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Authors: Holly Tierney-Bedord
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you.”
“Your boss is keeping track of you too?”
“He’s friends with my husband.”
“I understand,” Charlie said, in a tone that implied he absolutely did not. “But we’re just having lunch. Right? You won’t stay with me and finish eating?”
“I can’t. I have to go,” she repeated, yet she stood there, hesitating. Back to her mansion. Back to life with Randall.
“You seem like you want to sit back down?” Charlie asked.
“Oh my gosh, I almost forgot these,” she noticed, picking up the napkin that held her pile of M&M’s. She wrapped a paper placemat around it, carefully, so it was a tidy little pouch, and set in in her purse.
“You’re very intriguing,” Charlie joked.
“Right. Anyway, thanks for lunch. Now I’m really leaving. I’ll see you at work.”
“Well then…” He stood up, set his napkin on the table, and stepped around the table to where she was standing. He embraced her. “It was nice getting to know you better,” he said.
“You too,” she said into his shoulder, stiffly, not hugging him back, her eyes on the front door.
“Do this again with me. Come on. Relax,” he whispered into her ear.
She stepped back, aware that spies could be anywhere. Her heart was racing. She thought she might become ill, right there. “Thank you,” she said curtly. She nodded and was on her way.
“No need to thank me,” he called after her.
She went out to her car and went straight home, the entire drive thinking of ways to make Randall believe she wanted to be a survivalist.
Chapter 16
“Are you and R going to the Phelps’ party next weekend?” asked Danna-Dee.
Abby was sitting beside her on the Lorbmeers’ boat The Sea Lassie. Clark and Randall were upfront, talking about some private matter they felt women wouldn’t understand. Danna-Dee was drinking her signature Pinot Noir, her teeth and lips stained purple. Abby had no idea why she called Randall ‘R’ when nobody else did. When she said it, Abby felt like she was listening to a pirate talking.
“Yeah, we’re planning to go.”
“Us too. Have you been to their house yet?”
“Once last summer. It’s nice. Very modern and minimalistic.”
“Oh really? I’d picture Kathy Phelps having more cottagey taste,” Danna-Dee said, wrinkling her nose.
“No, it’s pretty cool. Almost cold.”
“Ohhh! Cold.” She nodded, glad that Abby could assist her in some smacktalk. “And what are you thinking you’re going to wear?”
“I’m not sure yet,” said Abby. Danna-Dee was almost fifty. Abby didn’t appreciate being her fashion advisor.
“Oh.” Danna-Dee frowned. “Not even an idea yet?”
“I don’t know. Maybe my navy jumpsuit.”
“A jumpsuit? My Lord! Are they back? I don’t know if I could do a jumpsuit. I wore jumpsuits the first time they were in style, and they say that you can only follow a trend once.”
“I might wear a dress. I don’t know.”
“What kind of dress?”
“I don’t know. It’s really up to Randall,” said Abby.
“Oh yes, he’s got his opinions, doesn’t he,” nodded Danna-Dee. She smiled and took another sip of her wine.
“What do you think you’re going to wear?” Abby asked, even though she didn’t care.
“I have no idea. I’m going to have to go shopping sometime this week. I guess everyone who’s anyone is going to be there. The Reeds, the Fenskes, the Moffetts. Everyone.”
“Wow,” Abby said, not even bothering to add emotion.
Randall and Clark came back and sat down beside them. Randall rested his big, meaty hand on Abby’s thigh and tickled her beneath her shorts hem. She brushed his hand away.
“How ya doin’ Sugartitties,” he whispered in her ear, loud enough so Clark and Danna-Dee could hear him.
“I’m okay,” she whispered without meeting his eyes.
Clark and Danna-Dee smiled.
“You ladies going to do some fishing with us old men?” asked Clark. Even though they were just six years apart, he liked to pretend
“Your boss is keeping track of you too?”
“He’s friends with my husband.”
“I understand,” Charlie said, in a tone that implied he absolutely did not. “But we’re just having lunch. Right? You won’t stay with me and finish eating?”
“I can’t. I have to go,” she repeated, yet she stood there, hesitating. Back to her mansion. Back to life with Randall.
“You seem like you want to sit back down?” Charlie asked.
“Oh my gosh, I almost forgot these,” she noticed, picking up the napkin that held her pile of M&M’s. She wrapped a paper placemat around it, carefully, so it was a tidy little pouch, and set in in her purse.
“You’re very intriguing,” Charlie joked.
“Right. Anyway, thanks for lunch. Now I’m really leaving. I’ll see you at work.”
“Well then…” He stood up, set his napkin on the table, and stepped around the table to where she was standing. He embraced her. “It was nice getting to know you better,” he said.
“You too,” she said into his shoulder, stiffly, not hugging him back, her eyes on the front door.
“Do this again with me. Come on. Relax,” he whispered into her ear.
She stepped back, aware that spies could be anywhere. Her heart was racing. She thought she might become ill, right there. “Thank you,” she said curtly. She nodded and was on her way.
“No need to thank me,” he called after her.
She went out to her car and went straight home, the entire drive thinking of ways to make Randall believe she wanted to be a survivalist.
Chapter 16
“Are you and R going to the Phelps’ party next weekend?” asked Danna-Dee.
Abby was sitting beside her on the Lorbmeers’ boat The Sea Lassie. Clark and Randall were upfront, talking about some private matter they felt women wouldn’t understand. Danna-Dee was drinking her signature Pinot Noir, her teeth and lips stained purple. Abby had no idea why she called Randall ‘R’ when nobody else did. When she said it, Abby felt like she was listening to a pirate talking.
“Yeah, we’re planning to go.”
“Us too. Have you been to their house yet?”
“Once last summer. It’s nice. Very modern and minimalistic.”
“Oh really? I’d picture Kathy Phelps having more cottagey taste,” Danna-Dee said, wrinkling her nose.
“No, it’s pretty cool. Almost cold.”
“Ohhh! Cold.” She nodded, glad that Abby could assist her in some smacktalk. “And what are you thinking you’re going to wear?”
“I’m not sure yet,” said Abby. Danna-Dee was almost fifty. Abby didn’t appreciate being her fashion advisor.
“Oh.” Danna-Dee frowned. “Not even an idea yet?”
“I don’t know. Maybe my navy jumpsuit.”
“A jumpsuit? My Lord! Are they back? I don’t know if I could do a jumpsuit. I wore jumpsuits the first time they were in style, and they say that you can only follow a trend once.”
“I might wear a dress. I don’t know.”
“What kind of dress?”
“I don’t know. It’s really up to Randall,” said Abby.
“Oh yes, he’s got his opinions, doesn’t he,” nodded Danna-Dee. She smiled and took another sip of her wine.
“What do you think you’re going to wear?” Abby asked, even though she didn’t care.
“I have no idea. I’m going to have to go shopping sometime this week. I guess everyone who’s anyone is going to be there. The Reeds, the Fenskes, the Moffetts. Everyone.”
“Wow,” Abby said, not even bothering to add emotion.
Randall and Clark came back and sat down beside them. Randall rested his big, meaty hand on Abby’s thigh and tickled her beneath her shorts hem. She brushed his hand away.
“How ya doin’ Sugartitties,” he whispered in her ear, loud enough so Clark and Danna-Dee could hear him.
“I’m okay,” she whispered without meeting his eyes.
Clark and Danna-Dee smiled.
“You ladies going to do some fishing with us old men?” asked Clark. Even though they were just six years apart, he liked to pretend
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