line.” He frowned.
“What was I saying?” I asked, confused.
“Annabelle,” he said. “I don’t know what that means.”
My throat constricted. “It was somebody I knew as a kid,” I lied. “I don’t know why I was saying her name.”
“You were out of it. You could have been yapping about flying monkeys and it would’ve made just as much sense,” he said.
I pushed my plate away. “Ready to go?” I asked, standing up.
“Yeah.” Ian paid the bill and then held the door open for me both when we went outside and when I got in the car. “Chivalry does live,” I said, shaking my head.
“I’m old-fashioned, so sue me,” he said. “My dad beat it into me. Not literally,” he said as he saw the look on my face.
He backed up, went a couple yards down the street, and parked in back of the apartment. As we got out I stretched and said, “Wow. What a long car ride.”
“Oh I know,” he said. “I need some mental stimulation. What do you say we go upstairs and play some checkers?”
I snorted. “Yeah, sure, why not. Gives me a chance to kick your butt again.”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” Ian said skeptically. “I’m beating you this time.”
“Sure you are.” Ian held open the door for me once again. But before I could go inside, something black flashed out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around to scan the area, but saw nothing.
I tried to tell myself that I was being paranoid. There was nowhere to hide here. She was fast but surely not that fast...
“Something wrong?” Ian said.
I scanned the perimeter once more before stepping inside. “Just my mind playing tricks on me, it’s nothing. Come on. I think a game of checkers is just what I need.”
Sure enough I got the job. It wasn’t easy, but I was usually so busy that I didn’t have time to think of Annabelle. Between making lunch, serving all the kids and cleaning up afterwards, I was dead on my feet by 3. Ian noticed how tired I was when he came down from his office to pick me up and immediately was concerned.
“Maybe you shouldn’t take on so many hours,” he said. “Full time with your health isn’t good.”
“My health is fine,” I snapped back. “And I need the money.” More than that, I needed something to do. I had nothing left to patch up in the apartment, and if I stayed inside constantly I would lose my mind.
“You know, there’s a woman who sews who needs someone to make a backing for her quilt, since she only wants to do the top,” Ian said offhandedly. “I know you sew, so I told her about your skills.”
“You like bragging about me, huh?” I smiled.
“Actually, I talk about you all the time,” he said. “The staff is starting to think I’ve got a little crush on you.”
“Yeah right, like that’s ever going to happen,” I said laughing. “We’re just roommates.”
“Friends,” Ian demanded, looking at me. “But anyway, she asked if you would do that for her. She’d pay you a hundred bucks.”
So I made a little bit of extra income that way, taking small sewing jobs for people Ian knew. The first few weeks of November passed by in a whirlwind, and by the time I had finally begun to settle into the sway of things Manchester had come up with yet another celebration.
“What is that?” I asked as we passed a Christmas tree shaped sign on the way home, the leaves not even off the trees yet.
“Christmas in the Village,” Ian said offhandedly. “It’s this weekend.”
“Who holds...what is it... Christmas in the Village in November?” I asked, confused.
“The same people who hold Oktoberfest in September,” Ian informed me. “I don’t ask questions anymore, I just go with it.”
“You don’t sound thrilled,” I noted.
“It’s alright. But it’s sort of the same thing every year. I almost get tired of it. Do you want to go?”
I didn’t really, but by the hopeful gleam in Ian’s eye I could tell he wanted me to say yes. One thing was for sure, I had to
“What was I saying?” I asked, confused.
“Annabelle,” he said. “I don’t know what that means.”
My throat constricted. “It was somebody I knew as a kid,” I lied. “I don’t know why I was saying her name.”
“You were out of it. You could have been yapping about flying monkeys and it would’ve made just as much sense,” he said.
I pushed my plate away. “Ready to go?” I asked, standing up.
“Yeah.” Ian paid the bill and then held the door open for me both when we went outside and when I got in the car. “Chivalry does live,” I said, shaking my head.
“I’m old-fashioned, so sue me,” he said. “My dad beat it into me. Not literally,” he said as he saw the look on my face.
He backed up, went a couple yards down the street, and parked in back of the apartment. As we got out I stretched and said, “Wow. What a long car ride.”
“Oh I know,” he said. “I need some mental stimulation. What do you say we go upstairs and play some checkers?”
I snorted. “Yeah, sure, why not. Gives me a chance to kick your butt again.”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” Ian said skeptically. “I’m beating you this time.”
“Sure you are.” Ian held open the door for me once again. But before I could go inside, something black flashed out of the corner of my eye. I whipped around to scan the area, but saw nothing.
I tried to tell myself that I was being paranoid. There was nowhere to hide here. She was fast but surely not that fast...
“Something wrong?” Ian said.
I scanned the perimeter once more before stepping inside. “Just my mind playing tricks on me, it’s nothing. Come on. I think a game of checkers is just what I need.”
Sure enough I got the job. It wasn’t easy, but I was usually so busy that I didn’t have time to think of Annabelle. Between making lunch, serving all the kids and cleaning up afterwards, I was dead on my feet by 3. Ian noticed how tired I was when he came down from his office to pick me up and immediately was concerned.
“Maybe you shouldn’t take on so many hours,” he said. “Full time with your health isn’t good.”
“My health is fine,” I snapped back. “And I need the money.” More than that, I needed something to do. I had nothing left to patch up in the apartment, and if I stayed inside constantly I would lose my mind.
“You know, there’s a woman who sews who needs someone to make a backing for her quilt, since she only wants to do the top,” Ian said offhandedly. “I know you sew, so I told her about your skills.”
“You like bragging about me, huh?” I smiled.
“Actually, I talk about you all the time,” he said. “The staff is starting to think I’ve got a little crush on you.”
“Yeah right, like that’s ever going to happen,” I said laughing. “We’re just roommates.”
“Friends,” Ian demanded, looking at me. “But anyway, she asked if you would do that for her. She’d pay you a hundred bucks.”
So I made a little bit of extra income that way, taking small sewing jobs for people Ian knew. The first few weeks of November passed by in a whirlwind, and by the time I had finally begun to settle into the sway of things Manchester had come up with yet another celebration.
“What is that?” I asked as we passed a Christmas tree shaped sign on the way home, the leaves not even off the trees yet.
“Christmas in the Village,” Ian said offhandedly. “It’s this weekend.”
“Who holds...what is it... Christmas in the Village in November?” I asked, confused.
“The same people who hold Oktoberfest in September,” Ian informed me. “I don’t ask questions anymore, I just go with it.”
“You don’t sound thrilled,” I noted.
“It’s alright. But it’s sort of the same thing every year. I almost get tired of it. Do you want to go?”
I didn’t really, but by the hopeful gleam in Ian’s eye I could tell he wanted me to say yes. One thing was for sure, I had to
Similar Books
