Chapter 11

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Eric showed up at my side door around seven that evening. He was still dressed in the black suit I assumed he’d worn to work. The white shirt underneath was undone at the collar, and his tie was MIA.

“Where’s your tie?” I asked as we walked into the kitchen.

“In my glove box.”

“Where’d you park?”

“Around the block, away from your nosy neighbors. I’ll move to your driveway after it’s dark.”

“You think you’ll be here that long?”

Eric smiled. “I hope I’ll be here all night.”

“That’s rather presumptuous of you.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

On that note, I asked if he wanted a beer. He did, so I pulled us each one from the refrigerator.

“Are you hungry?” I asked.

He shook his head. We retreated to the sun porch, and I watched Eric remove his suit jacket and toss it over an arm of the sofa before sitting down.

“Did Gary come to see you?” he asked.

I nodded. “He and Sabrina each paid me a visit separately.”

Eric let out an exasperated sigh. “They’re impossible. I’m sorry.”