Read Online Run Away Baby by Holly Tierney-Bedord - Free Book Online
Authors: Holly Tierney-Bedord
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who?”
“My husband. He would think it was pretty weird if I signed up for something like that.”
“He could come too.”
Abby scrutinized Charlie’s face, trying to tell if he was serious. Why would he want her husband along? “He wouldn’t want to take classes like that,” she said.
“So it will be just you,” said Charlie. “I give private lessons.” He smiled at her. Being this close to him, she noticed things she’d never seen before. A couple of silver hairs in his stubble, although he looked like he couldn’t be more than thirty. A slightly crooked front tooth, just enough to give him an appearance that wasn’t too perfect. If anything, his flaws made him more attractive.
“You’re a troublemaker, aren’t you?” she said.
“You could say that.”
She took a sip of her iced tea. Her throat was suddenly very dry. She considered whether all the Northface and Patagonia socks and underwear she’d purchased may have convinced Randall that she truly cared about becoming outdoorsy.
“Maybe I’ll ask him whether he’ll let me,” she said.
“You’ll ask him if he’ll let you?”
“I didn’t mean I need permission. I meant, you know, I mean, we’re married . Married people run stuff by each other.”
“Sure, I get it.”
Just then her cellphone rang. It was Krissa. “Can you excuse me for a minute while I take this?” she asked Charlie. He nodded.
“Hello?” Abby said, getting up and heading toward the women’s restroom.
“Hi,” said Krissa. “Hey, I hate to be a pain, but have you been at a place called the Bigger Burger for two hours? A debit card purchase popped up a while ago, but your phone tracker hasn’t moved at all.”
“Well, not exactly. I’ve been downtown, and I was having lunch, then I left and was walking around and I realized I left my phone there, so I had to run back and get it. I just got back here and luckily it’s right where I left it, so you caught me picking it up and now I’m about to do a little more shopping and head home.”
“So your phone was there for two hours but you weren’t?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll explain it to Mr. Greer. He thought it was a little strange that it was taking you so long to have lunch at a place that was basically a diner. He was worried about you. He was going to send Clark Lorbmeer over to check on you but I just tried calling the law office and it turns out that Mr. Lorbmeer’s in court today.”
“Oh. Wow. Tell him I’m really sorry I made him worry and that he definitely doesn’t have to get Clark involved. I mean, that would be really embarrassing, especially when it’s all because I happened to forget my phone. I’m super glad it was still here when I came back.”
“One more thing. Why did you decide to have lunch there? Mr. Greer says he’s never known you to have lunch at that place before.”
“Oh, well… I guess since I work downtown now and I see it all the time I got to thinking I’d like to try it. I heard at the law office it was a good place to eat.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah, it was good.”
“Great! Thanks, Abby. Have a good rest of your day.”
“Thanks, Krissa. I will.”
Abby checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror after the call had ended. Even in the dim, flickering light she could see that her neck was covered in hives. “Holy shit,” she whispered. She blotted at her neck with a cold, wet paper towel, and then fanned herself dry with her hand.
She went back out to where Charlie was sitting, waiting for her. It looked like he hadn’t taken another bite of his food the whole time she’d been on her call.
“Charlie,” she said, her voice barely audible in the clattering, busy restaurant. “I have to go. I’m sorry to run off like this, but I realized I really can’t be doing things like this. It’s not right.”
“Already? You’ve hardly touched your food.”
“If my boss hadn’t been in court today, he would have come in here and caught me with
“My husband. He would think it was pretty weird if I signed up for something like that.”
“He could come too.”
Abby scrutinized Charlie’s face, trying to tell if he was serious. Why would he want her husband along? “He wouldn’t want to take classes like that,” she said.
“So it will be just you,” said Charlie. “I give private lessons.” He smiled at her. Being this close to him, she noticed things she’d never seen before. A couple of silver hairs in his stubble, although he looked like he couldn’t be more than thirty. A slightly crooked front tooth, just enough to give him an appearance that wasn’t too perfect. If anything, his flaws made him more attractive.
“You’re a troublemaker, aren’t you?” she said.
“You could say that.”
She took a sip of her iced tea. Her throat was suddenly very dry. She considered whether all the Northface and Patagonia socks and underwear she’d purchased may have convinced Randall that she truly cared about becoming outdoorsy.
“Maybe I’ll ask him whether he’ll let me,” she said.
“You’ll ask him if he’ll let you?”
“I didn’t mean I need permission. I meant, you know, I mean, we’re married . Married people run stuff by each other.”
“Sure, I get it.”
Just then her cellphone rang. It was Krissa. “Can you excuse me for a minute while I take this?” she asked Charlie. He nodded.
“Hello?” Abby said, getting up and heading toward the women’s restroom.
“Hi,” said Krissa. “Hey, I hate to be a pain, but have you been at a place called the Bigger Burger for two hours? A debit card purchase popped up a while ago, but your phone tracker hasn’t moved at all.”
“Well, not exactly. I’ve been downtown, and I was having lunch, then I left and was walking around and I realized I left my phone there, so I had to run back and get it. I just got back here and luckily it’s right where I left it, so you caught me picking it up and now I’m about to do a little more shopping and head home.”
“So your phone was there for two hours but you weren’t?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll explain it to Mr. Greer. He thought it was a little strange that it was taking you so long to have lunch at a place that was basically a diner. He was worried about you. He was going to send Clark Lorbmeer over to check on you but I just tried calling the law office and it turns out that Mr. Lorbmeer’s in court today.”
“Oh. Wow. Tell him I’m really sorry I made him worry and that he definitely doesn’t have to get Clark involved. I mean, that would be really embarrassing, especially when it’s all because I happened to forget my phone. I’m super glad it was still here when I came back.”
“One more thing. Why did you decide to have lunch there? Mr. Greer says he’s never known you to have lunch at that place before.”
“Oh, well… I guess since I work downtown now and I see it all the time I got to thinking I’d like to try it. I heard at the law office it was a good place to eat.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah, it was good.”
“Great! Thanks, Abby. Have a good rest of your day.”
“Thanks, Krissa. I will.”
Abby checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror after the call had ended. Even in the dim, flickering light she could see that her neck was covered in hives. “Holy shit,” she whispered. She blotted at her neck with a cold, wet paper towel, and then fanned herself dry with her hand.
She went back out to where Charlie was sitting, waiting for her. It looked like he hadn’t taken another bite of his food the whole time she’d been on her call.
“Charlie,” she said, her voice barely audible in the clattering, busy restaurant. “I have to go. I’m sorry to run off like this, but I realized I really can’t be doing things like this. It’s not right.”
“Already? You’ve hardly touched your food.”
“If my boss hadn’t been in court today, he would have come in here and caught me with
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