by Melissa Huie
“Feel like moving over?” said a low voice. I looked up to see Shane and Allison standing next to me.
“Sure thing.” I smiled weakly and shifted over next to Jen.
Shane sat down across from me. “Guess you couldn’t get a booth, huh?” he joked, putting an arm around Allison’s petite shoulder.
It felt like I had been punched in the heart. She was beautiful, with long black hair, very small frame, and stunning blue eyes. He’s hers, not mine, I mentally chastised myself. I hoped I wasn’t turning green with envy.
Jen gestured around. “Shoot. What do you think? I had to practically bribe someone to get this table. You’re lucky you’re not sitting on the floor.”
We all laughed. Memories of old times came flooding back. The four of us—Jen, Matt, Shane, and I—used to come here once a week and close down the bar. It was so easy back then. We didn’t have the stresses that we had now—bills, mortgages, kids; they didn’t exist to us.
But then times changed. I met Tommy three years ago here at Artie’s, as a matter of fact. He had just graduated from the FBI academy in Quantico and was helping the Annapolis police with a case. He came in for a break and everything changed. We went out on a first date soon after and were inseparable from that point on. Not to say it wasn’t without its period of awkwardness. Tommy never belonged to our group; he just never clicked. Shane, Matt, and Jen were always nice to him, but Tommy had grown up differently from the rest of us. He grew up with money, a private school education, and a trust fund. The rest of the group had blue-collar parents that struggled to send us to college. The fact that he was on the good side of the law hadn’t given Shane warm and fuzzies either.
Most newcomers didn’t last long. Allison definitely didn’t belong with our group. Jen, who was the go-getter and tried to include everyone, even admitted that there was something off about her. Allison had never offered anything about herself except that she grew up in New Jersey. She didn’t give off the vibe that she cared to get to know us. While we chatted, Alison stayed quiet and looked around as if we bored her. My big mouth opened to say something to that effect when she leaned into Shane and whispered something in his ear. Shane looked up and, I swear, a quick glance of nervousness crossed his face. It disappeared as quickly as it came so I brushed it off as a figment of my imagination.
“Hey, we need to go talk to someone. We’ll be back later. Go ahead and order without us.” He grabbed Allison’s hand and disappeared into the crowd. I moved into her vacated seat.
“What the hell was that about?” A hint of annoyance came through in my voice. Jen gave me a sympathetic smile.
“You are still not over him, are you?” she asked gently.
I hesitated, then frowned and shook my head. As my best friend, she knew me better than I knew myself.
“I’m not, but I’m going to have to be. That’s all there is to it.” I took a long drink of my beer. “Are we ordering food? Screw my resolution. I need something with grease.”
Jen handed me the menu. “You should get back out there. You need to meet someone.”
I ignored her and perused the menu, settling on a cheeseburger and fries. Artie made the best burgers. “I know, I know. I don’t feel like it. Does that make sense?”
Jen smacked my menu. “No, it doesn’t. Look Megs, it’s been eight months. You’ve got to be in need of some company by now,” she said, scanning the room. “There, at the bar. See that guy with the navy blue polo? He’s looking this way. Why not go and talk to him?”
I glanced in the general direction of where she was talking. I didn’t want to be obvious, but the guy in the polo was pretty cute. Slim, tall, nicely dressed with beautiful Asian eyes, and drinking a beer. I blushed when he looked at me and ducked my head.
“Jen, I’m not looking for a one-night stand. That is something I don’t need. I want something more substantial. Like what you and Matt have.”
Jen raised her eyebrow. “What? You want marriage and a baby? I think you’re missing a step. You need to meet a man first.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, dingdong. I want the connection that you guys feel for each other. Remember when you first met Matt? You knew he was the one for you from the moment you first saw him.”
Jen sighed. “I know. I saw him in the elevator and it was instant. I had the goose bumps and butterflies. But sometimes it’s not like that. Sometimes you have to really get to know the person first. You can’t be scared to talk to someone just because you’re not one hundred percent sure of the connection. Sometimes it takes time to build up to that. And how do you know you don‘t have that spark unless you go and try to meet someone?”
She was right and I hated it. Whenever we went out and guys would approach us, I’d give off the not-so-subtle signal that I wasn’t interested. It wasn’t like the guys were rude or obnoxious, or ugly even. The connection just wasn’t there. I felt that instant attraction with both Shane and Tommy. Tommy’s compassion and dry humor drew me in. He was a genuine, wonderful man. If we didn‘t have his career issue, I‘d like to think that we might have stayed together. But at the same time, there was Shane. Even though we were just friends all those years ago, we seemed to be always touching. Play fighting, tickling, giving back rubs—all in the guise of friendship, but for me there was more to it. When we were in the same room, a magnetic force pulled us together. I knew why I wasn’t actively dating. It would be very hard to top the feelings I had for Shane or Tommy.
I sheepishly hid behind my menu. “I know. This sounds so dumb, but I hate the idea of having to go up to a guy just to see if we have a little bit of a connection. I don’t want to waste my time with a one-night stand. I want to be able to look across the room and see fireworks. I want that instant chemistry. I want the goose bumps and the butterflies and the ‘oh my God’ feeling. I want the magic spark.” I winced at the outpouring of fairytale nonsense. “Whatever. Can we please change the subject? Let’s just order,” I pleaded.
Jen rolled her eyes and appeased me. She dropped it, although I suspected we’d get back to my lack of a love life sooner rather than later. We shifted gears and talked about life in general; how Matt was opening up his own practice, my mom’s latest date, and Kyle’s transfer. Our food came and went, and still no sign of Shane and Allison.
“I guess someone decided they were too good to join us.” I pulled on my jacket after paying the tab. Jen shrugged. She knew Shane better than most. Only someone special could lure him away from us.
“I don’t know. She’s very distant. Maybe she’s just insecure. We’ve been tight for so long; maybe she feels like she’s intruding. We should try to include her more. If we want Shane to hang out with us we have to accept that she’ll be with him. We need to get used to that. It wouldn’t kill us to be friends with her,” she said as we left Artie’s. Jen always tried to make the best of any situation.
“I guess.” I hit the button to unlock the Volvo and started the engine. I was thankful that I had thought to get an automatic start installed.
“Well, talk to Shane about it. Maybe he has some suggestions. But I need to get home. It’s the first time I’ve had the night to myself in so long and I plan to do some serious sleeping.” I had to laugh. Lauren constantly crawled into bed with her parents and Jen always complained of lack of sleep. We hugged, promised to do something together again soon, and went our separate ways.
* * *
I got into the Volvo and headed toward home. I was halfway there, singing along to Aerosmith, when my phone rang.
“Hello?” I checked the caller ID but didn’t recognize the number.
“Hey, big sister. What’s shaking?”
“Hey Kyle. What’s going on? Is this your new cell?” It had been a while since I’d heard from my brother. The department was working him to the bone. My mom complained that she rarely got a call from him. I talked to his girlfriend, Sarah, more than I talked to him.
“Nothing much. Just checking in. How are things?”
“Nothing is wrong. I promise. I . . .” he hedged, raising my concern even more. “I decided that I’m going to propose to Sarah on Valentine’s Day.”
My concern turned into exhilaration. “OH MY GOD, Kyle! That’s amazing. I’m thrilled! Is she coming down from Boston or are you going up there?” I inquired.
In all my excitement, I could barely pay attention to the road. Sarah and I were college roommates and practically sisters. I was thrilled when they started dating two years ago. Now at Boston University working on her master’s degree, I couldn’t wait until she came home. She was going to be part of my family.
Kyle laughed. “I’m surprising her at her place. I’m going to show up while she’s in class and set everything up. I got the ring from the safe last week and I’m ready. I love her, Megs.”
“I’m so happy for you. I really am. Did you ask her dad? Did you tell Mom yet?”
My mom was notorious for not being able to keep secrets, so I really hoped that Sarah didn’t talk to her until after he proposed.
“Yes and no. I went up to Philly on Saturday and asked her dad. It went better than I expected. And I’m not telling Mom, not until after. She sucks at keeping surprises. So please, don’t tell her. I mean, she knows that it will happen at some point but she doesn’t know when, and I don’t want her stressing Sarah out over wedding details. We’ll think about all that after she graduates in May.”
His plan impressed me. “I cross my heart. I won’t tell Mom. I promise. You know I can keep a secret. At least from her. Can I tell Jen?”
Kyle chuckled. “Just try and hold it in. We’ve got about a week until Valentine’s Day. Can you wait that long?”
I let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. I’ll wait. But if I spontaneously combust while holding this secret in, it’s on your conscience.”
“I think I can deal with that. I love you, Sis. I’ll call you when it happens. Okay?”
“Bye, baby brother.” I couldn’t help it. A tear escaped from my eye. My baby brother was growing up.
I was in such a good mood when I got home, until I saw Shane’s truck still parked outside. His motorcycle sat in the carport; I assumed they had taken Allison’s Lexus. I didn’t want to think about what they could be doing. Annoyed, I slammed the door a little too hard and winced, waiting for Penny to start her welcome home serenade. Nothing happened. Walking around to the mudroom with my keys in hand, I was startled to see the door partially open. Shane must have forgotten to lock the door and somehow Penny got out, I thought irritably. The annoyance quickly vanished when it dawned on me what had happened.
Chapter 4
I FROZE WHILE I QUICKLY debated in my head. Should I call the cops right now or get Penny? My semi-maternal instinct overcame my rational side and I pushed the door open a bit with the toe of my boot.
“Penny! Come here, Pen. Pen! Come here!” I whispered fruitlessly. Penny usually heard my car from down the street; she should have been able to hear me whispering. Dread overtook me and I feared the worst. I pushed the door open further and ventured into the house. My stomach dropped at the sight of my kitchen. With a shaky breath, I looked for Penny amid the knocked over chairs and broken glasses. Drawers were pulled out, papers thrown on the floor, items from my cabinets and pantry were smashed and ruined. I peered into the living room. My couch was now a skeleton, only a frame where cushions had once been. Finally, my rational side took over and I bolted from the house.
I ran down my driveway, gasping for air. What the hell?! I’ve been robbed! Who the heck would do something like this? How could this have happened? Horrible thoughts ran through my head. God, where’s Penny? I felt like puking and punching someone at the same time. I pulled out my cell phone and with shaking hands dialed 911.
“911 dispatch. What’s your emergency?”
“I’ve been robbed. Please hurry. I can’t find my dog and I’m scared to go back inside.”
“Stay calm, ma’am. What is your address?”
I gave her my street address and stayed on the phone until the first two squad cars pulled up. A young officer by the name of Officer Vaughn took me aside to ask some questions. I answered them as best as I could but couldn’t stop staring at the scene in front of my house. Neighbors gathered outside to watch the commotion and gossip their theories. I quickly dialed Shane. He is my roommate and all. His belongings could have been affected too, I rationalized. Bullshit. You need him here.
“Megs, I can’t talk right now. I’m with Allison and—”
“Shane, listen. You need to come home. The house was broken into and I can’t find Penny!” my voice broke into a bit of hysteria. I didn’t care if I was interrupting him or who he was with.
There was a moment of silence before he replied. “Did you call the cops? Are you alright?” he asked briskly.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m alright. I called the cops. They’re here now. Please get here soon, Shane. I’m really scared.” I was scared beyond belief and at that point I didn’t care if I sounded weak.
“I’m fifteen minutes away. Don’t worry. I’ll be there soon,” he replied softly. Relief replaced some of the fear in my heart, but it didn’t take away from the hollow pit of dread.
My neighbor Mrs. Sanders waved to me from across the street. I headed over for the inquisition. Mrs. Sanders watched from the window at all hours, day and night, and spread the neighborhood gossip better than anyone. If there had been anything to see, she would have seen it.
“Megan! What happened? I heard something about a burglary. Did they steal anything? The power went out in the whole neighborhood. They think a transformer blew. I didn’t see anyone go in. Can I do anything?” she asked, her flannel housecoat covering her frail eighty-five-year-old body. I knew she wouldn’t fail me. The sweet talker probably bribed a poor rookie cop with a piece of shortcake or something.
I shook my head. “I’m just worried about Penny. I really don’t care about anything else. I don’t know where she is.”
“Penny? Oh dear, we put a note on your front door. Penny was running around the front yard around nine o’clock so Ronald brought her into our house. I figured you were out and that she had escaped again. Her collar was off, so I didn’t have a number to call . . .” I didn’t hear her finish. I sprinted to her front door and threw it open. Penny sat at the door waiting for me. I dropped to my knees and buried my face in her chest. Tears of relief ran down my face.
“Oh God, Penny. I thought I had lost you.” I didn’t know what I would have done if something had happened to Penny. I sat for a minute and thanked my lucky stars that she was safe. Resigned, I left her there while I waited for the report from the police officer. I stood on the sidewalk and watched the drama unfold in front of me. Completely absorbed in the scene, it barely registered when my name was called.
“Megs,” Shane came running over and drew me into a big hug. I closed my eyes and let myself crumble in his arms, sobbing. Shane cupped my chin and brought my face to look into his brownish hazel eyes. “Did you hear anything about Penny?” he asked softly.
I sniffled. “She’s fine. She’s at Mrs. Sanders’. They just let her go. She didn’t have a collar on so Mrs. Sanders couldn’t call me.”
Shane nodded with relief. “Good. Did the cops say anything yet?”
I shook my head. “Mrs. Sanders said that the whole neighborhood was out of power and something about a transformer blowing. Since it was a neighborhood-wide outage, the alarm company didn’t send anyone out or call me. My home is a disaster. I went in as far as the kitchen and everything is destroyed. Why would someone do this? I don’t understand!” I couldn’t keep the frustrated tears at bay. Shane wrapped his arms around me and let me weep.
Officer Vaughn walked up with his clipboard in hand. “Ms. Connors? We have a couple more questions and then we’re go
ing inside. I want you to see if anything has been taken so we can write up a report. Your doorframe is broken. I suggest you call your homeowner’s insurance. They will give you an estimate on the door and any damaged items.”
I nodded, too numb to react any other way, and followed him to his squad car. I turned to look for Shane and saw that he was already on the phone. Speaking in a low and tense voice, he looked furious. I didn’t know who he was talking to but I had a good guess. I had been oblivious to the outside temperatures and hadn’t realized it was so cold until I got into the warm car.
“I just have a few more questions and I promise they will be quick. I know you’re anxious to check over your house. Now, just to forewarn you, there is a big mess inside. As far as we can tell, there is no damage to the house itself besides the door. But before we go into that, we’ll start with the questions,” he said emphatically. “Now, do you know of anyone who would cause you any harm or do something this destructive?”
“No,” I said quietly as I looked out the window for Shane. I couldn’t see him anywhere. “I’m pretty friendly with everyone. I don’t have any enemies.”
“Okay. Have you noticed anything strange in the area? People that don’t belong in the neighborhood, perhaps?”
I shook my head again and then reconsidered. “There was a green Expedition that came by earlier this evening. I didn’t pay much attention. It stopped at the house for a quick second and then drove away.” I put my arms around myself and shivered in the warm car.
“Did you catch the plate number or see the driver?” Officer Vaughn quizzed, his blue eyes narrowing.
“No. I was coming up the street walking Penny. The truck literally drove up, stopped for two seconds, and then drove away,” I recalled. I searched my memory, trying to remember something—anything—that could be useful, but nothing came up.
Officer Vaughn made a few notes. “The gentleman you were with a few moments ago? What is his name? Does he live with you?”
I frowned. “Shane Turner. He just moved in. Why?”