is it?” Torie demanded. “What is it?”
“He’s-he’s-he’s—” she hiccupped.
“WHAT?”
“Gone,” she said on a wail.
“What? Where? Back to New Orleans?”
“I-I-I don’t know.”
Torie fishtailed around a corner, flooring the Mercedes as she got on the Schuylkill Expressway. She took a moment to appreciate the car Paul had loaned her. Maybe she’d look into a Mercedes for her next car. She hardly felt the excessive speed, and hoped the silver SUV could keep up. She found it in her rearview mirror as she scanned for police cars. She prayed there wouldn’t be any cops out looking to make their ticket quota as she sped up three exits to wind through the neighborhoods to Pam’s house. All the while trying to get Pam to stop crying, and give her some coherent information.
Pam met her at the door. Her eyes were red and her hands clutched a wad of tissue. Torie had never, ever seen her this distraught.
“Pam, what on earth is going on?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I do, but I don’t.”
“Huh?”
“We had this thing,” she sobbed, collapsing on the couch.
“Thing?”
“Yeah, you know.” Pam glared at her as she sat down, as if she should be able to know all this already. “A
“Do you want some tea or coffee or something?”
“No.” Pam’s head drooped, any flare of anger quickly extinguished.
That, more than anything, worried Torie. Pam never let anything stop her. Never let anything defeat her sparkling spirit. Certainly not a man.
“You’re not…you didn’t…”
“I’m not pregnant.”
Torie sighed. “That’s not what I was asking.” Not that she wasn’t relieved to hear it. “You didn’t…fall in love with him, did you?”
Pam’s laugh was harsh. “No, not me. I never do anything like that, do I? Have you ever known me to do that?”
“No, but I’ve never seen you like this, either.” Torie scooted closer, putting her arm around her friend. “Do you know where he went?”
Pam shook her head, then blew her reddened nose with a loud honk. Torie took a moment to look around. It was obvious Pam had been moping for a while. There was an empty tea mug, her drink of choice when depressed. Tissues were scattered around the trash can, which was pulled to the coffee table.
Definitely not Pam’s usual MO.
“Did you have a fight?”
“No.” Pam’s answer was defensive. “I just asked if he would miss me when he went home.”
“Had he said he was leaving?”
“No. But he lives in New Orleans, right? So I figured I’d ask.”
“Actually, I think he lives in Baton Rouge now, but he’s from New Orleans. He keeps a house in both places.”
“There, see? I didn’t know that. How come you know that? You never slept with him.” Irrational questions weren’t Pam’s usual order of business either, so Torie was beginning to be more and more concerned.
“I’m his cousin, Pam. We share a great-grandmother. He came to my father’s funeral. I know a bit about him.” She cocked her head. “You never showed any interest in him then.”
“I was seeing other people,” she said with ill grace. “I noticed him.”
“Noticed him.”
“Yeah, of course. He’s a man. I noticed him, all right? He wasn’t interested then. Neither was I, okay?”
Uh oh.
“You talked to him then?”
“Well, of course I did. He’s your cousin.” She folded her arms over her ample chest and huffed out a breath. “I flirted. He flirted back. But he was lookin’ at others, so I backed off.”
“Backed off. You?”
Pam rubbed her eyes, letting her head fall back onto the back of the couch. “I have standards, you know.” She closed her eyes. “They’re more flexible than most people’s, but I got ’em.” She rolled her head, opened her eyes, and looked at Torie. “I don’t hunt.”
“Oh, honey, I know. He was so supportive, especially after the wedding was called off. Really kind. But there wasn’t anything between us. You know that, right? Nothing but family.”
