again."

Sara held it out for her to see. "He left me here to dress. Good thing cause this room was a mess—that's why all our stuff is thrown behind the bedroom door—then he came back in a cab to take me to work. Well, he had this in a little box."

Her roommate realized Sara had skipped details of the day. "Wait, back up. When did the deed take place? You drove out to the coast, buried the dog, got back here late—I was here until nine o'clock."

Sara pulled her knees to her chin and grinned. "Stinson Beach. He rented a room for the afternoon. One of those little motels out there—you've seen it. Old, white, about eight or nine rooms. Totally unprepared—we stopped in one of the stores." The look on her face said enough. "Beautiful room. He said he had never done that before—checking into a room for a few hours."

Paula snorted. "Oh, Sara. Is this guy for real?" She stretched across the sofa. "I've said for years you were a hopeless romantic. Now you find this guy at a forensic conference! How weird is that?" She reached for the remote and silenced the morning television chatter. "I think we should ask my brother to check him out. He can do one of those searches—see what comes up."

Sara got up. "Do what you want. I think he's for real. And I have to sleep. I've been up way to long. Bed or sofa?"

"You take the bed—you need your rest!" She giggled with her friend. "I take it your Bug Man did not let you sleep after sex?" Sara tossed a pillow from behind the door. "It's about time you did it with someone! I was ready to declare you Virgin Sara." She dug around to find a telephone book, flipped pages and wrote a number on a paper. "Here's my doctor. Tell the girl at the desk you know me. She'll get you in quickly. You gonna need all the protection you can get!" -