The sun beat down on the construction site like it had a personal grudge against everything living. Dust hung in the air, thick enough to taste, and the constant growl of machinery mixed with shouts and the metallic clang of steel on steel. I parked my little sedan at the edge of the lot, far enough from the main gate that I had to walk across the gravel in heels I should never have worn. My sundress clung to my skin already, the thin cotton pale yellow and shorter than anything I normally wore to a place like this. The neckline dipped low enough that the tops of my breasts pushed up with every step, and the hem rode high on my thighs. No bra that day. No panties either. Just the dress, the heels, and the small insulated lunch bag swinging from my wrist.
I told myself it was innocent. My
