to the waiter and said, “I’m expecting another party, but do you mind bringing
out two glasses of water.”
She glanced at her watch. It was a quarter
past eleven. Sighing, Abbie stared out the front window. The sidewalk looked
crowded with groups of pedestrians walking past. Cars idled on the street,
waiting for the light to change. When it did, they rolled past and Abbie could
see the sidewalk on the other side.
Suddenly, impossibly, she saw him. Brown hat and trench coat. He just stood there, across the
street at the curb, absolutely still, facing her direction. Was he watching
her? Abbie couldn’t see his face, hidden in the shadow of a low slung hat, but
she could feel the heavy weight of his stare.
Gasping, she nearly fell out of her chair. She was about to get up
from the table and run outside after him when a voice from behind shouted, “Bookworm!”
McKenzie
Thomas, wearing an Earl Gray skirt with a floral top—and a light blue ribbon in
her red hair—stood behind Abbie with her arms raised. “I can’t believe it.”
“McKenzie?”
Abbie glanced at her, then looked back toward the front
window. Traffic had built up again, waiting for the light to change. She
couldn’t see across the street.
“Come
here, Bookworm,” McKenzie said. “Let me get a look at you. You haven’t changed
a bit.”
“Neither
have you. How’ve you been?” Getting up from the table, Abbie gave McKenzie an
awkward hug. Her eyes remained focused on the front windows. Cars moved
forward, revealing the sidewalk across the street. People walked past the
window. A woman jogged to the intersection. But the tan trench coat and brown
hat was gone. She looked back at McKenzie.
“Peachy. Just peachy,” McKenzie said. “When your
grandmother told my grandmother that you were going to college in Tampa, I just
had to look you up.”
“Yeah,
Clinton Reed said you ca—”
McKenzie
sat down without letting Abbie finish. “How is he doing? How’s he holding up?”
Abbie
took her seat at the table. “He’s doing fi—”
“And your grandparents? Why I haven’t seen them
since I don’t know when?”
“I
know. It’s been—”
“Too long. Just too long.” McKenzie reached over the table and touched the unicorn pendant hanging from
Abbie’s necklace. “You’re still wearing your sister’s necklace.”
Abbie
grasped the pendant away from her. “It’s all I have left of her.”
McKenzie
inhaled deeply, as if there was something she wanted
to say but was holding her tongue. Then the features of her face softened and
she smiled. “I just can’t believe we’re seeing each other again after, what? How many years?”
“Oh,
I think it’s been about two years or so.”Abbie glanced out the window again.
The man was definitely gone. She looked back at McKenzie. The light blue ribbon
held back a wave of fiery red hair.
“Do
you know how many times I tried to find you on Facebook?”
“Clinton
Reed never let me sign-up for—”
“And
it’s your birthday too.” McKenzie’s voice rose above the clatter and hum in the
busy restaurant.
“Well,
it’s actually –”
McKenzie
clapped her hands together. “It’s your twenty-first birthday, is what it is. Do
you know what a big deal that is?”
“My
birthday is actu—”
“You
only turn twenty-one once. That’s an important event in a gal’s life. It only
comes around once in a lifetime.”
“Yes,
well. Technically my birthday—”
“Have
you had a drink yet?”
“Of course not.”
“Well,
what are you waiting for?” McKenzie dramatically brought her hands to her chest
and gushed. “Let’s order something fun and intoxicating.”
“But
I’m not actually turning twent—”
“Let’s
order a bottle of sake. I’m buying.”
“But
I can’t actually dri—”
“Oh,
I almost forgot! You will not believe what happened to me.” McKenzie held up
her hand to reveal a large diamond ring. “I’m getting married. Isn’t that
out two glasses of water.”
She glanced at her watch. It was a quarter
past eleven. Sighing, Abbie stared out the front window. The sidewalk looked
crowded with groups of pedestrians walking past. Cars idled on the street,
waiting for the light to change. When it did, they rolled past and Abbie could
see the sidewalk on the other side.
Suddenly, impossibly, she saw him. Brown hat and trench coat. He just stood there, across the
street at the curb, absolutely still, facing her direction. Was he watching
her? Abbie couldn’t see his face, hidden in the shadow of a low slung hat, but
she could feel the heavy weight of his stare.
Gasping, she nearly fell out of her chair. She was about to get up
from the table and run outside after him when a voice from behind shouted, “Bookworm!”
McKenzie
Thomas, wearing an Earl Gray skirt with a floral top—and a light blue ribbon in
her red hair—stood behind Abbie with her arms raised. “I can’t believe it.”
“McKenzie?”
Abbie glanced at her, then looked back toward the front
window. Traffic had built up again, waiting for the light to change. She
couldn’t see across the street.
“Come
here, Bookworm,” McKenzie said. “Let me get a look at you. You haven’t changed
a bit.”
“Neither
have you. How’ve you been?” Getting up from the table, Abbie gave McKenzie an
awkward hug. Her eyes remained focused on the front windows. Cars moved
forward, revealing the sidewalk across the street. People walked past the
window. A woman jogged to the intersection. But the tan trench coat and brown
hat was gone. She looked back at McKenzie.
“Peachy. Just peachy,” McKenzie said. “When your
grandmother told my grandmother that you were going to college in Tampa, I just
had to look you up.”
“Yeah,
Clinton Reed said you ca—”
McKenzie
sat down without letting Abbie finish. “How is he doing? How’s he holding up?”
Abbie
took her seat at the table. “He’s doing fi—”
“And your grandparents? Why I haven’t seen them
since I don’t know when?”
“I
know. It’s been—”
“Too long. Just too long.” McKenzie reached over the table and touched the unicorn pendant hanging from
Abbie’s necklace. “You’re still wearing your sister’s necklace.”
Abbie
grasped the pendant away from her. “It’s all I have left of her.”
McKenzie
inhaled deeply, as if there was something she wanted
to say but was holding her tongue. Then the features of her face softened and
she smiled. “I just can’t believe we’re seeing each other again after, what? How many years?”
“Oh,
I think it’s been about two years or so.”Abbie glanced out the window again.
The man was definitely gone. She looked back at McKenzie. The light blue ribbon
held back a wave of fiery red hair.
“Do
you know how many times I tried to find you on Facebook?”
“Clinton
Reed never let me sign-up for—”
“And
it’s your birthday too.” McKenzie’s voice rose above the clatter and hum in the
busy restaurant.
“Well,
it’s actually –”
McKenzie
clapped her hands together. “It’s your twenty-first birthday, is what it is. Do
you know what a big deal that is?”
“My
birthday is actu—”
“You
only turn twenty-one once. That’s an important event in a gal’s life. It only
comes around once in a lifetime.”
“Yes,
well. Technically my birthday—”
“Have
you had a drink yet?”
“Of course not.”
“Well,
what are you waiting for?” McKenzie dramatically brought her hands to her chest
and gushed. “Let’s order something fun and intoxicating.”
“But
I’m not actually turning twent—”
“Let’s
order a bottle of sake. I’m buying.”
“But
I can’t actually dri—”
“Oh,
I almost forgot! You will not believe what happened to me.” McKenzie held up
her hand to reveal a large diamond ring. “I’m getting married. Isn’t that
Similar Books
