This is where I kind of got stuck...after this chapter... Thoughts, insights, feedback, ideas are all welcome. Hope you've enjoyed thus far.


Chapter 27: Business

The next morning...

David awoke the next morning to find Michael and Arch shoving their things in their bags in a rush.

He sat up slowly. "What's going on?"

"You know what time it is, mate?" Michael asked with a slight chuckle. "We gotta get going."

"Yeah, we were trying to do you a favor by letting you sleep in a bit, you looked totally beat when you returned yesterday," David A. offered with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, thanks," David responded. "You have no idea..." he mumbled under his breath.

As he was gathering what he needed to make it to the shower, his phone buzzed.

"Cook here," he answered after fumbling with the phone.

"Where are you guys? Get down here! Jim is getting pissed waiting for you," he heard Carly yelp at him in her brogue.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, yes, mother. We're coming."

"Can it, Cook or you'll pay later," she replied.

"Yes, dear..." he said as he hung up.

Friends. At least they would help distract him...keep him distracted for the time being.

Just as he'd hung up on Carly, his phone alerted him that he had an incoming text message. Fuller.

We need to talk. Call me from the road. ASAP.

Yes. Friends and business. That's enough to lose yourself for a while, right?

On the other side of town...

As Emma readied herself for work, she tried to make the redness around her eyes disappear with concealer. It wasn't working very well. Why couldn't someone come up with a makeup magic eraser that REALLY worked? It'd be nice to erase the traces of the previous evening, as if it'd never happened.

Thirty minutes later, she finally gave up, deciding she'd avoid mirrors all day.

After grabbing a folder from her desk, she headed off to the bookstore.

A busy time of year was descending upon the store. Right before the holiday rush. Inventory had to be done, displays had to be thought up, orders had to be put in for hundreds of books. Emma was thrilled. A busy mind was better than an idle mind, especially with the way things were going.