Never Again Once More Read Online Free PDF Page A

“Bang!”
    Walking to the car, Jada asked, “What was that all about?”
    “Guy stuff. You know how Robert is. Relax. Take a nap. I’ll get you home safely.” Wellington reset the trip mileage to zero.
    Jada retrieved her latest issue of Upscale magazine. “I’m not sleepy. I just woke up.”
    The sunrays dissipated behind the dusky gray clouds. Small raindrops beaded on the windshield. Wellington turned the wipers on low and merged out of the fast lane. “When was the last time you changed your blades?”
    Defensively, Jada answered, “I never change my blades. The dealer—”
    Boop! Boop! The cop couldn’t be signaling him to pull over, because he was driving the limit in a fifty-five mile-per-hour zone. Boooop! Wellington merged again, and the patrol car followed.
    “What’s wrong? What’d you do?” Jada asked.
    Wellington cut his eyes at Jada and gritted his back teeth as he pulled over, praying he wasn’t a victim of Driving While Black. “I didn’t do anything.”
    The Highway Patrol officer flashed his spotlight as if it was eleven o’clock at night. “Let me see your license, registration, and insurance.”
    Wellington remained silent and handed him the information.
    “What did he do wrong?” Jada asked.
    “I told you I didn’t do anything wrong,” Wellington grumbled angrily.
    “Miss, be quiet. This is official business. You were traveling sixty-five in a fifty-five mile zone. I’m going to have to run your driver’s license.” The officer walked around the car twice with his hand steadily on his gun.
    When Jada opened her door and stepped out of the car, he swiftly drew his pistol from the holster and aimed directly at her heart. “Get back in the car! Now!”
    Jada eased into her seat and closed the door. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Wellington’s chest rose and fell, but he kept his eyes on the dirty cop, contemplating his next move. The officer resumed his walk. He zoomed in on the front bumper while suspiciously peeping over the hood at them. After about three minutes, he strolled to his car.
    Pounding on the steering wheel, Wellington said, “I hate this shit! He knows damn well I wasn’t speeding, so why is he treating us like fucking criminals?”
    Jada buckled her seat belt and remained silent.
    The officer returned and gave Wellington his license, registration, insurance, and a speeding ticket for doing seven miles over the limit. “I suggest you drive fifty in this area, boy. A person fitting your description was identified in a pedestrian hit-and-run.” He slapped the roof of the car and said, “Have a nice day.”
    Wellington waited until the officer drove off first. “Can you believe this shit? He had the fucking audacity to call me boy, and he’s blacker than me. I swear that’s the kind of confrontation that’ll land an innocent man in jail.”
    Staring straight ahead like a zombie, Jada whispered, “Baby, let’s go back. I can get my car later.”
    “No. He does not intimidate me. I’ll be okay.” The small raindrops had grown to the size of quarters when they splattered on the windshield. Wellington drove twenty miles per hour. Not because of the officer, but because visibility was steadily decreasing, and his blood pressure was steadily rising. Gusty winds whistled about the convertible top. He glimpsed at his trip gauge. They had traveled fifty-two miles. Interstate 5 South was ten miles away, but it would take at least thirty minutes to get there. “Let’s pull over and find a hotel.” Wellington grumbled, “I can’t believe I checked everything except the weather report.”
    “Okay,” Jada calmly responded.
    Apparently other motorists shared his view. The last available parking space was at the end of the lot. Wellington dropped Jada off at the lobby entrance and hurried to the vacant space. He didn’t try covering his head or drying himself off once inside the lobby.
    “We got the last room, too,” Jada said, pressing