"So they're talking back and forth – except the guy's not saying anything. But then, Griff – you know, Maisie's new mechanic with all those muscles?"
I nodded. "Yeah?"
"He charges out of the back room looking mad as heck." Her voice picked up steam. "And he yanks Maisie to his side like he's Tarzan or something."
That stopped me cold. "Wait…so you're saying, hegrabbedher?"
"Grabbed, yanked, whatever..."
"And Maisie looked okay with that?"
"Well…I didn't hear her scream for help, if that's what you're wondering. But thatothercouple – they looked mad enough to spit nails…except they were trying to hide it." She gave me a significant look. "Anyway…that'swhen Griff almost punched him."
"You mean…like he started and stopped short?"
"No, like he wasalreadypunching him, but only in his mind." She perked up."He still made a fist, though. If you ask me, he was a split second away from popping the guy."
"But he didn't?"
Franny deflated. "Nah. It was a big fat nothing, like I said."
So now it wasnothing?Words utterly failed as I considered how much the story had changed from the beginning.
And Franny wasn't even done. "But I could tell theywantedsomething to happen. Well, except for Maisie.Shelooked like she wanted to vanish."
Oh, gosh.Regardless of whatever else was going on, that sounded terrible. It was exactly how I'd felt in Chicago after my presentation had gone off the rails.
But instead of disappearing,I'dgone hog wild, making a ridiculous spectacle of myself.
Andthen, I'd disappeared.
I was still thinking of my own sorry performance when Franny added, "And then, blondie and the ex run screaming out of the shop like Griff pulled out a butcher knife."
I gave a little start. "As in literal screaming? Like…you actually heard them?"
"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Not with two windows between us."
I tried to think.Twowindows.Obviously, she meant one at the café and another at the bike shop. Between those windows, there would've been a whole street filled with people, horses, and bikes.
I was still mapping it out when Franny added, "But I'mprettysure they were screaming. Or at leastshewas." Franny went quiet for a second. "Or she could've been yelling at her guy. She looked like a real harridan."
I didn't even know what that was, so I considered what I did know.There was no brawl. There was no punching. And the screaming part was debatable.
Beyond confused, I asked, "Anything else?"
"Nothing but the swooning."
"Wait...somebody swooned?"
Her eyes brightened. "Yeah. Maisie."
"You mean…she passed out?"
"No," Franny said as if the idea was ridiculous. "Imeanshe went all googly-eyed and leaned into Griff like he was her knight in shining armor."
Now, I hardly knew what to say. "Wow, that's quite a story."
"You're tellingme," she said. "So, what do you think?"
