Terri continued to look down at the table. Louise tried again in a more demanding tone. "Terri!"
"What?" Terri seemed dazed.
"Are you okay?" Jo asked gently.
"I ... yeah ... sorry!"
"Terr, what's going on?" Louise demanded.
"I'm ... sorry ... I was just thinking about something at the office."
"Are you sure?" Louise persisted. "It's not like you to fade out like that."
"You didn't hit your head, did you?" asked Jo.
"No, I ... I'm sorry, guys. I just..." Terri looked at Louise and Jo alternately. She felt a surge of momentum pushing her toward an inevitable admission.
"Okay, I have to tell you something," she continued, "but I don't want you to be upset."
"What is it?" Louise coaxed her.
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier."
"It's okay, Terr," Louise assured her. "Just say it."
"We're here for you," added Jo.
"Douglas called me."
"Oh, shit!" Jo gasped.
"When?" Louise demanded.
"Sunday," Terri replied. "I was in my car."
"So, how is the senator?" Jo asked impishly.
"Congressional aide," Louise corrected her.
"EX-congressional aide," Terri said crossly. "And I don't know how he's doing or what he wanted. I hung up on him."
"I thought he wasn't supposed to contact you," Louise recalled.
"He's not."
"Didn't you recognize his number?" Jo asked.
"I think he must have a new phone," Terri said.
"Well, that kind of make sense," Jo observed as she thought about it.
"Yeah," Louise agreed. "I guess maybe they won't let you keep your old phone while you're serving twenty-two months in federal prison."
"Yeah, probably," Terri said.
They sat silently for a moment weighing the gravity of the situation. Then, Louise pressed Terri for details. "Tell me exactly what he said. Don't leave anything out."
"Okay, well, I didn't recognize the number, so I thought it might be a client."
"Understandable," said Jo.
"He started out by calling me 'Peaches'!"
"Oh God, that's so creepy!" Jo exclaimed.
"I was so frightened; I probably wasn't thinking straight."
Louise understood that Terri was upset, but she sensed that talking about it might help. "What else did he say?"
"He asked me if I was okay," Terri continued. "I told him that he didn't have to worry about me. And then, he said something really strange."
"What?" Louise demanded.
"Somehow, he knew that I hadn't been home."
"Oh my God!" Jo shrieked.
Louise came out and said it. "He is stalking you, Terri!"
"Oh, Holy Christ!" Jo exclaimed.
"What am I going to do?" Terri was desperate for reassurance.
"Is that when you hung up on him?" Jo asked.
"Yes! Absolutely!"
"That's good, Terr," Louise said. "You did the right thing."
"I didn't feel safe going back home," Terri continued. "So, I went back to my parents' place. I stayed there until this morning when I needed clothes."
"This is bad, Terr!" Louise said passionately.
"I know," Terri said as she looked at her watch. "Hey, guys, I'm sorry, but I don't think I should stay out too late."
"Do you want to stay with us?" Louise offered.
"I think I should be okay," Terri said. "I think I'll go back to my parents' place tonight."
"Are you sure? We have room?"
"I'll be okay. I'll call you if I run into any trouble."
Terri stood and gathered her things. "Thanks, guys!"
"Call me tomorrow!" Louise commanded.
"I shall!" Terri agreed. She pulled her keys out of her bag and walked quickly out of the restaurant.
"I'm worried about her," Jo confessed.
"I have never seen her like this," Louise observed.
"That lying asshole is bad news."
"Totally!"
"And there's something that you should know," Jo said.
"What?" Louise asked.
"She's not telling you everything."
"You think?"
"It's in her body language," Jo said. "She was holding something back, something that she wanted to tell you."
"Really?"
"Look," Jo said, "I can understand if she doesn't want to say these things around me. I get it. But you're her best friend. You guys need to talk."
"Okay," Louise agreed. "I'll call her when I get home."
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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