Masquerading

Part 7

Chapter 7

Abby pushed end on her cordless phone.  She had never been the one to initiate a date, but she had to admit, it felt good.  Just hours earlier, she was contemplating the last time she had seen Lance.  Was it just her that thought that the time they spent together was perfect?  Or did he feel the same way?  And if he did feel the same, why had he not called her?  She had asked all these questions to Cece only yesterday, but the thoughts would not leave her until the man had finally called.

Now, she had only ten minutes to meet him at the coffee shop.  Looking down at her pajamas, she groaned and darted towards her bedroom.  Grabbing the first pair of jeans she could find, she pulled her sleep clothes off and her pants on.  She grabbed a shirt and did the same before running out of the room with a pair of slip on shoes in her hand.  Not having time for makeup, she forgoes the thought. 

Would Lance regret his decision when he saw what she looked like when she was in a hurry?  Her hair was most likely knotted in the back from sleeping; her shirt and pants may or may not have stains on them.  The worst part was that she didn’t know because she did not even glance in a mirror as she left her home.

As she exited her home, she dropped the shoes on her porch and slipped them on as she locked the door.  Walk or drive? The sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear, perfect day for a walk.  She passed her neighbors, where the majority of them were outside either working in their yard or just enjoying the sun.  Waves were exchanged, but no words.  There were no words needed between the lots of them.  They all knew that if they needed one another, there would be no hesitation.  She lived in a great neighborhood, one that she didn’t think she could ever leave.

Rounding the corner, the houses dispersed and a few shops came into view.  Immediately, she spotted the one she was looking for.  The coffee shop had been her favorite since it was built.  Living here her entire life, she was skeptical with the thing first opened, but once she tried it, she wanted to live off the pastries and coffee the shop sold.  A smile crossed her face.  She was skeptical then, but if anyone told her she would be going on a date with the owner, she would have laughed.  That just shows that life will change whether you want it to or not.

Reaching out, she went to push the door open, but someone beat her to it.  She looked up with a smile, expecting it to be Lance, but to her surprise, it was someone else.  The man had a large grin on his face that she had once found handsome.  Now, looking at it, she could see the fakeness of it.

“Hi, Paul,” she mumbled while rolling her eyes.  If the man wasn’t blocking the doorway, she would have ignored him.

He leaned closer to her.  “Hello, Abby.”

“Is there a reason you are wasting their air conditioning?”

His grin widened.  “I always liked your spunk.”

“Yes, well my spunk and I have somewhere to be.  If you would just kindly move, I would appreciate it.”

“Not going to happen,” he told her while grabbing her arm.  “I just want to have a quick talk with you.”

“That makes one of us.  It’s a no, Paul.  Sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be.”

His grip tightened on her causing her to wince.  “It was a mistake,” he whispered, “and I am sorry.”

“I understand that,” she told him while trying to pull away from his grasp, “but I’ve moved on.”

He froze, and she wanted to take the words back.  She didn’t want to make a scene; she just wanted to go into the coffee shop.

“With who?” he asked with anger clear in his voice.

Opening her mouth, she went to answer him, but someone beat her to it.  “Me.”

Looking over Paul’s shoulder, she smiled at Lance.  “Took you long enough.  I think I should get a free coffee for the wait.”

He smiled at her before narrowing his eyes at the man who held her arm.  “I advise you to leave my shop, and not come back.”

Paul let her arm go and turned towards Lance.  Before he turned though, Abby saw the change in his expression.  Gone was the angry man and in his place was the cool man with a fake smile.  “We were just having a small talk.  You see, she left me a little early last night.  We didn’t really have the time to talk.”

Lance’s face stayed the same, but Abby saw the slight tic of his jaw.  He was mad.  “If you would just leave, you would save us a lot of time.”

Paul just laughed.  “Aren’t you a little mad that she was with me last night?  Or do you not care that your girlfriend is a whore?”

Abby winced at the name, but didn’t say a word.  She expected Lance to look at her in disgust or tell the man to leave again, but to her surprise, a loud snap echoed the room as he punched Paul in the face.  Letting out a gasp, she stepped back as the man fell to the ground, still in the doorway.  Her eyes made contact with Lance’s. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, “and I promise this is the first fight I have gotten into since my accident.”

She shook her head at him while bending down and grabbing Paul’s arms.  A couple of tugs, and the man was on the street.  Looking up at the door, she watched as it swung shut.  Lance stood there with a black expression on his face, but Abby knew what he was thinking.  He thought that his little act of violence had scared her off, but he was wrong.  She stepped over the unconscious body and pulled the door open.

Smiling at him, she took a step forward.  “Now, about that coffee.”

*** New cover by Danaxlouise***