Fixing Freddie

© 2011 Mona Ingram

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction.

names, characters, places

and incidents are either the

product of the author’s

imagination, or are

used fictitiously, and

any resemblance to actual

persons, living or dead,

business establishments,

events or locations

is entirely coincidental.

Chapter One

“What a day!” Lauren shook her umbrella and stomped her feet. “It’s pissing down out there!”

Samantha kicked out the chair on the other side of the table. “Come on, it’s not that bad.” Sometimes her BFF could be so negative. “Anyway, you know what they say about April showers.”

“Screw the May flowers.” Lauren tossed her bag onto the chair and hooked her umbrella over the back. “I’ll just grab a coffee and be right back.” She paused, smiled for the first time. “Want anything?”

“No thanks, I’m fine.” Today probably wasn’t going to be the best time to tell Lauren about her doubts. Samantha sipped her latte and looked around the busy coffee shop. Were any of these men faithful? That one over there in the corner, for example. The one with the wedding ring. He was definitely on the make, judging by the way he’d looked at her when she came in. Her gaze drifted around the room. Maybe she was being unfair. Just because Cody was acting suspicious didn’t mean every man in Vancouver was cheating. Take for example the guy sitting at the bar in front of the window. He had his nose stuck in some sort of electronic device and his hair looked like it hadn’t been cut for six months. He probably–

“So what’s up?” Lauren lowered her lanky frame onto the chair. Samantha looked fondly at her friend. Perhaps lanky wasn’t the right word to describe her. She was tall and rather elegant when you got right down to it, but she was so darned prickly! It took very little to send her off on a rant that could last for minutes. Her friend was definitely a take no prisoners kind of gal. Maybe that’s why they got along so well. Opposites and all that.

“So, we’ve got that wedding next weekend?” Lauren cradled the coffee cup in both hands, staring into it as though it had offended her in some way. “Do you realize Ashley’s only the third girl in our class to get married?”

“I hadn’t thought about it, but that’s a good thing. It wasn’t that long ago that girls got married right out of high school.”

“Yeah, well that’s because they were knocked up, or wanted to be.”

“You’re awful, you know that?”

“I know, but I’m just telling the truth.” Lauren took a sip of coffee and for a moment her face softened. “It
is
a good thing though, being independent. I hope she’s happy.”

“It sure sounds like her parents are sparing no expense for the wedding. Imagine booking an entire hotel for the guests. I’ve never heard of anything so extravagant.”

“A brilliant idea, though. I think Zach and I will take them up on their offer of a room. That way we won’t have to drive all the way back from Whistler. I looked up the place on the net and it’s
très
exclusive. Right on the waterfront and everything.”

“I guess we’ll stay too.” Samantha sighed. “If Cody and I are still together, that is.” So much for not unloading.

Lauren narrowed her eyes. “Has that idiot been screwing around again?”

Samantha lowered her head. “I don’t know. I don’t have any proof, but there are so many times I can’t reach him, and his excuses are beginning to sound like...well, like excuses.”

“I told you he couldn’t keep it in his pants. I told you that from the beginning.” Lauren set down her mug with a bang, sloshing coffee on the table. “He’s not good enough for you, Sam. Think about it. If he’s sleeping with other people, he could bring home something that doesn’t wash off.” She grabbed some napkins and started mopping up the spill. “He’s such a loser.” She tossed the sodden napkins in a nearby trash receptacle.

“Speaking of losers,” she said without missing a beat, “did you see who’s sitting in the window?”

“Who?” Samantha was reeling from her friend’s outburst. Lauren was probably right about Cody, but her thoughts on STDs was more than a little unsettling.

“Freddie. You remember...Freddie Howard. He was in our class, not that anyone noticed.”

“Freddie? The guy who was constantly sketching?”

“Yeah, and he’d never show anyone what he was working on.” Lauren made it sound like a personal affront. “Either that or he was playing those stupid electronic games.”

Samantha looked at the man sitting with his back to them. “Looks like he’s still doing it.’ Her thoughts wandered into the past. “He wasn’t so bad, though. I remember one time before that girl Stella got expelled. She was harassing me and he stepped in and stopped her.”

“Freddie?”

Samantha frowned. “I can’t recall what he said, or even what happened afterward. But I do remember that he stood up for me. She never bothered me again.”

“Huh.” For a few seconds Lauren was speechless. Then she leaned on the table and lowered her voice. “You know what the guys called him, don’t you?”

Samantha shook her head. “What?”

“They called him Tripod.”

“Why would they call him...?” She caught the look in Lauren’s eye. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Would I kid about that?” Lauren wore her most lascivious expression.

In spite of herself, Samantha felt a sharp tug of arousal. What was that all about? Besides, Freddie Howard was definitely not her type. “How come I never heard about that?”

“Would you have wanted to?” Lauren was laughing at her now.

“No, probably not.” She glanced back in Freddie’s direction. “Was I really that much of a prude?”

“More.” Lauren started to gather her things. “I think I’ll talk to him on the way out.”

“No!” Samantha almost shouted it. “Don’t, Lauren. You’ll say something awful.”

Her friend looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Okay then,
you
do it. Promise me you’ll at least say hello, or I will.”

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Anything to avoid a scene. Who knew what Lauren would say? “I promise.”

Samantha breathed a sigh of relief when Lauren left. She had no idea what she’d say to Freddie, or how she’d stop herself from checking out the rumour. Oh, Lord, what had she gotten herself into?

She glanced at the wall clock. Time to go to work. She took a deep breath and walked toward the door.

“Samantha?” He slid off the stool and held the door for her. She’d forgotten how tall he was–or maybe he’d grown since she last saw him. She had to look up at him. Dark brown eyes looked down at her through glasses that needed cleaning, but they were friendly and gentle. “I saw you sitting with your friend, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“I...ah...you remember Lauren, don’t you?”

“Pretty hard to forget her.” He smiled. “Her height, you know?”

“Oh, good.”

“What does that mean?”

“I thought for a moment you were referring to her caustic tongue.”

He grinned again. “That too, but I didn’t want to sound negative, especially since she’s your friend. So how are you?” He fell in beside her.

“I’m doing fine. I’m a legal secretary with a big firm in the Bentall Centre.”

“Do you like it?”

“Not really, no, but the money’s good, and there are worse jobs.” She looked up at him. “How about you?”

“Oh, I dabble in IT. Nothing too exciting.”

They walked along in silence. She noticed how he’d moved to the outside of the street. It was a sweet, old-fashioned gesture and she liked it. “So, where do you work?” she asked. A Don’t Walk sign was flashing crossly at the intersection.

“I’m a few blocks over in that direction.” He nodded toward the east. “I usually bike.” He looked up as it started to rain again and she wondered how he could possibly see out of his glasses.

The light changed and Samantha stepped down. Freddie pulled up the collar of his light jacket and followed her. “It was nice seeing you,” he said, and a blush coloured his cheeks. At least she thought he was blushing; it was hard to tell. They hustled across the street.

“You, too.” They stopped on the other sidewalk, a small island in a stream of morning commuters.

He took off his glasses and rubbed them against his jacket. No wonder they were such a mess. His eyelashes were remarkably long. Her gaze was drawn to them as they misted up with rain. No guy should have lashes like that...it just wasn’t fair.

He put the glasses back on and they immediately slid down his nose. He pushed them back up with an unconscious motion. “Have a good day,” he said, gesturing down the street toward her building.

She’d been looking at the gold glints in his eyes and it took a moment for his words to catch up with her. “Yeah, right,” she said, embarrassed that she’d been caught staring. “You too.” She turned and walked down the street, wondering what had just happened.

Chapter Two

 “Morning, boss.” The receptionist looked up from her ultra modern desk as he entered. “You look drenched. “Can I get you a coffee?”

“Thanks, Chloe, that would be great.” Freddie turned into the open space that housed the staff. Irregular work pods dotted the space; many of them were unoccupied. He didn’t pay much attention to hours worked. Productivity came second to creativity in this business, and the teams competed fiercely to come up with the hottest new games. He made his way to his office in the corner. It was his one luxury. Other execs in hi-tech businesses loved to be photographed in among the staff, pretending to be just like everyone else, but when it came right down to it, he wasn’t like everyone else. He’d built this empire, and the employees were his responsibility. And that was a responsibility he took seriously.