Candy Crush

Revenge is sweet.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Darklings! Here’s a special one-off story for the occasion:

Olivia Hoover’s lonely Valentine’s Day takes a turn for the interesting when an anonymous box of chocolates arrives with her name on it. Unable to eat chocolate, she leaves it out for the office to enjoy. Her day picks up even more when her office crush asks her out. But he’s not the only one — Olivia soon finds herself inundated by romantic attention from her co-workers. What she thinks is a prank quickly turns serious as their unwanted attention goes from annoying to dangerous, leaving her fighting desperately for her very life.

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Photo by Shamblen Studios on Unsplash

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The historic building’s ancient elevator slowly rumbled upward toward Olivia’s floor, apparently not hurried by her mutters of, “Come on, come on!” She hadn’t expected this day to bring her romance, but as if facing Valentine’s Day alone while surrounded by people in happy relationships -- not to mention her totally oblivious and uninterested crush -- wasn’t hard enough, a stupid traffic jam had made her late for work.

Amped up on stress, she just wanted to sit down, drink her coffee and find her center so she could get through the day in peace. At least she had a relaxing, introverted evening with her dog to look forward to. She could always count on Homer for love and unwavering devotion.

The elevator doors finally slid open, and she hit the art deco tile running, her heels tapping on the polished floor. Three guys in various uniforms hung out by the door to her office next to trolleys laden with packages. “Sorry, sorry!” she called. Juggling her coffee and her lunch bag, she fumbled in her purse for her key badge. “My rideshare got stuck in traffic.” She opened the door to let them in and, with a wave to the security guard in his kiosk down the hall, followed them inside.

Rushing past them to the reception desk, she prayed that none of the clients had come in early as she set down her things and stashed her purse. The last thing she needed was for a grumpy tenant to complain to management that they’d had to make their own coffee because she was late. Technically, the co-working space wouldn’t open for another twenty minutes, but it was her job to arrive half an hour early to open up the office and prep for the day.

Part of that process involved signing for morning deliveries and placing them in the clients’ offices. Apologizing profusely for making them wait, she signed for FedEx and UPS, and then paused as a man in a florist’s uniform stood at her desk.

“Olivia Hoover,” the courier read off the label, then glanced at the name plate on her desk. “Looks like these are for you.” He set a long white box on her counter, and a smaller box beside it.

“I’m not expecting anything.”

“Well, it is Valentine’s Day.”

“But I’m not seeing anyone,” she blurted, and then felt herself blush. “Who’s it from?

To the delivery guy’s credit, he quickly hid his smirk as he looked over the invoice. “Doesn’t say. Maybe you’ve got a secret admirer.” He handed her a clipboard. “You’re supposed to sign for it.”

She scrawled her name absently as she regarded the boxes. “Thanks.”

“Happy Heart Day!” His voice sounded a little too chipper for her liking as he headed out the door.

Curiosity was killing her, but time was not on her side. Olivia resisted the urge to tear into the boxes and went to start a pot of coffee before distributing the clients’ packages. To her relief, all of the offices were empty, and there was no sign of anyone at the shared work bar. Taking a deep breath and releasing the tension, she returned to her desk and took a long drink of her coffee. Then she considered the boxes.

Her insides fluttered as she considered the possibility that Dustin had sent them. But she quickly dismissed that idea. He seemed to enjoy talking to her as much as she did him, but other than that, he’d never given any hint that he was into her. Not that Olivia was the most astute person when it came to recognizing subtle flirtation, or the most skilled at engaging in it. Still, that line of thinking would most likely lead to disappointment.

Otherwise, she couldn’t think of a single person in her life who would have sent her flowers for Valentine’s Day. Except maybe Lisa? Her roommate knew she was struggling with the lack of romance in her life. Maybe this was meant to be a Galentine’s pick-me-up to help make up for the fact that she had a date for the night.

“Only one way to find out.” She lifted the lid of the large box to reveal a dozen blue roses. “Blue?” She removed the flowers from the box and searched for a card, but found nothing. Laying them back inside, she reached for her phone and searched for the meaning of blue roses. “Mystery and intrigue,” she read, and laughed. “Okay, then.”

The smaller box contained a large, heart-shaped box of chocolates, but still no card. Olivia frowned. Well, that ruled out Lisa, who knew good and well that Olivia was allergic to chocolate. Oh, well. The tenants would love them. She started to take them to the break room, but remembered Randy out in the hall. Grabbing her key badge, she went to open the door.

Randy looked up from the security kiosk as she stepped into the hall. “Everything okay?”

“It’s fine.” Removing the lid, she went over to him and presented the box. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

“Aw, that’s sweet. But I can’t.” The large, balding man rubbed his expansive belly. “My wife’s got me on a special diet.”

“Just one won’t hurt, will it? I promise I won’t tell. You deserve it for keeping us safe.”

He eyed the chocolates eagerly. “Well, it is Valentine’s Day. I guess one won’t hurt.” He plucked one out of the box. “Thanks!”

“Do you two have any special plans tonight?”

He nodded as he bit into the chocolate. “Her favorite restaurant and a movie,” he said around the candy in his mouth. “Mmm. I taste some rum in that one.” He swallowed. “That was good.”

“Want another?”

He groaned. “You’re killing me here, Hoover.” But that didn’t stop him from taking one. “So how about you? Got plans tonight?”

“Not really. Unless some dashing secret admirer sweeps me off my feet between now and quitting time, I’ll spend the evening snuggled up on the couch with Homer watching The Princess Bride.”

“Honestly, that sounds like a better night than the one I’ll have. Take it from this old married guy. Enjoy your single life while you can.”

Olivia laughed. “Take care, Randy.”

“You, too. Thanks for the treat!”

Back inside, she took the chocolates to the break room and set them on the counter next to the coffee maker, and then rummaged in the supply cabinet for something to put the flowers in. Finding a nondescript glass vase from a long-ago bouquet, she filled it at the sink before taking it back to her desk.

She was arranging the flowers when the electronic chime over the door sounded. When she glanced up, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Dustin as he held the door open for Michelle and Dave. “Pretty flowers!” Michelle called out as she passed by the reception desk on the way to the work bar.

Dave, an older man with white hair and a pot belly that hung over his belted khakis, stopped at the counter. “Morning, Olivia.”

“Morning!” She smiled brightly at him, suppressing her impatience as she kept Dustin in the corner of her eye. Please don’t blow my chance to talk to him. That’s the highlight of my whole day. “What can I do for you, Dave?”

“I’m expecting a fax. Can you keep an eye on the fax machine and bring it to my office when it comes in?”

That was standard procedure, and Dave knew it. But Olivia kept her smile in place as she nodded. “Sure thing. Anything else?”

“Did I get a package this morning?”

“It’s already in your office.” Also standard procedure.

“Great. Is there coffee?”

“As always.”

“Good.” He rapped on the top of the counter. “Welp, have a good one.”

“You too, Dave.” As he headed for the break room, she called, “Help yourself to the chocolates!” She noticed Dustin hanging back, apparently waiting to talk to her, and her heart sped up. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He looked after Dave, shaking his head. “Why do people still send faxes when we’ve got email?”

“Why do people like Dave still give out their fax number?”

“Good question.” He smiled, and the room felt like little bursts of sunshine exploded all around her. But then it faded as he nodded toward the roses. “Somebody sent you flowers?”

Was that a tinge of jealousy in his voice? Or was he being coy because he sent them? Don’t be ridiculous, Olivia. Either way is wishful thinking. Dustin was sweet, and funny, and he had the cutest smile and the bluest blue eyes behind his wire frames. She could happily get lost in them. All that, and he made a good living as a freelance game developer. In short, he was a catch, and she’d been crushing on him since he’d started working there a month ago. She gestured toward the flowers. “I don’t know who they’re from.”

“Oh. So you’ve got a secret admirer?”

She looked at the flowers, then looked up at him and batted her lashes in a way he could either take as play-flirting or as the real thing. “Maybe.”

“Blue’s a weird color for Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?”

She sighed, accepting that blue roses probably weren’t his style. “I thought so. It’s supposed to be mysterious.” She waved her hands and wiggled her fingers as she drew out the last word. “They sent me chocolates, too. They’re in the break room if you want some.”

“Hmm, candy of unknown provenance. Think I’ll pass. This guy’s not a very astute admirer if he doesn’t know you’re allergic to chocolate.”

Olivia tilted her head at him. “How did you know I’m allergic to chocolate?”

He gave a little shrug. “I notice things. And that’s something we have in common.”

“Really?” Olivia smiled. “What else have you noticed?”

His smile turned bashful. “Well, um. I mean. A lot of things.”

She didn’t let up. “For instance?”

“Well…” He took a deep breath, as though to fortify himself. “For one thing, I’ve noticed that you have a penchant for Thai takeout.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You sure seem to pay a lot of attention to my eating habits.”

“They can provide useful information.”

“Useful how?”

He leaned his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. “Useful like…” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Like I know about this little Thai place that opened up in my neighborhood and I was kind of wondering, if you’re not doing anything tonight…”

Olivia stared at him, not believing her ears.

“I mean,” he continued, his confidence visibly wavering, “not that I assume you don’t have plans for tonight. Because of course you do and I’m an idiot and I’m just going to move along now and we can forget this whole conversation ever happened.”

“Wait. Are you asking me out?”

“I’m attempting to, but I’m kind of doing a terrible job at it. Is this inappropriate?”

“No! I mean, no. But I guess this is where I should tell you that I’ve got a policy against dating the tenants.”

“Oh. Of course. That’s a, um, that’s a good policy. Smart.”

“Yeah, but I really want to make an exception here.”

Dustin looked at her, his smile brightening as he took in what she said. “Really?”

She nodded. “I would love to go to dinner with you tonight.”

His smile lit up his whole face and made Olivia warm and giddy all over. “Excellent. Um, how about I pick you up at your place at seven?”

“Sounds great.”

“Great!” He lifted his laptop bag in the direction of his private office. “I guess I’ll go do work things now. See you later.”

“See you.” She waited until he rounded the corner, and looked around to make sure nobody was watching. Then she put her head down on her desk and tapped her feet rapidly beneath it. “Omigoshomigoshomigosh,” she whispered as she raised up and reached for her phone. You won’t believe what just happened, she typed out to Lisa before someone appeared at her desk. She set the phone down, text unsent, and looked up to see Greg.

“Hey, Olivia. Happy Valentine’s Day. Thanks for the chocolate.”

Greg was the only other single guy in the co-working space, a hot shot litigation attorney who rented a large office to impress his clients. He was nice looking, in an objective kind of way, but he gave off a sleazy vibe that made her cringe. He also made frequent and completely unsubtle attempts to flirt with her, which she studiously ignored. “It was a gift,” she clarified, “but I can’t eat chocolate. I thought all of you could enjoy it.”

He nodded. “It’s already gone. Everybody’s eaten it up.”

Everybody? Olivia looked around and noticed that the work bar had filled up while she had been in her own little world with Dustin.

“So, do you have plans for tonight?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

“Oh.” He failed to hide his disappointment, and she felt a stab of pity for him. It was only five minutes ago that she was dealing with the pain of being alone on Valentine’s Day. “Well, what about lunch? We could grab something downstairs, and maybe I could change your mind about those plans.”

“Trust me, Greg, that’s not happening. On either count. Can I do something for you? Something office-related?”

“Oh, yeah. I need to book the big conference room for this Thursday, from ten to one. And can I have lunch brought in?”

She added him to the calendar as she spoke. “I’ll send you the catering menu. Will there be anything else?”

“I guess that’s it for now. But don’t think I’ve given up on you just yet.”

She wrinkled her nose as he turned to go, but then something occurred to her. “Greg!”

He turned back. “Change your mind so soon?”

“Did you send me the flowers?”

He looked at the bouquet of roses. “No, but I wish I’d thought of it. Although, I’d have done a lot better than these.” He shook his head. “Blue? Where’s the romance in that?”

“Okay, thanks.” She turned to her computer and focused intently on emailing him those menus until he went away. She reached for her phone and sent the text. A moment later, a bubble from Lisa said, LMG. Did Dreamboat ask you out?

Yes!!!

WHAAAAT?!!! Girl, call me!

I can’t right now! I will on my lunch break.

Before she set her phone down, a GIF of Kermit the Frog flailing in front of a red curtain appeared, making her giggle.

“Something funny?”

Dave leaned on the counter, looming over her. Olivia straightened up and laid her phone down. “Just something my roommate sent me. What can I do for you, Dave?”

“Oh, I can think of a lot of things.”

His gaze roved over her body in a way that was completely inappropriate and also completely at odds with the fatherly manner in which he’d always treated her. It made her want to run home and take a shower. “Dave, are you okay?”

“Never been better. I just really noticed for the first time what an attractive young woman you are.”

“Stop.” Olivia rolled her chair back a few feet to put some extra distance between them. “Dave, you are dangerously close to violating the terms and conditions of your tenant agreement. I don’t want to have to report you.”

Unfazed, his smile turned even more lascivious. “Come on, Olivia. You know, I’ve never done anything like this before, but I can’t help myself. I see now that you don’t belong in a job like this. You deserve a life of luxury. I could put you up and --”

“What, be my sugar daddy? Dave, you’re married!”

“My wife doesn’t have to know. I can take care of you--”

“Hey, Olivia.” Paul Setterfeld, the sensitive, man-bun-wearing novelist who wrote there when his two little boys wouldn’t let him focus at home, approached her desk. He eyed Dave, who didn’t even try to disguise his annoyance at the interruption. “Is everything okay over here?”

She glared at Dave. “No, it’s not.”

Paul also turned to Dave. “So I couldn’t help but hear. Look, man, you’ve got her all wrong. I’m the one she’s into.”

“What?” Olivia stood up. “Why on earth would you think--” She looked at the roses, and at the two men, and folded her arms. “Are you guys punking me?” Of course. A stupid Valentine’s prank, and all the guys were in on it. Her heart sank. Did that mean Dustin was, too?

“This is no joke,” said Paul. “I’m in love with you, Olivia. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.” He glanced at Dave, who had turned red with fury, his mouth working and sputtering as though he was trying to fill it with the right words to convey just how much he despised Paul. “Maybe we can go somewhere private to talk this over.”

“Look, guys, this isn’t funny! Knock it off, or I’m going to report you for harassment!” Olivia grabbed a stack of papers on her desk, not even caring what they were. “I need to go make copies.” She speed-walked to the kiosk that held the copier and printers. Glancing back, she half expected to see them following her, and half expected to see them having a good laugh at her expense. Instead, they had started a shoving match. Dave was a big guy, but also a lot older than Paul, so they seemed pretty evenly matched.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. She turned to find Michelle Yoon standing next to her, and put a hand over her pounding heart. “You startled me! Sorry, I was distracted.”

“Yeah, you seem tense.” With her hand still resting on Olivia’s shoulder, she began to knead it. “You feel rock hard. What’s going on over there?”

“I wish I knew. Either Dave and Paul are both doing their best to get kicked out of here for harassment, or they’re playing a stupid joke. Really stupid.”

“Oh, you poor thing. Here, let me make it better.” She took hold of both of Olivia’s shoulders as she slid behind her and began to massage. For such a petite woman, her hands were surprisingly strong. “Take a deep breath and let it out. Guys can be such pigs.”

“I don’t know what got into them.” Olivia breathed deeply. “Oh, that feels nice. I needed that.”

“Don’t let them worry you. Tell you what, why don’t we go someplace for lunch and you can tell me all about it.”

Olivia laughed and extracted herself from the shoulder rub. “I sure am popular today.”

“Of course you are. Someone as gorgeous as you--”

“Okay, that’s sweet, but I’m hardly gorgeous.”

“But you are. And it’s only enhanced by the fact that you don’t know it. You have a beautiful soul, sweetie. I really want to know it better.” She reached up and stroked her cheek.

Olivia jumped back. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know. I just -- I need to touch you.”

Olivia groaned. “Not you, too. Michelle, you’re married. To a man!”

“I know! And I love him, I think. But you… I mean, there’s just this animal attraction, and I can’t help myself. I’ve never felt this for a woman before, but I want you, Olivia. I need you!”

Olivia backed away. “Okay, this is not funny. You guys all need to stop.” She swung back toward her desk and stopped short. The tussle between Paul and Dave had turned into a whole tangle of tenants. They filled the lobby, all of them shoving and shouting and even hitting each other.

She was shaken out of her shock by a pair of arms slipping around her and hugging her from behind. “You’re so cute,” Michelle said. “I just want to eat you up!”

“Eugh. Get off!” She pried herself loose and hurried to her desk. “What are you all doing? I’m going to call security!” The fighting carried on, everyone oblivious to her warning. She picked up the phone and punched the red button that dialed Randy’s kiosk.

“Security.”

“Randy, it’s Olivia at Office Solutions. There’s a fight in the lobby.”

“I’ll be right there.”

She hung up and stood back, cupping her mouth and nose in her hands as she watched the fight grow increasingly violent. This was no joke. She spotted Greg in the fray, just as he spotted her. “There she is!” he called, and started shoving people out of his way to get to her. “No, she’s mine,” said Scott Spencer as he grabbed Greg’s tie and strangled him with it. A high pitched cry came from Olivia’s left as Michelle charged the mob and jumped on Dave’s back. He screamed as she bit his ear.

“Everybody stop where you are!” Randy’s deep, commanding voice bellowed from the doorway. He held his nightstick up like he meant business. It had its intended effect. Everyone froze and turned to look at him. They parted like the Red Sea as he held his club ready to strike. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but you’re all upsetting Olivia.” He came around the desk. “It’s all right. I’m here now.”

She lowered her hands and blew out all the air she’d been holding in. “Thank God. Thank you, Randy.”

“No need to thank me. I’m here to keep you safe.” He holstered his nightstick and reached for her, taking hold of her arm and pulling her to him.

“What? What’re you--”

“Shhh. You’re safe now.” He folded her into a tight hug, crushing her against him. “I’ll take care of you. You’ll always be safe with me.”

Olivia squirmed in his embrace, but couldn’t get out of it. “Randy, I can’t breathe. Let me go. Please!”

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

“It is not okay!” She twisted and pulled until she managed to free herself. He reached for her again, but she dodged him. “Stop it!”

“Yeah, stop it!” Greg undid his tie and threw it on the ground before coming around the desk. “She’s mine!”

Olivia evaded his grasp and headed toward the work bar. The mob merged back together and followed her as one. Voices blended together so that she couldn’t tell who was speaking, though she could make out the words.

“You’re mine, Olivia.”

“I need you, Olivia.”

“You’re my soulmate, Olivia.”

“Don’t go, Olivia!”

They were insane, and it sunk in that they could really hurt her. Heart pounding with fear, she edged around them, hoping to make it to the door. Kicking off her pumps to aid her running, she saw an opening and made a break for it.

But they were faster. Someone slammed her into the door, knocking the wind out of her. And then hands were grabbing her all over, pulling her in every direction, tearing at her dress and yanking her hair. She twisted and fought, hitting and kicking blindly, all as she struggled to draw in air. She finally managed it, and distantly heard herself scream. She realized she was sobbing, begging them to stop.

In her terror, she was vaguely aware that they were still fighting each other even as they were all attacking her. She somehow managed to drop to all fours and tried to crawl through the melee to safety. But that got her a kick to the ribs, and then someone stepped on her hand, eliciting another scream. She was going to die. She was going to get trampled to death by her crazed co-workers. How was this even real?

Someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. Other screams matched her own, but the hands that held her now were gentle. “It’s okay, it’s me!” She opened her eyes. Dustin had put himself between her and the mob, and was holding them off with a can of pepper spray. “The break room,” he said. “Go!”

She ran, limping as she went. The hallway was short, but it felt like it kept stretching out before her, like something out of a Hitchcock movie. Or a bad dream. She didn’t stop until she reached the lounge, and then kept going until she hit the sink and bent over it. She thought she might be sick, but nothing came up.

The door slammed shut behind her, and she turned to see Dustin locking them inside. Or locking the others out. A metal supply cabinet stood to one side of the door. “Help me,” he said, grabbing hold of it.

She limped over, and together they moved the cabinet in front of the door. Then Dustin turned and reached for her, but she jerked back, holding her arms protectively out before her. “Whoa,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “I just want to see if you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “I’m calling the police, and I’ll ask them to send an ambulance. You need to be checked out.”

Fists pounded on the door, causing the cabinet to vibrate. In the hall, droning voices called her name, over and over.

“They sound like a bunch of zombies,” said Dustin. “What the hell is going on?”

“I wish I knew.”

“Here.” He pulled a chair out for her. “Sit down.”

“I’m okay,” she said, her voice shaky, as she took a moment to examine herself. When he started to argue, she said, “No, really. I don’t think I’m seriously injured. I don’t need an ambulance.”

More pounding on the door. Dustin sighed. “Fine, but we definitely need the cops.” He turned away and started dialing.

Olivia put her hands over her ears to muffle the groaning outside. “Why is this happening?” she muttered to herself. Feeling intensely thirsty, she got up to get some water while Dustin paced back and forth, explaining their situation to the 911 dispatcher. She saw the empty, heart-shaped box sitting on the counter where she’d left it. A piece of paper stuck up between the edge of the plastic tray and the cardboard. She picked it up and pulled the paper loose. It contained a handwritten note. “Oh, my God,” she said as she read it.

Dustin turned toward her and pocketed his phone. “Police are on their way. What’s that?”

“It was with the chocolates.” She handed it to him, and he read it aloud.

“Chocolates are brown,
Roses are blue.
These just desserts
Are coming to you.

“They say all’s fair
In love and war.
You stole a heart
That wasn’t yours.

“Revenge is a dish
Best served sweet.
Enchanted chocolates
Have got you beat.

“Choke on the attention
You greedy bitch!
From the one that you wronged,
Your friendly neighborhood witch.”

He folded the note and handed it back to her. “Well, that’s psychotic.”

“What do you think?”

“Well, I mean, it's not exactly original prose, is it? And the meter’s all off at the end.”

“I didn’t mean the poem.”

“Yeah, I know. Lame humor is how I cope. Sorry. So this person sent the chocolates, apparently. I’m guessing they were drugged.” He looked at her. “Who is this psycho?”

At a loss, Olivia shook her head. “I don’t -- oh, wait.” It came to her along with a sinking sensation in her gut. “Deborah.”

“Who?”

“This girl I knew in college. My last boyfriend went out with her a few times before we got together. He said it was nothing serious. She dabbled in the occult, and he found her too intense.”

“I guess she thought it was serious enough.” Dustin picked up the empty tray. “So, you’re saying, what? That an actual witch put a spell on these chocolates, and that’s why everyone is insanely attracted to you?”

“I mean, I’d love to think it’s because of my looks and personality, but…” She gazed at him, sadness and disappointment surfacing among the anger she felt toward Deborah and this whole stupid situation. “I guess that explains why you asked me out.”

“What?”

“Clearly, the spell’s worn off for you. I won’t hold you to our date.”

“What are you talking about? I never ate any chocolate. I'm allergic, too, remember? I’ve been trying to get up the nerve to ask you out since I started working here.”

“Really?”

He stepped closer, his proximity both thrilling and comforting as he looked into her eyes. “Yeah, really.”

“Well, what took you so long?”

“I don’t know. At first, I assumed you probably had a boyfriend. But then when I found out you were unattached, I guess I just wanted to approach carefully. I’m not the kind of guy who rushes into things. Especially not when it’s potentially this important.”

“You think this is important?”

The pounding on the door increased in intensity, and the droning grew louder. Dustin glanced toward the door and let out a nervous laugh, seeming as mystified by this situation as she was. “I didn’t plan to say any of this to you until after we’d gone out a few times, but I’m not so sure we’ve got that kind of time. But yeah. You’re sweet, and really cute, and you go to church, and you’re crazy about your dog, and you’re the only other person I know who can’t eat chocolate, which has got to mean something.” He took her hand, and she didn’t flinch away. “And I find it astonishingly easy to imagine spending the rest of my life with you. That’s pretty important.”

For a delectable moment, Olivia lost all sense of time and place as she gazed up at Dustin. They say your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die, but what flashed before hers were visions of a life with this man. All she could think about was how much she wanted to experience that life. That, and what his lips would taste like. Better than chocolate, she thought.

A loud bang on the door snapped her back to reality. “What was that?”

The droning of her name had stopped, and it had fallen quiet outside. Then another bang, and a crack, and the edge of a blade splintered the door. Dustin grabbed her and held her close. “Is that an axe?”

“The fire axe,” she said with a groan. “What are we going to do?”

“Find something we can use to hold them off.”

“What about your pepper spray?”

“I emptied the can on them earlier. Lot of good it did.” He released her and went to rummage through the cabinets. She followed suit. “All we have to do is hold out until the police get here.”

Olivia opened a drawer and found a large knife for cutting cakes. “Here!” She handed it to him. Under the cabinet, she found a metal colander. “Oh! Here,” she said, bringing over to him. She placed it on his head like a helmet.

“Great. I can die with dignity.”

“You won’t die.” Grabbing him by the lapels, she pulled him down for a desperate, eager kiss. Releasing him, she smiled sheepishly. “But just in case.”

“Don’t worry,” he said with a grin. “You just gave me too much to live for.”

Another pound on the door with the axe created a hole large enough for Randy to stick his face through. “What are you doing in there, Olivia? Why did you run away? We need you to be with us!”

“They’ll be through there in another minute,” said Dustin. He looked at her weaponless hands. “What about you?”

She looked around frantically, and her gaze landed on a fire extinguisher mounted near the fridge. An emergency defibrillator also hung on the wall next to the medicine chest, and she had been trained in how to use it. She went to get both, and then took up her position next to Dustin.

Two more blows with the axe took out the door handle, and the mob started to push their way through, shoving the barricade aside with disturbing ease. Dustin grabbed a plastic chair and held it in front of him like an old-fashioned lion tamer.

“Don’t worry,” he told her. “We’ll get through this.”

“Are you sure?”

He looked at her, the fear etched on his face giving the lie to his bravado. Still, he winked. “Sure I’m sure. This is gonna be a hell of a story to tell our grandkids.”

In spite of everything, Olivia smiled, even as tears welled up. “You’re a bit sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Let’s just say I have a good feeling about us.”

Something fierce welled up inside Olivia. Never before had she had so much to fight for, and she wasn’t about to let Deborah, or Dave or Greg anyone else, rob her of this chance. She hooked the fire extinguisher at her waist and held up the charged and ready defib paddles. The lust-crazed mob burst through the door and crowded into the room. With a cry of rage and determination, Olivia charged into the fray.

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