Meant for Me (A Second Chance standalone) (33 page)

She was left standing in her office breathing as if she just
finished running five miles.

Here’s
a sneak peek at

First
Glance
by L.L. Hunter.

Scheduled
to release on Jan. 31, 2014.

GETTING A CALL to come into work at
three in the morning is not a new thing for me. I often expect it. But I didn’t
expect this.

“This better be important, Jim, if I’m giving up my warm bed
for this.”

“It is Addy. I can assure you.”

“Ugh, why are you so perky this time of morning!”

“I’m a vampire. I sleep during the day.”

I shoot ice missiles at my unnaturally perky assistant as he
strolls over the fridge to retrieve the reason I was called down here. In less
than a minute, he has the body bag on a gurney, wheeling it in front of me, and
sliding it onto the metal slab.

“It still gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about
it.”

I glance at him in confusion and anticipation and start to
unzip the bag. The face that greets me is not what I was expecting, and I jump
back with a shriek. Normally, I am fine around dead bodies, being a morgue
technician and studying forensic science, but nothing I have seen previously
prepares me for this. Lying on the slab in front of me, all pale and cold, is a
face more familiar to me than anyone else’s.

It’s my face.

I BLINK.

Something is dripping on my face; something wet and
annoying. I move my hand to wipe it off but more liquid comes. It’s now pouring
onto my face, and it is cold. I groan and roll over.

“What the hell?”

“Wake up! Today’s the big day!”

“What big day?” I mumble in my pillow, hoping she won’t hear
me. Fat chance! My roommate has the hearing of a dog.

“I can’t believe you’ve forgotten! You’re coming wedding
dress shopping with me! You
are
my Maid of honor after all! Unless, you
don’t want to be?”

I sit up. “What? Don’t be silly, of course I still want to
be your Maid of Honor.” I laugh and toss my pillow at her, which she dodges.

“Great! Then hurry up! We’ve got to hit the stores early!”

I am not much of a shopper. I’d much prefer to get a wake up
call to go to the morgue than one to go shopping for wedding dresses.

“There better be something in this for me, Cory!” I call
out.

“There is, don’t you worry Miss Paige.” Cory pokes her head
back into my bedroom and winks. I fight all the power within me not to throw
another pillow.
What is that girl up to?

AFTER THE FOURTH wedding shop, I
swear I’m about to start a fight with one of the shop attendants or cut up one
of the dresses, and I still didn’t have a clue what Cory had planned for me.
Did she even have anything planned for me? I was also in desperate need of
another caffeine fix.

“Not another shop,” I whine.

“Yes, another one. The previous one’s sucked.”

“Ugh, I need another coffee. I’ll meet you back here.”

“I swear, Addy, I’m buying you an I.V. bag for your next
birthday.”

I only faintly hear her as I walk towards the closest café,
and I wave her off. While standing in line, I rub my temples and glance at my
watch. It wasn’t even nine yet. We still had at least another seven hours to
spend shopping for darn wedding dresses. It was a nightmare. Where were dead
corpses when I needed them? At least they didn’t make me try on fugly brides’s
maid dresses.

“Who’s next?” asks the barista. I barely notice it’s me he’s
calling until he insults me. “Hey, off-with- the-fairies girl, would you like a
coffee?”

“Huh? Pardon?” I glance up and realize I’m the one he’s been
speaking to, or rather insulting.

“Oh, she’s with us finally.”

“Excuse me?” I cock my head to the side trying to figure out
why this rude person is saying these things to me.

“I said, would you like a coffee today?”

“No, I’m just standing here getting insulted by a
leprechaun!”

“Ooh, and she bites back.”

“Yes, so watch out.” He only smirks, so I add, “Firstly,
don’t cross me before I’ve had my full dose of coffee or things get ugly.
Secondly, I hate rude people. I can’t
stand
rude people. So can you just
make me a freaking coffee and we can be done with this. Okay?”

“Gladly. What would you like? I’m not telepathic you know. You
do
have to tell me your order.”

“Alright, genius. I’ll have a soy latte. Double shot,
thanks.”

“And can I have a name for that order, or shall I just put
off-with-the- fairies girl?”

“I am NOT giving you my name.”

“Alright, off-with-the-fairies girl it is then.” He writes
something on the side of the takeaway cup, smirking while he does it and puts
the cup under the machine.

I cross my arms. “Where do you get off?”

“Oh, I got off on the right side of the bed this morning,
thanks for askin’, Princess.”

“I mean, talking to innocent people in such a rude manner.
Jackass.” He laughs while making my coffee. I watch him with an eagle eye to
make sure he doesn’t slip cyanide in there.

“I don’t normally. You’ve brought out all my best qualities,
sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that, smartass. Just make my damn coffee.” He
doesn’t say anything, just smiles as he finishes my order and brings it back to
the cash register. “You know, I thought I’d try this place just for a change,
but I don’t think I’ll come back.”

“Aww, why not? Was it something I said?”

I scowl and slam five dollars down on the counter and
practically snatch my coffee out of his hand. “Keep the change!” I shout as I
storm away without giving him another look. I walk back to the bridal store
more agitated than I was pre- coffee.

“Where were you? I think I found it,” Cory shrieks as soon
as I walk in.

“Sorry, the rude Irish guy at the coffee shop was insulting
me. He had some freaking nerve!”

“Irish guy? Was it that new place that just opened?”

“Yeah, why?”

She shrugs. “Nothing. Was just wondering, that’s all. Is the
coffee at least good? Because if the coffee was bad you would at least have
another reason to go back and complain.”

“It’s not bad. Another reason?”

“Yeah, you know, other than to go and ask for his number.”

I shove her and shoot her daggers with my eyes. “Cory, he
was a complete jackass. No way will I ever consider dating him.”

“Come on, Adelaide, you need a date to my wedding. And don’t
say you’ll bring Jim, because that guy is the epitome of a nerd.”

“What’s wrong with Jim? He’s a nice guy.”

“He’s a nerd. You’re not bringing him to my wedding.”

“Fine. But I am
not
dating that Irish idiot.”

“Whatever you say. Come help me with this zipper.”

I groan and set down my coffee with my purse and walk over
to where Cory’s standing on the pedestal in the latest wedding dress design.
When my fingers touch the white satin and lace, I begin to feel faint and
light- headed. Then I see something.

My phone rings as I exit the morgue building. I look at
the caller I.D. and click answer.

“Hey Cor, what’s up? I’ve just finished work. I’m heading
home now.”

“Please hurry, Oh my god, there’s blood everywhere.
There’s so much blood.”

“What, Cory? Are you okay? What happened?”

“Hurry! Oh my God there’s too much blood! It hurts!”

“What happened? Where are you?”

“At home. Please hurry.”

Then the line goes dead.

I don’t hesitate. I drive straight home, even running a
red light on the way. When I reach the driveway I jump out of the car while the
engine’s still running and hurry to the front door. I find that it’s ajar so I
gingerly push it open and that’s when I see the blood.

Cory is right. There is so much blood. Too much blood. It
is everywhere. All over the walls, all over her. And there she is lying in the
center of it all in the middle of the living room floor, clinging to life.

“Ad…dy. He’s… here.” She gasps. I run to her side and
kneel down in the pool of blood.

“What? Who’s here? Where’s Derek?”

“Watch out, he’s…” Cory screams and her eyes grow wide,
and that’s when I lose sight of the world.

I jump back. I must have screamed or done something because
Cory spins around and puts her hands on my shoulders.

“Addy, what happened? What is it?”

I can’t tell her. She won’t understand. How can I tell her I
just saw her die, we both died.

“I… nothing. I just pinched my finger in the zipper, that’s
all. I’ll try again.”

“You sure? You squealed like you do when you see a spider or
a snake.”

“Really? I don’t remember. It did hurt quite a bit.”

Cory exhales and turns back around. “Okay, let’s try this
one more time.”

I almost don’t want to do it but I have to. I can’t let Cory
know what I just saw, not when she’s so happy, not right before her wedding. I
brace myself and grab onto the zipper again.