Chapter 27:
Esther’s smile quickly faded when she noticed the displeasure on Janet’s face. In a hushed voice, she explained, “It’s someone who doesn’t come from the same background as us at Greenvine High School.”
Yvonne Davis, one of Esther’s friends, frowned and muttered, “I didn’t think Bonnie would hang out with someone like that. Don’t you think it says something about her?”
Esther shook her head, attempting to hide the twinge of envy that arose. “That’s not really cool,” she said gently. “Bonnie’s a star student. If she’s cool with Lenore, there must be more to her than meets the eye.”
Helen scoffed, clearly unconvinced. “I heard Lenore left school early, worked in some small town, and then showed up at Greenvine High School. She hooked up with Kyle on the first day. I bet she got in on her looks alone. What else does she have?”
Esther couldn’t help but remember seeing Lenore with those two charming guys the other night, and her fingers clenched in frustration at the memory.
Janet, sensing the disdain in the conversation, frowned deeper. Her look of distaste was aimed at the girls in the store as she interjected, “Let’s not waste our breath on such low-class talk.”
Esther couldn’t deny the tight-knit relationship between Lenore and Bonnie, and the idea of encountering Lenore in front of Janet made her cringe. Gently, she sidled up to Janet, hooking her arm through hers. “Janet doesn’t need to hear this gossip. Let’s let it go, shall we? We’ve got a birthday party to prep for—Mr. Duncan’s. We’d better get a gift before the night’s out.”
Esther was referring to Carlos Duncan, Janet’s brother, whose birthday dinner at Culinary Ascent was the event to be at. Esther had been invited, of course, by Janet, and she was eager to make sure she remained in the good graces of the Duncans.
Helen and Yvonne, though initially upset about the gossip, quickly shelved their snarky comments about Lenore, putting on their best smiles. The group made their exit together, leaving the topic behind.
After leaving the mall, Lenore and Bonnie ended up in a bookstore. While Bonnie browsed for books, Lenore wandered the aisles, her curiosity piqued by a dusty old book sitting on a corner shelf. She paused to reach for it.
At the self-checkout, the screen flashed “$130.”
Before anyone could react, a deep voice spoke, “I’ll take care of it.”
A hand, with long and clean fingers, reached out, brandishing a phone that swiftly scanned the payment code.
Lenore, recognizing the voice instantly and catching the faint scent of sandalwood, didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Bonnie, on the other hand, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the handsome stranger paying their bill. She nudged Lenore and whispered, “Who is he?”
With a languid lift of her eyes, Lenore met Silas’s amused gaze and casually said, “Just the mechanic.”
Silas couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Though he’d shared more than a few moments with Lenore, her cool response made him feel like they were strangers again. I guess I’m the mechanic, he mused, letting the moment pass without making it awkward.
His attention wandered to the books Bonnie was packing. They were all about biomedical information, but one book stood out—a dusty old scripture that seemed to have been forgotten on the shelf for years. He was surprised to see Bonnie with something like that; it didn’t fit his image of her. Growing up in a small town, she could fix cars, race, fight, and even knew some chants. The more he learned about her, the more he realized she was full of surprises.
With a mix of curiosity and a hint of suspicion, Silas put his phone away and offered, “Need a lift somewhere?”
He was the infamous Faulkner heir, a name that sent shivers down spines in Denisville. Yet here he was, bumping into the same girl repeatedly in their small town, and his mind couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to this than mere coincidence.
Suppressing her defiance, Lenore tilted her head toward Bonnie and asked, “Heading to the Sharpe residence?”
Bonnie, surprised, managed a nod.
Chuck, Silas’s ever-vigilant assistant, had begun to notice his boss’s unusual activities. The surprise visit, the dinner invitation, the riverside car check—none of it was typical for Silas. But today, Silas had even followed a girl from the mall to a bookstore. It was surprising to see him conducting what looked like personal surveillance. Chuck’s face showed a mix of confusion and worry as he looked at Lenore, wondering what his boss was up to.
