woman to fall for a man's lies.”
“Thanks, Marge.”
Chapter 16
“Megan. You haven't thought this through.”
“I have,” I lied. “It's what I want to do.”
“Where will you go?”
“I've got relatives in Scotland. I might visit them for a while.”
“Where in Scotland?”
Marge knew I was lying, but I kept up the charade.
“Glasgow.” It was the first place which came to mind.
“What will you do for money?”
“I've got a little saved. I'll be okay.”
Marge had become much more than an employer. She was a friend, and I knew she was looking out for me. I should have been able to put the whole 'Mike' thing behind me, but I couldn't. Every time I served breakfasts, it would remind me what a gullible fool I'd been. I'd given Marge one week's notice.
When I told Jennie my plans, she looked at me as though I was crazy.
“Don't you start on me,” I said. I've had Marge on my case all day.”
“It's plain stupid,” Jennie said. “You've got friends here now. You have a job.”
“I don't want to work in the cafe all of my life.”
“No one said anything about forever. But leaving now is dumb. Mike was a bastard, but there are still nice guys in this world.”
“Are there? Really? I don't see any.”
“What about that guy who came looking for you?”
“JJ? What about him?”
“He must think a lot about you to come all of this way to try to take you back with him.”
“That's history. I can never go back there.”
“Why?”
“It's complicated.”
“Your whole life is complicated, but you aren't going to find answers drifting from one place to another.”
I shrugged—I didn't have the energy to argue. Thankfully, Jennie let it go.
********************
My last week at the cafe seemed to last forever. I felt bad that I was leaving Marge in the lurch. She'd put up a card for a new waitress, but so far there had been no takers. I was hoping she would find someone before I left, so I didn't feel quite so guilty.
It was Saturday—my last day. I planned to leave for Scotland early the next morning. There were fewer trains on a Sunday, but the prices were much lower. Even though I'd been in Cromdale for several months, I hadn't accumulated much by way of additional luggage. I would be leaving with more or less what I arrived with.
I'd helped Marge to tidy up after we had closed for the day, and was back in my room when I sensed someone was behind me.
“Marge? Are you okay?”
She didn't look okay.
“Don't be mad at me,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I couldn't bear the thought of you leaving alone.”
“What have you done?”
She didn't speak. Instead, she stepped aside to allow Julie and JJ to walk past her.
“What's going on?” I already knew the answer.
“You're coming back with us,” Julie said.
“I can't. You shouldn't have come here.”
“Marge called us. She was worried about you.”
“There was no need.”
“Please, Megan.” It was JJ who spoke now. “Come back with us. Your room is free, and there's a job waiting for you.”
It hadn't occurred to me that my room might still be free. Why hadn't Julie re-let it? She must have needed the rent.
“What job?”
“At DraxSoft. I need someone to help in the offices.”
“I don't need your charity.” I hadn't meant to snap.
“It wouldn't be charity. It's a real job—you will have to pull your weight. Why not at least give it a try?”
“What do you have to lose?” Marge chipped in.
“Give it a couple of months,” Julie said. “If it doesn't work out, Scotland will still be there.”
I looked at the three of them. They all wanted the best for me—how could I simply throw their kindness back in their face? Where else would I go? I'd tried running away once, and look where that had got me. I would be an idiot to turn them away.
“Two months?”
JJ nodded.
“Okay, but if it doesn’t work out—I leave, and you don’t try to stop me. Promise?”
Julie
“Thanks, Marge.”
Chapter 16
“Megan. You haven't thought this through.”
“I have,” I lied. “It's what I want to do.”
“Where will you go?”
“I've got relatives in Scotland. I might visit them for a while.”
“Where in Scotland?”
Marge knew I was lying, but I kept up the charade.
“Glasgow.” It was the first place which came to mind.
“What will you do for money?”
“I've got a little saved. I'll be okay.”
Marge had become much more than an employer. She was a friend, and I knew she was looking out for me. I should have been able to put the whole 'Mike' thing behind me, but I couldn't. Every time I served breakfasts, it would remind me what a gullible fool I'd been. I'd given Marge one week's notice.
When I told Jennie my plans, she looked at me as though I was crazy.
“Don't you start on me,” I said. I've had Marge on my case all day.”
“It's plain stupid,” Jennie said. “You've got friends here now. You have a job.”
“I don't want to work in the cafe all of my life.”
“No one said anything about forever. But leaving now is dumb. Mike was a bastard, but there are still nice guys in this world.”
“Are there? Really? I don't see any.”
“What about that guy who came looking for you?”
“JJ? What about him?”
“He must think a lot about you to come all of this way to try to take you back with him.”
“That's history. I can never go back there.”
“Why?”
“It's complicated.”
“Your whole life is complicated, but you aren't going to find answers drifting from one place to another.”
I shrugged—I didn't have the energy to argue. Thankfully, Jennie let it go.
********************
My last week at the cafe seemed to last forever. I felt bad that I was leaving Marge in the lurch. She'd put up a card for a new waitress, but so far there had been no takers. I was hoping she would find someone before I left, so I didn't feel quite so guilty.
It was Saturday—my last day. I planned to leave for Scotland early the next morning. There were fewer trains on a Sunday, but the prices were much lower. Even though I'd been in Cromdale for several months, I hadn't accumulated much by way of additional luggage. I would be leaving with more or less what I arrived with.
I'd helped Marge to tidy up after we had closed for the day, and was back in my room when I sensed someone was behind me.
“Marge? Are you okay?”
She didn't look okay.
“Don't be mad at me,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I couldn't bear the thought of you leaving alone.”
“What have you done?”
She didn't speak. Instead, she stepped aside to allow Julie and JJ to walk past her.
“What's going on?” I already knew the answer.
“You're coming back with us,” Julie said.
“I can't. You shouldn't have come here.”
“Marge called us. She was worried about you.”
“There was no need.”
“Please, Megan.” It was JJ who spoke now. “Come back with us. Your room is free, and there's a job waiting for you.”
It hadn't occurred to me that my room might still be free. Why hadn't Julie re-let it? She must have needed the rent.
“What job?”
“At DraxSoft. I need someone to help in the offices.”
“I don't need your charity.” I hadn't meant to snap.
“It wouldn't be charity. It's a real job—you will have to pull your weight. Why not at least give it a try?”
“What do you have to lose?” Marge chipped in.
“Give it a couple of months,” Julie said. “If it doesn't work out, Scotland will still be there.”
I looked at the three of them. They all wanted the best for me—how could I simply throw their kindness back in their face? Where else would I go? I'd tried running away once, and look where that had got me. I would be an idiot to turn them away.
“Two months?”
JJ nodded.
“Okay, but if it doesn’t work out—I leave, and you don’t try to stop me. Promise?”
Julie
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