6.
The pair headed downstairs to the small coffee area that Miranda had previously mentioned. This time, she was fully dressed and very curious to find out why Greg seemed so afraid of his.. friend.
Both bought a coffee and finding a free seat, sat down to talk. Miranda added some sugar to her black drink and stirred it slowly, waiting for Greg to talk. Greg sipped at his coffee thoughtfully before finally addressing the young woman sitting with him.
"I was supposed to be keeping an eye on his apartment and came back to check on it today.. I've been a bit caught up with things and hadn't been back in awhile. Trouble with the girlfriend - she kicked me out early last week - apparently I was being 'too truthful'," he quoted his girlfriend, frowning at the idea.
"Pity she wasn't as 'truthful' about the affair," he grinned sheepishly.
Miranda grimaced.
"Ouch.. ahh, there's one thing that doesn't make sense - I know Michael was away on business, he said so himself.."
"But?"
"But even if he was planning on being away for awhile, and therefore had you to look after the apartment, wouldn't all the furniture still be in the apartment for my landlord to find? It would have saved the mix up, surely."
Greg shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Yeah.. Michael isn't a very trusting person and actually had all of his belongings put into storage.. he cleaned out the lot.. except for what he obviously came looking for a few days ago," he commented, referring to the male's visit to Miranda's apartment.
Miranda nodded, frowning. What was the point of that? If a friend was looking after the apartment - or supposedly looking after the apartment - she added as an amused afterthought, then surely everything would be safe? Who was that paranoid about their belongings? Something wasn't quite right..
Suddenly remembering that she hadn't been to see Ms. Boyle about Michael's lease papers, Miranda opened her mouth to mention the idea to Greg.
She paused as she concluded that it probably wouldn't be relevant to him and if something was going on, perhaps it wasn't smart for her to let him know that she was checking things out. She made a note to herself to do so at a more convenient time. Declan would surely be interested if she found anything.. Miranda smiled, thinking of her friend and wondered if Peggy had found out what was the cause of his odd behaviour.
***
Declan smiled lightly, not really taking in the happy chatter of his friend as the pair walked out from the cinemas. His thoughts wandered back to his student, Kasei and he sighed, suddenly very thankful that there was a weekend between the current time and their next meeting. He was almost certain that he wasn't imagining her forward nature, even more uncomfortable now that he had confirmed the position he was in. How to talk to her about it..
Peggy frowned and turned around to find Declan paused in the middle of the walkway, deep in thought. She smiled and walked up to her friend, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Hello.. earth to Declan. Did you hear any of what I just said?" she questioned her friend, waiting for a response.
Declan lifted his head and smiled at Peggy.
"Ahh.. sorry, Peg. Guess my mind has been on other things this evening.."
The attractive doctor smiled, nodding.
"That did become apparent earlier in the evening," she teased.
"Did you take in any of the movie?"
Declan shrugged and smiled, slightly embarrassed.
"Umm.. some of it. It wasn't a complete waste of time," he offered to his friend hurriedly, "it was nice to have a night out - a great way to end the week."
Peggy grinned and linked her arm in his, walking on again.
"Glad to hear it. Now, did you want to talk about what's obviously bothering you?"
Declan increased his pace, suddenly extremely eager to get to the car and head home, or more so - to avoid the conversation that he was about to have.
"And what's obviously bothering me?" he asked, almost certain that he didn't really want to hear her answer.
"I thought that was pretty obvious.. a certain student from one of your anthropology classes," she stated gently, interested in what was causing her friend such worry.
Declan grimaced and slowed his pace again, matching his friend's more relaxed stride.
"Yeah.. wanna get a coffee? Then I'll fill you in on the sordid details," he joked, grinning lightly.
Peggy laughed and nodded.
"Lead the way."
The pair headed downstairs to the small coffee area that Miranda had previously mentioned. This time, she was fully dressed and very curious to find out why Greg seemed so afraid of his.. friend.
Both bought a coffee and finding a free seat, sat down to talk. Miranda added some sugar to her black drink and stirred it slowly, waiting for Greg to talk. Greg sipped at his coffee thoughtfully before finally addressing the young woman sitting with him.
"I was supposed to be keeping an eye on his apartment and came back to check on it today.. I've been a bit caught up with things and hadn't been back in awhile. Trouble with the girlfriend - she kicked me out early last week - apparently I was being 'too truthful'," he quoted his girlfriend, frowning at the idea.
"Pity she wasn't as 'truthful' about the affair," he grinned sheepishly.
Miranda grimaced.
"Ouch.. ahh, there's one thing that doesn't make sense - I know Michael was away on business, he said so himself.."
"But?"
"But even if he was planning on being away for awhile, and therefore had you to look after the apartment, wouldn't all the furniture still be in the apartment for my landlord to find? It would have saved the mix up, surely."
Greg shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Yeah.. Michael isn't a very trusting person and actually had all of his belongings put into storage.. he cleaned out the lot.. except for what he obviously came looking for a few days ago," he commented, referring to the male's visit to Miranda's apartment.
Miranda nodded, frowning. What was the point of that? If a friend was looking after the apartment - or supposedly looking after the apartment - she added as an amused afterthought, then surely everything would be safe? Who was that paranoid about their belongings? Something wasn't quite right..
Suddenly remembering that she hadn't been to see Ms. Boyle about Michael's lease papers, Miranda opened her mouth to mention the idea to Greg.
She paused as she concluded that it probably wouldn't be relevant to him and if something was going on, perhaps it wasn't smart for her to let him know that she was checking things out. She made a note to herself to do so at a more convenient time. Declan would surely be interested if she found anything.. Miranda smiled, thinking of her friend and wondered if Peggy had found out what was the cause of his odd behaviour.
***
Declan smiled lightly, not really taking in the happy chatter of his friend as the pair walked out from the cinemas. His thoughts wandered back to his student, Kasei and he sighed, suddenly very thankful that there was a weekend between the current time and their next meeting. He was almost certain that he wasn't imagining her forward nature, even more uncomfortable now that he had confirmed the position he was in. How to talk to her about it..
Peggy frowned and turned around to find Declan paused in the middle of the walkway, deep in thought. She smiled and walked up to her friend, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Hello.. earth to Declan. Did you hear any of what I just said?" she questioned her friend, waiting for a response.
Declan lifted his head and smiled at Peggy.
"Ahh.. sorry, Peg. Guess my mind has been on other things this evening.."
The attractive doctor smiled, nodding.
"That did become apparent earlier in the evening," she teased.
"Did you take in any of the movie?"
Declan shrugged and smiled, slightly embarrassed.
"Umm.. some of it. It wasn't a complete waste of time," he offered to his friend hurriedly, "it was nice to have a night out - a great way to end the week."
Peggy grinned and linked her arm in his, walking on again.
"Glad to hear it. Now, did you want to talk about what's obviously bothering you?"
Declan increased his pace, suddenly extremely eager to get to the car and head home, or more so - to avoid the conversation that he was about to have.
"And what's obviously bothering me?" he asked, almost certain that he didn't really want to hear her answer.
"I thought that was pretty obvious.. a certain student from one of your anthropology classes," she stated gently, interested in what was causing her friend such worry.
Declan grimaced and slowed his pace again, matching his friend's more relaxed stride.
"Yeah.. wanna get a coffee? Then I'll fill you in on the sordid details," he joked, grinning lightly.
Peggy laughed and nodded.
"Lead the way."