Honeymoon

Chapter 69

I DIDN’T HAVE to be Johnny Casanova to figure out what she meant. Let’s go somewhere. Even Johnny Knucklehead could’ve gotten the not-so-subtle hint. Nora wasn’t talking about getting a cup of coffee to clear our heads.

No, the only thing not obvious to me at that moment was the following: How was Johnny O’Hara going to respond?

All through lunch I didn’t mind that Nora and I were getting cozy with each other, flirting, whatever it was we were doing. In fact, that was kind of the idea. Now suddenly things had gotten a little too cozy.

Could she be interested in me? Of course, it wasn’t really me. It was Craig Reynolds, the insurance man.

Maybe it was the wine she’d had. Or maybe it was something else, something I wasn’t seeing. An angle she was playing. One thing was for sure. It wasn’t my money she was after.

Selling life insurance isn’t usually recognized as a rich guy’s game. Even the best at it are no match for the likes of a Connor Brown, hedge-fund manager and financial guru. Besides, Nora had seen where I was living as Craig. She already knew the BMW and the fancy suits were a front. Yet, despite all that, she said what she said.

Let’s go somewhere.

I stood there, staring deep into her green eyes on the corner of that intersection in downtown Chappaqua. The chance to go in any direction.

“Follow me,” I said.

We walked back to my car parked outside the restaurant. I opened the passenger-side door for her.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“You’ll see.”

I walked around and got behind the wheel. We strapped on our seat belts and I started the engine, giving it a few extra revs while still in park. Then I kicked it into drive.