A Fare To Remember_ Just Whistle_Driven - Vicki Lewis Thompson [36]
Ed set the box down on the desk that would now be his again. Then he studied Zach for a long moment. “Yeah, okay. You’re young enough to start over. That makes a difference.”
“I’ll be fine. No worries.” Zach hoped to hell he’d be able to start over. But no matter how it turned out for him, he’d done the right thing.
“I appreciate getting your client list, buddy.”
“I’m glad Medford didn’t give me any crap about that. I was afraid he would, but he seemed to think it served me right, for you to get the office back and all my clients, too.”
Ed nodded. “The reason he can be generous is that I’ve given him no reason to be vindictive. I’m afraid you have. He might try to screw with your professional reputation.”
“And if he does, maybe I’ll go into something else. Hell, I might decide to drive a cab like my friend Mario.” He glanced at the boxes. “Hey, could I leave these here for an hour or two? I’m supposed to meet Hannah to find out about the job interview, so I don’t have time to call a cab and take them home.”
“You want them schlepped over to your apartment? I can do that on my way home from work. I have the truck, you know.”
“That would be terrific. I’ll make sure I’m home by then.” Zach scribbled his address on a piece of paper and handed it to Ed. “I’d forgotten there were people who drive in from the suburbs. I haven’t owned a car in eight years.”
“Or driven one, either, I’ll bet.”
“Nope.”
Ed laughed. “You might want to practice before you get into the taxi business.”
“Yeah, I might. Well, I’d better go.” He shook Ed’s hand. “Thanks for taking the boxes.”
“My pleasure. It’s the least I can do.”
In the outer office Zach said goodbye to Shirley, who was much friendlier than she had been early this morning. Then he rode the elevator down and walked out of the building, probably for the last time. With Ed taking care of his boxes, he’d have no reason to go back.
He’d expected to feel depressed, and instead he felt only relief. But he had to prepare himself to say goodbye to Hannah. She didn’t need some jobless schmuck hanging around as she settled into her new life in the big city. If he’d given her some help, that was great, but he would never forgive himself if he dragged her down.
Although he should be conserving his cash for the possible money drought ahead, he whistled for a cab to take him over to the coffee stand. Whistling reminded him of trying to teach Hannah how to do it. When he thought of her earnest effort to learn, his heart gave a twinge of sorrow.
Face it, he’d miss the hell out of her. In a very short time she’d managed to become essential to him. Maybe, if he got on his feet again in a few months, he might call her.
Of course, by then she could easily have a new boyfriend. A woman like her would attract all kinds of interest. He’d been a lucky SOB to get the inside track, thanks to Mario.
But now the logical step was to let her go. She wasn’t like Adrienne, who judged a man by his bank account, but she was a normal woman who needed a guy who was at least relatively solvent. An employed guy. Which he wasn’t.
As the cab pulled up near the coffee stand, Zach found Hannah with no trouble. Her deep red hair glowed in the midday sun pouring down between the buildings. She’d worn the blue-and-gold-striped dress today, and the dress was like a banner announcing her presence.
He imagined he could tell by the animated way she was talking to Iris that she’d nailed the job. Maybe not, though. She was such an optimist that she’d be animated whether it was win, lose or draw. He tipped the cabdriver well, figuring that he wanted to do that while he still had the money.
Iris must have said something to Hannah about him being there, because as he climbed out of the cab, she came running toward him. They met in the tight space between two parked cars.
“I got it!” She flung her arms around his neck and damned near threw him off balance. “I got the