Читать книгу Nowhere Yet - Edward Inc. Cozza - Страница 10

“Well, I suppose that in certain circumstances he could be charming, but I have yet to encounter any of those circumstances. Then again, I’ve only been around him a short time,” Kat said.

“He is amazing. We know that,” Isobelle said.

“You know that because he told you that he was amazing,” Grant put his hands together.

“Exactly!” Kat did the same.

“He has that capability,” Grant wiggled his fingers.

“To be amazing?” Kat trying to sound startled.

“No, to tell you he is amazing,” Grant retorted.

“Well, he did.”

“Ah.”

“So now let’s hear about you,” Kat opened her hands in Grant’s direction.

“About me?” Grant asked.

“Yes, about you. It sounds like you’ve had an eventful day.”

“Well, yes. Having somebody run a red light and plow into me was not on my list of things to do.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re okay, at least. But we all want to know what you have been doing lately. Isn’t this the part of the program where we wonder how we all managed to get here together at this moment in time?” Kat asked.

“Oh, maybe,” Grant moved his head slightly. He still wasn't feeling great.

“Then let’s hear it,” Kat turned her palms up.

“I work, I work out … you know.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, I guess so. I ride my bike a lot, swim,” Grant looked down. He didn’t have a big story to tell. “Oh, and woodworking. I make furniture. Oh, and I like to fish.”

“We all exercise. Well, maybe not him,” Kat said, pointing at Rex, “but the woodworking thing, and the fishing, that sounds cool. I bet you don’t exercise, or do anything cool,” she said to Rex.

Rex laughed, looking back down to the end of the bar where the other women were, then again to the couple with the sunglasses in the corner, then back to the group.

“I work. Satisfied? Hey, you notice anything odd about those two over in the corner?” Rex asked.

“I thought you were interested in the two at the end of the bar. This is just fascinating, both of you. Annie is probably beside herself to learn these revelations about you two.” Kat tilted her head back, opening her eyes wide.

Annie again was laughing to herself, and her face seemed to show a great deal more peace than discomfort. She was happier now that Grant was back.

“What does he keep looking at?” Grant asked.

Annie and Kat looked at each other, and then both motioned with their heads towards the other end of the bar, to where the other two women were seated.

“Ah, I see,” Grant said.

“Local, how do you say … gold diggers,” Isobelle said, looking at Grant just a little more than she was the others. “I know nothing about the other two.”

“Any chance we could get them to hit him with the shovel while they are digging?” Grant asked.

“Perhaps I could propose that.”

“Grant?” Kat persisted.

“What?” Grant asked.

“Let’s hear more about you. I’m sure Annie would like to know. I know I do.”

Annie blushed slightly, but pushed ahead. “Yeah, how is everything? Rex tells us you are thinking about starting a business with him.”

“He said that?”

“Yes. He said you were talking about it just today,” Annie said, looking at Grant in a way that suggested she wanted him to say this was not the case.

“Well, uh, we were … it was mentioned, I guess.”

“That would be, umm, really something, if you worked with Rex, Grant,” Annie said. The hesitation in her voice made it clear that she was anything but excited at the prospect of Rex and Grant starting a business together.

“You had better tell the bartender when she gets back, because she also seems to be is quite interested in what you do,” Kat added.

“What?” Grant said.

“It wouldn’t be the first time someone was interested in you—” Annie stopped herself, wishing she hadn’t said it.

Grant leaned forward, staring at her, as if he was trying to bore a hole into her soul.

“I never …” He started, feeling the need to defend himself.

“I know you didn’t. I’m sorry I said anything.” Annie paused. “So, business is good?”

“Ok. Constant. What about you?”

“The same. Nothing to talk about.”

“Too modest. Always modest. I still want to know,” Grant said.

“Me too,” Rex chimed in.

“What about you?” Grant asked, turning to Kat, though he kept his eyes fixed on Annie until the last possible minute, when he turned to Kat, waiting for her answer. His body was still facing Annie, his hands on the bar, pointed in Annie’s direction.

“Ask her to tell you the difference between a doctor and a lawyer, and then guess which one she is,” Rex said.

“Annie and I have been friends a long time. I’m a psychiatrist. I work at a clinic in La Jolla, and I …” Kat said.

“You live in La Jolla?” Grant asked.

“Yes.” Kat shook her head, as trying to shift from describing her work to where she lived was funny to her.

“Not far from me, I live in Encinitas,” Grant said.

“I love both places,” Kat said.

“She wants me to meet her relatives,” Rex leaned in.

“Nobody wants you to meet their relatives,” Grant glanced at him.

Annie started laughing, out loud, which she seldom did. Everyone looked at her, surprised, but she just shrugged and grinned.

Isobelle had been following the conversation as closely as she could. She was enjoying listening to Annie and Kat, but her facial expressions when she looked toward the other end of the bar, clearly showed disdain for the two women. But Rex’s interest in the other women did please her, as she thought it might remove him as a possible obstacle. Isobelle didn’t know whether to warn Rex about the two women, or to let him find out on his own. After a few minutes, she decided that letting him find out the hard way would probably keep him busy and out of the way longer.

“Moll and Mag,” Isobelle said.

“What?” Rex asked.

“Moll and Mag, the women at the other end of the bar, those are their names. At least, that’s what they call themselves. They asked me to send you a drink,” Isobelle said, looking at Rex. This was not true. The women had not sent a drink to Rex.

“And you’re just now getting around to doing it?” Rex exclaimed, motioning with his hands.

“Sorry. I will make it for you now,” Isobelle said.

“Well … you send them one from me,” Rex said, straightening up in his chair.

“Very good,” she said as she moved to prepare the drinks.

“Things are looking up. You all might have to try to do without me for awhile, while I go talk to my adoring fans down there,” Rex said, beaming.

Annie was now noticing Isobelle’s attention to Grant. It was almost as if she was a little jealous, and it gave her pause, as she realized this was the first time she was ever jealous of someone else and Grant. There were no flirtatious moves, just a keen sense of paying attention to all of Grant’s actions. She would expect that from Kat, as she was a psychiatrist, but that would be for different reasons. She doubted Isobelle was a psychiatrist. Grant had never been a womanizer—in fact, in the past, he paid attention to no one but Annie. But now, she could tell, he was definitely noticing Isobelle.

“Well, don’t you worry about us,” Kat said.

“I assure you, he isn’t,” Grant responded.

Annie laughed again.

“This is kind of nice, seeing you laugh like this, Annie,” Kat said.

“I laugh.”

“Not usually this much.”

Annie again blushed, still smiling.

“You know, we have to go, to meet some other people.…” Annie said, her voice trailing off. She wished she had not said it.

“Oh,” Grant said, looking disappointed.

“Well … when we were planning this thing, we weren’t really sure.…” Annie said, seeming not sure how to finish the sentence, and still be polite.

“Weren’t really sure that Rex would show up at all? Or that I would be here either?”

“No! I mean, no it’s not like that. Well, maybe Rex, but not you.”

“You all can thank me later for making this come together,” Rex said, still looking at the women at the end of the bar.

“If only we can figure out how to thank you appropriately. A parade, perhaps?” Kat said.

“I have some ideas about how you could thank me. Hadn’t thought of a parade, but we could do that after,” Rex replied.

“But we could meet back up, after we see our friends, couldn’t we?” Annie asked. It was a struggle for her to get the words out.

“You mean your better friends?” Rex added brusquely.

“That’s not fair,” Annie said, her tone changing.

“Who said anything about fair?” Rex asked.

“Look, it just sort of happened …” Annie said.

“That would be great, Annie. Whatever works for you,” Grant said.

“You’d better meet up with us later, or your friend, Zorba here, is going to miss me way too much. Plus, the bartender might jump Grant, so I’m just giving you fair warning,” Rex said.

“I feel like I want to miss you more,” Kat replied.

“See? Great, isn’t she?” Rex smiled, patting Kat on the shoulder.

The group all got a laugh at the exchange. Annie looked at Grant, though Rex’s comment about the bartender was not something she seemed to want to hear. Annie and Kat got up to leave.

“So we’ll get together later?” Grant asked.

“Yes, I would like that,” Annie said.

“So would your buddy,” Rex chimed in.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Kat said.

“Well, thanks for coming. At all. No, I mean it,” Grant said, not quite believing he had actually phrased it right.

“I’m glad we’re here, and I’m glad you’re all right,” Annie said.

“Of course you’re glad you’re here, ’cause I’m here,” Rex added.

“That’s the reason!” Kat said.

“Listen, we’ll see you in a little while. Just take it easy. Even though you think you’re all right, a car wreck is a traumatic thing, so just go slow, all right? Don’t let Rex drag you into anything too crazy,” Annie said.

“Just being around people is enough of a traumatic experience for him, so I can’t promise he will make it through,” Rex chuckled, looking down towards the other end of the bar.

“I’ll be fine,” Grant said.

“Of course you will. I’m counting on it,” Annie said, smiling at Grant. Grant smiled back. Was she flirting with him?

“Don’t go putting extra pressure on him, you’re just asking for trouble,” Rex added.

“Well, let’s put some pressure on you, and ask you to be nice, and to be quiet. You think you can do that for us?” Kat asked, looking at Rex.

“Can I still drink?” Rex asked.

“Yes.”

“Chase women?”

“Yes, just not us,” Kat said.

“Then I think we’re good.”

“Good. We have to go. We’ll see you later,” Kat said.

At that, Annie and Kat turned and left the bar. Isobelle was watching from the other end, and Kat and Annie waved at her as they left. Isobelle smiled and waved back at them. Annie was relieved that the initial meeting with Grant, after all this time, had gone as well as it did, considering how close they had been and how long it had been since they had seen each other. She did not hold any bad feelings towards Grant and seeing him, even for this short time, was good for her.

Kat was happy with the meeting. She had heard a great deal about Grant and Rex from Annie. She was curious to meet Rex, to see if anyone could be quite like Annie had described him, but she was more interested in meeting Grant, and in being there for Annie. Grant and Rex did not appear to be people who would create any real problems for the weekend, and if they did, she and Annie could spend time with their other friends, away from these two.

Grant felt less nervous than he had before he had purged himself in his room, but his body was still sore from the wreck. He was glad to see Annie and watched her gentle, confident stride until she was out of sight. He still cared for her deeply, there was no denying that. He could have done without the throwing up, but maybe it steadied him. They would return, as she had said, and they could talk more and really catch up, though he knew he would have to participate a little more in the conversation to keep her interested.

Rex was happy; being with his old friends again after his several-year-long work ordeal meant a lot to him. He showed his feelings differently than the others, so the more fun he was having, the more he lined up for the verbal joust. He was also thinking about the ladies down at the other end of the bar. He didn’t think a diversion like that would detract from the meeting with his old friends. The man and the woman with the sunglasses did make him feel uneasy. After all the things that had happened, though, he would not have been surprised if someone were watching him.

Isobelle was happy. She liked Grant’s stature and grace, his quiet composure even in the face of a car wreck and his over-eager friend, and his gentle way of speaking to his friends. Given the quiet type of person Grant seemed to be, and the short amount of time she had to work with, she knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she was determined to get to know him better. She felt that things were going to work out just fine.