Terri's voice sounded weak and distant. "Hello?"
"Are you at work?" Louise asked. She had expected Terri to stay home under the circumstances.
"Yeah. I wasn't sure, but I decided to come in."
"Are you doing okay?"
"I am really freaked out," Terri said deliberately, "but there's an important meeting this afternoon."
"Oh, no!" Louise reacted.
"Yeah, and I didn't sleep well either. I kept thinking that the phone might ring and it would be him."
"Oh, my gosh! That's terrible!"
"Why did he just show up like that?"
"I don't know, Terr," Louise tried to assure her. "I don't know."
"It's not fair!"
"It's not."
"Well, anyway, I'll just keep busy and try not to think about it."
"Oh, that's so sad!" Louise noticed Antonio walking in her direction. "Hey, sorry! Can you hold on for one second?"
"Sure," Terri replied in a lifeless voice.
"I'll be right back!"
"Okay."
"Hey!" Louise said to Antonio as he walked past. It was the relaxed, sultry 'Hey' that only people who have been lovers can share, a word that drips with covert emotion.
"Hey!" he responded with a warm smile.
Louise looked up into his piercing eyes. "Um, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to make it tonight." She bit her lower lip gently as she wait for his reaction.
"Sure! No problem!" he said. "We talked about this already, right?"
"Right!" she exclaimed. "Just checking."
Antonio looked at the phone in Louise's hand. "I'll let you take your call."
"Okay, sorry!"
"No worries!" he assured her with a smile.
"K - Bye!"
"Ciao! Ciao!"
Louise spoke again to Terri, "So sorry!"
"It's okay. I know you're at work."
"Are you gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine. Frank's gonna pick me up after work. Maybe go somewhere, out of town - not sure."
"I hope you can get away."
"Yeah, I'm sorry! I know I was supposed to go with you to the dance tonight."
"Oh, no!" Louise assured her. "I actually just... The guy was just here. I told him that I couldn't make it."
"I'm sorry I wrecked your plans," Terri said.
"Don't say that! You didn't do anything!"
"Are you sure?" Terri asked.
"Oh my God, Terri! What you've been through!"
"You could go with Jo."
Louise thought it over quickly. "Eh, I don't think so. Too weird!"
"Okay, well, whatever you decide, I hope you have a good time. I trust you."
"Thanks!"
"And thank you SO much for your help yesterday."
"Oh, of course!"
"And thank Walter..."
Louise heard Terri's voice break. "Terr? Are you okay?"
Terri was crying now. "Thank Walter for being so brave."
"Oh, Terri!"
"I've gotta go!"
"Of course! I'll talk to you later."
"K!"
"K, Bye!"
Louise was more worried about Terri now than she had been before the spoke. It was so unlike Terri to break down like that at the office. She must have been horribly shaken by the unexpected encounter with Douglas.
Louise dialed Walter's office. "Hi!" he answered.
"Hey, there! How are YOU?"
"I'm doing okay. What's going on?"
"I just talked to Terri."
"Is she doing okay?"
"No, she's a mess! She started crying on the phone."
"Oh, that terrible!" Walter sympathized.
"I think she's still in shock."
"I imagine," he noted. "Do you want to go over and see her after work?"
"Mmm, maybe. She and Francisco might go somewhere, try to get out of town."
"Well that sounds like a good plan."
"How about you? Will you be working late?"
"Not too late. Eight, maybe."
"That's late!"
"It comes with the new job, I'm afraid."
"Can you ask them to un-promote you?"
"You know, sometimes I think about that."
Louise let out a laugh. His comment helped to relieve the tension she felt after speaking with Terri. "Okay, big shot! I guess we'll see you after eight."
"Okay, love you!"
"Oh, wait! I forgot!"
"What?"
"Terri said to thank you for being so brave."
"She said that?"
"She did!"
"Wow! That's really nice."
"I just wanted to pass that along."
"Thanks! I appreciate it."
"Okay, I'll see you tonight."
"See you then."
Louise leaned forward with one elbow on the desk. She scanned mindlessly through her phone directory as decided what to do next. She stopped on Jo's number and decided to call it.
"Hey!"
"Hey!" Jo responded. "What's up?"
"Would you have time for lunch today?"
"Mmm, 12:30?"
"Yeah, I can do that."
"Salads, or...?"
"We can do salad."
"Okay, I'll see you there."
"See you!"
'The Horse Farm'
Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
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