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Tilda ground the pedal to the metal in her husband's old Chevy truck. It was his pride and joy. She felt great and more lighthearted than she’d been in ages. She turned the radio up loud to hear Miranda Lambert sing about her man. She loved Miranda Lambert, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why she’d run around on Blake Shelton. Why, they’d been the king and queen of country music for years! And, hadn’t Miranda given all of that up for a roll in the hay with somebody else? She shook her head as resentment charged through her. Miranda had had it all; she’d just thrown it away. What an idiot she was. To show her anger, Tilda clicked off the radio and slammed her fist into the dashboard before she found another country music station.
She sped down the highway and paid no attention to the snow and ice on the road. She knew God would take care of her. She wondered if God would forgive Miranda Lambert for screwing around on Blake. Somehow, she doubted it because Blake had loved Miranda dearly and still did, but the hot little wench just couldn't keep her thong on. She shook her head as she considered heathen women like Miranda. Women like that pissed her off. ‘Course, Blake had gone and knocked up Gwen Stephani so he couldn’t be so heartbroken now.
Tilda was a religious woman, and she rarely acted outside of the Ten Commandments, or at least her interpretation of them. She knew God had forgiven her for her indiscretions with Dr. Nicholas Smirkowitz. After all, Nicholas had been her first love, and they’d been perfect together. They were soulmates born to love each other. She loved him as much now as she had the first time they’d met more than nineteen years ago. She’d applied for the job of bookkeeper in his new dental practice. After she was hired, she spent the late afternoons doing sexual gymnastics with Smirkowitz in his dental chair. She’d stood by Smirkowitz, managed his money and his practice, and always made herself available to him whenever he needed her. She knew God had forgiven her because after all, Wilbur really had not been able to attend to his manly duties. That gave her all the excuse that she needed. After all, she was a beautiful woman in her prime. Her body heated up as she reminisced about her years with Nicholas.
Life with Wilbur crossed her mind a few times, as she flew down the snow-covered highway. He was a good man, and he’d tried to help her, especially with the voices that plagued her so often. He’d always been so patient and kind to her that she’d lost respect. And Constance. That bitch Constance. Anger exploded in her brain when she remembered the day Nicholas had met Constance. Her body felt hot all over, even on the inside where she could visualize her blood boiling as it plunged through her arteries and veins. She remembered, in great detail, the very day that Constance had come to the small practice to have her tooth capped. She’d seen the way the young bitch had ogled Nicholas Smirkowitz, the love of Tilda’s life. Constance had driven a wedge between them on that very day. Nicholas had spoken to her sharply for interrupting him during his first appointment with Constance. Things had never been quite the same since that fateful day. She remembered crying her eyes out in the ladies room, and hot tears streaked her face now as she was consumed with fury.
The brakes screeched on the old Chevy as Tilda swerved around a sharp curve and skidded on the ice. She didn’t even notice. Constance—her blood raged just hearing her name. Constance in her pretty pink dress with perfect white pearls around her long thin neck, perfect pearls that matched her perfectly white teeth. Tilda could feel her breath coming in short spurts as her blood stewed with thoughts of her nemesis. She hated the woman as much today as she had twenty years ago. An image of Constance flashed through her mind. Constance, with her long dark hair flowing softly down her back and soft tendrils that framed her face. Constance’s large, thick curls had immediately captured Nicholas's attention. Nicholas loved to play with hair—he loved to wind and unwind her hair when they were together. He would remove her hairpins and shake her hair loose in his office as a prelude to their lovemaking. He’d told her just a few months ago that curls were sensuous. Tilda reached up and felt her long hair.
I should’ve curled it before I left.
She smiled and a thrill went through her as she imagined how wonderful things would be later in the evening.
An orange light popped on and illuminated her dashboard. She could smell something burning. Her brakes. Her thoughts returned to Constance. It had taken Nicholas four appointments to finish capping Constance's tooth. Four very long appointments where she’d had to watch the bloom of love take over the soul of her beloved man. She’d watched the two love birds exchange long glances as she’d patiently stood by and assisted the good dentist, and then retreated to the bathroom to bawl her eyes out.
Tilda slammed on the brakes in the Chevy and skidded to a stop in the turn lane that led into a convenience store. Screw the brake light. She needed some energy, and a caffeine energy drink would help. She decided to splurge for a Red Bull. After all, she had a lot of work to do. She hesitated when she saw the price of the Red Bull, but the voices screamed in her head and told her to get it. She rubbed her fingers through her hair to stop the noise, picked up the drink and headed for the checkout.
Tilda grunted at the clerk as she grabbed her drink and change and raced for the heavy glass door, her boots squeaking and trailing water as she moved.
I’ve gotta calm down, I’ve gotta settle down, she told herself over and over again as she took deep breaths and backed out of the parking lot. I don’t want anyone to notice me, no one at all. I have a lot of work to do ...for Nicholas and me.