AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“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 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
