Just to be Left Alone Read Online Free PDF

here if you
want. I won’t consider it bad manners,” he said while wagging his eyebrows.
    “No
thanks. I’ll be right back,”
    I
scooted out of the booth and just as I was passing him I heard him say, “Don’t
take too long or I’ll eat your meatloaf.”
    I
took care of my problem and when I came out I saw a dark-haired guy at the
register paying for his take-out. As I walked by him he turned his head. I
stopped in my tracks.
    “Hi
you,” Conrad said huskily.
    “Conrad,
I never thought I’d see you again.”
    I
was a little breathless.
    “Same
here, especially at the diner by my work,” he said as he pointed across the
street.
    “You
work close by?”
    I
tried to make my heart slow down.
    “Yes,
I’m a welder with a company right down the street and am heading home early
today. I just stopped by to get some pot pie before I went home. What are you
doing on this side of town?”
    “I’m
here with an insurance adjuster for my company. We had an accident this week.”
    I
nodded toward the booth were Parker was talking to Julia, who had our food
ready.
    “It
seems you’ve had a couple of bad things happen this week. Are you doing okay?”
    “I’m
fine. I don’t know how Jason feels about things. He sent a few messages and
some flowers, but I only spoke to him once since that night.”
    “I
hope it was to tell him to get lost.”
    “It
was and he hopes that I’ll forgive him. I probably will, just not anytime soon.
    “Good
for you. Say, I never got your phone number and seeing you again reminds me of
how stupid I was not to ask for it then.”
    I
grabbed a pen off the counter and wrote my numbers on my business card, then
slid it over to him. He took it and slid it into his wallet.
    “When
can I call you?”
    My
heart jumped again.
    “Tomorrow
is fine. I’ll be out tonight with my girlfriends.”
    “Go
eat your food before it gets cold and I’ll call you tomorrow. Oh, I hope your
bad luck goes away very soon.”
    He
waved and left.
    I
waved back and walked to the booth.
    “I’m
jealous and I almost ate your cooling food,” Parker said without looking up as
he cut his country fried steak.
    “I
guess you saw that.”
    I
fidgeted with my fork and napkin as I set them out.
    “Yeah,
he was kind of hard to miss. Julia said he’s a regular and she swooned for him
harder than she does for me.”
    He
stuck a bite of steak in his mouth.
    “I
met him last weekend downtown when the guy I was dating got a little too
physical. Conrad saw it and came to my rescue just when I needed it. If he
hadn’t, I would’ve been a little bit like the dock you saw this week, or
worse.”
    I
toyed with the food as I babbled.
    “I’m
sorry. Please don’t let that ruin our lunch.”
    I
ate a few bites of my food and loved it. Everything was as good as Parker had
said.
    “This
is wonderful. I may have to come here as a regular myself.”
    “You
do that. Just stay in Julia’s good graces. Oh, by the way, I’m glad someone was
there to save you. You don’t have to talk about it. I just wanted you to know.
Not all guys have crazed split personalities, some of us are just what we
appear to be and can even be wonderful.”
    “I
appreciate that. It was just a shock and it’s still pretty raw. Jason and I hadn’t
been dating too long and were set up by a friend of ours. He seemed to change
overnight and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. It got rough. Conrad stepped in
before it got any worse. He got Jason to back down and leave, then he stayed
until Raven picked me up.” I said while trying to keep my voice from cracking.
    “Is
Raven the one who set you up with Jason?” He asked as he finished off his
vegetables.
    “No,
Chastity did.”
    “How
does Chastity feel about this?”
    “She’s
waiting for my permission to beat him up.”
    “I
like your friends already.”
    “Yes,
we’re going out tonight to de-stress a little. Are you coming?”
    I
finished off my meatloaf before it got any