Читать книгу The Nerd Who Loved Me - Liz Talley - Страница 8

Chapter Five

Mary Belle looked at the column of numbers until her eyes crossed. Then she slammed a hand onto the desk and rubbed her eyes. “Crap.”

“What’s wrong?” Brenda asked, shooting her a cranky “you just scared me to death” look. As office manager for Forcet Construction, Brenda set the rules…and the thermostat at a freezing 66 degrees. Menopause did weird things to people.

“I can’t get these figures to add up. Must have written something down wrong,” Mary Belle grumped, trying to convince herself it was work that was distracting her, not her new next-door neighbor. That morning she’d seen him jogging, and that image of hot, hard male gliding effortlessly along the road wouldn’t leave her.

She shook her head, trying to clear the erotic images of Tripp, just as Tom Forcet blew into the office like a category-one hurricane—not quite fierce enough to destroy but a force nevertheless.

“I need one of you ladies to ride with Lou. She needs someone to guide and help unload a dozer.”

“Mary Belle will go,” Brenda said, not even glancing away from her computer. “I’m wearing heels and about to burn up in this frickin’ office.”

Tom narrowed his eyes at the normally affable Brenda. “We could hang meat in here.”

Brenda shrugged and didn’t say anything, making Mary Belle wonder what was up with her friend. Brenda loved Tom. Like, really loved him. The two had been skirting around their feelings for the past six months, and Mary Belle hated being caught in the middle.

“I’ll go. Having problems concentrating anyhow,” Mary Belle said, glad she’d worn a comfortable cotton sundress along with flat sandals.

Tom grunted and looked upset that Brenda had been so cold…for a woman in the midst of a hot flash, anyway.

Mary Belle pushed out the door into stifling heat and headed across the gravel lot toward the heavy equipment baking in the sun. Lou Boyd stood beside a company truck and trailer that held a large orange dozer.

“I’m your wing woman.” Mary Belle flashed a smile at her friend. Louise “Lou” Boyd wasn’t what most expected of a heavy equipment operator, but the pretty blonde was one of the best Forcet Construction had.

“Cute dress,” Lou said, doffing the bandana securing her hair and shoving it into the back pocket of her jeans. “I need you to guide me because it’s a curvy driveway.”

Mary Belle climbed into the cab of the truck. “No problem.”

For a few minutes she and Lou rode in silence.

“You remember Tripp Long? The nerdy boy we caught watching us when we had that slumber party?”

“Sure. He was a sweet guy…and more than a little obsessed with you.”

“Well, he’s back in Bonnet Creek, and I gotta tell you, there’s nothing nerdy about him anymore.”

“Grew up, did he?” Lou smiled.

“In the best of ways.”

“Wasn’t his dad the one who had an affair with Reva Rodrigue, or something? It was about the time my parents died, so I don’t really remember the details.”