Page 92 of On the Run
By the time Mason called back around four, I was coming out of my skin.
“Mason, precious! Hello! I just called to catch up. By any chance—”Have you seen Beale?
“Hey!” Mason said at the same time, his voice muffled like his mouth was full. “Been a super-busy day here. I’m eating a late lunch while we chat.”
“Delightful. I live for the sound of you masticating in my ear. Why so hectic?”
“Mmm.” Mason slurped his drink. “One of the Stallions, this guy named Bobo—”
“I know Bobo,” I said impatiently, tapping my fingers on the arm of the sofa.
“Oh, that’s right! Convenient. Well, he and a couple friends bought a bar.”
“What? This week?” Already things were changing without me?
“Yeah. He bought an abandoned property on the Gulfside in the middle of the Key, kind of across from the Gas n’ Sundry. Deal went through Monday. Fenn said it’s gonna be cute.” Mason stopped to swallow. “Anyway, Bobo had a huge barbecue thing last night, and half the town went, and Gloria brought a potato salad, and it sat out a little too long, and… well. As I said, busy day.”
I frowned. “Was Beale at the party? Is he okay?”
“Mmm.” Mason shoveled more food in his mouth. “Dunno. Pretty sure. Haven’t talked to him.”
“You don’t know if he’s okay?” I demanded, jumping to my feet. “How’s that possible, Mason? He lives in your backyard. Aren’t thereoathsabout this sort of thing?”
Mase sounded amused. “I haven’t been in my backyard, Toby. And the licensing board doesn’t require me to accost people to find out their potato salad status.”
I huffed.
“Besides, Beale’s been busy helping Young Rafe plan the Extravaganza since Gage is out of town, and I’ve hardly seen him in weeks. For what it’s worth, Beale and Littlejohn took off in Littlejohn’s car this morning toward Cooter Key like the world’s oddestThelma and Louisereenactment, and Beale waved happily. Does that satisfy you?”
Beale and Littlejohn, riding off happily. Lovely.
I sat back down hard. “Pfft.Satisfy. I don’t require satisfaction, Mason. I was… I was… I was merely inquiring after the health of a mutual friend. That’s hardly… whatever you think this is.” I cleared my throat. “It’s called basic human kindness, okay?”
“Ah. It’s just that I’ve so rarely heard you express this ‘human kindness’ before,” he teased.
“Excuse you?”
Mason laughed. “I love you, Toby. I really do. And I think you should call Beale,” he said gently. “Just to get closure.”
Ah. So closure was the most likely outcome, then? I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “I don’t suppose Beale has, um, mentioned me, or…?”
“Not since the day after the party,” he said sadly. “But I told you, I haven’t seen him. And he did seem really shaken that Saturday morning. And regretf—”
“No, no. No need to elaborate. At all. Something Littlejohn said seemed to indicate that Beale might still be harboring some unresolved concerns, and I was concerned. About those concerns. But all evidence suggests that he’s fine, so that’s… good. Great.Perfect.”
My stomach churned, and the air in my apartment felt stale.
“Toby,” Mason sighed. “As your oldest friend, I’m telling you to call Beale—”
“And I will! Goodness, Mason, I certainly will.” I waved a hand, though Mase couldn’t see me. “His birthday is coming up next month, and I will…. I will call him. I may even sing.”
“Today.”
“Ha. What? No. Absolutely not.” Any confidence I might have had this morning was gone entirely now. In fact, I couldn’t believe I’d ever considered that Beale would see my column, let alone that he would be… what? Moved by it? Nonsense. “I can’t, Mason, as a matter of fact, because I’m going out to… um…” I hesitated, then decided on the spot. “A club. I haven’t been inweeks. Men are probably wondering where I am.” I was confident that was not the case.
“Toby,” Mason said wearily. “Maybe instead…”
“Remember me fondly to everyone down there!” I interrupted cheerily. “Make sure to let anyone who asks know that I am doing well and having just a really, really remarkably wonderful time. I’ll speak to you soon, darling. Kisses to Fenn, and tell him he’s my favorite.”
