Read Online Breene, K F - Growing Pains 01 by Lost (and) Found (v5.0) - Free Book Online
Authors: Lost (and) Found (v5.0)
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like the other one, so not broken.”
“Well, then, when people ask how I
got bruised, I’ll say you hit me.” A shock of terror stopped her heart. A
memory flash of a large fist toward her face blotted out her vision.
It wasn’t funny yet. It probably
wouldn’t ever be funny again.
She lost her humor and changed
gears quickly. “Anyway, I need coffee. I had a weekend.”
~*~*~*~
Sean watched as Krista’s face shut
down. Sarcastic comicality dissolved into fear, then resignation. It had been
something she said…
As he replayed the scene, it dawned
on him. Cold fingers clutched his gut.
“I’d never hit a woman, Krista,” he
said quietly.
Her step hitched and her body bowed
a little. She glanced at him, mouse-like.
“It’s not all about you, McAdams.
Get a grip,” she said in a wispy voice playing at being strong. She took a deep
breath, trying to claw her way back from whatever dark place that comment had
taken her. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. She’d been hit. By a man.
A father, maybe. Or an ex-boyfriend.
Without warning, something deep and
forgotten raised its ugly head. Anger boiled, rising to the surface. Seeing her
hurting, afraid…he could barely breathe for wanting to ease that pain. He
wanted to meet that guy, whoever it was, and put some manners into him. Make
him pay for what he’d done to her; make sure that guy didn’t ever to it to
another woman again.
“Does no one in this company know
how to make coffee?” she was saying, reaching for an open bag.
Sean pulled himself together, took
his own deep breath. Stilled his overwhelming emotions and tucked them back
inside.
“So, you had a weekend?” he asked,
willing humor to cover the uncomfortable place he found himself.
“Eh! I went speed dating, of all
things.” Krista put her head in her hand. “Kate’s idea.”
“And Kate is…your friend?”
Krista turned and gave him a flat
stare, her eyes on fire. “Bloody good show, Captain Obvious, you’ve solved the
riddle.”
The dark cloud over their moods
dissolved instantly. Sean barked out laughter, unused to seeing this side of
the nerdy research girl. He wondered if anyone in the company had. He bet not.
He would’ve heard about it. They liked to gossip about her as much as him.
“And how’d it go?”
“Well, I met fifty wankers…” She
ripped the bag open. “No, that’s not true. I met about forty-five wankers, and
five decent fellows. One I quite liked. The others were door stops.”
She scooped the coffee into the
machine and hit the “Start” button. She took her full cup and crossed to the
creamer station. Sean took up her position, but instead of using the last
dredges in the pot, something he usually would have done to move his morning
along, he poured it down the sink and waited for the next batch in order to
hang around longer.
“So you met five keepers, then.
That’s not bad,” Sean said as he lounged against the wall.
Creamer in hand, Krista lounged as
well. “Not keepers, no. Five guys that weren’t awful. One keeper. Just one. And
he--”
“Oh, Sean!”
Sean and Krista both looked toward
the entrance of the break room where the worst possible gossip was hurrying
forward.
“Good morning, Cindy,” Sean
muttered, hating the interruption.
She smiled at him and batted her
eyelashes, late on noticing Krista. When she did, she looked at the other
woman, then back to him, suggestion taking over her features. “Oh, am I
interrupting something?”
“Well that depends. Are you
planning to steal all the creamer?” Krista asked with a voice that sounded like
honey poured over razor blades.
Cindy made a sound like, “Wwu..?”
Krista continued to stare at her
like she’d asked a logical question.
“Oh, well…Uh, no, of course not!”
“Then no, you won’t be interrupting
my morning ritual of making coffee. Anyway, Sean, like I was saying—or are you
bored?”
“Fire away.”
“Right.” Krista got a sugar
“Well, then, when people ask how I
got bruised, I’ll say you hit me.” A shock of terror stopped her heart. A
memory flash of a large fist toward her face blotted out her vision.
It wasn’t funny yet. It probably
wouldn’t ever be funny again.
She lost her humor and changed
gears quickly. “Anyway, I need coffee. I had a weekend.”
~*~*~*~
Sean watched as Krista’s face shut
down. Sarcastic comicality dissolved into fear, then resignation. It had been
something she said…
As he replayed the scene, it dawned
on him. Cold fingers clutched his gut.
“I’d never hit a woman, Krista,” he
said quietly.
Her step hitched and her body bowed
a little. She glanced at him, mouse-like.
“It’s not all about you, McAdams.
Get a grip,” she said in a wispy voice playing at being strong. She took a deep
breath, trying to claw her way back from whatever dark place that comment had
taken her. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out. She’d been hit. By a man.
A father, maybe. Or an ex-boyfriend.
Without warning, something deep and
forgotten raised its ugly head. Anger boiled, rising to the surface. Seeing her
hurting, afraid…he could barely breathe for wanting to ease that pain. He
wanted to meet that guy, whoever it was, and put some manners into him. Make
him pay for what he’d done to her; make sure that guy didn’t ever to it to
another woman again.
“Does no one in this company know
how to make coffee?” she was saying, reaching for an open bag.
Sean pulled himself together, took
his own deep breath. Stilled his overwhelming emotions and tucked them back
inside.
“So, you had a weekend?” he asked,
willing humor to cover the uncomfortable place he found himself.
“Eh! I went speed dating, of all
things.” Krista put her head in her hand. “Kate’s idea.”
“And Kate is…your friend?”
Krista turned and gave him a flat
stare, her eyes on fire. “Bloody good show, Captain Obvious, you’ve solved the
riddle.”
The dark cloud over their moods
dissolved instantly. Sean barked out laughter, unused to seeing this side of
the nerdy research girl. He wondered if anyone in the company had. He bet not.
He would’ve heard about it. They liked to gossip about her as much as him.
“And how’d it go?”
“Well, I met fifty wankers…” She
ripped the bag open. “No, that’s not true. I met about forty-five wankers, and
five decent fellows. One I quite liked. The others were door stops.”
She scooped the coffee into the
machine and hit the “Start” button. She took her full cup and crossed to the
creamer station. Sean took up her position, but instead of using the last
dredges in the pot, something he usually would have done to move his morning
along, he poured it down the sink and waited for the next batch in order to
hang around longer.
“So you met five keepers, then.
That’s not bad,” Sean said as he lounged against the wall.
Creamer in hand, Krista lounged as
well. “Not keepers, no. Five guys that weren’t awful. One keeper. Just one. And
he--”
“Oh, Sean!”
Sean and Krista both looked toward
the entrance of the break room where the worst possible gossip was hurrying
forward.
“Good morning, Cindy,” Sean
muttered, hating the interruption.
She smiled at him and batted her
eyelashes, late on noticing Krista. When she did, she looked at the other
woman, then back to him, suggestion taking over her features. “Oh, am I
interrupting something?”
“Well that depends. Are you
planning to steal all the creamer?” Krista asked with a voice that sounded like
honey poured over razor blades.
Cindy made a sound like, “Wwu..?”
Krista continued to stare at her
like she’d asked a logical question.
“Oh, well…Uh, no, of course not!”
“Then no, you won’t be interrupting
my morning ritual of making coffee. Anyway, Sean, like I was saying—or are you
bored?”
“Fire away.”
“Right.” Krista got a sugar
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