"Yep, all set!" Louise was wearing a beige sweater over a rose blouse and a conservative gray skirt with a fine checkered pattern. The skirt directed attention toward her toned lower legs. "Thanks for picking me up!"
Terri glanced for a second toward Louise's legs and chuckled when she saw the pink and blue running shoes. "That's my girl!" she exclaimed, "all about comfort!"
"Nothing wrong with comfort!"
Terri glanced for a second toward Louise's legs and chuckled when she saw the pink and blue running shoes. "That's my girl!" she exclaimed, "all about comfort!"
"Nothing wrong with comfort!"
"Agreed," Terri said. "And besides, I sort of had to pick you up, since I dropped you off this morning."
Terri wore a fitted black suit with a bright red dress shirt, expensive pumps and an intricate gold necklace. She wanted to be taken seriously at the office; powerful outfits helped to offset the impact of her rakish looks.
Terri wore a fitted black suit with a bright red dress shirt, expensive pumps and an intricate gold necklace. She wanted to be taken seriously at the office; powerful outfits helped to offset the impact of her rakish looks.
"I could have gotten a ride," Louise mused.
"From whom?"
Louise thought for a second. "Good point! I just hope that this isn't too much trouble for you."
"No trouble at all!"
"Well, I want you to know that I really appreciate it - the ride, taking care of me last night. You didn't have to do that."
"It was my pleasure, Lou!" Terri gushed in a moment of atypical warmth. "I'm so glad that you called."
"I hope Francisco wasn't upset."
"Well, I want you to know that I really appreciate it - the ride, taking care of me last night. You didn't have to do that."
"It was my pleasure, Lou!" Terri gushed in a moment of atypical warmth. "I'm so glad that you called."
"I hope Francisco wasn't upset."
"Why would he be upset?"
"Well, I kind of stole you away from your date."
"Okay... first of all, it wasn't a date," Terri explained. "And you didn't steal me away; I came over because I wanted to. He's very supportive about stuff like that."
"Ah, that's so nice!" Louise noted genuinely. "Are you going to see him tonight?"
"Well, that depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you still need me."
"No!" Louise exclaimed. "No, seriously! I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Okay... first of all, it wasn't a date," Terri explained. "And you didn't steal me away; I came over because I wanted to. He's very supportive about stuff like that."
"Ah, that's so nice!" Louise noted genuinely. "Are you going to see him tonight?"
"Well, that depends."
"On what?"
"On whether you still need me."
"No!" Louise exclaimed. "No, seriously! I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, positive. So, anyway, how was your day?"
"Um, my day was fine," Terri replied, "but I'm not the one who's embroiled in a romantic office entanglement."
"Oh my God!" Louise blurted out with a look of shock on her face.
"Well?" Terri prodded.
"Well, what?"
"Well, you know what! What happened?"
"Nothing happened!" Louise insisted.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"You didn't see the guy once?" Terri asked. "All day?"
"Well, I mean he was there. He happens to work there."
"And you happened to have a date with him last night, so ... ?"
"Well?" Terri prodded.
"Well, what?"
"Well, you know what! What happened?"
"Nothing happened!" Louise insisted.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"You didn't see the guy once?" Terri asked. "All day?"
"Well, I mean he was there. He happens to work there."
"And you happened to have a date with him last night, so ... ?"
"Okay, like, it wasn't a date!" Louise protested.
"You met for drinks," Terri clarified. "What would YOU call it?"
"Um, meeting for a drink."
"Okay," Terri muttered.
"I mean, lots of people meet for drinks."
"Okay," Terri muttered.
"I mean, lots of people meet for drinks."
"Yeah, lots of people you didn't have sex with."
"Terri!"
"Okay, I'm sorry! I'm just pointing out that this guy has ... a particular place in your life ... and things between you are ..."
"What?" Louise fumed. "Tawdry?"
"I was just going to say 'complicated'."
"Okay, well it's not complicated. We work together."
"Give me a break, Louise!"
"Okay, well, I saw him. In a meeting."
"And you guys didn't talk?"
"It was a meeting."
"AFTER the meeting?"
"He just asked if I thought the place where we went was okay."
"Ah, such the gentleman!" Terri said wryly.
"You're being a bitch!"
Terri glared at her. "Look, Lou! Last night you were crying and saying that you thought you might need to break up with Walter just because you had a drink with this guy. So don't try to convince me that this means nothing."
Louise sat quietly. Terri could tell that she was about to cry again.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Lou," Terri said softly. "I shouldn't have sad that."
"No, you're right!" Louise sobbed. "I'm an idiot."
"You're not an idiot, Louise. You have feelings. And this guy brings out those feelings."
"In the worst possible way," Louise said wiping a tear from her face. "And at the worst possible times."
"What?" Louise fumed. "Tawdry?"
"I was just going to say 'complicated'."
"Okay, well it's not complicated. We work together."
"Give me a break, Louise!"
"Okay, well, I saw him. In a meeting."
"And you guys didn't talk?"
"It was a meeting."
"AFTER the meeting?"
"He just asked if I thought the place where we went was okay."
"Ah, such the gentleman!" Terri said wryly.
"You're being a bitch!"
Terri glared at her. "Look, Lou! Last night you were crying and saying that you thought you might need to break up with Walter just because you had a drink with this guy. So don't try to convince me that this means nothing."
Louise sat quietly. Terri could tell that she was about to cry again.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Lou," Terri said softly. "I shouldn't have sad that."
"No, you're right!" Louise sobbed. "I'm an idiot."
"You're not an idiot, Louise. You have feelings. And this guy brings out those feelings."
"In the worst possible way," Louise said wiping a tear from her face. "And at the worst possible times."
Terri felt badly now for pushing Louise to talk about Antonio. "You know, maybe I should stay with you again tonight."
"No, I'll be okay," Louise said pulling a tissue from her purse. "Walter will be back later."
"What time's he getting home?"
"I don't know. I forgot to check when his flight lands."
"No, I'll be okay," Louise said pulling a tissue from her purse. "Walter will be back later."
"What time's he getting home?"
"I don't know. I forgot to check when his flight lands."
"Mmm, okay!" Terri acknowledge. "So I'll just stop by for a minute and pick up my things. But if you need me..."
"Yeah, you should probably go see Frank," Louise smiled. "He needs you."
Terri laughed. "Don't worry about him. He has a way of getting what he wants."
"Yeah, tell me about it, slut!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
"I'm just kidding!" Louise said with a mischievous smile.
"You'd better be!" Terri scolded. "Here I am trying to make you feel better!"
"Well, that didn't work out so well, did it?"
Terri smiled and shook her head. "Okay, drama queen! You're on you own from now on."
"Oh, speaking of on my own, what are you doing tomorrow." Louise seemed happier now, more energetic. The storm had apparently passed.
Terri laughed. "Don't worry about him. He has a way of getting what he wants."
"Yeah, tell me about it, slut!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
"I'm just kidding!" Louise said with a mischievous smile.
"You'd better be!" Terri scolded. "Here I am trying to make you feel better!"
"Well, that didn't work out so well, did it?"
Terri smiled and shook her head. "Okay, drama queen! You're on you own from now on."
"Oh, speaking of on my own, what are you doing tomorrow." Louise seemed happier now, more energetic. The storm had apparently passed.
"Tomorrow? Friday?" Terri clarified.
"Yeah."
Terri realized that Louise had something in mind. "I don't know. What are we doing tomorrow?"
Terri realized that Louise had something in mind. "I don't know. What are we doing tomorrow?"
"Well, some people from the office are going out...."
"And by people from the office, you mean Antonio."
"Among others."
"Lou, you know that's not a good idea."
"Yeah, but if you're there with me..."
"It's still not a good idea," Terri insisted. "What about Walter? He's been away all week. Don't you want to see him?"
"It's kind of a special outing," Louise confided. "A dance thing."
"Oh, that's right! Lover boy's a big dancer."
"No comment!"
"None needed! Okay, so I'm going to be spending my Friday night playing chaperone."
"Never mind! Forget I mentioned it!"
"No, it's okay, Lou. Let me just talk to Frank about it, but I should be able to go."
"You don't have to."
"Lou, you asked me to go, and I'm going to try to go, okay? Besides, do you really think it's a good idea to go to this thing yourself?"
Louise didn't respond, but she knew that Terri was right.
"And you're home!" Terri announced.
"Thanks again for the ride!" Louise said. "And thanks for considering tomorrow. It would mean a lot to me."
"It's okay, Lou. I'm just gonna come in and pick up my makeup. I think I left it here this morning."
"Okay, sure! Do you want something to eat?"
"No, that's okay. I'll probably get something later with Francisco."
Terri turned off the engine put her keys in her purse. She asked Louise: "Forget anything?"
"No, I have everything in my bag."
Terri locked the car remotely as they walked toward a house with a well-groomed lawn.
The voice came from behind them, a pleasant but menacing drawl that they had each heard too many times before.
"Hi, Peaches!"
Terri turned around sharply and looked back toward the parked car.
"Douglas! What are you doing here?"
"And by people from the office, you mean Antonio."
"Among others."
"Lou, you know that's not a good idea."
"Yeah, but if you're there with me..."
"It's still not a good idea," Terri insisted. "What about Walter? He's been away all week. Don't you want to see him?"
"It's kind of a special outing," Louise confided. "A dance thing."
"Oh, that's right! Lover boy's a big dancer."
"No comment!"
"None needed! Okay, so I'm going to be spending my Friday night playing chaperone."
"Never mind! Forget I mentioned it!"
"No, it's okay, Lou. Let me just talk to Frank about it, but I should be able to go."
"You don't have to."
"Lou, you asked me to go, and I'm going to try to go, okay? Besides, do you really think it's a good idea to go to this thing yourself?"
Louise didn't respond, but she knew that Terri was right.
"And you're home!" Terri announced.
"Thanks again for the ride!" Louise said. "And thanks for considering tomorrow. It would mean a lot to me."
"It's okay, Lou. I'm just gonna come in and pick up my makeup. I think I left it here this morning."
"Okay, sure! Do you want something to eat?"
"No, that's okay. I'll probably get something later with Francisco."
Terri turned off the engine put her keys in her purse. She asked Louise: "Forget anything?"
"No, I have everything in my bag."
Terri locked the car remotely as they walked toward a house with a well-groomed lawn.
The voice came from behind them, a pleasant but menacing drawl that they had each heard too many times before.
"Hi, Peaches!"
Terri turned around sharply and looked back toward the parked car.
"Douglas! What are you doing here?"
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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