Run Away Baby

“I don’t think it’s that specific. I guess I thought it showed kind of the general area where I was, from reading cellphone towers or something. Plus, I’m supposedly in a meeting, so it’ll be fine.”

“And what happens if you get caught lying to him?”

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”

“Well, as long as you’re comfortable with the plan.”

“I’m never comfortable.”

Charlie shook his head. “This is me,” he said, leading Abby to a rusty truck. He opened the passenger door for her and brushed a Taco Phil’s wrapper onto the floor.

After a quick look around at her surroundings, and feeling fairly certain that no one she knew was in the vicinity, she got in. She put on her sunglasses and pulled back her hair into a ponytail, doing her best to disguise herself

. She slinked down in her seat a bit. Meanwhile, Charlie dawdled, checking a small chip in his windshield. Abby scratched at her neck, looking to her left and right, waiting for Randall or Krissa to pull up alongside her.

After a minute she opened her door a crack. “Are you coming?” she asked Charlie. He nodded. Now her arms were getting scratchy, too. He didn’t seem to pick up on her state of panic.

Forget it, she decided. This was a mistake.

She opened her door and got out.

“Hey! Where you going?” Charlie met her on her way to her car. “Come back with me,” he said, taking her arm and leading her back to his truck. He opened the passenger door again and patted the seat. It made her think of her dad and their family dog. That was fifteen years ago. “Hop in. Let’s go,” he said.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing here,” she said.

“Relax. Get in. We’ll get on our way.”

“I’m sorry. I’m having second thoughts. I feel really funny about all of this.”

“Hop in,” he said again. He patted the seat some more. “I won’t bite.”

She got back in.

“I’m going to have to get it fixed or my whole windshield will break,” he said when they were pulling out of the parking lot.

“Too bad,” said Abby. “Maybe it’s been there a while?”

“No, it’s new.”

“I guess that’s what insurance is for, right?”

“I guess. Okay,” he said, trying to turn his mood around. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ve got, what, maybe an hour before you have to be back?”

“I was thinking fifteen minutes,” said Abby.

“Let’s split the difference. How about forty-five minutes?”

“Maybe I could do a half hour.”

“Do you want to get some coffee?”

“Maybe not. I’d hate to be seen by anyone. I mean, no offense. You understand.”

Charlie took a turn and headed down to a street full of student housing. Sofas and recliners littered front porches. People not much younger than Abby were playing Frisbee in the middle of the street.