Chapter 26 Care In The Holding 1

• LAURA WAITED NERVOUSLY while the woman filled out the contract for the rental car “Two seater okay?” she asked.
• “Sure” Laura replied, confused about the question which barely touched down in her float of mind. What was she renting—a motorcycle? Minutes later, she found herself checking out the two-seaterindeed a car—a sporty Ford with bucket seats up front and a long hatch in back. Placing her directions on the other seat, she headed for the Bay Bridge, for her rendezvous with Chana, whom she was picking up at cousin Richard's in Berkeley Hills. Her mind printed an image of Chana—brown eyes with a sparkle in them, soft cheeks, sweet smell—and her heart sent a streak of excitement straight down her gut and into her loins. She'd be lucky if she made the right tums, $0 excited to distraction was she. She'd been sitting on this excitement a whole month now, since the hike they'd taken back east, which had tripped off a great glow in her heart.
• She pulled off the road and stopped in the hills when she sensed she was nearly there, and tried to gather herself. Prepare. For what? She knew it would be good. She Anew they liked each other. She knew the day on the mountain had been like magic and they were the same two women coming together again. Breathe, she said to herself. She took ten long, deep breaths. On the tenth she realized she hadn't even checked to see if the charge was correct before signing the contract for the car rental. She dug it out and looked and got further confused because they hadn't filled in the charges. But, of course: they were waiting to see if she'd return it on time.