back when she made it outside where the chill of the night air
stung her face. Her breath panted out in plumes as she fumbled her keys into
her car door’s lock. She kept imagining that Blake would appear behind her,
would grab her, but it didn’t happen.
Once she was inside with the car warming up, she
took a minute to hide her face in her hands. “You’re losing your focus, Allie,”
she berated herself. She didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t know where
she was going. She just knew she needed to get away from that building. Putting
her car into gear, she left the grounds and headed for downtown. At least there
she could kill time in the comfortable solitude of a corner at Starbucks.
09
There was comfort in the familiar
sameness of the coffee shop that was a clone to the one she had spent so many hours
in during her more innocent years in community college. Allie almost didn’t
want to leave once she got there, no matter how tired she was. But Violet had
mentioned trying for the third round of the trivia game, so after finishing her
tea Allie shrugged back into her coat and started to steel herself for seeing
everyone she’d run out on. It was miserably cold for the walk back down the
block towards the parking garage. Burrowing her face into her scarf, Allie
walked with her eyes cast down at her booted feet and wondered if her life was
going in the right direction.
The noise of drunks spilling out from the Irish pub
made Allie vaguely aware of people in the way on the sidewalk. She curved away
from the raucous conversation, giving them plenty of room. She was completely
oblivious to the silent presence looming until she walked right into a living
wall. “Pardon,” she gasped breathless and looked up … and up.
“Allie?”
It was Marc. He had seen her coming, but hadn’t
done anything to prevent the collision. He just stood with planted feet. His
hand had gone out to steady over her shoulder.
She felt the heavy weight of his grip crushing
through the down of her parka. All that strength. It held her up as Allie swayed
on her feet. She nodded her head dumbly.
“What are you doing here?” Marc asked. “I thought
staff had that party tonight.”
“I was … the trivia night.” Allie stammered.
“I kind of lost my team.” She looked down at her shoes. Her shoulders jerked
into a shrug. “We were supposed to get something to eat,” she recalled with a
deepening frown. “Except everyone else kind of … so, it’s just me.” Allie
shook off her moping and fixed a smile she didn’t feel up at Marc. “Anyway.
What are you doing? I bet no one kicked you out and made you come out here.”
Her mouth slanted rueful.
The smallest curl of a smile peeked at the edge of
Marc’s lips. “You think I do anything I don’t want?”
Maybe it was that glimpse, that suggestion that he
might be joking with her. Allie snorted with her own unthinking humor. “You’re
telling me you want to give blood samples.”
Maybe Allie shouldn’t have said it. That hint of a
more easy-going disposition disappeared from Marc’s expression. Something was a
little narrower about the dark of his eyes as he studied her.
“I’m sorry,” Allie murmured into the fluff of her
scarf, hiding her wince inside its folds.
After a moment more, Marc turned his glance out to
the street. “I was going to get a taxi back.” He shifted his weight. “We could
share.”
“Oh, it’s okay, I drove,” Allie answered
reflexively. Only after did she look up to meet Marc’s gaze and realize the
rudeness of her hasty reply. Allie felt her developing trainer’s eye evaluating
him. He shouldn’t be out in the cold like this.
“I mean. Do you need … would you like a ride?”
Marc still seemed unsatisfied as he considered her.
“It’s fine.” He took another step towards the curb. “I can make my own way.”
Allie shifted forward an indecisive step before
turning full to face him. “Marc?” Her
stung her face. Her breath panted out in plumes as she fumbled her keys into
her car door’s lock. She kept imagining that Blake would appear behind her,
would grab her, but it didn’t happen.
Once she was inside with the car warming up, she
took a minute to hide her face in her hands. “You’re losing your focus, Allie,”
she berated herself. She didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t know where
she was going. She just knew she needed to get away from that building. Putting
her car into gear, she left the grounds and headed for downtown. At least there
she could kill time in the comfortable solitude of a corner at Starbucks.
09
There was comfort in the familiar
sameness of the coffee shop that was a clone to the one she had spent so many hours
in during her more innocent years in community college. Allie almost didn’t
want to leave once she got there, no matter how tired she was. But Violet had
mentioned trying for the third round of the trivia game, so after finishing her
tea Allie shrugged back into her coat and started to steel herself for seeing
everyone she’d run out on. It was miserably cold for the walk back down the
block towards the parking garage. Burrowing her face into her scarf, Allie
walked with her eyes cast down at her booted feet and wondered if her life was
going in the right direction.
The noise of drunks spilling out from the Irish pub
made Allie vaguely aware of people in the way on the sidewalk. She curved away
from the raucous conversation, giving them plenty of room. She was completely
oblivious to the silent presence looming until she walked right into a living
wall. “Pardon,” she gasped breathless and looked up … and up.
“Allie?”
It was Marc. He had seen her coming, but hadn’t
done anything to prevent the collision. He just stood with planted feet. His
hand had gone out to steady over her shoulder.
She felt the heavy weight of his grip crushing
through the down of her parka. All that strength. It held her up as Allie swayed
on her feet. She nodded her head dumbly.
“What are you doing here?” Marc asked. “I thought
staff had that party tonight.”
“I was … the trivia night.” Allie stammered.
“I kind of lost my team.” She looked down at her shoes. Her shoulders jerked
into a shrug. “We were supposed to get something to eat,” she recalled with a
deepening frown. “Except everyone else kind of … so, it’s just me.” Allie
shook off her moping and fixed a smile she didn’t feel up at Marc. “Anyway.
What are you doing? I bet no one kicked you out and made you come out here.”
Her mouth slanted rueful.
The smallest curl of a smile peeked at the edge of
Marc’s lips. “You think I do anything I don’t want?”
Maybe it was that glimpse, that suggestion that he
might be joking with her. Allie snorted with her own unthinking humor. “You’re
telling me you want to give blood samples.”
Maybe Allie shouldn’t have said it. That hint of a
more easy-going disposition disappeared from Marc’s expression. Something was a
little narrower about the dark of his eyes as he studied her.
“I’m sorry,” Allie murmured into the fluff of her
scarf, hiding her wince inside its folds.
After a moment more, Marc turned his glance out to
the street. “I was going to get a taxi back.” He shifted his weight. “We could
share.”
“Oh, it’s okay, I drove,” Allie answered
reflexively. Only after did she look up to meet Marc’s gaze and realize the
rudeness of her hasty reply. Allie felt her developing trainer’s eye evaluating
him. He shouldn’t be out in the cold like this.
“I mean. Do you need … would you like a ride?”
Marc still seemed unsatisfied as he considered her.
“It’s fine.” He took another step towards the curb. “I can make my own way.”
Allie shifted forward an indecisive step before
turning full to face him. “Marc?” Her
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