laughed.
“You forget, half pint, I’ve seen you drive the ladder
truck. I’ll warn my buddies you’re out on the road.”
As she cranked on the engine, he leaned in and gave her a
peck on the cheek.
“One more thing, Erin. You’re a great friend. I’m glad you
are mine.”
Erin pressed her lips together to keep from crying.
“Thanks, Connor.”
Heading for the parkway, lost in the enormity of what had
happened, it took Erin a minute to realize that her phone was ringing. Reaching
in her pocket she saw an unfamiliar number. She frowned when she heard a man’s
voice then gave a sigh of relief when she realized it was Blake.
“Hi, Erin. What a pleasant surprise. I have to tell you, I
didn’t expect to hear from you. I thought I would have to begin ‘dropping in at
the gym’ to see if I could get your attention. Thanks for saving me the
embarrassment of becoming a stalker.”
Erin laughed and realized how good it felt to have a relaxed
telephone conversation with a man.
“I’m in a bit of a rush, Erin. I have to get back in a
meeting. How about I pick you up at eight o’clock as you suggested? I thought we
could hit that Irish pub on St. Mary’s Street. I hear they have great food plus
a good band on Friday nights.”
“That sounds like fun, Blake. But you don’t need to pick me
up. I can meet you there.”
“Oh. Okay.” She heard the hesitation in Blake’s voice. Then
he added, “Call me old fashioned, but I like the idea of picking up a beautiful
girl I’ve invited out for dinner. Seems a little more like a ‘date’ than a
‘meet-up.’ Unless… I am being presumptuous.”
Erin chided herself, reminding herself that “normal”
23-year-old women went on dates. Even if they were married fugitives on the
run. But deciding that she needed to take this ‘normal’ business one step at a
time, she said, “No you’re not being presumptuous, Blake. And I appreciate the
offer. I’d just feel more comfortable meeting you there.”
“Absolutely, Erin. That’s prudent. Even though I’m about as
close to Harvey Milquetoast as you can get, it doesn’t hurt for a girl to be
cautious. But, hey. I’m looking forward to getting to know you. See you at
eight?”
After she hung up, Erin wondered if she was being silly, but
then the thought of Blake, a prosperous lawyer, picking her up in Charlotte
Prairie was more than she could handle. It was bad enough that she had nothing
to wear. Remembering that the mall was two blocks over, she smiled at her
brazenness. Why not? When was the last time she had a date with a normal guy?
Surely that was as good an excuse as any for a new outfit.
Chapter 10
“Damn! Who’s the ‘dick magnet?’”
Charlie Hanson whistled then raised his glass in an unseen
toast to the woman entering the pub.
“And while you’re at it, tell me why the professional
looking pricks get all the hot babes? Christ, that asshole’s wearing lizard
skin loafers and no socks. Is that what them ‘met-ro-sexuals’ wear these days?
We wear boots and they pay so goddamned much for their tasseled loafers they
can’t afford socks? Fuckin-A.”
Without looking up, Nate grinned at his buddy.
“Face it, Hanson, good-looking babes know the value of their
looks. For most of them it comes down to a matter of dollars and cents.”
Peter Maze, an older time-worn cop said gruffly, “So all
beautiful women are whores, Nate?”
Nate shrugged.
“I wouldn’t put it that crassly, Pete. It’s like any
commercial exchange. The babes have something of value and they get something
in exchange.”
Pete gave him a sympathetic glance. “Spoken like a man whose
wife screwed the owner of biggest lumber mill in town?”
Nate eyed him then said softly, “Make that ‘ex-wife’. Yeah,
Pete, that’ll leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but better to deal with life
as it is, than as you’d like it to be… right, my man?”
Pete hesitated.
“That was a crappy deal, Nate. Specially when
“You forget, half pint, I’ve seen you drive the ladder
truck. I’ll warn my buddies you’re out on the road.”
As she cranked on the engine, he leaned in and gave her a
peck on the cheek.
“One more thing, Erin. You’re a great friend. I’m glad you
are mine.”
Erin pressed her lips together to keep from crying.
“Thanks, Connor.”
Heading for the parkway, lost in the enormity of what had
happened, it took Erin a minute to realize that her phone was ringing. Reaching
in her pocket she saw an unfamiliar number. She frowned when she heard a man’s
voice then gave a sigh of relief when she realized it was Blake.
“Hi, Erin. What a pleasant surprise. I have to tell you, I
didn’t expect to hear from you. I thought I would have to begin ‘dropping in at
the gym’ to see if I could get your attention. Thanks for saving me the
embarrassment of becoming a stalker.”
Erin laughed and realized how good it felt to have a relaxed
telephone conversation with a man.
“I’m in a bit of a rush, Erin. I have to get back in a
meeting. How about I pick you up at eight o’clock as you suggested? I thought we
could hit that Irish pub on St. Mary’s Street. I hear they have great food plus
a good band on Friday nights.”
“That sounds like fun, Blake. But you don’t need to pick me
up. I can meet you there.”
“Oh. Okay.” She heard the hesitation in Blake’s voice. Then
he added, “Call me old fashioned, but I like the idea of picking up a beautiful
girl I’ve invited out for dinner. Seems a little more like a ‘date’ than a
‘meet-up.’ Unless… I am being presumptuous.”
Erin chided herself, reminding herself that “normal”
23-year-old women went on dates. Even if they were married fugitives on the
run. But deciding that she needed to take this ‘normal’ business one step at a
time, she said, “No you’re not being presumptuous, Blake. And I appreciate the
offer. I’d just feel more comfortable meeting you there.”
“Absolutely, Erin. That’s prudent. Even though I’m about as
close to Harvey Milquetoast as you can get, it doesn’t hurt for a girl to be
cautious. But, hey. I’m looking forward to getting to know you. See you at
eight?”
After she hung up, Erin wondered if she was being silly, but
then the thought of Blake, a prosperous lawyer, picking her up in Charlotte
Prairie was more than she could handle. It was bad enough that she had nothing
to wear. Remembering that the mall was two blocks over, she smiled at her
brazenness. Why not? When was the last time she had a date with a normal guy?
Surely that was as good an excuse as any for a new outfit.
Chapter 10
“Damn! Who’s the ‘dick magnet?’”
Charlie Hanson whistled then raised his glass in an unseen
toast to the woman entering the pub.
“And while you’re at it, tell me why the professional
looking pricks get all the hot babes? Christ, that asshole’s wearing lizard
skin loafers and no socks. Is that what them ‘met-ro-sexuals’ wear these days?
We wear boots and they pay so goddamned much for their tasseled loafers they
can’t afford socks? Fuckin-A.”
Without looking up, Nate grinned at his buddy.
“Face it, Hanson, good-looking babes know the value of their
looks. For most of them it comes down to a matter of dollars and cents.”
Peter Maze, an older time-worn cop said gruffly, “So all
beautiful women are whores, Nate?”
Nate shrugged.
“I wouldn’t put it that crassly, Pete. It’s like any
commercial exchange. The babes have something of value and they get something
in exchange.”
Pete gave him a sympathetic glance. “Spoken like a man whose
wife screwed the owner of biggest lumber mill in town?”
Nate eyed him then said softly, “Make that ‘ex-wife’. Yeah,
Pete, that’ll leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but better to deal with life
as it is, than as you’d like it to be… right, my man?”
Pete hesitated.
“That was a crappy deal, Nate. Specially when
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