Six Days: Book One in the SIX Series

by Randileigh Kennedy

  “You’re telling me, I had no idea anything was even going on. Griffin barely ever talked about work. I just hope somehow this whole thing blows over. Is that even a possibility?” Megan asked Steve as he thumbed through the newspaper, looking for more information.

  “I really don’t know, Meg. Everything being reported sounds bad, but I just don’t know,” Steve said sympathetically. “From what I gather there’s a hearing set for Friday to set bails, if they’re even granted to everyone. But I’ve heard those hearings get pushed back a lot, so I’m not sure.”

  “Well what happens after that?” Megan asked inquisitively.

  “I really don’t know. I’m guessing there has to be a trial. If Griffin is really innocent though, I imagine he’ll still be caught up in this whole thing for awhile. He would have to testify to what he knows, even if it's information against his father. That has to be a tight spot, I can’t even imagine. Especially given the relationship they’ve always had. He did say something to me recently, but I don’t know if I should really talk about it,” Steve said, his voice trailing off.

  “What do you mean? Do you know something about all this?” I asked nervously. If Steve hadn’t said anything about it thus far, it made me think it had to be bad news.

  “Well, he had just made a comment a few weeks ago, around the time of Johnny’s party. I didn’t really think much about it, but now that all this is going on I’m piecing it together a little bit I guess,” Steve began to explain.

  Megan and I leaned in, eager to hear what he knew.

  “A woman at the company, her name was Denise, she has worked for Griffin’s dad forever. Well for Gregory’s dad I guess, who owned the business before him. I actually met her years ago at some birthday parties, get-togethers, that kind of thing. She was a long-time friend of the family. Anyway, she had mentioned to Griffin that she was concerned about something. I don’t know what it was. Finances, company business, something of that nature. He didn’t think it was a big deal, but he told her he would look into it anyway. That’s all I know. It’s vague, but I was just thinking maybe someone knew something was up before all this happened. That’s what makes me think Griffin is innocent, but I don’t know. Technically he oversaw some of those departments, so I don’t know how that works, if it still falls on him anyway. Maybe he signed off on something without really knowing the details? I’m really not sure. But after Denise had mentioned the issue to him, that’s when Griffin started to really get frustrated with work. His tone really changed while talking to his dad. He seemed more flustered after that, noticeably different,” Steve said shrugging. “I’m just wondering if that had anything to do with this whole thing. Maybe she knew something was wrong?”

  “Why didn’t you say anything about that before?” Megan questioned.

  “Because I still don’t know what any of that means. I don’t know if that even has anything to do with this whole situation,” Steve replied. “I mean he’s always been frustrated with his job, so I just really don’t know. You know him, Meg. He’s not the easiest guy to read.”

  “Yeah, that’s true,” Megan agreed.

  I finished making the pasta and we all sat around eating together. We had some general conversation about movies, the bakery, and Steve’s new enthusiasm for running now that Megan had been making him train for the half-marathon they planned to run in October. We left Griffin out of it, for the most part. Steve didn’t seem to want to speculate any further so we just let it go, waiting to hear more information.

  After dinner we drank too much wine and stayed up late, giggling about past camping trip dares they had all been through. Megan had to work early the next morning, so she left around midnight and took a cab back to her house.

  “I should go too, Addie. You’ve probably had enough of me after two days in a row of my company,” Steve said, smiling.

  “Actually today was really nice, thank you. You obviously can’t drive. Do you want to just stay up late watching movies? You can sleep on the couch,” I suggested.

  Steve smiled in agreement, and I was grateful for the company.

  We both fell asleep in the living room while watching a movie, and I had to admit it was nice to have someone there. I was used to being on my own. I mean even with Grant, he started making a habit out of not coming home those last few weeks, so I was at least used to waking up alone. I definitely preferred the company though. Although no matter how nice Steve was I still dreamed about Griffin, wishing he was the one staying the night.

  Steve woke up first and gently touched my hair. I smiled as my eyes opened to him. He had to get to work, so we made a quick breakfast together, easily conversing about movies and recent books he had read. He was definitely a fun person to hang out with and I felt as though he genuinely enjoyed my company as well, rather than only hanging around with me out of pity. We didn’t even talk about Griffin that morning, which was nice in a way. It made it easier for me to think about other things.

  After Steve left for work, I took a long walk around downtown. There were so many cute shops, cafes, and a few art galleries. It was a pretty trendy place and I was surprised I hadn’t spent much time there yet, aside from some of our nights out together with the group. The walk felt refreshing, although the silence around me felt loud. Even with cars passing by, dogs barking, people chatting, I still felt isolated. I wished Griffin had been there with me, strolling around, looking for something fun to do. Although if he was with me, I imagined we would already be doing something fun. Or better yet maybe even staying in altogether, which was probably even a better idea with him. I quickly pushed those thoughts out of my head, wanting to just move on from it. I had to accept that what happened had happened, and that the last night we had together may have been the end of it. There was no use pining over those thoughts now.

  The next few days I spent most of my time at the bakery. I didn’t necessarily have much actual work to do, but I just tried to stay busy. It was nice to have some downtime there, working on my decorating skills. I must say, I had improved quite a bit over the past few weeks. Mallory had returned from her parents place, and she could lift my spirits better than anyone. We really had fun together, and she at least made me feel like the world was normal again. We spent some more time with Megan and Steve as well throughout the week, and I was thankful to have such good friends. My thoughts still drifted to Griffin, wishing he was out with us, sitting by me, laughing with me. But I also felt angry too, angry that he disappeared from my every day. It just didn’t seem fair. But then again, most things in my life didn’t work out the way I wanted anyway, so I suppose I felt some numbness to it as well.

  Thursday night we all went out dancing, which was Megan’s idea of course. She loved getting all dressed up and heading out around town. Given the attention she got while we were out. I suppose it made sense to me, although I wondered if she ever got tired of it. While at the nightclub that night, I was once again impressed with how well Steve and Johnny could move. The other girls around them seemed to notice too, constantly coming up to them, flirting. I was amused to see the other girls trying to talk to Steve and Johnny. It was quite interesting to watch. Mallory and I giggled at their attempts, standing just far enough back to give them some space but close enough where we could hear their conversations. Both Johnny and Steve were extremely handsome so it made sense. But after just a few minutes of conversation, they blew off the girls’ advances and didn’t seem all that interested. For some reason the thought of Steve turning down all of these other pretty girls made me smile, though I wasn’t sure why I cared. I suppose as a friend I should have been more encouraging of him to find a girl. But somehow, selfishly I guess, I liked him single. I doubt he would have been staying overnight at my house to keep me company otherwise, even though it was a completely innocent gesture.

  Megan on the other hand seemed interested in everyone. It didn’t exactly surprise me, though I wondered how that camping dare was working out for her. Sure, she had a full yea
r to complete the dare. But she wasn’t making it easy on herself, especially if she had any plans to finish that dare anytime soon. Every guy in the room watched her, and given how short her sparkly miniskirt was, I didn’t blame them. She really was a pretty girl, her long dark hair swaying as she danced. I wasn’t sure she would make it through this night alone, not with the way she was giggling, laughing, and flirting with anyone who offered to buy her a drink. It looked so effortless on her part, yet something about her seemed very calculated as well. I envied her for how carefree she seemed, as if there was nothing in the world that could possibly bother her.

  The biggest surprise of the night was Mallory. She actually met a guy. A very handsome guy, but also a very forward one. He instantly begged her to go out to dinner with him the following night, and he had his hands all over her on the dance floor every time I looked. She looked giddy about it, but something about him didn’t sit right. He was handsome, sure, but I don’t know. He just seemed a little aggressive with her, like a salesman who won’t take no for an answer. She seemed happy though, enjoying his hands on her, so I wasn’t sure she wanted to be rescued from him. I still kept a close eye on her just to make sure she didn’t disappear anywhere. Something about him made me nervous.

  A couple guys had tried talking to me throughout the night, but I wasn’t interested. I probably should have been flattered that anyone even noticed me, especially with Megan in the room, but I was more annoyed by it than anything. It was so nice just to be out with my friends, feeling less alone than I had a few days ago. I clearly wasn’t looking for anything. My body felt numb to their advances. Griffin still weighed on my mind, and I wondered what kind of guy would be enough to make me drop my thoughts about him. It seemed like an impossible task.

  We stayed out until almost two a.m., dancing, laughing, and having a good time. I was genuinely comforted by this group of people I had so randomly found on my search for a new life. They were fun and seemed readily available to take my mind off anything bothering me. Mallory had completely opened up her life to me, helping me learn the ins and outs of her business. The others accepted me into their group so quickly just on the assumption that if Mallory liked me, I must be okay. I was surprised that I adapted so well to this group of already close friends. I never really imagined I could become close with so many people so quickly. It was certainly a sign of progress for me, which seemed good.

  We finally made our way out of the nightclub, and Mallory gushed about the guy she met. Apparently his name was Dillon.

  “Damn he was handsome. Don’t you think Addie? Did you see how good of a dancer he was? He is amazing,” Mallory said blissfully. She spoke as if what had happened on the dance floor could be considered even remotely romantic. It looked more to me like he was just taking advantage of her. Either that or he was searching her thoroughly for loose change in her absent pockets.

  “Mal, that guy’s middle name has to be ‘date rape,’ he was all over you. Don’t you think he was a little aggressive?” Steve chimed in, putting his arm around her shoulders as we walked outside to get a cab.

  “I know, he was a little much. But he seemed nice, and did I mention how good he looked?” Mallory continued, obviously a little tipsy. “I still want to go out to dinner with him tomorrow night. Is that a terrible decision? He did seem a little aggressive, but oh, he was so good looking.”

  “That’s what it takes to get a girl these days? You just paw all over them and they swoon?” Steve asked sarcastically. “To think I’ve been doing it wrong all this time. Something about him seemed a little creepy, didn’t it?” Steve replied, looking to me for confirmation.

  “I’ll tell you what Mal, how about Steve and I at least go to the restaurant for dinner too, and we’ll just sit on the opposite side of the room. That guy was clearly blitzed tonight, so he’ll never recognize us anyway. Then we can have a sign. Like you can pull on your left ear or something, and then we’ll know to intervene in case things get weird or uncomfortable,” I suggested.

  “Addie, that’s genius! What do you think, Steve? Will you go?” Mallory asked, laughing.

  “Of course Mal, I would love to save you from date rape if necessary,” Steve responded, flagging down a cab. “You women are crazy.”

  Chapter 15

  The next morning Mallory and I worked hard at the bakery, despite feeling a little sluggish when we first arrived. Sure enough around noon, Dillon called Mallory to make plans for dinner that night. She squealed once she got off the phone, giving me the details. We had already talked that morning that it would be a good idea for her to just drive herself to the restaurant to meet him. It would be better for her not to tell him where she lived. That way if he turned into a stage five clinger and she wasn’t interested, he at least wouldn’t be able to show up at the bakery on a whim. I assured her that Steve and I would arrive shortly after, just to keep an eye on her until she was sure this was a good decision.

  After work Mallory and I got ready at her place. The restaurant was on the fancy side, so Mallory picked out a cream colored ruffle-bottomed dress for her and a black A-line dress for me. We curled our hair and did our make-up, joking it was like we were getting ready for prom, though I never exactly experienced anything even similar to a prom at the boarding school.

  Steve pulled up on time and we followed Mallory to the restaurant. We sat in the car for a few minutes in the parking lot while she went in so it wouldn’t seem like we had all arrived together.

  “You really look pretty tonight Addie,” Steve said while we sat in his SUV. Steve looked quite handsome himself actually, wearing dark pants and a trendy slim fit blazer.

  “Thank you,” I replied, sounding a little bashful. “I really hope this goes well tonight. Mallory was really looking forward to seeing this guy, despite having a weird feeling about him.”

  Six or seven minutes later we walked into the restaurant. Steve quietly mentioned something to the hostess about where he wanted to sit, lying that it was our anniversary and that the particular table he requested had some significance to us. She obliged, sitting us at a small table on the raised tier of the restaurant. We had a perfect view of Mallory and her date, without it being so obvious that we planned to stare at them most of the night.

  “Very clever,” I whispered to Steve as we sat down.

  Steve and I ordered dinner and had casual conversation as we waited for our food. Mallory looked happy, laughing a lot and blushing as Dillon spoke to her.

  “Really Addie, you do look amazing tonight,” Steve said again, sipping on his cocktail. “Sometimes this whole thing really pisses me off.”

  “Thank you, I think? What do you mean?” I asked, a little confused at what he was getting at.

  “This whole thing with Griffin. I mean the jail thing, obviously, but the whole thing entirely,” he said, sounding frustrated. “I should probably stop talking I guess,” his voice trailed off.

  “What do you mean? Explain it to me, what’s going on?” I asked again.

  “Sorry, I guess I’m more mad at myself than anything. I knew I shouldn’t have given him your name out of the box," he said, looking up at me sincerely. "I guess I just didn’t realize I could dare you to go out with me. I don’t know, I’m just mad at myself for not keeping your name when I drew it, that's all."

  “You drew my name?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yes. I mulled it over, a lot, but I was nervous. I just didn’t know what to pick for you. I barely knew you, so it kind of freaked me out. So when Griffin begged me to switch names with him, I thought I was getting off easy. I guess I just didn’t realize what he had in mind for you, that’s all,” Steve said, looking genuine and vulnerable. “Forget about it Addie, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I don’t mean anything by it. I guess I’m just trying to say that I don’t know what’s going to happen with this Griffin situation, but I’m here for you, and I care about you. Nothing more,” Steve said, taking another drink.

  “I had no
idea. I thought Griffin just randomly drew my name. He never said anything,” I said quietly, looking over at Mallory to make sure things looked like they were going okay.

  “All part of the master plan, I guess,” Steve said under his breath. “Look, I shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t want to make this weird. I have just been feeling almost guilty about it. Like if I had kept your name in the first place, everything would have happened differently and maybe you wouldn’t feel hurt from everything that’s happened, if that makes sense,” Steve continued, shaking his head. “Sorry, I know we’re just here for Mallory and this is nothing more than that. I’m sorry for blurting all that out. It’s just been bothering me, thinking if I had done one thing different then maybe you wouldn’t be hurt from this situation with Griffin. Anyway, I‘m done talking about it. I just felt like I had to get that off my chest.”

  “You can always tell me what you’re thinking, Steve. I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with you. You’ve been a nice distraction,” I said, touching his hand. “I just… I’m just out of sorts right know. I don’t know what to think about anything.”

  “That’s okay Addie. Don’t even think about it, everything I’m saying. Let’s just have fun tonight. That’s why we’re here, right? It is our anniversary and all,” Steve said, his mouth forming into a big smile.

  I nodded, smiling, glancing over at Mallory again. She had ordered a glass of wine, which seemed to suggest she felt comfortable with this guy. As the waiter set down our plates, I noticed Mallory had gotten up from the table. She headed towards the bathroom.

  “Oh, she’s up. I’m going to meet her in the bathroom to get the rundown. I’ll be right back,” I said, quickly standing up and making my way to the back of the restaurant.

  “Addie, you are never going to believe this, but he is amazing,” Mallory said excitedly as soon as I opened the restroom door. “Doesn’t he look incredible in that suit? I’m so sorry for making you guys follow me here tonight, I don’t know what I was so nervous about. He’s just so good looking and funny, it gives me a pit in my stomach, but I realize now it’s in a good way.”