Read Online Something Fierce by David Drayer - Free Book Online Page B

phone with her all night, something that was against store policy, but she wasn’t about to risk missing the call even though she didn’t expect him to call at all and certainly not tonight. “I was in the men’s department and actually, at that very minute, was looking at a shirt that I thought would look really good on him and my phone started to vibrate with his call. Isn’t that weird?”
    Timmy nodded that it was.
    “I couldn’t believe it. He’s so funny, he always makes me laugh. He said that since I gave him an easy out, he was going to take the opportunity to really think about it, weigh it all out, what was best for me, for him, what was the best thing to do here, right?” Timmy motioned for her to talk quieter so as not to wake their mother downstairs. She nodded and continued in a lower voice, “But he couldn’t stop thinking about me, not for a minute! And last night was the best night he’d had since coming here five months ago, the best time he’d had in years . So he decided to wait at least twenty-four hours, but couldn’t! He just couldn’t do it. You’re not saying anything.”
    “You’re not giving me a chance.”
    “Right. Sorry. Well, anyway, he asked me if I had plans this Friday and of course, I told him that I didn’t and so he is taking me out to dinner.”
    “You work Friday nights,” Timmy said.
    “Yeah, I’ll call in sick. The hard part is going to be waiting two and a half days to see him again.”
    Timmy was staring at her, his face void of any expression.
    “What?” she asked.
    He shook his head. “I’ve never seen you this excited about a guy. About anything.”
    “I never have been. I feel like I’m high.” She giggled. “Why are you looking so serious?”
    “He has to be a lot older than you.”
    “So what! He looks young. And he’s sexy and passionate. He’s the most passionate person I’ve ever met and being around him makes me feel passionate too. He makes me want to be better, be happy. What therapist ever did that for me? What doctor? What medication?”
    “What if he just wants to mess around with a young girl for a while and you get hurt?”
    “He’s not like that. I know he’s not. He covered me up when he thought I was asleep. He made me breakfast. He took care of me when I was having an attack. He’s different. But even if I’m wrong about him, it’s worth the risk, Timmy. Isn’t it? My whole life has been a mess. One fuck up after another. I have to see where this goes. I have to. Please tell me you understand.”
    Timmy nodded that he did.
    She brushed the hair out of his eyes. “We have to keep it a secret until I know where it’s going.”
    Timmy nodded, sort of sadly. He’d been keeping her secrets his whole life.
    The first thing Kerri did Friday morning was call off of work. Feigning sickness was made easier with a voice groggy from lack of sleep. Thoughts of the dinner with Seth had kept her up most of the night. The second thing she did was lay out everything she was going to wear that evening, right down to the underwear. She’d changed her mind half a dozen times since Wednesday and packed and repacked an overnight bag—that would stay hidden in her trunk so as not to appear too eager—in case things went as wonderfully as they had on Monday.
    Then Seth called and cancelled.

7
    S eth was on his way back to Cherry Run for his Aunt Rita’s funeral when his youngest sister, Gail, called, sounding very un-Gail-like, frantic and near tears, “We can’t find Mom.”
    “What?” he said, turning the radio down.
    “She just took off,” Gail said, in a voice, hushed and anxious. “What do we do? I don’t know what to do?”
    “I can barely hear you.”
    “I’m in the car. Steffi’s asleep in the back seat and I don’t want to wake her.” Gail blew her nose. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I wasn’t thinking. I just call you and start babbling—”
    “It’s okay. Just take a breath. Calm down,” he said like he