When Death takes notice

Push The Damned Button - Sample

 We had finally, after a short and yet barely tolerable trek in the blazing sunlight reached our destination, our hotel. The hotel itself was a few sizes bigger than the one we usually stayed at when we visited London. It was a few stories taller and located closer to those fancy shops that Beth always insisted upon visiting when we came here. It didn't come as a surprise that Beth got her way yet again, she always did. Neither did it come as a huge surprise that we were once again verbally poking at each other. The hot sun didn't actually help with cooling anyone's temper down either.

"Seriously guys, I am fine now," I looked at each girl in turn, starting with Kate and ending with Rose just to get my point across. The tip of my right foot was tapping restlessly against the pavement below, a near-silent telltale sign of my irritable mood.

"You didn't look fine five minutes ago!" Kate shot in, her eyebrow going up, not quite believing me.

I stared at Kate's crossed arms, not really meeting her eyes anymore, and shrugged. "The walk here has calmed me down. And quite frankly I am just tired, and not to mention hot! I was actually thinking about taking a quick shower, and a power nap in our room. I don't want you guys babysitting me. Not when you guys could be out here shopping, HERE in LONDON" I exclaimed, flinging my left arm away from my body in a half-circle at the " HERE in LONDON" to make my point.

"Besides, you all know I hate trekking up and down Oxford Street, so it's really a win-win situation!" I added to further make my point.

"She does make sense," Beth exclaimed, her lust for shopping clouding more than just her bright blue eyes.

Rose and Kate stared at each other, a silent exchange taking place before they finally faced me. I could tell that they weren't really biting, but somehow they both decided to let it go. For now at least.

"Fine, but you better call us if you need anything," Kate said, not bothering to mask the tightness in her voice.

"Or you could always text us if you suddenly decide that you want to join us after all. I mean this is shopping we are talking about...", Rose cheerful voice trailed off at the end, a half-smile playing on her pink lips at the mention of shopping.

I smiled at them, my heart melting a bit at their concern, well at Rose and Kate's concern anyway, considering Beth was already mentally tallying the shops she had to visit and the hours she had left before dinner to do so. I could just see her mentally blaming me for the precious time she had already lost.

"Sure, I promise to call if anything comes up, or if I suddenly decide to brave the heat and join you guys in your herculean attempt to empty the local shops of the latest fashion," I said with a slightly bigger grin plastered across my face. They always could make me feel better, with a few words, or just their presence.

"But you will meet us for dinner later on, won't you?" Rose asked, a slight frown pulling her carefully plucked brows together.

"Yes, at six?" I questioned confirming the time. We had already picked the place to eat yesterday. I had for once won at rock, paper, scissors to the others' utter horror, seeing as my choice of restaurant was The Rainforest cafe.