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Amy returned to Adam's place after her appointment. She wanted to be hopeful about obtaining new employment sometime within the next six months, but she was worried. Now that she had settled into this town, she didn't want to have to maybe move anytime soon... Now, she had Adam to contend with as well. Over these past few weeks, she had managed to fall in love with the man.
"Adam?" She knocked on the front door as she pushed it open. He had given her a spare set of keys, which was huge, considering how guarded a person he was.
There was no answer. She craned her neck and peered inside.
A survey of the living room told her nothing. Maybe he was in the bedroom, or the bathroom. Quickly, the redhead performed a speedy search of the modestly-sized abode. He wasn't at home.
Amy realized she hadn't seen the blond man's Lexus outside. Also, she had yet to check the kitchen, but she knew he wasn't there. He must have gone out.
A fast glimpse into the kitchen proved it... However, she then noticed a sheet of paper sitting atop the table. He'd left her a note. Hastily, she entered the small room and picked it up to read it.
According to the note, he had gone out and said he would be at the diner by the time she read it. Sighing, she set the paper down and left.
*
"So, you're thinking the boss had something to do with it?"
Adam eyed Shawn as he posed the question in a discreet tone. Instead of sitting at the counter as they normally did, they were at a booth in a far corner of the establishment. Mickie had come over to take their orders, and Michaels had started to flirt with her, but the younger man had insisted they weren't ready yet. He'd had to talk to someone, and Shawn was his closest friend around. Melina wouldn't understand, and Amy... Well, he had the sinister feeling that the fire had been an arson - one meant specifically for her. How could he ever explain such a thing to her?
He nodded, sighing with sorrow.
"I do. Shawn, I know he did... It's just something I feel," he murmured. "And when I visited Calloway in the hospital... Well, that pretty much confirmed it for me."
"So, what are you gonna do?"
"I don't know," the tall blond replied. "Yet." He looked up and over his shoulder, in the direction of the entrance - just in time to see the beautiful redhead walk in.
"Hi," she said. She glanced at the mechanic and greeted him as well before slipping into the booth beside Adam. "What's going on?"
"Nothing much," the enigmatic man vaguely replied. He shot a look Shawn's way, as though telling him to keep quiet.
"So, I'm back," Mickie's perky voice suddenly rang out. "Are you ready to order now?"
"Yes, we are, pretty lady," Michaels replied with a wink. He glanced at Amy, allowing her to order first in spite of the fact that she'd only just arrived and hadn't even seen a menu.
"Um... I'll just have a coffee," she said.
Adam and Shawn exchanged glances, with the younger man gesturing for his friend to go first.
"I'll have chicken salad on toasted wheat bread."
"You got it, sweetie," Mickie said with a bright grin. "Anything to drink?"
"An iced tea, no sugar," the man replied. "Just stick your finger in, and that'll sweeten it right up." As Adam held back a groan at the cheesy line, Shawn winked at the pretty waitress, who giggled like a schoolgirl.
After the exchange, Mickie took Adam's order and bounced her way to the kitchen.
"Wow," Amy remarked, amused.
"Why don't you ask her out?"
Shawn turned his attention back on Adam.
"Dude, I don't think she's even thirty yet. At most, she's like twenty-six or -seven," he said in a discreet voice. "And I'm past forty."
The tall blond man shrugged.
"So what?" he asked. "You two are so obviously into each other."
Michaels gaped at his friend.
"Well, I find her extremely attractive, but you don't really think that's mutual?"
Adam smirked.
"Oh, come on, Shawn... You're not that blind!"
The older man glanced at the redhead beside him.
"And what do you think?"
"What do I think?" Amy parroted. "I bet if you ask her out, she'll say yes."
Shawn looked surprised, and that caused both Amy and Adam to laugh.
"So, do you agree, Adam?"
"Duh!" the blond man snickered. It felt good, for once, to just let his hair down and have some fun with his friends - or at least at the expense of one of them.
"Well, damn then," the mechanic exclaimed. "If I'm outnumbered, I guess I'm gonna have to do it!"