Close Encounters by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin

Author:Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin [Martin, Gail Z.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falstaff Books
Published: 2018-09-23T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

“I’ve got an order of wings, two burgers, a salad, and nachos,” the server called out as he came to our table. I hailed one of the burgers, Sara flagged down the salad, Louie Marino claimed the other burger, and his wife, Tania, reached out for the nachos.

All around us, Friday night at the Drunk Monk on the East side of Conneaut Lake was in full swing. TVs over the bar showed a couple of games plus a big race. Most of the tables were full, the beer was flowing, and for once, all seemed right with the world.

“So you’ve known Mark a long time,” Sara said with a mischievous grin aimed at Louie.

“Sure have,” my buddy, the Linesville cop, replied. “Long enough to know that he would, without question, willingly assault a sworn officer of the law if I tell you any of the things you probably want to know.”

Tania snickered. Sara gave me an appraising look, and I tried—and failed—to look innocent.

I’d finally gotten Sara to take a couple of midweek days off to visit, and after getting the grand tour, she wanted to sample the area’s so-called nightlife and meet my friends. Blair and Chiara had an event at the coffee shop, so Louie and his wife drew the short straw and here we were, double dating.

I squeezed Sara’s hand under the table, and she bumped her knee against mine. Even though I told myself I was too old to feel twitterpated, I liked Sara, maybe more than was safe. After all, she’d been widowed, and I’d been kicked to the curb, so we were both okay with moving slowly and seeing where things went. I liked talking with her and spending time just snuggled on the couch watching a movie. We had a nice time, whether we stayed in or went out. Best of all, it just felt comfortable between us. I liked that best of all, because while it wasn’t the dizzying, breathless infatuation movies consider to be romance, it seemed solid and workable, something for the long haul. I really, really hoped she felt the same way.

“To be honest, there aren’t a lot of interesting stories anyhow,” Louie went on. “I mean, Mark wasn’t the most exciting guy growing up—”

“Now wait a minute!” I objected. I’d sworn Louie to secrecy about a couple of embarrassing moments in elementary school, like getting pantsed in gym class in fifth grade or showing up on the wrong baseball field in sixth grade and causing the team to forfeit the game, but that didn’t mean I wanted to sound boring.

Louie just grinned, and I knew this was revenge for the time I told his junior prom date about how he got bus-sick on the way to summer camp and barfed all over the chaperones.

“I guess you’d call him a late bloomer,” Louie went on with a devilish glint in his eye. “I mean, senior year, no one would have voted him ‘most likely to save the world.’”

Inwardly, I groaned.

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