“So… your parents really didn’t do any research? That’s kind of wild.”
“Right?” she said excitedly. “That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time. My mom got a call from a woman claiming to work at a women’s shelter that she used to donate to—a shelter she doesn’t even rememberthe name of—and they said they had a young single mother looking to be sponsored. Next thing you know, Sasha and Dot show up on my parents’ doorstep and we’re just all expected not to ask any questions. It’s crazy!”
“Really.” He ran his hand through his hair thoughtfully. “Not to overstep, but it kind of makes you think whether or not there’s something else going on.”
“With Sasha? I already think that. Why do you think I’m working so hard to find more info on her?”
“No, I meant with your parents.”
Mallory frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, just that this kind of rash decision is unusual for your mom and dad, right?” He shrugged. “I obviously don’t know them very well, but this just seems really random and like it was a situation thrown together at the last minute.”
“Yeah, I think that’s exactly what happened.”
“I guess, what I’m getting at is that if my aunt did something like this,” he went on. “My first assumption wouldn’t necessarily be that she’s been scammed. I’d probably think that she was doing this out of some sort of—I don’t know—emotional distress? Loneliness maybe?”
The word “loneliness” hit Mallory like a punch to the gut. How could her parents be lonely? They had each other. They had three kids who visited on a somewhat regular basis… right? Sure, it’d been nearly a year since Mallory had visited, and Ariel didn’t make the drive nearly as much as their parents would’ve liked, but it wasn’t like her parents didn’t have friends. Her dad got along with a lot of his coworkers, and her mom knew practically every woman over fifty in town.
“Or maybe I’m wrong,” James added in the interim silence. “Really, I don’t want to make assumptions about people I’ve only met a handful of times. I was just musing, but there’s probably no credence to what I said.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “I understand where you’re coming from. I just don’t think that’s the case with my parents.” She started to put the laptop back in her bag when her stomach growled so loud that she knew James had heard it—as if she hadn’t embarrassed herself enough in front of this man.
“You hungry?”
“Apparently,” she said sheepishly, “I skipped breakfast.”
“Want to go grab a bite to eat?” he asked. “There’s a great pub that opened up a few years ago across town. They’re doing a Thanksgiving week celebration with a bunch of food and drink specials. They’ve got great sliders and even better beer.”
It was only one in the afternoon, but Mallory had to admit that a cold beer and a hamburger sounded like heaven. “Sure,” she said. “Why not? It’s a holiday after all. We’re supposed to be eating, drinking, and being merry.”
“Absolutely, we are,” he said, getting up. He held his hand out to help Mallory stand. Since she was weighed down by a heavy shoulder bag, she accepted his help. When his fingers curled around her wrist, she was pulled up so quickly and effortlessly that she became acutely aware of his strong form. Blushing at the thought, she turned away before he could notice, taking her hand back.
“I walked from my parents’ house,” she said.
“I’ll drive us.”
“Okay, cool. Well, uh, lead the way then.”
Chapter 6
The pub was mostly empty. James led Mallory to a booth near a large window that overlooked the street so they could watch the gentle snowfall outside. After they were settled, she realized that the sparse crowd did not indicate the quality of the place. The service was fast, the food was delicious, and the drinks just kept coming—whether she remembered ordering a refill or not. By the time she finished her first couple of sliders, she’d already washed them down with two cold beers. Now she was sipping a very strong, holiday-themed cider, that she knew would make her drunk if she wasn’t careful.
But Mallory didn’t care, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“No, you’re wrong,” she said, interrupting James halfway through his story about prom. “Jen was actually runner up for queen, remember? But since Wendy went home early because she wasn’t feeling well, Jen danced with Larry, the prom king.”
“Ooh, you’re right.” He waved a knowing finger at her. “And that’s why Pete and Larry got in a fight afterwards. Because Pete felt like Larry had been too handsy with Jen during the dance. Now it’s coming back to me.” He took a swig of his beer and laughed. “It’s so funny how important all of that seemed back then and now I hardly remember it.”
“I know.” She nodded. “Who you went to prom with, what you wore… It felt like life or death at the time. Or at least, someof the kids made it out to be that way. It was the only thing every girl obsessed about for weeks leading up to it. I didn’t even wanna go to be honest, but my parents made me. They said I’d regret it if I stayed home.”
“Hey, same here!” James said, raising his hand in agreement. “My aunt kept lecturing me about it until I finally gave in.”
“Do you think they were right?” she asked. “Do you think if we hadn’t gone, we’d be sitting here regretting it now?”
He paused and rested his chin on his hand. “Hmm. That’s a good question. I’m not sure. I had an okay time I guess, but without having a date, it was very… anticlimactic.”
Mallory nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I didn’t have a date either.”
