“Really?” Rose leaned closer like that was the best gossip she’d heard all week. At least there were some things Finn hadn’t shared with her yet.
“I originally asked for tonight. He has plans?”
“Oh.” She leaned back with a start. “Yeah.”
Teddy looked to Meagan, but she seemed tense and tight-lipped now too. “Something I should be concerned about?”
“No, it’s, um…,” Rose stuttered. “Not our place to say. Finn will explain. It’s just something about today. It’s not you.”
“Is that why the brother-sister time this weekend? But today is more important?”
“Exactly. Today’s a day he prefers to be alone.”
“Okay.” That only left Teddy with more questions, but he got the impression that asking them wouldn’t lead him anywhere.
“We stopped in to drop off Ronnie’s lunch before grabbing some ourselves,” Meagan said, hefting her purse that teased a peek of Tupperware inside. “Would you?” She gestured to the door, meaning he could join them if he wanted to, but Teddy had had enough awkwardness for one day.
“I need to wait for the verdict, I’m afraid, but the offer is appreciated.”
Rose and Meagan said their farewells and moved for the garage.
“It was nice to meet you, Teddy,” Meagan said. “You’ll have to join us for one of Finn’s bonfires.”
“I doubt I could avoid it if I tried.”
They laughed again, Teddy with them, but as soon as they were gone, his smile faltered. Something or someone related to Finn kept following him everywhere he went in this town, which made it that much more glaring that right now Finn was absent.
And Teddy had no idea why.
Teddy did need a new transmission, which would take a day or two to replace. For now, he had a loaner, and Ronnie at the auto shop said he would call once the car was ready. All Teddy could think about on the drive home was what a cruel joke it was that his car needed a replacement just like he had.
Because it was old and broken and not running like it should.
Maybe that wasn’t all he could think about, but he was trying to distract himself from the itemized list going through his head of what Finn might be up to today that had made Rose’s brow scrunch.
Disposing of those bodies Teddy suspected in his basement.
Committing grand larceny.
Seeing his parole officer because of previous murders or larceny.
Getting tested for a rare, incurable disease.
Visiting his ex.
Teddy was almost thankful when his phone beeped to remind him of his exercises. It was old hat now, nudging the coffee table out of the way so he could spread out on the padding of his area rug. He was sore, and a few repetitions made him hiss, but nothing concerning, just routine.
That was aggravating sometimes, too, the monotony of it. As a dancer, monotony was expected with exercises and warm-ups, but at least in ballet, modern dance, ballroom, everything Teddy had thrived on in his younger days, the most mundane of moves could still transform into something beautiful.
Rolling back onto his feet, Teddy wondered if he could try a few old moves, nothing insane, no extending his leg over his head, just a simple spin, a relevé, asauté.
He stepped off the rug onto his laminate, sock-clad feet helping him slide smoothly.
Plié, step, spin.
Easy.
Plié, relevé,plié.
