Twenty minutes later, Nancy found herself walking through the garage of her
apartment building with Frank Hardy in tow. Both Nancy and Frank had been
silent the entire way to her car. Nancy turned off the alarm on her brand
new cherry red Mustang and opened the door. Before she could climb inside,
Frank put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
Turning around to face him Nancy saw that his dark brown eyes were filled with worry. "Nan, if you want, I can go. But, I just want to make sure that you're okay with...everything."
Nancy placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I'm fine," she sighed. "A little drained, but fine. And no, I don't want you to leave. I'm just sorry that you had to get stuck in the middle of this whole situation."
"Hey, there's nothing for you to sorry about," he told her. "As long as you're okay, I'm okay."
At that point Nancy's stomach let out a loud grumble. With a laugh she said, "I'm okay - except for being hungry, I guess."
"Well, we did work up quite an appetite last night, and this morning," Frank said waggling his eyebrows, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Cute, Hardy," Nancy smiled. " Now get your butt in the car so we can do something about restoring our energy."
"So, when's Joe and Vanessa's big day?" Nancy asked as she speared a leaf of lettuce. The two were seated at a nostalgic 50's style diner on the outskirts of town. Nancy needed to retrieve her cell phone from Bess's house and the diner was on the way.
"June 12th," Frank replied. "They should be sending out invitations soon - keep an eye out for yours."
Nancy shook her head in amazement. "I still can't believe that Vanessa got Joe to settle down. Will wonders ever cease?" Frank's younger brother, Joe had been a notorious flirt in his younger days and Nancy was shocked when she had learned about Joe's engagement last night.
"I know," Frank agreed. "Can't believe my baby brother is getting hitched. I hope Bess won't be too crushed when we tell her the news," he laughed. Bess had a crush on Joe when the two were younger, and even though nothing had ever happened between the two, it was still a joke among the friends.
"Actually," Nancy said, "I didn't get a chance to tell you, but Bess is engaged too."
Franks eyebrows raised, "To who?" Like his brother Joe, Bess was also known as a shameless flirt.
"A guy named Tom Neal that she met our senior year at Wilder. She's head over heels for him and they're getting married in September. You'd like him, he's a great guy. He's a teacher at the high school near their house."
"Wow." Frank paused momentarily to sip his drink. "Both Joe and Bess, the biggest flirts on the planet are getting married. Did hell freeze over and we miss the memo?" Frank chuckled at the thought.
Nancy laughed right along with Frank. "Guess so. But I'm happy for the both of them, and I wish them the best of luck."
"So," Frank said, changing the subject, "tell me what's been going on with you the last year. How's your dad and Hannah?"
"They're fine. Dad's as busy as ever with work but we see each other every other week or so. Hannah keeps calling me to come visit so she can 'get some real food in me'." Nancy smiled fondly at the thought of her housekeeper Hannah Gruen. Hannah had become a second mother to Nancy, after Nancy's mother had passed away when she was four years old. "What about your folks and Aunt Gertrude? How are they?"
"Fine. Mom and Aunt Gertrude are both driving Vanessa mad with the wedding plans. They think they're helping, but they're gonna give Van a nervous breakdown before she ever makes it down the aisle," he laughed. "Dad's PI business is still going strong. He hopes that Joe and I will take over eventually, but I think it will be awhile before that happens."
Frank and Joe, like Nancy, had both been amateur detectives in their teenage years. The boys hadn't given up investigating crimes completely, they just took two different career paths. Frank was working for NYPD as a computer crimes analyst and Joe was working for the FBI as a field agent, or is Joe liked to joke, a desk jockey. Even though they were both still in the criminal justice field, neither of them saw near the amount of danger they encountered when they were younger.
"You two doing alright? Can I get you anything?" the young blonde waitress asked, appearing at their table.
Both Nancy and Frank shook their head no. "We're okay, thanks," Nancy answered.
The waitress smiled and said, "Great. I'll bring your tab over in just a minute, folks."
"How's your work going?" Frank queried once the waitress had walked away. "We occasionally see some of your stories via the Associated Press in New York, but it's been awhile since I've seen anything big break."
"I love it, Frank. It's quieted down around here a little bit, lately. But, honestly - it's nice to have a break every once in awhile." Nancy did enjoy her job as an investigative journalist, but sometimes she simply needed a rest from the travel and the constant suspense of her job.
"I agree. A little r and r is a good thing every now and then. Even though I'm here on an official capacity, it's nice to get out of the doldrums of work for a change," he replied.
"What
exactly is it
that brought
you out to
Chicago?"
Nancy asked.
"A two week training course on new systems, laws, and procedures that the FCC has instituted in regards to the internet. The first week has been great. Technology is advancing so fast, it's hard to keep up at times. The hackers keep getting smarter, and we keep struggling to catch up."
"Well, you were always the best hacker that I knew," Nancy smiled. "I'm sure you give the bad guys a run for their money."
Frank wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I'd like to think so. We're free from seminars until Monday morning. Do you have any plans for the rest of the weekend?"
Nancy shook her head no. "Nope, no plans, yet." She cocked her head to the side and asked, "So, Hardy - was that your not so subtle way of asking me to hang out with you for rest of the weekend?"
Frank grinned sheepishly and reached across the table and picked up Nancy's hand. "That is, if you'll let me."
"I think that can be arranged," she grinned back. Her heart fluttered slightly in her chest. It was going to be an interesting weekend exploring this new twist in her relationship with Frank.
Turning around to face him Nancy saw that his dark brown eyes were filled with worry. "Nan, if you want, I can go. But, I just want to make sure that you're okay with...everything."
Nancy placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "I'm fine," she sighed. "A little drained, but fine. And no, I don't want you to leave. I'm just sorry that you had to get stuck in the middle of this whole situation."
"Hey, there's nothing for you to sorry about," he told her. "As long as you're okay, I'm okay."
At that point Nancy's stomach let out a loud grumble. With a laugh she said, "I'm okay - except for being hungry, I guess."
"Well, we did work up quite an appetite last night, and this morning," Frank said waggling his eyebrows, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Cute, Hardy," Nancy smiled. " Now get your butt in the car so we can do something about restoring our energy."
"So, when's Joe and Vanessa's big day?" Nancy asked as she speared a leaf of lettuce. The two were seated at a nostalgic 50's style diner on the outskirts of town. Nancy needed to retrieve her cell phone from Bess's house and the diner was on the way.
"June 12th," Frank replied. "They should be sending out invitations soon - keep an eye out for yours."
Nancy shook her head in amazement. "I still can't believe that Vanessa got Joe to settle down. Will wonders ever cease?" Frank's younger brother, Joe had been a notorious flirt in his younger days and Nancy was shocked when she had learned about Joe's engagement last night.
"I know," Frank agreed. "Can't believe my baby brother is getting hitched. I hope Bess won't be too crushed when we tell her the news," he laughed. Bess had a crush on Joe when the two were younger, and even though nothing had ever happened between the two, it was still a joke among the friends.
"Actually," Nancy said, "I didn't get a chance to tell you, but Bess is engaged too."
Franks eyebrows raised, "To who?" Like his brother Joe, Bess was also known as a shameless flirt.
"A guy named Tom Neal that she met our senior year at Wilder. She's head over heels for him and they're getting married in September. You'd like him, he's a great guy. He's a teacher at the high school near their house."
"Wow." Frank paused momentarily to sip his drink. "Both Joe and Bess, the biggest flirts on the planet are getting married. Did hell freeze over and we miss the memo?" Frank chuckled at the thought.
Nancy laughed right along with Frank. "Guess so. But I'm happy for the both of them, and I wish them the best of luck."
"So," Frank said, changing the subject, "tell me what's been going on with you the last year. How's your dad and Hannah?"
"They're fine. Dad's as busy as ever with work but we see each other every other week or so. Hannah keeps calling me to come visit so she can 'get some real food in me'." Nancy smiled fondly at the thought of her housekeeper Hannah Gruen. Hannah had become a second mother to Nancy, after Nancy's mother had passed away when she was four years old. "What about your folks and Aunt Gertrude? How are they?"
"Fine. Mom and Aunt Gertrude are both driving Vanessa mad with the wedding plans. They think they're helping, but they're gonna give Van a nervous breakdown before she ever makes it down the aisle," he laughed. "Dad's PI business is still going strong. He hopes that Joe and I will take over eventually, but I think it will be awhile before that happens."
Frank and Joe, like Nancy, had both been amateur detectives in their teenage years. The boys hadn't given up investigating crimes completely, they just took two different career paths. Frank was working for NYPD as a computer crimes analyst and Joe was working for the FBI as a field agent, or is Joe liked to joke, a desk jockey. Even though they were both still in the criminal justice field, neither of them saw near the amount of danger they encountered when they were younger.
"You two doing alright? Can I get you anything?" the young blonde waitress asked, appearing at their table.
Both Nancy and Frank shook their head no. "We're okay, thanks," Nancy answered.
The waitress smiled and said, "Great. I'll bring your tab over in just a minute, folks."
"How's your work going?" Frank queried once the waitress had walked away. "We occasionally see some of your stories via the Associated Press in New York, but it's been awhile since I've seen anything big break."
"I love it, Frank. It's quieted down around here a little bit, lately. But, honestly - it's nice to have a break every once in awhile." Nancy did enjoy her job as an investigative journalist, but sometimes she simply needed a rest from the travel and the constant suspense of her job.
"I agree. A little r and r is a good thing every now and then. Even though I'm here on an official capacity, it's nice to get out of the doldrums of work for a change," he replied.
"What
exactly is it
that brought
you out to
Chicago?"
Nancy asked.
"A two week training course on new systems, laws, and procedures that the FCC has instituted in regards to the internet. The first week has been great. Technology is advancing so fast, it's hard to keep up at times. The hackers keep getting smarter, and we keep struggling to catch up."
"Well, you were always the best hacker that I knew," Nancy smiled. "I'm sure you give the bad guys a run for their money."
Frank wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I'd like to think so. We're free from seminars until Monday morning. Do you have any plans for the rest of the weekend?"
Nancy shook her head no. "Nope, no plans, yet." She cocked her head to the side and asked, "So, Hardy - was that your not so subtle way of asking me to hang out with you for rest of the weekend?"
Frank grinned sheepishly and reached across the table and picked up Nancy's hand. "That is, if you'll let me."
"I think that can be arranged," she grinned back. Her heart fluttered slightly in her chest. It was going to be an interesting weekend exploring this new twist in her relationship with Frank.