Chapter Eight
~~~~~*~~~~~
Gary spotted April coming out of the ladies room looking
even more beautiful than when she first went in. Her
face brightened up when she saw him and as she
made her towards him, Gary noticed that she drew quite
a bit of attention from the male customers in the bar, turning
down another guys offer to buy her a drink. But April seemed
not to notice all of the attention she was getting. Her eyes
were glued on him.
"Thanks" she said, breathlessly when she finally reached
him "I feel much better"
"Good...good." Gary nodded. "Can I...ah, get you something"
Coffee...or..."
"Coffee thanks," she smiled.
Gary ordered a cup of coffee and a mug of beer from
a passing waitress, and they took a seat at a table
near his office. He didn't want to miss Marisa when she
came out, plus it was an easy exit in case he wanted to
take a quick look at the paper.
Settled on her seat, April seemed more relaxed and at
ease. She folded her arms placing both elbows comfortably
on the table. "So this is Mc-gan..Mic....."
"Mc'ginty's" Gary smiled, helping her out with the pronunciation
of the name.
"Mc-gin-ty's" she repeated slowly, letting the name play
on her tongue.
"Yeah, that's right." Gary said laughing at her attempt.
April was beginning to feel calm inside, almost forgetting
how nervous she had been when she first walked in.
This guy certainly made her feel comfortable and at ease
which was something she had never felt with the men
she had dated.
"So how did you find this place" Gary asked, trying to make
conversation until their refreshments arrived.
April seemed caught off guard by the question. She sat
staring across at him, her pretty blue eyes blinking thoughtfully.
She couldn't possible tell him that she had followed him there
the day they met at the department store. That she had trailed
him to some old apartment buildings where she witnessed him
coming out from the side of the building with a woman close
on his heels, holding a little boy. She noticed that the woman
kept thanking him over and over again all the way to his car.
Who was that woman? Why was she thanking him? Was
she a girlfriend? A wife? April prayed she wasn't his wife.
"You're not following me are you?" Gary whispered leaning
forward in his seat.
Gary's voice broke April from her thoughts and her expression
changed to startle this time. Gary noticed right away and
apologized quickly. "I-I was only kidding." He said softly.
"I-I'm sorry," April said drawing in a long breath. "I don't want you
to think that I'm some kind of nut that's following
you around...or-or something."
"Oh, I wasn't thinking that at all." Gary shook his head trying
to put her at ease.
"Actually, I found this place purely by accident." She said.
"Really? Humph. " Gary ran a hand across the back of his
neck. "Small world."
April returned the smile. "Yes, it is. Actually, I'm new here,
ah...from New York and I've been here in Chicago for about six
months. I just recently got hired on at a law firm across town."
She motioned with a thumb over her shoulder.
"Lawyer?" Gary asked.
"No," April laughed. "No.I do clerical work. Filing, scheduling
appointments, special meetings and so on." She wrinkled her
nose. "I haven't been there long. The firm's new, just getting
started. Davees, Davis and Daly?"
Gary ran a hand across his mouth thinking to himself that
he could have used a good lawyer when he was accused of
Scanlon's murder.
"Never heard of them." He said shaking his head.
"They were formerly known as Davees, *Danado* and
Daly. One of the lawyers suddenly disap--" April started
but stopped abruptly in mid-sentence. She glanced down
at her hands, "W-What I meant to say was that, one of the
lawyers left...so they hired a new lawyer to join their team."
Gary nodded, an a half grin flickered across his lips.
April noticed his amusement. "What?" She smiled back.
Gary laughed, "Davy...Danny er.. something. And you thought
the name Mcginty's was difficult."
April laughed and reached across the table to pick up an
imaginary phone then placed it to her ear. "Good morning. Law
offices of Davees, Davis, and Daly." She said in her sweetest
voice. " May I help you?"
"You do that quite well you know." Gary chuckled.
"Thanks" she laughed, "But on my first day--" she
made a face rolling her eyes upward. "I can't tell you how
many times I flubbed that line."
They shared another laugh but stopped suddenly when a loud
boisterous whoop came from the direction of the entrance
door. Startled, April jumped pressing a hand to her chest to
calm herself.
Gary turned around to see what the noise was all about.
It was only a group of people coming in out of the cold and rain.
They were laughing and jostling around with each other
before finally taking seats at the bar. A few minutes later
their chattering and laughter settled down as they joined
the small crowd that was in the game room. Gary turned back
around to face April.
"You all right?" He asked softly.
"Yes...I mean...I don't know" she sighed sliding her hands
down her arms.
Concerned about her, Gary searched her face. "Is there
anything wrong?"
She glanced back up at Gary her pretty eyes that were
laughing only a minute ago showed signs of worry and fear.
"It's probably nothing." She shrugged, " It's just that sometimes
I get this feeling that someone is following me."
Gary looked off towards the direction of the door
again, then back at her. He shifted in his seat. "You think
that someone might be following you?"
April rubbed her hands up and down her arms "I'm just a little
nervous, you know, driving in the rain and all.
"Would you like if I called the police--?"
"No!" She interrupted quickly, " I-I mean, no thank you. It's
probably just my imagination I'm ok Gary, really."
Gary staring at her quietly for a moment. Her words and
actions had baffled him.
The waitress appeared suddenly with their order. April smiled
slipping her hair behind her ears, "Our beverages."
Gary had completely forgotten about their order, "Oh yeah. Our
drinks," he murmured.
April smiled and inhaled the aroma of the hot coffee before
cautiously taking a sip. The coffee was hot and warmed her
inside. Cupping the hot mug in both hands, she settled
comfortably on her chair looking across at Gary who, wanting
to ease her tension, mockingly inhaled the aroma from his mug
of beer before taking a long satisfying drink to which they both
burst out laughing again.
"Feel better now?" he asked softly wiping the foam from his
mouth with the back of his arm.
April nodded. She felt foolish about how she had acted and
for a brief moment allowed herself to believe that maybe everything
was going to be all right. But deep down inside, she held an awful
secret. Things would never be all right! She knew that if she
continued to see this beautiful man, he would probably end up
just like all the others. Dead! Please God not him! Please help me! She
prayed silently.
To be continued.......................
~~~~~*~~~~~
Gary spotted April coming out of the ladies room looking
even more beautiful than when she first went in. Her
face brightened up when she saw him and as she
made her towards him, Gary noticed that she drew quite
a bit of attention from the male customers in the bar, turning
down another guys offer to buy her a drink. But April seemed
not to notice all of the attention she was getting. Her eyes
were glued on him.
"Thanks" she said, breathlessly when she finally reached
him "I feel much better"
"Good...good." Gary nodded. "Can I...ah, get you something"
Coffee...or..."
"Coffee thanks," she smiled.
Gary ordered a cup of coffee and a mug of beer from
a passing waitress, and they took a seat at a table
near his office. He didn't want to miss Marisa when she
came out, plus it was an easy exit in case he wanted to
take a quick look at the paper.
Settled on her seat, April seemed more relaxed and at
ease. She folded her arms placing both elbows comfortably
on the table. "So this is Mc-gan..Mic....."
"Mc'ginty's" Gary smiled, helping her out with the pronunciation
of the name.
"Mc-gin-ty's" she repeated slowly, letting the name play
on her tongue.
"Yeah, that's right." Gary said laughing at her attempt.
April was beginning to feel calm inside, almost forgetting
how nervous she had been when she first walked in.
This guy certainly made her feel comfortable and at ease
which was something she had never felt with the men
she had dated.
"So how did you find this place" Gary asked, trying to make
conversation until their refreshments arrived.
April seemed caught off guard by the question. She sat
staring across at him, her pretty blue eyes blinking thoughtfully.
She couldn't possible tell him that she had followed him there
the day they met at the department store. That she had trailed
him to some old apartment buildings where she witnessed him
coming out from the side of the building with a woman close
on his heels, holding a little boy. She noticed that the woman
kept thanking him over and over again all the way to his car.
Who was that woman? Why was she thanking him? Was
she a girlfriend? A wife? April prayed she wasn't his wife.
"You're not following me are you?" Gary whispered leaning
forward in his seat.
Gary's voice broke April from her thoughts and her expression
changed to startle this time. Gary noticed right away and
apologized quickly. "I-I was only kidding." He said softly.
"I-I'm sorry," April said drawing in a long breath. "I don't want you
to think that I'm some kind of nut that's following
you around...or-or something."
"Oh, I wasn't thinking that at all." Gary shook his head trying
to put her at ease.
"Actually, I found this place purely by accident." She said.
"Really? Humph. " Gary ran a hand across the back of his
neck. "Small world."
April returned the smile. "Yes, it is. Actually, I'm new here,
ah...from New York and I've been here in Chicago for about six
months. I just recently got hired on at a law firm across town."
She motioned with a thumb over her shoulder.
"Lawyer?" Gary asked.
"No," April laughed. "No.I do clerical work. Filing, scheduling
appointments, special meetings and so on." She wrinkled her
nose. "I haven't been there long. The firm's new, just getting
started. Davees, Davis and Daly?"
Gary ran a hand across his mouth thinking to himself that
he could have used a good lawyer when he was accused of
Scanlon's murder.
"Never heard of them." He said shaking his head.
"They were formerly known as Davees, *Danado* and
Daly. One of the lawyers suddenly disap--" April started
but stopped abruptly in mid-sentence. She glanced down
at her hands, "W-What I meant to say was that, one of the
lawyers left...so they hired a new lawyer to join their team."
Gary nodded, an a half grin flickered across his lips.
April noticed his amusement. "What?" She smiled back.
Gary laughed, "Davy...Danny er.. something. And you thought
the name Mcginty's was difficult."
April laughed and reached across the table to pick up an
imaginary phone then placed it to her ear. "Good morning. Law
offices of Davees, Davis, and Daly." She said in her sweetest
voice. " May I help you?"
"You do that quite well you know." Gary chuckled.
"Thanks" she laughed, "But on my first day--" she
made a face rolling her eyes upward. "I can't tell you how
many times I flubbed that line."
They shared another laugh but stopped suddenly when a loud
boisterous whoop came from the direction of the entrance
door. Startled, April jumped pressing a hand to her chest to
calm herself.
Gary turned around to see what the noise was all about.
It was only a group of people coming in out of the cold and rain.
They were laughing and jostling around with each other
before finally taking seats at the bar. A few minutes later
their chattering and laughter settled down as they joined
the small crowd that was in the game room. Gary turned back
around to face April.
"You all right?" He asked softly.
"Yes...I mean...I don't know" she sighed sliding her hands
down her arms.
Concerned about her, Gary searched her face. "Is there
anything wrong?"
She glanced back up at Gary her pretty eyes that were
laughing only a minute ago showed signs of worry and fear.
"It's probably nothing." She shrugged, " It's just that sometimes
I get this feeling that someone is following me."
Gary looked off towards the direction of the door
again, then back at her. He shifted in his seat. "You think
that someone might be following you?"
April rubbed her hands up and down her arms "I'm just a little
nervous, you know, driving in the rain and all.
"Would you like if I called the police--?"
"No!" She interrupted quickly, " I-I mean, no thank you. It's
probably just my imagination I'm ok Gary, really."
Gary staring at her quietly for a moment. Her words and
actions had baffled him.
The waitress appeared suddenly with their order. April smiled
slipping her hair behind her ears, "Our beverages."
Gary had completely forgotten about their order, "Oh yeah. Our
drinks," he murmured.
April smiled and inhaled the aroma of the hot coffee before
cautiously taking a sip. The coffee was hot and warmed her
inside. Cupping the hot mug in both hands, she settled
comfortably on her chair looking across at Gary who, wanting
to ease her tension, mockingly inhaled the aroma from his mug
of beer before taking a long satisfying drink to which they both
burst out laughing again.
"Feel better now?" he asked softly wiping the foam from his
mouth with the back of his arm.
April nodded. She felt foolish about how she had acted and
for a brief moment allowed herself to believe that maybe everything
was going to be all right. But deep down inside, she held an awful
secret. Things would never be all right! She knew that if she
continued to see this beautiful man, he would probably end up
just like all the others. Dead! Please God not him! Please help me! She
prayed silently.
To be continued.......................