cartoon cow did a dance to a country
song.
“Barbeque
and
bluegrass too,” she sang along with the jingle.
He shook his head slowly.
“Do you know everything ?”
“Far from it. But I know good ol’ Bucky’s ‘cause it’s the favorite place for Ohioans to eat.
Including my family.”
“So you grew up…”
“In a god awful podunk
town in the middle of Ohio.” Emerson went on about the small town life as a teenager but his mind drifted to Hope. He had a state. Pennsylvania’s neighbor. He hadn’t expected that. Why lie about a state? It wasn’t as if she’d given him a town he could stalk her to.
That she didn’t trust him with the smallest of truths was a painful pill to swallow.
“Are you okay?”
Em’s voice shook him from his daze.
“Huh?” He shrugged. “I’m
fine.” But even he knew he didn’t sound fine.
Emerson sighed and her
chair squeaked as she turned to face him. “I know it seems bad but… It could be way worse. We know three things that are promising.
She’s a girl. She’s the age she told you. And it looks like she’s a teacher. Ohio isn’t that far from Pennsylvania. Maybe she lives on the border and was being cautious about the details.”
Yeah, he could rationalize all day but the fact was she lied.
Now he wasn’t sure what to believe about her anymore. How much she liked him – was that a lie too? A pit of anxiety formed in his gut. His hopes and dreams for the future were on shaky ground.
He wasn’t giving up yet –
Heidi meant too much to him – but they had a lot of talking to do. But when? When should he confront her? He wanted to see her face when he questioned her. He could learn more by looking her in the eye than by months of texting. He needed to see her in order to know if she was the girl he was falling for or not.
“Can you find where she
lives?” he asked Emerson. To hell with privacy. He was driving to Ohio to find his girl.
“I can get you more than that if you’re willing to wait a few days.”
“That’s fine.” What was he going to say to Heidi while he waited? It was hard to act natural when all he wanted to do was demand answers. But it would be worth it in the end if he could hold out just a little longer. He hoped.
Someone banged on the
door, making Em jump out of her seat. “Who’s that?”
“Oh.” He moved toward the
door, fishing through his wallet for money. “That’s the Chinese food.”
“Chinese food?”
She hadn’t even noticed
he’d ordered it? That made him chuckle. One track mind. “I ordered it while you were cussing out Apple products.” He opened the door and paid for the food. Then he placed the bag on the coffee table and pulled out the boxes one at a time.
“I was hungry and your
fridge was empty.” A small lie but he wanted her to eat without feeling guilty. “I can’t eat all of this. Help me out.”
She looked over the options
hesitantly. “Is that crab rangoon?”
“Yup. You like that?”
She nodded.
“Here.” He handed her the box. “All yours, baby.”
The pet name had been an impulse and he wanted to kick himself for not being more careful.
Encouraging
even
a
close
friendship between them seemed like a bad idea. In his experience, girls didn’t like their boyfriends being friends with other girls. The last thing he needed to salvage the relationship with Hope was to appear disloyal. Spying on her would be hard enough to forgive.
“I’ll give you some money before you go,” Em said, oblivious to the slip up.
“Nah. Don’t worry about it.
You’ve been helping me out so… I owe you.”
She froze with a forkful of rangoon near her mouth then put it down and gave him a somber look.
“This doesn’t count as payment for services. You still owe me real money.”
He laughed. “I know that, silly.”
“Silly?” She arched a brow.
“Nobody’s ever called me silly before.”
Nodding,
he
finished
chewing a mouthful of rice. “Yes, I know.
song.
“Barbeque
and
bluegrass too,” she sang along with the jingle.
He shook his head slowly.
“Do you know everything ?”
“Far from it. But I know good ol’ Bucky’s ‘cause it’s the favorite place for Ohioans to eat.
Including my family.”
“So you grew up…”
“In a god awful podunk
town in the middle of Ohio.” Emerson went on about the small town life as a teenager but his mind drifted to Hope. He had a state. Pennsylvania’s neighbor. He hadn’t expected that. Why lie about a state? It wasn’t as if she’d given him a town he could stalk her to.
That she didn’t trust him with the smallest of truths was a painful pill to swallow.
“Are you okay?”
Em’s voice shook him from his daze.
“Huh?” He shrugged. “I’m
fine.” But even he knew he didn’t sound fine.
Emerson sighed and her
chair squeaked as she turned to face him. “I know it seems bad but… It could be way worse. We know three things that are promising.
She’s a girl. She’s the age she told you. And it looks like she’s a teacher. Ohio isn’t that far from Pennsylvania. Maybe she lives on the border and was being cautious about the details.”
Yeah, he could rationalize all day but the fact was she lied.
Now he wasn’t sure what to believe about her anymore. How much she liked him – was that a lie too? A pit of anxiety formed in his gut. His hopes and dreams for the future were on shaky ground.
He wasn’t giving up yet –
Heidi meant too much to him – but they had a lot of talking to do. But when? When should he confront her? He wanted to see her face when he questioned her. He could learn more by looking her in the eye than by months of texting. He needed to see her in order to know if she was the girl he was falling for or not.
“Can you find where she
lives?” he asked Emerson. To hell with privacy. He was driving to Ohio to find his girl.
“I can get you more than that if you’re willing to wait a few days.”
“That’s fine.” What was he going to say to Heidi while he waited? It was hard to act natural when all he wanted to do was demand answers. But it would be worth it in the end if he could hold out just a little longer. He hoped.
Someone banged on the
door, making Em jump out of her seat. “Who’s that?”
“Oh.” He moved toward the
door, fishing through his wallet for money. “That’s the Chinese food.”
“Chinese food?”
She hadn’t even noticed
he’d ordered it? That made him chuckle. One track mind. “I ordered it while you were cussing out Apple products.” He opened the door and paid for the food. Then he placed the bag on the coffee table and pulled out the boxes one at a time.
“I was hungry and your
fridge was empty.” A small lie but he wanted her to eat without feeling guilty. “I can’t eat all of this. Help me out.”
She looked over the options
hesitantly. “Is that crab rangoon?”
“Yup. You like that?”
She nodded.
“Here.” He handed her the box. “All yours, baby.”
The pet name had been an impulse and he wanted to kick himself for not being more careful.
Encouraging
even
a
close
friendship between them seemed like a bad idea. In his experience, girls didn’t like their boyfriends being friends with other girls. The last thing he needed to salvage the relationship with Hope was to appear disloyal. Spying on her would be hard enough to forgive.
“I’ll give you some money before you go,” Em said, oblivious to the slip up.
“Nah. Don’t worry about it.
You’ve been helping me out so… I owe you.”
She froze with a forkful of rangoon near her mouth then put it down and gave him a somber look.
“This doesn’t count as payment for services. You still owe me real money.”
He laughed. “I know that, silly.”
“Silly?” She arched a brow.
“Nobody’s ever called me silly before.”
Nodding,
he
finished
chewing a mouthful of rice. “Yes, I know.
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