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“Perfect. Don’t forget to check your email for that contract as soon as you set up the phone.” Brooke waved and headed down the hall toward her office.
“Will do.” Kelsie slipped her feet into her flip-flops and then went to grab the keys before leaving the shelter.
Ten minutes later, she sat in Brooke’s SUV outside the cellular store, staring at the building. “Ten minutes tops, in and out. That’s nothing. And it’s broad daylight. Nothing’s going to happen. You got this.”
As a child, she hated speaking at the front of the class. Her sixth-grade English teacher made the class keep a daily journal and share one entry aloud weekly. No matter how many times she suffered through the heinous task of presenting her journal, the anxiety never improved. Every Friday, she’d walk into school with a racing heart, sweaty palms, knots in her stomach, and a voice telling her she’d fail.
She had those same feelings as she tried to convince herself to step out of the car.
God, how she hated those sensations.
She put her quaking hand on the door handle. “On the count of three,” she whispered. “One… two… three…”
She pulled the lever and opened the door, spinning her legs to the left. Her feet hit the pavement as she inhaled a deep, cleansing breath. Humidity and heat assaulted her in sharp contrast to the chilly air-conditioned interior of Brooke’s luxury SUV.
“So far so good.”
A thin woman in workout gear walking a tiny terrier passed without so much as a glance in her direction. However, the brown and black dog took notice and yapped a few high-pitched barks. Kelsie smiled at the cute little guy and stood facing the storefront.
Okay, she was officially out of the car. The next step was to walk to the store’s entrance. Fifteen strides, max. One foot in front of the other.
Move.
As though controlled by a remote, she moved her legs, right, left, right, left, until she reached the curb. She lifted her right foot, placed it on the curb, and stepped up to the sidewalk. It felt like an out-of-body experience, as though someone else sat at the helm, steering her while her brain wasn’t fully on board.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
The blood rushed in her ears alongside a low buzzing.
Right foot, left foot.
Before she could reach for the door, it opened, and a young, overly cheerful employee dressed in a red polo with the store’s logo and plain black pants greeted her. “Hello!” The young woman said. “Welcome to Quantum Wireless. How can we help you today?”
A woman.
Thank God.
Kelsie’s shoulders relaxed. Hurdle one completed.
“Hi,” she squeaked, then cleared her throat. “My friend gave me her old phone, and I wanted to activate it with my number.”
“Great, come with me, and I’ll set that up for you.” She motioned for Kelsie to follow as she headed toward a computer station. Her long black hair hung down her back in a thick braid, swishing as she half bounced, half walked. “I’m Audrey, by the way. Are we transferring an old number or starting fresh?”
Oh, she hadn’t thought of that. Transferring her old phone number would be easier, but it meant her family could contact her. They would eventually discover her new information—they always did—but she’d prefer to remain off their radar as long as possible. A new number would buy her a little time. “Can I transfer the data from my old phone but have a new phone number?”
“Absolutely!” The store employee, who couldn’t have been much older than Kelsie, spoke every sentence like she was announcing important and exciting news. “As long as you have your old login information, you’re good to go.” She gave Kelsie a wide, toothy smile.
“I have it.”
“Great! Give me one minute…”
As she click-clacked on the computer, a man in an identical polo strode over to the computer station next to Audrey. Kelsie immediately tensed, and her insides did the now familiar churning that preceded an anxiety attack.
Don’t lose it. He’s not even paying attention to you.
She stuck her tongue between her teeth and bit down. The sharp zip of pain helped draw her from the brink of panic.
The man grabbed a water bottle, murmured something to Aubrey, winked at her, and wandered away.
