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stood there and shook my head murmuring ‘Lawd have mercy’ before I followed in her wake. Women, I thought.
    Inside of the travel center I made my way to the men’s room. Once I had taken care of personal business, I went after the items I had come inside the center for. With a cup of cappuccino in hand and a fresh cream-filled doughnut in a bag, I made my way over to the counter. I didn’t see Diana at first but looking towards the front entrance I saw her just outside of it and talking on her cellphone. Three people were ahead of me so I had little choice but to wait.
    Once I was through at the counter I exited the center. Looking around I found Diana waiting by the Navigator. Approaching her, I unlocked the doors remotely then entered on the driver’s side. “You brought something to read, I see,” I said, looking at what she was holding in her hand.
    “Just a local newspaper,” she replied curtly.
    “Did you get yourself a candy bar?”
    “It’s in my purse.”
    “Listen, while inside I ordered a car wash, so after we gas up, we’re going through the carwash, okay?”
    “Sure,” she murmured half-heartedly, her eyes averted.
    Exiting the SUV I walked over to the gas pump and took the nozzle in hand and topped off the tank. Once inside of the SUV I drove over to entrance of the drive-thru carwash. Punching in the six digit code I waited for the green light to summon me inside. Once I got the go ahead, I drove the Navigator into position. Almost immediately, a red light flashed on and the carwash began.
    “What’s wrong Diana?” I asked, turning to face her.
    “Nothing,” she answered with a wince.
    “Something’s wrong,” I insisted. “You haven’t said three words to me since you came out of the store.”
    “I know,” she admitted to my surprise.
    “You talked to him didn’t you?”
    She nodded her head once and slowly.
    “But why would you do that, Diana?”
    “Look, he called me, Sheldon,” she said, facing me with moist eyes.
    “But why would you answer it if you knew that it was him?”
    “I don’t know,” she answered, her voice strained.
    Grimacing, I shook my head in disbelief.
    “Sheldon, he told me that if I didn’t return to Orlando he was going to kill my cat, Tommy.” By now she was sobbing.
    “What a sick bastard,” I said angrily. “You know, I am of the mind to turn around right now and go back to Orlando and show this asshole a thing or two.”
    “Please Sheldon,” Diana pleaded with me. “Let’s not go back. I don’t want any trouble between you two. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
    “Hey, I appreciate the concern, I really do, but it is your fiancé you need to be worrying about.”
    “Please can we just forget about it and head north?”
    I took a moment to ponder her plead before saying, “Listen Diana, it’s not my intent to upset you or put restrictions on you, but you have to promise me something.”
    “What?”
    “You have to promise me that you will turn that damn phone off and not call or talk to Jack until after we get to Philadelphia and I’m out of the picture, okay?”
    “You’re the one who’s upset,” she said frowning slightly.
    “Not only am I upset, I’m a little pissed off,” I snapped back. “I see what this guy is doing to you and it’s just rubbing me the wrong way.”
    Looking away, her eyes swollen red with sadness, anxiety, and pain, she said, “Okay, I won’t talk to him again. I promise.”
    “Listen Diana, I’m not mad at you. Honestly, I’m not. Please understand that,” I said in as calm a voice I could summon, though it sounded a tab strained. “But this asshole is terrorizing you and the way I see it, you’re letting him.”
    “You know, you’re right, you’re absolutely right,” she broke in, gazing beyond the slow dripping red, white, and blue cleaning foam as though she was in a trance. If she was, the sudden high pressure water streaming down the sides of the SUV brought her back to