Dear Readers,
Thanks for your patience as I finish up the chapters for this story. The last five chapters are done, except for a couple scenes, so I'm posting a chapter every other day until they are all up. You've all been great, and I appreciate all the feedback I've received.
My next story is a science fiction one, that I'm calling the Non-Standard Man, so I hope you'll join me for that in about ten days.
******
The story so far: Annie Lloyd is a widow who suffered the loss of her husband while sustaining a near crippling injury. Her recovery takes her back to the gym, where she notices a new personal trainer, Abel Williams, who is twenty years younger than her. Abel notices Annie as well and Abel appreciates an older woman.
However, before he and her can get together, an old boss and friend of Annie's, Jack Colson, sweeps back into her life, proposing marriage. Annie, knowing Jack is an incorrigible womanizer, doesn't accept his offer, but does take him up on his second offer, temporary employment to help him get ready for an audit called by the companies' board of directors.
Before she leaves for the temp job, she literally runs into Abel at the gym and as one thing leads to another, they go to bed together. Abel makes it clear that he wants to see her again. Annie is confused by Abel's and Jack's attentions and doesn't know what she wants.
She goes to Syracuse, where Jack's company is located, and immediately is confronted by Jack's lover, JuJu. Jack introduces Annie as his fiancé. But Juju doesn't accept defeat easily and continues to pursue Jack. Annie discovers that someone is stealing from the company and she wants to meet the board of the directors that are so hot to audit the company. Jack arranges a cookout with his family who also sit on the board, and introduces Annie to them. Annie also meets Jack's father, and he takes to her immediately. Jack decides that even if Annie won't have sex with him he was going to make sure he is in her bed each night regardless.
Meanwhile, back in Annie's hometown, Abel finds out from his boss, a friend of Annie's family, that Jack proposed to Annie. Lynn, Abel's ex-girlfriend shows up looking for a reconciliation. Abel tells Annie goodbye over the phone, though he isn't happy about it. We pick up the morning after Abel and Lynn sleep together, though the first scene in this chapter is with Annie and Jack.
******
The trill of an iPhone woke both of us. Jack clutched the thing and answered it.
"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I'll be right there."
"What?" I said.
"Dad had a bad night."
"Oh."
"I've got to get over there."
"Sure."
"It shouldn't take long. It's Midge's day with him anyway. She never misses those."
I rolled my eyes.
"After, how about you and I take a drive."
"What? To Saratoga?"
He laughed. "You know me too well." He gave me a kiss on the cheek. "That's what I like about you."
"Yes, you always do know the hot things say to romance a woman."
He gave me a grin as he put on his slacks. "Later, I'll find a use for that smart mouth of yours."
"Promises, promises."
He grabbed my shoulders and gave me serious kiss.
"Not a promise, a threat," he said.
"Get out of here!" I said laughing.
But my laughter only lasted until he shut the door and I was alone in my hotel room. I took my own phone and scrolled through the messages. My son thought it important to tell me the cat threw up a hairball. Gina messaged "no problems" for the restaurant. Dad asked when I coming home. Then there was a rare one from Carl. "Sorry. I told Abel about Jack. Don't know what my problem is."
Shit.
Well, now I knew. Gina must have told Carl, and he, the idiot, couldn't keep his mouth shut. I knew Carl was dating Gina, though for reasons known to only them, they kept it quiet. And maybe for the friendship he shared with Eddie he thought it his job to "protect" me. But that nonsense had to stop.
"Carl," I texted back. "Cut the shit. I'm a big girl."
As for Abel, I needed to set him straight. Maybe nothing would come of him and me, but he should know the truth anyway.
I dialed his number. A woman answered. Well, now, the boy doesn't waste time.
"Can I speak to Abel?" I said.
"Who is this?" the woman said.
"Annie," I said.
"And you know him how?" The woman's tone was sharp and tinged with suspicion.
"I'm a bill collector. Now is Mr. Williams available or what? If he isn't, I'll mark that in his file."
She hung up.
#
"You answered my phone?" After getting out of the shower, I heard the ring of my phone, but I let it pass. If needed, I'd call whoever it was later. But I heard Lynn's voice and it made me more than a little pissed. She knew how I felt about that shit.
"Who is Annie?" she threw back at me.
"None of your business."
"She said she was a bill collector. But last I knew, you didn't key bill collectors into your contacts."
"You're right. I don't."
"So?"
"So what, Lynn? Are we back to this crap again? You worried what I supposedly do when you are the one that does it?"
Her eyes got very wide. She grabbed her purse from the counter, and made a dash for the door.
"And don't come back!"
The door slammed. Bitch.
I never learn.
#
Abel's phone went to voice mail. It was the third time I called but he wouldn't pick up. Well, if he didn't want to talk to me, that was his business. But I wasn't going to let him think things that weren't true.
"Abel," I said. "I'm sorry you got the wrong information. Jack's an idiot, it true, and did propose to me. But I never agreed to marry him. And I won't. If you want to talk, call me. Otherwise, well, I wish you the best."
#
It really was too much to expect that Lynn would leave the car. Never mind. I needed a run anyway. I put some work clothes and a towel in my backpack. I'll take a shower at the gym. My feet hit the street, the road stretching before me. It wasn't a long run and I should be at the gym soon.
I never made it there.
For whatever reason I decided to take the long way to the gym, the way that did not include the shortcut that Annie showed me. As I trotted down the road, an ambulance streaked by me trying to get around the stopped traffic on the road. I ran past the traffic. Ahead was the flash of police lights.
