Mechanical Issue (Fiction)

DeeDee searched her purse again, the frown lines deepening on her forehead.
She knew she had left her keys in that side pocket, but they were nowhere to be found.
With a frustrated groan, DeeDee tipped the entire bag upside down on the cafe table, searching through the contents.
“Are you okay DeeDee?” Andrea, her best friend, was sipping a cappuccino, and had been watching her frantically search for the last five minutes.
“Yes, I just knew my keys were in here.” DeeDee rolled her eyes at the smug look on her friends face. “I didn’t lose them again, they’re just missing.”
Andrea let out an ‘Mmhmm’ and continued with her coffee.

Where had she had them last?
DeeDee dropped the lipstick onto the table and closed her eyes, picturing where she remembered them last.
The Mechanic.
Flipping her eyes open, Andrea frowned with a shrug. “Why the concern? Did you leave them in the fridge?”
DeeDee shook her head. “I think I left them at that mechanic place.”
Andrea shrugged. “Okay, so you left them there. Now you know where they are, and you can go get them, right?”

She knew her best friend was right, but there was something about the mechanic that had made her nervous. Now he had her house keys, along with the car keys.
“What if he copies them? Then comes into my house to burgle me?”
Andrea rolled her eyes. “Oh come on DeeDee, be serious. He’s running a business, just like you do, and just like this cafe owner does. He wouldn’t get repeat customers if he went around robbing them when they left their keys by mistake.”

Andrea was right, of course. DeeDee knew that. All the way home, she tried to convince herself of that fact. The mechanic would probably call her in the morning, when her custom work was done and let her know about they keys.
Her driver dropped her off at home, and she thanked him. Ringing the doorbell, her maid answered and let her in.
She’d explain the missing keys to Steven, and he wouldn’t mind of course. As much as she hated to admit it, Andrea was right; she often lost her keys.
Steven would be home tomorrow, the car would be finished, and life could resume as normal.

DeeDee tried to calm her nerves with a drink, then settled in to watch her favourite reality show. As the maid said goodnight, the house became very large, and very quiet.
Reassuring herself over, and over, DeeDee jumped when the sound of a doorknob turning in the other room cracked the silence.
“Hello?” she called out, hoping for no response.

Quietly, she slipped off the couch, and stood beside the door to the small lounge. If a burglar was coming in here, DeeDee would be ready to fight for her life.
She looked around her, and picked up a small bust of Aristotle. It was heavy, but she held it just above her and waited. The doorknob began to turn, and she held her breath, preparing herself.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” She screamed, stepping back and giving a half hearted throw, of the heavy bust. It fell to the floor where her feet had stood just a moment before, and she exhaled loudly.
“Steven! You scared me!”
Her husband stared back at her; confusion and compassion all over his face.
This wasn’t the first time that DeeDee had read into something that wasn’t real; and it probably wouldn’t be the last.