Ann: We heard all about the ice cream, sweetheart!
Me: Uh. What did Nora say?
Ann: That you made her QUITE the sundae. Well done!
Ann: And she says you’ve been rolling those shirtsleeves too.
Ann: I knew you could do it.
Me: Ann, where and when are you meeting the catfish?
Ann: I’ll tell you about my date with GEORGE as soon as I have confirmation that you told Nora you’re madly in love with her.
Me: I told her I have feelings for her.
Ann:I said what I said.
Text conversation with Dottie
Dottie, where’s she meeting him?
At Bear’s Buns at four o’clock this coming Saturday. But I didn’t tell you. ;-) ;-)
And don’t be cross with me for saying so, but Ann is right. You should tell Nora how you feel. Relationships are flowers, dear. Every healthy one is rooted in honesty.
Then we’re in trouble, because this one began with a lie.
It’s Thursday.
My week has been full of Nora.
Watching that horrible YouTube show with the half-naked chef and trying to recreate his recipes. Playing video games. Watching old movies.
Having lots and lots of sex.
Nora, Nora, and more Nora, but somehow still not enough.
Pansy’s exes haven’t responded to us, even though I sent follow-up messages, so we’re going to escalate our sleuthing to some light stalking. I’ve been thinking of showing up at Bradley’s gym, featured prominently in all of his videos. There’s a chance it would end with me getting punched in the face, however, and that’s something I would prefer to avoid.
I’ve also thought about bringing in a private investigator. I have no doubt they would find plenty of damning information about Pansy, but José would ask uncomfortable questions if we presented the evidence to him. We could, of course, bribe Pansyinto going away quietly, but that approach has its own downsides—including a possible arrest.
We need to collect more information soon, though. Our double date with Pansy and José has been rescheduled for this coming Monday.
But that’s a problem for another day. Right now, I’m at the boxing gym with Liam and Mick after closing. Mick’s in a sullen mood, so he’s watching videos on his phone at the front desk.
Liam and I are working out, and I just filled him in on Ann’s catfish situation. He knows Ann pretty well because she helps out at Silver Star, so he’s heard all the background about “George” and has seen the doctored photos the guy has sent her.
“So she’s still talking about dating him?” he asks, groaning as he does another rep at a much higher weight limit than I am capable of.
“Yeah.” I swipe sweat off my forehead. “She’s actually made plans to meet him, though. This weekend. I thought we could be present to keep an eye on things.”
He grunts. “Damn straight. She’s gotten herself into some next-level situations with that dating app the kid got her hooked on.”
Not literally a kid. Otis works at Silver Star brewery too, and he befriended Ann and showed her the ins and outs of dating apps. He comes to the gym sometimes too, but he’s more likely to go during the day, when other people are here and the lights are so bright they could make an oasis into a desert.
“Well, she says the meetup is at 4 p.m. on Saturday. It’s happening at Dottie’s partner’s bakery.”
“So we’ll have this guy surrounded,” Liam says with a smirk. “All right, I’m in. I’m all about physically intimidating old geezers.”
