Howard. He was in our class, not that anyone noticed.”
“Freddie? The guy who was constantly sketching?”
“Yeah, and he’d never show anyone what he was working on.” Lauren made it sound like a personal affront. “Either that or he was playing those stupid electronic games.”
Samantha looked at the man sitting with his back to them. “Looks like he’s still doing it.’ Her thoughts wandered into the past. “He wasn’t so bad, though. I remember one time before that girl Stella got expelled. She was harassing me and he stepped in and stopped her.”
“Freddie?”
Samantha frowned. “I can’t recall what he said, or even what happened afterward. But I do remember that he stood up for me. She never bothered me again.”
“Huh.” For a few seconds Lauren was speechless. Then she leaned on the table and lowered her voice. “You know what the guys called him, don’t you?”
Samantha shook her head. “What?”
“They called him Tripod.”
“Why would they call him...?” She caught the look in Lauren’s eye. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Would I kid about that?” Lauren wore her most lascivious expression.
In spite of herself, Samantha felt a sharp tug of arousal. What was that all about? Besides, Freddie Howard was definitely not her type. “How come I never heard about that?”
“Would you have wanted to?” Lauren was laughing at her now.
“No, probably not.” She glanced back in Freddie’s direction. “Was I really that much of a prude?”
“More.” Lauren started to gather her things. “I think I’ll talk to him on the way out.”
“No!” Samantha almost shouted it. “Don’t, Lauren. You’ll say something awful.”
Her friend looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Okay then, you do it. Promise me you’ll at least say hello, or I will.”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Anything to avoid a scene. Who knew what Lauren would say? “I promise.”
Samantha breathed a sigh of relief when Lauren left. She had no idea what she’d say to Freddie, or how she’d stop herself from checking out the rumour. Oh, Lord, what had she gotten herself into?
She glanced at the wall clock. Time to go to work. She took a deep breath and walked toward the door.
“Samantha?” He slid off the stool and held the door for her. She’d forgotten how tall he was–or maybe he’d grown since she last saw him. She had to look up at him. Dark brown eyes looked down at her through glasses that needed cleaning, but they were friendly and gentle. “I saw you sitting with your friend, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I...ah...you remember Lauren, don’t you?”
“Pretty hard to forget her.” He smiled. “Her height, you know?”
“Oh, good.”
“What does that mean?”
“I thought for a moment you were referring to her caustic tongue.”
He grinned again. “That too, but I didn’t want to sound negative, especially since she’s your friend. So how are you?” He fell in beside her.
“I’m doing fine. I’m a legal secretary with a big firm in the Bentall Centre.”
“Do you like it?”
“Not really, no, but the money’s good, and there are worse jobs.” She looked up at him. “How about you?”
“Oh, I dabble in IT. Nothing too exciting.”
They walked along in silence. She noticed how he’d moved to the outside of the street. It was a sweet, old-fashioned gesture and she liked it. “So, where do you work?” she asked. A Don’t Walk sign was flashing crossly at the intersection.
“I’m a few blocks over in that direction.” He nodded toward the east. “I usually bike.” He looked up as it started to rain again and she wondered how he could possibly see out of his glasses.
The light changed and Samantha stepped down. Freddie pulled up the collar of his light jacket and followed her. “It was nice seeing you,” he said, and a blush coloured his cheeks. At least she thought he was blushing; it was hard to tell. They hustled across the
“Freddie? The guy who was constantly sketching?”
“Yeah, and he’d never show anyone what he was working on.” Lauren made it sound like a personal affront. “Either that or he was playing those stupid electronic games.”
Samantha looked at the man sitting with his back to them. “Looks like he’s still doing it.’ Her thoughts wandered into the past. “He wasn’t so bad, though. I remember one time before that girl Stella got expelled. She was harassing me and he stepped in and stopped her.”
“Freddie?”
Samantha frowned. “I can’t recall what he said, or even what happened afterward. But I do remember that he stood up for me. She never bothered me again.”
“Huh.” For a few seconds Lauren was speechless. Then she leaned on the table and lowered her voice. “You know what the guys called him, don’t you?”
Samantha shook her head. “What?”
“They called him Tripod.”
“Why would they call him...?” She caught the look in Lauren’s eye. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Would I kid about that?” Lauren wore her most lascivious expression.
In spite of herself, Samantha felt a sharp tug of arousal. What was that all about? Besides, Freddie Howard was definitely not her type. “How come I never heard about that?”
“Would you have wanted to?” Lauren was laughing at her now.
“No, probably not.” She glanced back in Freddie’s direction. “Was I really that much of a prude?”
“More.” Lauren started to gather her things. “I think I’ll talk to him on the way out.”
“No!” Samantha almost shouted it. “Don’t, Lauren. You’ll say something awful.”
Her friend looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Okay then, you do it. Promise me you’ll at least say hello, or I will.”
“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Anything to avoid a scene. Who knew what Lauren would say? “I promise.”
Samantha breathed a sigh of relief when Lauren left. She had no idea what she’d say to Freddie, or how she’d stop herself from checking out the rumour. Oh, Lord, what had she gotten herself into?
She glanced at the wall clock. Time to go to work. She took a deep breath and walked toward the door.
“Samantha?” He slid off the stool and held the door for her. She’d forgotten how tall he was–or maybe he’d grown since she last saw him. She had to look up at him. Dark brown eyes looked down at her through glasses that needed cleaning, but they were friendly and gentle. “I saw you sitting with your friend, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“I...ah...you remember Lauren, don’t you?”
“Pretty hard to forget her.” He smiled. “Her height, you know?”
“Oh, good.”
“What does that mean?”
“I thought for a moment you were referring to her caustic tongue.”
He grinned again. “That too, but I didn’t want to sound negative, especially since she’s your friend. So how are you?” He fell in beside her.
“I’m doing fine. I’m a legal secretary with a big firm in the Bentall Centre.”
“Do you like it?”
“Not really, no, but the money’s good, and there are worse jobs.” She looked up at him. “How about you?”
“Oh, I dabble in IT. Nothing too exciting.”
They walked along in silence. She noticed how he’d moved to the outside of the street. It was a sweet, old-fashioned gesture and she liked it. “So, where do you work?” she asked. A Don’t Walk sign was flashing crossly at the intersection.
“I’m a few blocks over in that direction.” He nodded toward the east. “I usually bike.” He looked up as it started to rain again and she wondered how he could possibly see out of his glasses.
The light changed and Samantha stepped down. Freddie pulled up the collar of his light jacket and followed her. “It was nice seeing you,” he said, and a blush coloured his cheeks. At least she thought he was blushing; it was hard to tell. They hustled across the
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