you’ve opened up and told me what’s bothering you.”
“Oh, all right,” Lorna mumbled. “Let’s hurry though. I don’t want to get docked any pay for starting late.”
Lorna was glad to discover an empty ladies’ room when she and Chris arrived a few moments later. Chris dropped onto the small leather couch and motioned Lorna to do the same. “Okay, spill it!”
Lorna curled up in one corner of the couch and let the whole story out, beginning with her entering the choir room that morning and ending with Vanessa’s juvenile tantrum and Evan’s response to it all.
Chris folded her hands across her stomach and laughed. It wasn’t some weak, polite little giggle, like Lorna offered her customers. It was a genuine, full-blown belly laugh.
Lorna didn’t see what was so funny. In fact, retelling the story had only upset her further. “This is no laughing matter, Chris. It’s serious business.”
Her friend blinked a couple of times and then burst into another round of laughter.
Lorna started to get up. “Okay, fine! I shouldn’t have said anything to you—that’s obvious.”
Chris reached over and grabbed hold of Lorna’s arm. “No, stay, please.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I hope you know I wasn’t laughing at you.”
“Who?”
“The whole scenario.” Chris clicked her tongue. “I just don’t get you, Lorna.”
“What do you mean?”
“Evan Bailey is one cute guy, right?”
Lorna nodded and flopped back onto the couch.
“From what you’ve told me, I’d say the man has high moral standards and is lots of fun to be with.”
“Yes.”
Chris leaned toward Lorna. “If you don’t wake up and hear the music, you might lose the terrific guy to this Vanessa person. If I’d been you today, I don’t think I could have been so nice about things.” She grimaced. “Offering to give up the part—now that’s Christianity in action!”
Lorna crossed her legs and swung her foot back and forth, thinking the whole while how tempted she had been to give that feisty redhead a swift kick this afternoon. She’d said what she felt was right at the time, but it hadn’t been easy.
“From all you’ve told me, I’d say it’s pretty obvious the woman has her sights set on Evan Bailey.” Chris shook her finger at Lorna. “You need to put this whole age thing out of your mind and give the guy a chance.”
Lorna cringed. “That’s not really the problem. I think Evan is as poor as a church mouse.”
“What gives you that idea?”
Lorna quickly related the story of her and Evan’s bicycle ride and how when they’d had pizza, he didn’t have enough money to leave a decent tip.
Chris groaned. “Don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions? Maybe the guy just didn’t have much cash on him that day.” She squinted her eyes. “And even if he is dirt poor, does it really matter so much?”
“It does to me. I don’t want to get involved with another man who will expect me to give up my career and put him through college.”
Evan was excited about his date with Lorna tonight. He’d been looking forward to it all week and had even tried his hand at making another online sweet treat, which he planned to give Lorna after dinner this evening. It was called Lemon Supreme and consisted of cream cheese mixed with lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Graham cracker crumbs were used for the crust, and confectioner’s sugar was sprinkled over the top. He hadn’t had time to sample it, but Evan was sure Lorna would like it.
At six o’clock sharp, Evan stood in front of Ivar’s Restaurant along the Seattle waterfront. He was pleased when he saw Lorna cross the street and head in his direction. He’d been worried she might stand him up.
“Am I late?” she panted. “I had a hard time finding a place to park.”
“You’re right on time,” he assured her. “I got here a few minutes ago and put my name on the waiting list at the restaurant.”
“How long
“Oh, all right,” Lorna mumbled. “Let’s hurry though. I don’t want to get docked any pay for starting late.”
Lorna was glad to discover an empty ladies’ room when she and Chris arrived a few moments later. Chris dropped onto the small leather couch and motioned Lorna to do the same. “Okay, spill it!”
Lorna curled up in one corner of the couch and let the whole story out, beginning with her entering the choir room that morning and ending with Vanessa’s juvenile tantrum and Evan’s response to it all.
Chris folded her hands across her stomach and laughed. It wasn’t some weak, polite little giggle, like Lorna offered her customers. It was a genuine, full-blown belly laugh.
Lorna didn’t see what was so funny. In fact, retelling the story had only upset her further. “This is no laughing matter, Chris. It’s serious business.”
Her friend blinked a couple of times and then burst into another round of laughter.
Lorna started to get up. “Okay, fine! I shouldn’t have said anything to you—that’s obvious.”
Chris reached over and grabbed hold of Lorna’s arm. “No, stay, please.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I hope you know I wasn’t laughing at you.”
“Who?”
“The whole scenario.” Chris clicked her tongue. “I just don’t get you, Lorna.”
“What do you mean?”
“Evan Bailey is one cute guy, right?”
Lorna nodded and flopped back onto the couch.
“From what you’ve told me, I’d say the man has high moral standards and is lots of fun to be with.”
“Yes.”
Chris leaned toward Lorna. “If you don’t wake up and hear the music, you might lose the terrific guy to this Vanessa person. If I’d been you today, I don’t think I could have been so nice about things.” She grimaced. “Offering to give up the part—now that’s Christianity in action!”
Lorna crossed her legs and swung her foot back and forth, thinking the whole while how tempted she had been to give that feisty redhead a swift kick this afternoon. She’d said what she felt was right at the time, but it hadn’t been easy.
“From all you’ve told me, I’d say it’s pretty obvious the woman has her sights set on Evan Bailey.” Chris shook her finger at Lorna. “You need to put this whole age thing out of your mind and give the guy a chance.”
Lorna cringed. “That’s not really the problem. I think Evan is as poor as a church mouse.”
“What gives you that idea?”
Lorna quickly related the story of her and Evan’s bicycle ride and how when they’d had pizza, he didn’t have enough money to leave a decent tip.
Chris groaned. “Don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions? Maybe the guy just didn’t have much cash on him that day.” She squinted her eyes. “And even if he is dirt poor, does it really matter so much?”
“It does to me. I don’t want to get involved with another man who will expect me to give up my career and put him through college.”
Evan was excited about his date with Lorna tonight. He’d been looking forward to it all week and had even tried his hand at making another online sweet treat, which he planned to give Lorna after dinner this evening. It was called Lemon Supreme and consisted of cream cheese mixed with lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Graham cracker crumbs were used for the crust, and confectioner’s sugar was sprinkled over the top. He hadn’t had time to sample it, but Evan was sure Lorna would like it.
At six o’clock sharp, Evan stood in front of Ivar’s Restaurant along the Seattle waterfront. He was pleased when he saw Lorna cross the street and head in his direction. He’d been worried she might stand him up.
“Am I late?” she panted. “I had a hard time finding a place to park.”
“You’re right on time,” he assured her. “I got here a few minutes ago and put my name on the waiting list at the restaurant.”
“How long
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