"How about I pick you up around twelve o' clock?"
"That sounds perfect. See you then."
***
I finished off the last bite of falafel, and the joy of its deliciousness rippled across the surface of my tongue.
"These falafels seriously are to die for!" I exclaimed. "I'm definitely coming back to this place."
"Told you," said Angie with a proud smile.
"So," I said. "Spill it. Tell me about that guy you were dancing with... what happened?"
"You tell me first," she said. "What made you leave so quickly?"
"Oh, that guy who wanted to dance with me, he was a serious jerk. Got real pushy and started crossing boundaries way too soon. I'm sorry I left so early, but that guy was repulsive. I mean sure, he was young and really good-looking, but attitude-wise, he was just awful."
"Yeah, my guy was a bit like that, too. But I stayed and drank and danced with them for a while, and ended up having a pretty fun time."
"You didn't uh..."
"Go home with him?" she said with a laugh. "No. But we did make out outside the club before I left. Despite all his swagger and arrogance, he was a lousy kisser, so I think he would probably have been lacking in performance in... other areas, too," she grinned.
We both laughed.
"Now tell me seriously, though," she said. "How it is that a beautiful girl like you is still single? I mean, yeah, I know that the Simon thing probably put you off guys for a while, but surely there's a decent man or two in this town?"
I smiled.
"Actually, there is..."
"Really?"
"The guy who stood me up on Friday."
"No way! Why'd you give him another chance? Come on, what kind of guy does that?"
"No, no, he had a very good reason, and he was really, really sorry about it. Like, hundred-dollar bouquet of flowers, sorry."
"Hmm, if you say so. Me, though, I wouldn't have given him a chance."
"Usually I wouldn't, but him, he's different. He's really different, in such a good way."
I couldn't help smiling broadly and feeling a delicious sensation of warmth spreading through me as I thought of him.
"Alright, alright... Well, who is this guy? What does he do? Does he at least have a name?"
"Oh, he's the new principal of JFK High, but he's young for a principal; he's only 32."
"And his name?"
I smiled again. "Everett."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Everett
I sat and ate lunch alone after spending the morning at the hospital, casting the occasional glance through the kitchen window at the house across the road. After I had received the text from Vivienne, I hoped she was enjoying her lunch with her friend, although I knew she would surely be worrying about the schemes and plots of her psychotic stalker, Simon. I had no doubt he would come around again, as he had the past few days, to stare at the house and try to figure out if she was home. I admit I wasn't crazy about her leaving with her friend for lunch under the circumstances, but she also had the right to live her life without being stuck in her house out of fear. I just wished I could be there to protect her if she needed me.