Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“Lenny, I heard about Jared. Are you okay?” Lori asks in her high-pitched nasal voice. Her question is one of concern, but there isn’t actually any concern behind it. I cringe, disliking this Lori person already.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Do you have any idea where he could have went?” she asks. “I really need to talk to him, and his phone is disconnected. It’s an emergency.”
“I’m sure it is, Lenny, but do you think looking for him is a good idea? After the way he left you?”
“It’s not about us,” Lenny assures her. I can hear her getting angry, like she’s talking through her teeth. “I need to talk to him about other things…some loose ends that need tying up right away.”
“Here we go. Come on. Say something, anything I can use,” I whisper, raising the volume.
“No, the flowers should be white, not purple, it’s summer for fuck sake!” Lori shouts to someone in the background. She sighs deeply. “I swear these charity events never gets easier, and the help gets worse with each one. Speaking of the charity event, will you be coming Saturday? Jared never prepaid for your tickets, so you’ll have to bring a check, but personally, I think it might be better if you let things die down a bit before you re-enter social circles, don’t you?”
“Lori, I’m not coming. I can’t. I don’t have the money. It’s all gone. I really need you to think. Jared and Pen are best friends. Pen didn’t tell you anything about where he could be? Has he spoken to him?”
“No, I said in the center of the table! Does that look like the center to you?” Lori scolds again before coming back on the line.
“Lori!” Lenny shouts to get her friends attention. But is this really her friend? Shit, I hate to hear how her enemies talk to her. I’ve been spoken to with more respect from someone I’d just stabbed in County.
Lori huffs in frustration. “No, Lenny. When I asked Pen, he said he didn’t know where Jared might have went, and when he tried to call him, the line was disconnected, just as you said. Pen needs to talk to him, too. You’re not the only one he walked out on. Pen and Jared have been best friends for over twenty years, and they’re invested in the club’s membership together. I mean to not even show up to the meetings? Can you believe it?” There’s a pause. “But I’m sure he’ll turn up, sweetie. He probably just wanted to get away for a while. Men do that. Sometimes, they need a vacay from life. It’s not easy being a successful man these days.”
“Men don’t empty their closets when they’re going on vacay or turn off their phones,” I argue. “He left me. I’m okay with that, or at least, I will be. I just need to find him so I can talk to him.”
“Lenny, I don’t know what to tell you. Jared left you. I’m sorry, but I have important things going on over here, too,” Lori scoffs.
What a fucking bitch. I almost feel bad for her. Almost.
“I know you’re busy, but he didn’t just leave, Lori. He stole every penny I had. Emptied out my bank account. I don’t know what bills he’s paid or hasn’t paid. I don’t have the passwords to get into the mortgage or any of the other bills because I’ve always just put my share of the money into our account. I’ve got nothing left.” There is a despair in her voice that wouldn’t be there if she had wads of cash laying around, but she could just be an incredible actor.
“I tried Lenny. I did. But I don’t know anything, and neither does Pen.” Someone drops a plate in the background, and it sounds like Lori attempts to cover the phone, but it does nothing to conceal her rant of wrath. “What the fuck did I just…No, the outside tables. God damn it!”
Lenny sighs, and there’s pain in her every word although she’s trying to conceal it. “Lori, I hate to even ask you this, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay here. If Jared hasn’t been paying the mortgage, and I can’t continue to pay it. I don’t know how long I have left here until I can get to the bank when it reopens on Monday. So…do you think that maybe I could stay in your guest house for a while if that happens? Just until I figure things out? I’ve literally got fourteen bucks in my wallet and…”
“Sorry, Lenny. No can do. I’ve got new tile going into the bathroom in there on Monday, and I can’t reschedule because I flew the workers in from Italy and they are very selective about what jobs they take. You know how it is. If I pass this up now, their schedule will fill up, and I’ll have to wait until Christmas to get it done. I’d help if I could, but as you can see, my hands are tied. Have you asked Yuli?”