Chapter Seven

She opted to drive all the way rather than fly, adding as much as thirteen to fifteen hours to her journey. Maddison was positive she could cut it down to ten if she put the pedal to the metal. The SUV she hired for the trip was certainly capable of doing the job. Her day-to-day vehicle, a convertible, was in the garage undergoing servicing and would only be ready by Sunday for pickup.

Embrace the journey, not just the destination.

Despite it being nine in the morning, traffic in the central business district or CBD was relatively light when compared to earlier in the week. Maddison stopped by a cafe to have breakfast and was immediately greeted by the smell of coffee and chocolate cake, both of which she had been craving all week. Though she was an advocate for healthy living through her almost daily exercise routine and dieting, Maddison allowed herself one cheat day in a week when she could eat anything she wanted. Twenty minutes later, she was back on the road with her foot on the gas and dangerously close to the speed limit. Maddison knew that as soon as she was out of the CBD and on the motorway; the traffic lights, speed traps and speed limit signs would fall away, allowing her to make up for lost time.

Staring at the traffic light in anticipation of it’s soon transformation from bright red to green, her mind doubled back to the main reason she had chosen the long drive over a short flight: to process her thoughts. Something about being on the open road helped clear her mind and she did this whenever she was going into battle which she very well was. She loved her sister dearly but having not seen her for six months coupled with the small matter of her prioritizing her work over her love life, it made for some intense moments.

No sooner had the light turned green than she was off. Maddison could feel her muscles tense up a little as she continued to process her thoughts. From the little reading she had done, she became aware of the fact that the chances of developing complications during pregnancy or childbirth were higher in older women. The idea of having a family of her own was not something she completely opposed. It was still in her plans but right now, she had much more important and immediate goals to achieve in life. Consequently, she never really bothered to look for a man to settle down with. Granted, there were a few that were brave enough to approach her but these were men who believed they could sway her with their money and influence. The look in their eyes revealed what they truly desired: a trophy to show off to all their friends and more often than not, sex. Maddison would be nothing more than a pawn in a game of power. One sex was often heralded as conquerors for the ever increasing number of people they slept with, while the other was condemned to shame, ridicule and a host of derogatory terms. The world was slowly but surely moving away from such notions.

Slowly and that’s where the problem is.

She inadvertently ran a red light and was made immediately aware of this by the blaring of a police siren. Her rear-view mirror was filled with the familiar blue and red flash.

“Good morning ma’am, please show me your license and registration,” said the officer, both hands on his belt buckle.

I can’t believe my luck.