insane.”
“Drives you insane, huh?”
When Adam gave him a stare, Matt
took the hint. “No more Barbie.”
Adam just grunted again.
When he left an hour later, Matt went
inside to wash his hands before following through with his intentions of
heading over to Lori’s house to ask her out on that date.
The phone rang and he answered, “Hello?”
only to groan seconds later.
The ambulance officer working had
fallen foul of some gastro bug and been taken home. The only other paramedic
available to man the ambulance was Matt. There went his day off and he knew,
glancing at the clock, there went his chance to ask Lori out. There was no
time to go over and chat her up, and he certainly wasn’t going to rush it.
Looked like it was another job for
tomorrow.
Damn it. Right then it felt as
though the universe was conspiring to keep him away from Lori. However,
tomorrow was another day.
Hopping in the shower, he nodded.
Tomorrow, come hell or high water, he was asking her out. Nothing and no one
was going to stop him this time.
~*~
The next morning, her ankle
feeling almost back to normal, Lori hopped into her car and headed into town.
The café was quiet when she pulled into the parking space in front of it and
she was about to hop out when she saw a woman walking out the front door.
Tears sparkled in her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away when she saw Lori.
Getting out of the car, Lori
asked, “Are you all right?”
“Fine. Thank you, I’m just
fine.” Taking a deep breath, the woman looked at her, blinked and looked again
before taking a step closer.
Now Lori recognised her as the woman
who had watched her as she passed her house the day before, there was no
mistaking the short, curly hair and the shape of the face. Only now she could
see that the woman’s hair was tinged with grey at the temples and her face had
a few lines on it.
Before the woman could say
anything, Tommy appeared in the doorway, a scowl on his face which just grew
darker when he saw Lori. His gaze flicked between her and the woman.
The woman glanced back at him,
opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it again and swung
around to walk away rapidly.
Watching her, Lori wondered who
she was, she certainly wasn’t a local. Dimly she remembered her arriving a
while ago, she’d fuelled up several times at the service station. A quiet
woman, she didn’t say much and kept to herself, but there was something wrong.
“Lori,” Tommy said.
Switching her gaze to him, Lori
noticed he was still scowling, only his scowl this time was aimed right at
her. Closing the door of the car, she nodded at him.
He glanced around before pushing
the door open behind him. “Come inside. We have something to discuss.”
Entering the café, she saw that it
was empty. Turning, she was surprised to see Tommy lock the door and flip the
‘closed’ sign in the window. A little uneasy, she looked up at him. “Is
everything all right?”
“No,” he said, “it’s not. Now sit
down.”
Not liking his tone and not so
certain that she’d done the right thing, Lori straightened her shoulders. “I
beg your pardon?”
“Sit down.” He moved across to
one of the tables at the far end of the café, only to look around when he
realised she wasn’t following. Still scowling, he wiped his hands across the
front of his apron. “All right. Please, Lori, sit down.”
Crossing the room, she stopped
before the table to look up at him. “I want to know why you’re so mad at me.
I haven’t done anything to you.”
“It’s not you.” He hesitated,
“Well, not totally you.”
“It’s not me at all,” she
retorted.
He glared at her for several
seconds before sighing suddenly and rubbing his brow. “Lori, please sit down.
I need to discuss something with you.”
Relieved as some of the anger
ebbed out of his voice, she slid into the booth, watching as he lowered
“Drives you insane, huh?”
When Adam gave him a stare, Matt
took the hint. “No more Barbie.”
Adam just grunted again.
When he left an hour later, Matt went
inside to wash his hands before following through with his intentions of
heading over to Lori’s house to ask her out on that date.
The phone rang and he answered, “Hello?”
only to groan seconds later.
The ambulance officer working had
fallen foul of some gastro bug and been taken home. The only other paramedic
available to man the ambulance was Matt. There went his day off and he knew,
glancing at the clock, there went his chance to ask Lori out. There was no
time to go over and chat her up, and he certainly wasn’t going to rush it.
Looked like it was another job for
tomorrow.
Damn it. Right then it felt as
though the universe was conspiring to keep him away from Lori. However,
tomorrow was another day.
Hopping in the shower, he nodded.
Tomorrow, come hell or high water, he was asking her out. Nothing and no one
was going to stop him this time.
~*~
The next morning, her ankle
feeling almost back to normal, Lori hopped into her car and headed into town.
The café was quiet when she pulled into the parking space in front of it and
she was about to hop out when she saw a woman walking out the front door.
Tears sparkled in her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away when she saw Lori.
Getting out of the car, Lori
asked, “Are you all right?”
“Fine. Thank you, I’m just
fine.” Taking a deep breath, the woman looked at her, blinked and looked again
before taking a step closer.
Now Lori recognised her as the woman
who had watched her as she passed her house the day before, there was no
mistaking the short, curly hair and the shape of the face. Only now she could
see that the woman’s hair was tinged with grey at the temples and her face had
a few lines on it.
Before the woman could say
anything, Tommy appeared in the doorway, a scowl on his face which just grew
darker when he saw Lori. His gaze flicked between her and the woman.
The woman glanced back at him,
opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it again and swung
around to walk away rapidly.
Watching her, Lori wondered who
she was, she certainly wasn’t a local. Dimly she remembered her arriving a
while ago, she’d fuelled up several times at the service station. A quiet
woman, she didn’t say much and kept to herself, but there was something wrong.
“Lori,” Tommy said.
Switching her gaze to him, Lori
noticed he was still scowling, only his scowl this time was aimed right at
her. Closing the door of the car, she nodded at him.
He glanced around before pushing
the door open behind him. “Come inside. We have something to discuss.”
Entering the café, she saw that it
was empty. Turning, she was surprised to see Tommy lock the door and flip the
‘closed’ sign in the window. A little uneasy, she looked up at him. “Is
everything all right?”
“No,” he said, “it’s not. Now sit
down.”
Not liking his tone and not so
certain that she’d done the right thing, Lori straightened her shoulders. “I
beg your pardon?”
“Sit down.” He moved across to
one of the tables at the far end of the café, only to look around when he
realised she wasn’t following. Still scowling, he wiped his hands across the
front of his apron. “All right. Please, Lori, sit down.”
Crossing the room, she stopped
before the table to look up at him. “I want to know why you’re so mad at me.
I haven’t done anything to you.”
“It’s not you.” He hesitated,
“Well, not totally you.”
“It’s not me at all,” she
retorted.
He glared at her for several
seconds before sighing suddenly and rubbing his brow. “Lori, please sit down.
I need to discuss something with you.”
Relieved as some of the anger
ebbed out of his voice, she slid into the booth, watching as he lowered
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