UNINVITED

Chapter 14

     The hand on my shoulder felt heavy. It had to be a man’s hand. Was it Tom? Had he finally found me? Maybe Stella’s call wasn’t innocent after all, and he had planned it with her. I girded myself, thinking the person behind me was going to make a move, but then a familiar voice said, “Elodie?”

     I turned around and sighed. The muscles in my hands relaxed. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. You scared the crap out of me.” I stared daggers at Alec.

     He had a mischievous smile on his face. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

     “What are you doing here? Are you following me?” I asked. I knew that was unlikely. Why would Alec suddenly start following me?

     His eyes narrowed. “Oh, no.” He shrugged. “Why would I be following you?”

     “I have no idea unless you tell me,” I said sternly. I didn’t completely trust Alec. It was difficult to read him now, which was worrisome because I could easily read people.

     “I wasn’t following you. I came into town. I wanted to get some work done. I couldn’t get a signal in the farmhouse.”

     He sounded genuine, and I believed him, not because I thought he wasn’t lying to me. He was telling the truth. The farmhouse didn’t have a very good connection. I experienced my share of this problem a while ago.

     He fingered the car park outside the small restaurant. “My car is over there. I saw you from the glass panel. I wasn’t sure it was you.” He glanced down at the polythene bag. “You lost your phone?”

     “No,” I said and threw the bag into the driver’s seat. “I came to get a charger and earpiece.”

     He nodded. “Okay.”

     When I glanced up, he was smiling at me. In the glint of the morning sun, he looked different. His stubbles were gone, and so were the straying strands of dark hair I saw earlier. He’d shaved. I gave him a once-over. He wore a V-necked shirt and a gray blazer with a pair of matching jeans.

       “I’m glad I bumped into you, Elodie. I need a big favor.”

     “What kind?”

     “Amy’s birthday is around the corner,” he said, grinning. “I want you to help me get something for her. Maybe a woman’s perspective might help.”

     I wasn’t in the mood to help Alec choose a present for his wife, but I couldn’t simply say no when he looked so enthusiastic about it. “All right.”

     “Great. Let’s head down to the restaurant. My things are over there,” he said.

     “After you.”

     I followed Alec down the pavement leading to the small restaurant. We crossed the road and walked to the entrance. Occasionally, he glanced back at me with a smile, and I couldn’t stop wondering if he was okay. Maybe he was in a good mood in contrast to me.

     The phone call with Stella still hung around in my head. I could hear her voice when she asked me to come back. For the first time in a while, I had made the right decision. I imagined the look of horror on her face when I told her she made me sick. She must be awestruck. I had kept this to myself for a very long time, and I had finally let it out. I couldn’t stop the feeling that I was almost coming close to being free. If I could face Stella and tell her the truth, then it was a good step. My next move would be to call my husband and break the news that was surely going to give him a hard time.