all
mushy…” Janie sat up straighter.
“Mushy?”
“Yes, mushy?”
“Why did you go all mushy?” She looked
confused.
“Why does a woman go mushy over a man?”
“… Ah…”
“I mean, he comes along and rescues me like a
knight in shining armor – You said that yourself.”
“Don’t start quoting me, Diane.” She set down
her beer. “Do you like him?”
She asked so softly that Diane had to lean
over.
“What?” Janie cleared her throat.
“Do you have feelings for Craig?” She
practically whispered.
“… You’re okay with that, aren’t you? I mean
you two are just friends, right? Isn’t he fair game?”
“Fair game?”
“Well… he doesn’t have a girlfriend and maybe
he’d like one.”
“Are you volunteering for the job?”
“Sure, why not? Don’t you think we’d be a
good match? You didn’t like John and Ethan didn’t work out, so why
not Craig?”
Janie’s mouth dropped open and she was
stupefied. What could she possibly say to that?
Diane
smiled. She
thought the kick in the pants was definitely in action.
Janie looked wiped out .
“Janie, are you all right? You don’t look so
good.”
Janie couldn’t catch her breath – The full
meaning of Diane’s words knocked the wind out of her. Diane was
almost sorry to see Janie change from confused to distraught in the
span of a few minutes, but knew it was for her own good. And
Craig’s… the poor guy needed a hand here.
Janie tossed some money on the table and got
up to leave.
“I’ve got to go, Diane.” She started for the
door.
“Janie, wait. Are you all right? Can you
drive?”
“Yes… sure.” She walked to the door and
leaned against the doorframe to catch her breath.
“Do you mind if I call Craig tomorrow and ask
him out?” Diane knew she was pushing it.
“… Um… You mean like a date?”
“Yes.” Diane smiled.
“Diane, I have to go. I’m going to throw up.”
That said, Janie stepped outside and threw up on the sidewalk. She
bent over, feeling faint.
Again, Diane would have been sorry, except
she knew Janie was in love with Craig and just couldn’t see it.
Forest for the trees type of deal…
“Here… Sit down.” Diane parked her on an
outside bench. “I need to tell Jake about this mess.” She hurried
inside and came back in a few minutes.
Janie still looked awful.
“Wow, are you catching the flu?” Janie walked
stiffly to her car and got in.
“Night, Janie,” she heard Diane call. Diane
smiled broadly and went back into the bar. “She can thank me
later…”
CHAPTER TWELVE
She wasn’t too sure how she made it home, but
somehow that’s where she found herself. Janie made it up the stairs
and into the apartment. She collapsed into one of the living room
chairs and took stock. Yeah, she’d caught her breath, her heart had
started up again, but her ears couldn’t believe what they heard.
Her brain certainly couldn’t process it.
Diane and Craig… What alternate universe had
she stumbled into? Janie had always thought she had a pretty good
handle on life, but the past month or so had been mind-blowing. And
this latest bombshell from Diane pushed her right over the
edge.
Janie leaned forward and put her head on her
hands. How had things gotten so screwed up? One minute she was a
happy deputy and the next minute she was losing her best male
friend to her best female friend. She felt like throwing up again
and rushed into the bathroom. She didn’t this time, but decided to
lie down on the cool tile anyway. She felt overheated, all of
sudden, and that helped. Brushing her teeth helped a little
too.
She
finally limped to her bedroom and stretched out on the bed. Janie
didn’t even bother to take off her clothes – She just pulled back
the covers and crawled in. Wrapping herself in a cocoon, she took
stock again. Why was she so upset? Diane and Craig would be a good match. Why not? Because…
was the only thing she could come up with, at this
mushy…” Janie sat up straighter.
“Mushy?”
“Yes, mushy?”
“Why did you go all mushy?” She looked
confused.
“Why does a woman go mushy over a man?”
“… Ah…”
“I mean, he comes along and rescues me like a
knight in shining armor – You said that yourself.”
“Don’t start quoting me, Diane.” She set down
her beer. “Do you like him?”
She asked so softly that Diane had to lean
over.
“What?” Janie cleared her throat.
“Do you have feelings for Craig?” She
practically whispered.
“… You’re okay with that, aren’t you? I mean
you two are just friends, right? Isn’t he fair game?”
“Fair game?”
“Well… he doesn’t have a girlfriend and maybe
he’d like one.”
“Are you volunteering for the job?”
“Sure, why not? Don’t you think we’d be a
good match? You didn’t like John and Ethan didn’t work out, so why
not Craig?”
Janie’s mouth dropped open and she was
stupefied. What could she possibly say to that?
Diane
smiled. She
thought the kick in the pants was definitely in action.
Janie looked wiped out .
“Janie, are you all right? You don’t look so
good.”
Janie couldn’t catch her breath – The full
meaning of Diane’s words knocked the wind out of her. Diane was
almost sorry to see Janie change from confused to distraught in the
span of a few minutes, but knew it was for her own good. And
Craig’s… the poor guy needed a hand here.
Janie tossed some money on the table and got
up to leave.
“I’ve got to go, Diane.” She started for the
door.
“Janie, wait. Are you all right? Can you
drive?”
“Yes… sure.” She walked to the door and
leaned against the doorframe to catch her breath.
“Do you mind if I call Craig tomorrow and ask
him out?” Diane knew she was pushing it.
“… Um… You mean like a date?”
“Yes.” Diane smiled.
“Diane, I have to go. I’m going to throw up.”
That said, Janie stepped outside and threw up on the sidewalk. She
bent over, feeling faint.
Again, Diane would have been sorry, except
she knew Janie was in love with Craig and just couldn’t see it.
Forest for the trees type of deal…
“Here… Sit down.” Diane parked her on an
outside bench. “I need to tell Jake about this mess.” She hurried
inside and came back in a few minutes.
Janie still looked awful.
“Wow, are you catching the flu?” Janie walked
stiffly to her car and got in.
“Night, Janie,” she heard Diane call. Diane
smiled broadly and went back into the bar. “She can thank me
later…”
CHAPTER TWELVE
She wasn’t too sure how she made it home, but
somehow that’s where she found herself. Janie made it up the stairs
and into the apartment. She collapsed into one of the living room
chairs and took stock. Yeah, she’d caught her breath, her heart had
started up again, but her ears couldn’t believe what they heard.
Her brain certainly couldn’t process it.
Diane and Craig… What alternate universe had
she stumbled into? Janie had always thought she had a pretty good
handle on life, but the past month or so had been mind-blowing. And
this latest bombshell from Diane pushed her right over the
edge.
Janie leaned forward and put her head on her
hands. How had things gotten so screwed up? One minute she was a
happy deputy and the next minute she was losing her best male
friend to her best female friend. She felt like throwing up again
and rushed into the bathroom. She didn’t this time, but decided to
lie down on the cool tile anyway. She felt overheated, all of
sudden, and that helped. Brushing her teeth helped a little
too.
She
finally limped to her bedroom and stretched out on the bed. Janie
didn’t even bother to take off her clothes – She just pulled back
the covers and crawled in. Wrapping herself in a cocoon, she took
stock again. Why was she so upset? Diane and Craig would be a good match. Why not? Because…
was the only thing she could come up with, at this
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