you? You hinted that you understood how I felt because you’d had a similar experience. You listened to me. It’s your turn now.”
Vicky hesitated. How could she confide in Chad? She believed he had a good opinion of her now, and she didn’t want to change that.
“It really isn’t much compared to what you’ve faced. I’d just as soon not talk about it now. Tell me about your life in Alabama. I’ve lived in Columbus all of my life, and I don’t know much about small town life.”
“You haven’t traveled much?”
“No. I have relatives who live in Florida, but they usually come here to visit us. The longest I’ve been away from home was when I volunteered for Red Cross duty in Southern West Virginia during a bad flood. I thought when I was growing up that God had called me into a life of service and that seemed a good way to find out if I had the right stuff to be a missionary.”
“I was a Boy Scout and I helped in Southern Louisiana after a hurricane once. What I saw there showed me how fortunate I was. What incidents made an impression on you?”
As Vicky related how she had watched her coworker, Amelia Stone, rescue a stranded child from an overflowing creek, Chad realized what a wonderful companion Vicky was.
Vicky paused, puzzled by Chad’s intent stare. At his sudden question, she wondered if he’d been listening to her flood adventures at all.
“I suppose I should have considered this before I invited you out for dinner, but are you dating anyone?”
“No, not now.”
“Good. I suddenly realized that I might be causing you a problem by asking you to spend so much time with me. I’m not dating anyone, either. Since I turned pro I’ve been cautious about women. Too many athletes are set up for compromising situations and get sued. I’ve avoided that by not keeping company with anyone.”
Vicky concealed her amusement, but she wondered why he didn’t consider her a threat. Didn’t she exhibit enough femininity to attract him? Then again, that suited her just fine. She had been burned twice in relationships and she didn’t want any more involvement. Finding out how Chad felt, she concluded that her decision to let him take the leadership in their companionship was a wise one.
They enjoyed a leisurely dinner, chatting about their high school years. Vicky found Chad easy to talk to, and when she took him home, he said, “I’ve enjoyed the evening. Let’s do this again soon.”
“All right,” she said lightly. “Give me a call. The Lanham Taxi Service aims to please.”
Chad settled into his new apartment and within a few days he felt at home. Although he wasn’t much of a cook, he existed on what he could prepare. He had no communication with his landlady. She apparently confined her activities to the first floor.
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