This is part of a series.
If you have not read this before
CLICK HERE

Amaranthine

-4-

A month later Sira’s Purple Dragon had a new transmission, tires, radio, and seat covers. It ran like a dream, at least for the price tag. It didn’t take long for the summer weather to set in and the lack of A.C. to become an issue that Sira wished she’d have taken care of before she ran out of funds. It had other flaws too. The gauges didn’t function properly. She had no idea how fast she was driving, the oil gauge always said low and when her gas tank was on empty, her gauge usually said she had at least a quarter tank left. The car served it’s purpose though, she was always at work on time and always able to get home at the end of her shift, she couldn’t say so much about the previous car.

In the last month a lot had happened for Sira. She’d joined a dating site, met a couple guys and been rejected a few times. There was only one guy who called for a second date and then even a third. His name was Darian. Sira liked him. His pictures on the dating site didn’t exactly make Sira enthusiastic about meeting him but she enjoyed their conversations and when he asked her out for dinner she didn’t want to be shallow about it. She decided to give him a chance. They went out to dinner the same night he asked to a little Chinese place in between both their home towns. Sira arrived a little early and went to the restroom to check her wind blown air, unfortunately no A.C. means rolled down windows which means spending hours on her hair was useless. When she came out of the bathroom he was there and at a table, must better looking in person.

A sigh of relief swept over her. At least if the date was horrible she wouldn’t have to say she embarrassed to be seen with him too! She walked over to the table and he stood, “Hi, I’m Darian.” He reached out his hand and she shook it, “I’m Sira. Nice to finally meet you!”

“Have you ever had those cream filled wan tons here? Their delicious.”

“No, I don’t believe I have.” Sira usually ate at Chinese buffets, not restaurants where you had to order. She struggled to find something she recognized and would eat but he had no problem doing so. The meal went well and before she new it she was in his car and on their way to the lake. There they looked at the stars and shared a kiss.

On their third date she found herself in bed with him. A bit of a surprise and a bit of a disappointment. She left feeling uneasy about the situation but hopeful that she’d hear from him again. She didn’t.

Tonight as she drove home from work she barely payed attention to the road ahead of her. She was hollow, but not necessarily because of all the issues with men, or maybe it was, she wasn’t sure herself. She parked the car under the tree in the driveway as she always did but she wasn’t quite ready to go inside. She climbed out of the car and then crawled onto the trunk, the hood of course was still too hot. She sat there leaned up against the rear window of her car staring at the stars. She loved finding the constellations and thinking about their origins. Warm tears trickled down Sira’s cheeks but she didn’t know why. She was dealing with a lot of stress lately, being as she was graduating and trying to now get a job and finalize paperwork, plus she was tired, really tired but not able to sleep kind of tired. She just sat their and let the tears flow. She wasn’t sure why they did but she knew that no one could see her and she knew she probably needed it.

The next morning the sun peaked over the rooftops of the neighborhood and cast a shadow from the tree. There in the shadow, protected from the harm of the sun, was a sleeping Sira.

To Be Continued