Chapter 11
Lainie
Where do I start with everything that happened this morning? First of all, what the heck was up with Lewis and that terrible phone call? Could he really be tracking me with that app? After Keeton went to his office, I read more about it. It’s certainly invasive. It’s designed for parents to watch over their children, not for husbands to spy on their wives or in this case, ex-wives. Could he have been doing that through our entire marriage? I had my previous phone for two years. I lean back in my chair, closing my eyes, trying to think back to the times Lewis knew something about me that he shouldn’t; like if he referenced something about someone I was texting or who I went to lunch with. I shake my head, unable to think straight.
I sit up suddenly. It hits me. He always seemed to bump into me when I was out for lunch with one of my sisters or a friend. We do live in a small town, but it wasn’t just here. I recall a few times in Flagstaff. Heck, one day he was just walking past my doctor’s office as I exited after a check-up. We’d always laugh it off as a coincidence but was it? “What the ever-loving heck?”
Time for a group text. Oh, wait. I can’t send a text. What if Lewis really is monitoring my phone? Instead. I open up my email account on Molly’s computer. I pause. How am I going to word this question?
Lainie Palmer-Bottoms
To: The Palmer Sisters
Hey girls. Listen up. I’ve got a super serious question for you all. You’re going to have to think back a couple of years. Here’s the question: Do any of you recall Lewis either a) showing up places out of the blue, seemingly like a coincidence or b) knowing something about you, me, any of us that he shouldn’t have known? I’ll explain why I’m asking you tonight. Meet at Murphy’s for wings at 7? You can tell me if you remember anything like that then. <3 Lainie
I close the email account and return to my work which hasn’t been too terrible so far. I’ve only had to ask Keeton one or two questions related to his computer system so far. Either Keeton didn’t mess this up as badly as he thought, or he hadn’t been at it long enough. I get how to search for invoices, I can do the books, and I can file, of course. The part of this job that requires Keeton’s help revolves around the invoices and names of parts. I mean, what the heck is a cam-shaft? And don’t get me started on the Evo Motor Carb Ignition. Huh? What? So, yeah, those are the kinds of things that Keeton needs to explain to me. And also, if we’ve received the items on the Purchase Orders so I can pay the bills.
I’m hip-deep in paperwork that afternoon when Keeton shows up at my office door holding up a brown bag announcing, “Lunch is served,”
I blink up at him in surprise. Then, I just stare. The man is unbelievably good-looking. Not only that, just having him within five feet of me is causing my internal lady-bits to go haywire.Get it together, Lainie.“Lunch?” Wow, the morning had flown by. “You bought me lunch?”
“I did.” His face beams with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.
Even though I have my lunch in my oversized purse, I keep quiet about it. “Thank you. That’s very sweet.” This could be a working lunch––a great opportunity to go over the orders with him.
“Follow me. Let’s eat in my office.”
I stand, picking up the papers that I need to ask him about and follow him out of Molly’s office. We take a right down the hall and a quick left. I step into the inner-sanctum of GCM, watching as Keeton holds a chair out for me at a small round table that sits in the middle of his office. “Thank you, kind sir.” I giggle like the dork I am.
“So.” He sighs. “I wasn’t sure what kind of lunch you preferred. I’ve brought you several choices.”
“Alright.” Whatever it is, it smells amazing.
Opening up several bags, one at a time, he pulls out a plastic container from bag one. “This one is chicken tenders and fries.”
Oh, I love those. But I’d better not. Too many calories.
“This one,” he holds up another container, “club sandwich and potato chips.”
That’s good too. I could just eat the sandwich without bread and skip the chips. I raise my hand like I’m about to reach for that one when he pulls out yet another container.
“Cheeseburger and fries.”
Wow, the char-broiled smell is wafting up into the room. It smells delicious.
“And lastly, I’ve got some mac & cheese. What’s your poison, beautiful?”
I’d love to tell him all of them but really, I shouldn’t eat any of it. Nothing he has is less than a thousand calories. I’m sure of it. “Well,” I say hesitantly. “Um…”
I look up and see his blond brows furrowed. He’s worried. “Shit, babe. You don’t like any of these do you? I should have asked. I just wanted to surprise you. What do you want? I’ll run back out and get it.”
“No. I. Oh, shoot, Keeton.” Oh, heck. I can’t tell him I’m not going to eat his choices. “I like them all, it’s just…”
“What?”
I’m on a diet. I brought a salad. But, I can’t bring myself to say it. He’s so dang sweet to buy me lunch. Smiling, I tap my bottom lip like I’m trying to decide. “I like it all. I just can’t decide.”
The relief that crosses that gorgeous man’s face is priceless. “Shit. You scared me for a second. You can have it all. I’ll just eat what you don’t.”
