from.”
“No problem.” They reached the road where the motel was located. “ I’ll bet it’s her ex- husband ,” he thought. Glancing at her left hand ring finger he could see what looked like the imprint of a ring. “ Oh well. None of my business.” Then the phone gave a little jingle.
Unexpectedly she laughed. “It’s a voice mail. I am really sorry.”
“Really, it’s fine. Do you know a lot about cell phones?” He wanted to change the subject and he could use some information. The old flip phone he’d had years ago didn’t look anything like the phone Norma had or the one Grace had shoved into her pocket.
“A little, why? Are you going to get a new one?”
Kort realized he had opened a door that might have best been left closed. “Screw it,” he thought. “She knows I’ve been locked up.” But before he could answer she broke in.
“I’m sorry. That was really stupid. I forgot about your…” she hesitated,”…your situation.”
Something about the way she said it, the expression on her face when he glanced at her made him laugh. “It’s okay. I think I’ll start calling it that, my situation.” The motel was two blocks away. “I need to get a cell phone and damned if I know anything about the new ones.”
Grace pulled hers out again. “I guess it depends on what you want to use it for.”
“I thought I might make a phone call sometime.”
She stared at him and wondered if he was joking. “Well you know you can do a lot of other things with these too.”
He pulled into a parking space in front of the motel and turned to look at her. “I know Grace. But right now I don’t have an e-mail account, I only have one person’s phone number unless you count my P.O. and my boss, and I don’t plan any trips in the near future.”
If he hadn’t been smiling Grace would have thought he was being a smart ass. But he was smiling; a bright smile that said he was just playing.
“Well that narrows it down.” She handed him her phone. “This one is pretty good. It’s not very expensive and you can get all different types of rate plans.”
Kort examined the phone. “Now you have me confused.” Handing the phone back to her a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “Are you busy right now?”
Grace squinted at him. “That depends.”
“Would you go with me to get a phone? Just help me out and make sure I don’t buy some complicated gadget I won’t be able to use.”
Grace studied his face closely. “You want me to help you pick out a phone?”
“It’s not like I have a line of people offering. You’re here.” Then a wide grin split his face. “After all I helped you get a job.”
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Then she realized he was at least partly joking.
“I’ll even spring for dinner as an added incentive.”
“I-I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know that much about phones, I mean, I …”
Feeling foolish Kort stopped her mid sentence. “I’m sorry. That was out of line. You don’t know me. Hell what you do know isn’t good.”
“Hey, hey hang on. I would like to help you get a phone. I just don’t want to encourage you to get something crappy. And you don’t have to buy me dinner. But you can do me a favor in return.” Grace’s heart was pounding. She had been about to decline but his reaction made her feel bad. After all he had pretty much stuck his neck out for her when it came to getting the diner job.
Kort leaned back in his seat. “Look you really don’t have to do this. I guess I’ve forgotten how to behave with people. I do understand that you don’t know me. And I don’t blame you at all.”
It had begun to rain and fat drops hit the windshield, running down in long thick streaks. She could hear it hitting the roof setting up an ever increasing rhythm. “Is there a pizza place in Riddle?”
Shaking his head in confusion Kort asked, “What?”
“Pizza. Do you have pizza in this town? You do know what
“No problem.” They reached the road where the motel was located. “ I’ll bet it’s her ex- husband ,” he thought. Glancing at her left hand ring finger he could see what looked like the imprint of a ring. “ Oh well. None of my business.” Then the phone gave a little jingle.
Unexpectedly she laughed. “It’s a voice mail. I am really sorry.”
“Really, it’s fine. Do you know a lot about cell phones?” He wanted to change the subject and he could use some information. The old flip phone he’d had years ago didn’t look anything like the phone Norma had or the one Grace had shoved into her pocket.
“A little, why? Are you going to get a new one?”
Kort realized he had opened a door that might have best been left closed. “Screw it,” he thought. “She knows I’ve been locked up.” But before he could answer she broke in.
“I’m sorry. That was really stupid. I forgot about your…” she hesitated,”…your situation.”
Something about the way she said it, the expression on her face when he glanced at her made him laugh. “It’s okay. I think I’ll start calling it that, my situation.” The motel was two blocks away. “I need to get a cell phone and damned if I know anything about the new ones.”
Grace pulled hers out again. “I guess it depends on what you want to use it for.”
“I thought I might make a phone call sometime.”
She stared at him and wondered if he was joking. “Well you know you can do a lot of other things with these too.”
He pulled into a parking space in front of the motel and turned to look at her. “I know Grace. But right now I don’t have an e-mail account, I only have one person’s phone number unless you count my P.O. and my boss, and I don’t plan any trips in the near future.”
If he hadn’t been smiling Grace would have thought he was being a smart ass. But he was smiling; a bright smile that said he was just playing.
“Well that narrows it down.” She handed him her phone. “This one is pretty good. It’s not very expensive and you can get all different types of rate plans.”
Kort examined the phone. “Now you have me confused.” Handing the phone back to her a thoughtful expression crossed his face. “Are you busy right now?”
Grace squinted at him. “That depends.”
“Would you go with me to get a phone? Just help me out and make sure I don’t buy some complicated gadget I won’t be able to use.”
Grace studied his face closely. “You want me to help you pick out a phone?”
“It’s not like I have a line of people offering. You’re here.” Then a wide grin split his face. “After all I helped you get a job.”
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Then she realized he was at least partly joking.
“I’ll even spring for dinner as an added incentive.”
“I-I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know that much about phones, I mean, I …”
Feeling foolish Kort stopped her mid sentence. “I’m sorry. That was out of line. You don’t know me. Hell what you do know isn’t good.”
“Hey, hey hang on. I would like to help you get a phone. I just don’t want to encourage you to get something crappy. And you don’t have to buy me dinner. But you can do me a favor in return.” Grace’s heart was pounding. She had been about to decline but his reaction made her feel bad. After all he had pretty much stuck his neck out for her when it came to getting the diner job.
Kort leaned back in his seat. “Look you really don’t have to do this. I guess I’ve forgotten how to behave with people. I do understand that you don’t know me. And I don’t blame you at all.”
It had begun to rain and fat drops hit the windshield, running down in long thick streaks. She could hear it hitting the roof setting up an ever increasing rhythm. “Is there a pizza place in Riddle?”
Shaking his head in confusion Kort asked, “What?”
“Pizza. Do you have pizza in this town? You do know what
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