“A few more weeks and then it’s back to L.A. They might actually keep me at a desk for a while. Imagine that.”
“I can’t imagine you sitting in one place for more than five minutes.”
“Me either. I’m thinking I’ll trade out my chair for one of those exercise balls. That should help.”
There was a long pause, while Will debated whether to bring up Meryton, or Jane, or worst of all, whether Charlie had met anyone new. He wasn’t one to sit at home, nice older couple to chat with or not.
“Did you leave Meryton right away?” Charlie finally asked.
“Yeah,” Will lied. “Right after you.”
“Thanks for taking care of things. The homeowner already sent back the deposit we put down.”
“Good. Good.”
Charlie sighed. “Will. You can say it. You’re disappointed in me. It’s okay. I’m disappointed in myself. But what’s done is done.”
“Is it? You could call her.” Dang. He was back to doling out unwanted advice. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Charlie was quiet for a few seconds. “It’s fine. I gotta go, though. My crew is waiting on me.”
“Of course. See you later.” Will hung up and opened his laptop. He needed something else to think about. Something that wouldn’t remind him of what they’d both left behind in Meryton.
***
Being on non-speaking terms with Lydia was not much different than their normal relationship, but Elsie still felt bad about their conversation and the deeper chasm it put between them. She even gathered up the clothes she’d confiscated from Lydia’s shopping spree, though she hadn’t been paid back for them, and brought the lot over as a peace offering. Two months in storage was punishment enough.
There was an ulterior motive to getting back into Lydia’s good graces. Elsie wanted to know what was going on with Jeff. He’d stopped texting and the one time she saw him in town, he was friendly, but aloof, and quickly made excuses to leave. Lydia had obviously tipped him off.
He hadn’t been seen at the house much either, according to her dad. Rather than letting her guard down, Elsie was feeling even more paranoid about it.
More Google searches revealed details about the crash. About the unnamed hit-and-run driver held down by witnesses, about Gianna’s slow recovery. She’d also found an interesting You-Tube video, where Jeff and Denny posed as day-trading experts for a company calledQuit Your Day Job!For ten-thousand dollars, you too could learn how to make millions during a bear market. How Jeff had become affiliated with the get-rich-quick scam was anyone’s guess.
It made so much more sense. There was a lot more money to be made by recruiting people into day trading than actually being successful at something like that.
Lydia sent a thank you text, acknowledging the return of all her shopping bags, but when Elsie pressed into her whereabouts, Lydia stopped texting back.
“Of course.” Elsie tossed down her phone after giving up on getting an answer and went to go change for work. She rotated through three pairs of grease-stained jeans. Under her work apron, it didn’t matter what she wore. Especially now that her social life had completely dried up. If only she hadn’t decided to side with a criminal.
Would Will really have stuck around for her? Would she have wanted him to? He hated Meryton. The memory of their argument in the library filled her with dread and longing at the same time.
“Elsie, where are you?” Jane came down the hall and found Elsie wrestling into her jeans.
“I swear these fit a week ago. Darn Thanksgiving pies. We have to start working out again, okay?”
Jane nodded. “We should probably stop drinking hot chocolate every night too.”
Elsie wasn’t quite as ready to commit to that. “Where have you been?”
Jane sighed. “At Mom and Dad’s. Lydia’s gone off to another audition in L.A., but she didn’t take Kat this time and Kat’s feelings are hurt.”
Elsie stood up, sucking in to button her pants. “Lydia doesn’t go alone anywhere. You know what this means, don’t you?”
Jane raised an eyebrow. “Elsie, I think you need to let the whole Jeff thing go. Lydia’s not a drinker. You know as well as I do she violently pukes if she has much of anything. What are you worried is going to happen?”
Elsie picked up her purse from the bed and put the strap on her shoulder. “I don’t know. That’s the problem. I don’t know.”
Chapter 20 ♥Bad Guy
