forming a lazy smile. “Or did you?” she asked.
Brenda’s eyes
widened. “No, I didn’t know.”
Sarah looked at
her expectantly.
“Really,” Brenda
said again.
“Nothing?”
Brenda shifted
slightly in her seat. “Well, maybe I did hear a couple of things,” she admitted
sheepishly, and Sarah laughed.
“I thought so.
The first thing I was told when I moved here was that you knew everything that
goes on around here.”
“I don’t
knoweverything, ” Brenda said, feigning indignation. “And despite what you may
have heard about me, I don’t repeat everything Ido know. If someone tells me to
keep something to myself, I do.” She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered
her voice. “I know things about people that would make your head spin around
like you’re in dire need of an exorcism,” she said, “but if it’s said in
confidence, I keep it that way.”
“Are you saying
this so I’ll trust you?”
“Of course,”
she said. She glanced around, then leaned across the table. “Now dish up.”
Sarah grinned
and Brenda waved a hand as she went on. “I’m kidding, of course. And in the future—since we do work
together—keep in mind that I won’t get my feelings hurt if you tell me I’ve
gone too far. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking, but I
don’t do it to hurt people. I really don’t.” “Fair enough,” Sarah said,
satisfied.
Brenda picked
up her sandwich. “And since you’re new in town and we don’t know each other
that well, I won’t ask anything that might seem too personal.” “I appreciate
that.”
“Besides, it’s
not really my business anyway.”
“Right.”
Brenda paused
before taking a bite. “But if you have any questions about anyone, feel free to
ask.”
“Okay,” Sarah
said easily.
“I mean, I know
how it is to be new in town and feel like you’re on the outside looking in.”
“I’m sure you
do.”
For a moment,
neither of them said anything.
“So . . .” Brenda
drew out the syllable expectantly.
“So . . .” Sarah
said in response, knowing exactly what Brenda wanted.
Again there was a
period of silence.
“So . . . do you
have any questions about . . .anyone? ” Brenda prodded. “Mmm . . . ,” Sarah said, appearing to think
it over. Then, shaking her head, she answered: “Not really.”
“Oh,” Brenda
said, unable to hide her disappointment.
Sarah smiled at
Brenda’s attempt at subtlety.
“Well, maybe there
is one person I’d like to ask you about,” she offered. Brenda’s face lit up. “Now we’re talking,”
she said quickly. “What would you like to know?”
“Well, I’ve
been wondering about . . .” She paused, trailing off, and Brenda looked at her
like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift.
“Yes?” she
whispered, sounding almost desperate.
“Well . . .”
Sarah looked around. “What can you tell me about . . . Bob Bostrum?”
Brenda’s jaw
dropped. “Bob . . . the janitor?”
Sarah nodded.
“He’s sort of cute.”
“He’s seventy-four
years old,” Brenda said, thunderstruck.
“Is he married?”
Sarah asked.
“He’s been
married for fifty years. He’s got nine kids.” “Oh, that’s a shame,” Sarah said.
Brenda was staring wide-eyed at her, and Sarah shook her head. After a moment,
she looked up and met Brenda’s gaze with a twinkle in her eye. “Well, I guess
that leaves Miles Ryan, then. What can you tell me about him?”
It took a
moment for the words to sink in, and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully. “If I
didn’t know you better, I’d think you were teasing me.” Sarah winked. “You
don’t have to know me better: I admit it. Teasing people is one of my
weaknesses.”
“And you’re
good at it.” Brenda paused for a moment before smiling. “But now, while we’re
on the subject of Miles Ryan . . . I hear that you two have been seeing quite a
bit of each other. Not only after school, but on the weekend, too.”
“You know I’ve
been
Brenda’s eyes
widened. “No, I didn’t know.”
Sarah looked at
her expectantly.
“Really,” Brenda
said again.
“Nothing?”
Brenda shifted
slightly in her seat. “Well, maybe I did hear a couple of things,” she admitted
sheepishly, and Sarah laughed.
“I thought so.
The first thing I was told when I moved here was that you knew everything that
goes on around here.”
“I don’t
knoweverything, ” Brenda said, feigning indignation. “And despite what you may
have heard about me, I don’t repeat everything Ido know. If someone tells me to
keep something to myself, I do.” She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered
her voice. “I know things about people that would make your head spin around
like you’re in dire need of an exorcism,” she said, “but if it’s said in
confidence, I keep it that way.”
“Are you saying
this so I’ll trust you?”
“Of course,”
she said. She glanced around, then leaned across the table. “Now dish up.”
Sarah grinned
and Brenda waved a hand as she went on. “I’m kidding, of course. And in the future—since we do work
together—keep in mind that I won’t get my feelings hurt if you tell me I’ve
gone too far. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking, but I
don’t do it to hurt people. I really don’t.” “Fair enough,” Sarah said,
satisfied.
Brenda picked
up her sandwich. “And since you’re new in town and we don’t know each other
that well, I won’t ask anything that might seem too personal.” “I appreciate
that.”
“Besides, it’s
not really my business anyway.”
“Right.”
Brenda paused
before taking a bite. “But if you have any questions about anyone, feel free to
ask.”
“Okay,” Sarah
said easily.
“I mean, I know
how it is to be new in town and feel like you’re on the outside looking in.”
“I’m sure you
do.”
For a moment,
neither of them said anything.
“So . . .” Brenda
drew out the syllable expectantly.
“So . . .” Sarah
said in response, knowing exactly what Brenda wanted.
Again there was a
period of silence.
“So . . . do you
have any questions about . . .anyone? ” Brenda prodded. “Mmm . . . ,” Sarah said, appearing to think
it over. Then, shaking her head, she answered: “Not really.”
“Oh,” Brenda
said, unable to hide her disappointment.
Sarah smiled at
Brenda’s attempt at subtlety.
“Well, maybe there
is one person I’d like to ask you about,” she offered. Brenda’s face lit up. “Now we’re talking,”
she said quickly. “What would you like to know?”
“Well, I’ve
been wondering about . . .” She paused, trailing off, and Brenda looked at her
like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift.
“Yes?” she
whispered, sounding almost desperate.
“Well . . .”
Sarah looked around. “What can you tell me about . . . Bob Bostrum?”
Brenda’s jaw
dropped. “Bob . . . the janitor?”
Sarah nodded.
“He’s sort of cute.”
“He’s seventy-four
years old,” Brenda said, thunderstruck.
“Is he married?”
Sarah asked.
“He’s been
married for fifty years. He’s got nine kids.” “Oh, that’s a shame,” Sarah said.
Brenda was staring wide-eyed at her, and Sarah shook her head. After a moment,
she looked up and met Brenda’s gaze with a twinkle in her eye. “Well, I guess
that leaves Miles Ryan, then. What can you tell me about him?”
It took a
moment for the words to sink in, and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully. “If I
didn’t know you better, I’d think you were teasing me.” Sarah winked. “You
don’t have to know me better: I admit it. Teasing people is one of my
weaknesses.”
“And you’re
good at it.” Brenda paused for a moment before smiling. “But now, while we’re
on the subject of Miles Ryan . . . I hear that you two have been seeing quite a
bit of each other. Not only after school, but on the weekend, too.”
“You know I’ve
been
Similar Books
