Copper by Iris Abbott

doing something so vile.  A random stranger wouldn’t have left the card for her.  What would be the point?
    To most people the card she held in her hand was harmless enough. To Marla, it was a poignant reminder of what she’d lost on the most terrible night of her life.  It was a reminder of just how much loving the wrong person cost her.  And she was sure her ex-boyfriend was the one doing the reminding.
    The thick paper fell from her lifeless fingers.  She stared at the blurring stack for several seconds.  It took that long for her to realize she was crying.  Marla hastily wiped away the tears.  She refused to have another breakdown like the one she suffered last night.  She wouldn’t give her tormentor the satisfaction.
    Picking up the offending item, Marla clenched the card tight enough to make it crinkle. She didn’t care if the once pretty card was ruined.  It wasn’t like it was going to be a keepsake or anything.  Its only useful purpose was as evidence for the Metal Cowboys.
    She ran to the back door and exited it in such a hurry she didn’t take the time to close it.  Adrenaline coursed through her body, and she pushed open the front door of the garage so hard it bounced off the wall.  Tina, the secretary, glanced up and let out a startled scream when she saw Marla charging toward her. 
    “I need to see Copper right now.”  She started around the counter toward the garage area where the men worked on the bikes. 
    Tina wasn’t in the loop. She didn’t know Marla was residing with the Metal Cowboys.  “Wait!  Copper’s busy.  I didn’t think your tastes ran to men like the Metal Cowboys,” she snidely remarked. “Either way, he isn’t going to appreciate the interruption.”  She pushed back her rolling chair and moved to stand in front of the door that led to the garage, effectively blocking Marla’s path.
    Marla froze in her tracks and gave the other woman a disbelieving stare.  “My tastes are none of your business, Tina.   I’m not some crazed biker groupie wanting to score an afternoon quickie. Now get out of my way!” 
    She tried to shove by the secretary standing between her and the only man who made her feel safe. Marla couldn’t nudge the other woman.  Tina outweighed her by a good twenty-five pounds, and the stubborn woman stood her ground.
    “This is ridiculous.  Pick up the phone, call Copper, and let him know I’m out here. He’s going to want to see me.”
    “Copper really doesn’t like to be bothered when he’s working,” the woman warned.  “You’re only going to piss him off, but hey, it’s all on you,” Tina informed her. 
    She moved from the door and picked up the phone.  “Natalie, your sister is out here.”  There was a brief pause.  “No.  She looks fine to me, but she’s demanding to see Copper. Natalie? Hello, Natalie? Are you there?”
    The door from the garage flew open, narrowly missing Marla.  Startled she jumped back and lost her balance.  Before she could fall, strong arms wrapped around her body, anchoring her upright.  She recognized Copper’s touch immediately. 
    Natalie was right behind him.  She rushed to Marla’s side.  She tried to elbow Copper out of the way, but he refused to budge.  “You were fine when I left the house.”  She glanced at her watch.  “That was only about fifteen minutes ago,” she said with a worried frown.  “I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone!”
    Taking a deep breath, Marla tried to reassure her sister and Copper that another attack hadn’t occurred while their backs were turned. “He definitely did something, except it wasn’t here nor was it today,” she finally managed to explain. 
    She glanced over her shoulder at Tina, who wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she was listening to their conversation.  Marla didn’t want the whole town knowing her business, and she was fairly certain that Copper and the rest of the Metal Cowboys felt the same way.  If