“I’ll see you on Friday, won’t I?” Matt said.
“Friday.” I smiled at him and resisted the urge to wave. Even the accoutrements of good-bye seemed to bother him. I figured that had something to do with the loss of his parents, but I never asked. I hated saying good-bye to Matt, too, and the reasons didn’t matter.
He closed the door and I listened to him moving through the condo.
After a while, I heard his voice. Calling the cab. Silence, then the condo door shutting.
I waited a moment in the water, and then I stepped out carefully and wrapped myself in Matt’s bathrobe. I grinned as I crept through the condo. It would serve me right if he reappeared, but I wanted to watch him go.
I peeked through the blinds at the front of the condo. Huh. No taxi. Poor paranoid Matt, he probably told the guy to meet him out back.
I went to the bedroom and looked down from the window. What the …
Matt, wearing his coat but no sunglasses or hat, strolled up the alley toward a bright blue Corolla. He waved at the driver. The driver-side door popped open and a tiny redhead appeared. She gestured toward the back of the car and laughed. Matt laughed.
Who…? What?
Panic and all the worst possibilities hit me. Matt has another lover. Matt met someone near the cabin. She knows who Matt is—or worse, she doesn’t. Matt can be truly anonymous with her. She’ll run away with him like I won’t. He’s leaving me.
How’s that for a good-bye?
I dashed through the condo and down the complex stairs. I rushed barefoot out of the building. The cold stung at my damp skin.
“Hey!” I said as I rounded the corner.
I waved my arms and Matt’s bathrobe flapped around me.
Matt and the redhead turned. His eyes widened and he went stock-still. Then he held up a hand and shook his head.
“What—” I slowed as I neared the car. “What’s going on here?”
“Hannah. I didn’t want you to worry. Let me explain. This is my driver.”
The redhead stepped forward. She extended her hand and nodded.
“Alexis Stromgard,” she said. “Mr. Callahan’s private driver.”
Private … driver? I blinked and took the girl’s hand. She grasped my fingers in a curt shake and moved away. “Mr. Callahan, I’ll take your bag.”
Matt, still looking shell-shocked, handed his duffel bag to the girl. She carried it to the back of the car. I watched all this in a state of wonder. Something didn’t fit. The car was too garish. The girl was too young.
“Come here.” Matt steered me up the alley. When we were out of hearing range, he said, “Yes, okay, I lied about the cab.”
“I can see that.” I tightened the tie on his bathrobe. “Mr. Callahan?”
“She doesn’t know who I am. It’s just an alias I gave her. She’s from out of state.”
“Why did you lie?” My cheeks reddened with cold and embarrassment. And hurt. I thought Matt and I were past the lies. I thought we were partners in crime.
“Baby, I didn’t want you to worry. I knew it might seem … risky, to hire a driver like this, and I didn’t want you worrying about me blowing my cover, you know?” Matt squeezed my hand. “But it’s actually safer, Hannah. She doesn’t know who I am, and she … she’s very discreet. Very professional. We signed paperwork and stuff.”
I looked at my toes. “Where did you find her?”
“What?”
“How did you come into contact with her?”
“Well … I found her on Craigslist.”
“Craigslist? Seriously?”
“Hannah, I have to go.” Matt glanced around and put on his sunglasses. “Yes, Craigslist. She’s very professional, like I said. I hired her for the weekend to bring me here, that’s all. I couldn’t stand the idea of a weekend without you. Is that so wrong?”
“So she’s leaving?”
“Yes, she’s driving me to the cabin. Are you angry with me?”