Chapter 36 – Old Flame

"Abby Wyczenski, you are looking beautiful than ever!" A voice said from behind.

Abby turned round to look who it is and her jaw dropped to the floor. She is in the middle of eating her free meal with Susan in the hotel restaurant.

"Oh my god Howie!" Abby screamed as she rose up to his eye level then leaned forward to put her arms round his neck to give him a hug. "How are you doing? You look great!"

"I'm fine thank you," Howie answered. They both stare at in each in silence for a moment. Susan took a sip of her drink watching them, waiting for them to say something. She nudged Abby's arm.

"Oh yes, sorry" Abby shook her head and introduced them to each other "This my friend Susan Lewis, Susan this is Howie Thomas"

"Hi" They both greeted each other in unison, shaking hands.

"I have a friend waiting over there, maybe when you finished your meal, you both can join us?"

Abby answered "Sure, if that's ok with you Susan?"

Susan nodded.

"Ok see you in a bit" Howie left them to meet his friend who is standing at the bar.

"So I have finally met the guy whose name sounds like a plumber who gave you the longest 16 seconds of your life!" Susan laughed. "He is very cute"

"Hmm he has improved with age," Abby said, sitting back down in her seat watching him walk away. "His friend is not bad either"

"Where? Where?" Susan jerked her head up trying to see where Abby was looking. "Ooh he's nice, I'll have him and you stick with Howie"

"Jeez Susan…" Abby sneered, taking a swallow "You sound worst than a teenager!"

Susan chuckled taking one last mouthful of her meal. While chewing it slowly, she studied Abby's face.

"What?" Abby asked, stabbing a piece of chicken with her fork and looked up.

"Oh you can talk now…"

Abby seemed confused "What do you mean?"

"You have spent the entire meal not saying a word to me until your old flame appeared"

"I don't like to talk while I'm eating" Abby said picking at her food.

"Right… don't talk crap Lockhart" Susan snapped and grabbed hold of the napkin to wipe her mouth. "Sometimes you talk that much you complain that your food's gone cold"

"I'm tired ok?" She said, defensively.

"Well I'm tired too, I know what your problem is… you're upset… upset about my sudden announcement"

"Yes…" Abby answered honestly.

Susan raised her brows, She knew herself that she was right, she knows Abby too well. With her moods and expressions, she can almost read her like a book.

"What did you want me to say about that?" Abby asked and puts on a sarcastically whiny "Oh Dr Lewis I am so pleased for you!"

"Well that would be nice" Susan said forcing a grin

"Phffttt!"

She shook her head "I hope you are not going to spoil my weekend with your silly unpredictable moods?"

"Oh Susie that's too bad cos you've already spoilt mine"

Susan scoffed at her friend in disbelief. She shot up from her seat and leaned forward to grab her glass of wine and knocked back the contents in one go. Susan angrily threw the napkin on the table and leaves. Abby cringed at her friend's reaction and watched her head off to the ladies room.

Susan stormed in to the ladies room seething and headed to the wash area. She rested both hands down flat on the counter and stared at herself in the mirror. She sighed to give herself chance to calm down for a minute. Susan left the room and headed straight to the bar. Susan noticed that Abby was no longer sat at the table. Her eyes raced round the room and spotted her with the Howie guy. His friend is no longer to seen. Abby quickly glanced back at her and carried on chatting.

Seated on a bar stool, Susan asked "A tequila please"

The bar tender placed a shot glass in front of her along with a lime and some salt. Abby turns to watch Susan suck on the lime, licks the salt and knocked back the tequila. She groaned and shuddered from the bitter potent taste. Susan tapped the glass on to the bar "Another one please and a margarita to follow!"

"Is your friend ok?" Howie asked, trying to distract Abby from watching her friend sulking.

"Oh yes she's ok…" She forcefully grinned and came up with an excuse "She didn't want intrude… you know me and you catching up with things"

"Yeah it's not fun listening to two people going on things they don't know about"

"No it's not," She agreed.

"You better watch your friend so she doesn't have a hangover at the wedding tomorrow" He chuckled.

"So… where is your friend?" She chirped

"Oh he gone to meet a family member, he'll be back soon"

Abby nodded. "So Howie, What do you do for a living?" She asked, sipping her iced tea.

"I work for myself, I am a plumber"

Susan overheard their conversation and bursts out in a hysterical laughter. Abby rolled her eyes and quickly turned round. She glared at her friend, pursing her lips trying not to laugh with her.

Abby mouthed, with a trace of smile. "I'm gonna kill you!"

Susan laughed again and knocked back another tequila.

"What? Is she ok?" Howie frowned looking over Abby's shoulder.

"Oh yes, just ignore her she can be weird sometimes when she has a drink" Abby said amused at Susan's raucous laugh.

"She is weird…" He agreed.

"No she's not really, you don't know her, she's lovely, and she just had a stressful few months"

"Haven't we all?" Howie laughed taking a swig from his bottle of beer "So did you decide to be a doctor in the end then?"

"Eventually"

"Oh took that long?"

"I started out as a nurse, because my ex husband Richard, blew away my tuition money, remember Richard?"

"Yes Richard Lockhart, God I can't believe you finished up with him?"

"Neither can I" Abby answered subtly "I divorced him 7 years ago"

"How come you are not drinking?" Howie asked, flirting with Abby by brushing his hand against hers and made an excuse to move closer to her is to put his empty bottle on the bar where she is leaning her back on it. Abby raised her brows when she noticed that his face is very close to hers.

"Because I'm pregnant," Abby answered with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise that you were with someone" He apologized, he stepped back letting out a nervous laugh "So who's the lucky guy?"

"There is no guy" She frowned looking down, tracing her fingertip round the rim of the glass. To keep her complicated affairs, simple. She felt that the easiest answer was... "He left the country"

"Oh I'm sorry," Howie said sympathetically looking down fiddling with his fingers, "I have 3 kids, they live with my ex wife"

"Whoa 3 kids…" Abby raised her brows.

Susan gasped when she spotted a familiar face entering the restaurant. She waved at Howie for attention. He pointed to himself. Susan shook her head and pointed at Abby.

"Your friend is waving, she wants you" Howie said

Abby took a quick glace at her friend, turning back, she said "Oh just ignore her she's being silly"

Howie shrugged his shoulders at Susan. She drew in a deep breath and got down from the barstool. She nearly stumbled when her leg gave way. It has surprised Susan as she underestimated the alcohol level from the Mexican firewater.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" Susan said calmly, walking past, with a serious look on her face.

"What the hell is she on about?" Abby frowned looking confused and watched Susan walk out of the bar to the lobby.

"Abby!"

Abby's body froze when she recognized the voice. She slowly turned round with her shoulders all tensed up, gritting her teeth. The voice belonged to her mother Maggie Wyczenski…