Love the View

I hadn't been driving at dusk in a long time. I was a fairly diurnal guy, I suppose, so the flickering yellow dashes in the middle of the highway were actually kinda interesting as they zoomed past. There were almost no headlights coming the opposite direction, and overall, it was just nice to enjoy the darkened scenery and the somewhat sinister shadows.

"So, uh... you know... this really feels strange. Trying to make small talk now." Maria reflected my thoughts nearly perfectly as she continue to guide the car north along the twisting highway.

"So, we don't do small talk. How was your day?" I threw out the first question that always seemed to work when either Kaila or Carla was in a bad mood.

"Well, it started out great." Maria's voice lifted. "So... I get back from lunch, and half the station's called in sick for the late shift. I'm sorry, there is going to be a considerable amount of bitching here..."

There was a lot of bitching. I didn't take it personal, as none of it was personal. It ranged across the various topics that anybody who had a bunch of shitty co-workers would have. Just added in a few things that felt very familiar from my Army days: Complaints about rosters, assignments, how she wished that one of the losers would pick up the slack, and just general bellyaching that suggested that it was the first time in a long time anybody had wanted to hear it.

"So... Good day gone typical?" I nodded in response as we turned off the highway onto a narrow divided road which led up a twisting, nearly sheer cliffside.

"Very typical." Maria agreed with the statement. "How bout you? You and Mrs... uh, Nikki... things go ok for you when you got her home?"

"It actually got really weird." I relayed the story as Maria brought the car to a halt in a small parking space that sat at a rather steep incline for my taste. It was packed in tightly between several other cars, and I had to exit the vehicle by twisting myself sideways in order to avoid door dinging the car next to us. It looked expensive, and the last thing I needed was a **** glare from some guy with a lawyer and too much time on his hands.

"OK... so... mind if I take your arm?" Maria looked at me expectantly, and I let my gaze roam over her in the last light of the sunset. She looked good, and without the bulky uniform, I was enjoying taking in her slight curves and how the floral dress hugged her contours.

"Go ahead." I crooked my arm towards her, and she immediately took it. I know for a fact she pushed her breast against my arm deliberately for a second, and the flirtatious smile as she did so was fun to see.

Maria walked with me across the small road. We were heading towards a large wooden and glass building, that overhung the entire area. It almost felt a bit like a castle on the coast, but the California A-frame architecture and carefully polished stone of the place seemed far more expensive than a casual glance would suggest.

The place was lit up with small lamps, all set at precise intervals, so that no area was completely cast in shadow. The extremely obvious cameras that panned back and forth on the walls also suggested that the place was one of those ones that liked to make its guests feel safe. I was actually glad that Maria had insisted I clean up a bit. In my standard style of appearance, I would have stuck out like a... guy in a Hawaiian shirt.