Fortunately, now that Jon had gotten out of the commercial district, there was nobody around. Her too-large sneakers slapped her feet as she ran while clutching the front of her jeans.
Finally, she got to Karyn's house and jabbed at the doorbell several times.
"Hang on, hang on, I'm coming," said a male voice from inside. When the door opened, it turned out to be Karyn's older brother Max, his hair now the same blond shade as Karyn's, but otherwise looking the same.
"Is Karyn here?" asked Jon.
Max looked at the petite woman standing on the front stoop -- her face was downright beautiful except for the strangely masculine jawline, and she seemed to have the body of an overendowed stripper, although it was hard to tell in the oversized men's clothes that were draped over her. "Well, hello there." He tried to turn on the charm. "Are you a friend of my sister's?"
"Yeah, sure," said Jon. "Just tell me if she's home."
"Uh, no, she's not," said Max. "She went out to the mall with Mom. They're probably not gonna be back for a couple of hours. Would you like to wait inside for them?" He smiled big.
Jon had a decision to make. She didn't know Max that well -- he was a junior at a college out of state -- but she knew Karyn had a good relationship with him. Should she wait with him, maybe even enlist his help, or should she leave?
