Meeting at Midnight Read Online Free PDF Page B

counter, humming along with the radio. She wore jeans and a blue sweater today, and her denim-clad hips were swaying to the music in a cute little be-bop that yanked my attention away from my sore knee.
    Then I noticed what was playing on the radio: Kenny Chesney singing “How forever feels.” The song Gwen and I had danced to five years ago, on the night we’d ended up in bed together.
    The night before I left her.
    All the fizz drained out of the day. I took a deep breath and limped on into the room. Doofus yelped happily, announcing our arrival.
    Seely spun around, her eyes wide. “How do you do that?”
    â€œWhat?” Doofus had found his water dish and was thrilled by the discovery, lapping away as if he’d been in the desert for days. I’d have to put him out soon. Or ask Seely to, dammit. I didn’t like depending on others for every little thing.
    â€œSneak up on me when you can barely walk,” she said.
    â€œNo shoes.” I decided to rest a bit before making for the oak table in the center of the room. “I came out for a cup of coffee.”
    â€œI would have brought you coffee. That’s what that little bell by your bed is for.”
    â€œI didn’t want to drink it in bed. Besides, I thought it would help if you could see that I’m able to move around some now.”
    â€œHelp what?”
    â€œI don’t want to sleep all day today.”
    One of her eyebrows lifted. The woman had the most talkative eyebrows I’d ever seen. “Okay. You thought I needed to be notified of this?”
    Yesterday I’d dozed off every time she checked on me. That had to be coincidence…didn’t it? “We have a deal. I do whatyou say, within reason. I wanted to show you that it wouldn’t be reasonable to keep me in bed all day.”
    Her mouth kicked up on one side. “Well, since you’re already here, you may as well sit down and have that coffee. No, wait—I’d rather you didn’t go splat on the floor. Let me get on your good side first.”
    I didn’t have much choice. She reached me before I’d taken more than a couple of halting steps and slid an arm around my waist. The warm strength of her body felt good. “How can you move so fast without seeming to hurry?”
    â€œLong legs. It helps when my target is crippled and can’t escape.”
    My mouth twitched. The top of her head was only a few inches below mine. If I’d turned my head, it would have tickled my nose. Her hair smelled nice—a green smell, like herbs.
    We made for the table at a half lurch, and I had to admit it was easier with her help. More pleasant, too. My body started entertaining ideas I could have sworn it wasn’t ready to consider yet. I sure couldn’t do anything about those ideas, even if I’d been free to.
    Which I wasn’t. She was an employee, off-limits.
    We reached the table. I spoke abruptly. “The first time I saw you, you were glowing.”
    â€œAmazing the sort of thing a mind in shock can conjure, isn’t it?”
    â€œIs that what it was?”
    She let me go as I lowered myself carefully into a chair, then looked me square in the eye. Her eyebrows were expressing skepticism. “I don’t know. Do you often see people glow when you aren’t in shock?”
    â€œHardly ever.” Common wisdom holds that people won’t look you in the eye if they’re lying. This is stupid. Sinceeveryone knows this, someone who intends to lie to you will be sure to meet your eyes. I guess people who expect liars to look shifty haven’t been around teenagers much. “That E.R. doctor was sure baffled by my shoulder.”
    She laughed and headed for the coffeepot. “The one you kept calling an idiot?”
    â€œYeah. Harry Meckle. I knew him in school.” Was she dodging the subject? Or was I being given a chance to avoid looking like a fool? I drummed my fingers on