Lilacs for Carrie by Gaudens Judith St

Author:Gaudens, Judith St. [Gaudens, Judith St.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9781450583473
Publisher: Createspace
Published: 2010-04-16T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I returned to Connie’s bungalow within thirty minutes. At the motel, Mrs. Goodwin was slightly miffed over my leaving on such short notice. To placate her, I paid for an extra night and promised to interview her and photograph her establishment in the near future. I was amazed at how quickly the makeshift reason for my visit had spread.

The garage wasn’t difficult to find. The door was open, and I pulled the car through. I grabbed a few essentials and my camera bag, closed the spring-loaded door, and secured the heavy lock in the hasp. I doubted we would be deceiving anyone by concealing the car. We needed to go about our business normally and hope that Nickie Sue wouldn’t cause any difficulty. Hiding out and sneaking around were not the answers to the situation.

Connie must have heard the crunch of the tires in the graveled alleyway. She was waiting at the rear door of her bungalow when I opened the wooden gate to her small backyard. I waved and she smiled in return.

“I’ll show you where to put your things,” she offered when I entered the apartment. “Bathroom is there. Bedroom is over here. I’ll hang up your clothes. Jessie, where are your clothes? You said you would stay with me.”

“I am staying, love.” I placed my small duffel bag on the double bed.

“I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for you to get back. You were gone forever. I know you got more stuff than this.” She was agitated, pacing around the roomy bedroom like a caged animal.

“Calm down, Connie. My things are fine in the car. I’ve brought in what I need.”

“Let’s get the rest of your stuff. That garage ain’t very safe. Come on. I’ll help you.”

Shortly, while Connie organized all of my belongings where she wanted them, her stress seemed to disappear, as if the activity served to relax her. As soon as she was finished, her anxiety returned.

I smiled at my lover, took her hand, and led her into the living room. “Come on, Connie. Why don’t we sit over here and I’ll rub your back.” I moved toward the sofa. Connie did not follow me. “I’ve had quite a day,” I continued. “I spent part of the morning and afternoon with Julian Loring, you know. He asked about you.”

“What? Who? Oh, Julian. That’s nice. I could make some lunch. Do you want some lunch? Oh, what am I thinking? It’s almost dinnertime. What should I make for dinner? I need to do something, Jessie. Let me do something.”

“Sit down, Connie! Right over here, next to me. What you need is to calm down. Come over here.” I knew I sounded harsh, but I achieved the desired result. Sighing heavily, Connie flounced across the room. She began to unbutton her blouse as she approached the sofa.

“Leave it on for now, darling. I can rub your back fine with your shirt on.” I wanted to keep my wits about me, and Connie’s bare skin was a distraction.

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