AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Together we laughed, and it felt so easy, so natural, to share lunch and laughter with Annie.
How long has it been since I’ve had a friend? That I’ve spent long enough in one place to form a genuine friendship?
“Stick around long enough and you’ll see.” Annie winked in my direction.
A strange emotion was thick in my throat.Would I be here long enough to see?
“There’s a book at the library if you really want to study up,” she offered with a slight shrug as she went back to her lunch.
“A book?”
“Yep. Bug’s worked there since the 1970s, and she keeps it up.”
I considered it for a moment. “So what about you? How’d you get lucky and not have an unfortunate nickname?”
She pinned me with knowing eyes and leaned forward again. “My real name isn’t Annie.”
My grin widened. “Seriously?”
She raised one hand. “Honest truth. My name is Annette, but everyone took to calling me”—her nose scrunched—“Orphan Annie.”
I made a face as we conspired and leaned in together over our sandwiches.
She gestured to her tumbling red curls. “They’re not always the most creative nicknames. Once when we were kids, Lee started calling me Annette as an act of defiance, but onlyAnniestuck.”
“So no one calls you Annette? But you’re a successful, professional grown woman...” I couldn’t believe it.
She shrugged, but her eyes stayed glued to her plate. “Mostly just Lee.”
Her blue eyes then flicked to mine but then quickly darted away. There wasdefinitelysomething there, but I didn’t know how to ask without seeming nosy.
“I’m used to it now. But Kate? The boys’ little sister? People call her Catfish Kate. Nowthatis unfortunate. It’s no wonder she packed up and moved to Montana.”
“Wow.” I had no words.
We continued to chat about life in a coastal Michigan town, different acting jobs that led me here, and my mom’s new life as a naked hippie. Becoming friends with Annie was simple. Easy and refreshing.
Annie popped a french fry into her mouth. “How’re things with the new neighbor?”
I could feel color popping up on my cheeks. I rolled my eyes to try to downplay my attraction to Wyatt, but the way Annie smiled, I doubted I was fooling her. “He’s fine. Moody.”
She scoffed. “Yeah, that’s Wyatt.”
I leaned closer. “Seriously. Half the time I think he hates me; the other half of the time I think he wants to tear my clothes off, and the rest of the time I don’t know what to think.”
“That math doesn’t add up,” she quipped.
“Exactly! This morning I waved to him, and he made a face andignored me.”
I shook my head, and when I looked at the clock, I was sad to see it was almost time for my shift at the Sugar Bowl. I let out an aggravated groan. “I need to get going. Huck will be pissed if I’m lateanda disaster.”
Annie nodded. “You gonna eat that?” She pointed at my last few fries. I smiled and pushed the plate toward her.
Maybe sticking around Outtatowner wouldn’t be so bad after all.
* * *
“Please go down.Please.Pleasego down...” I watched in horror as the water level in one of the steel kitchen sinks rose higher. Dangerously higher.
