Walking Shadows Book 3 Chapter 13. Then

I wasn’t anyone special. I knew that. I mean, no one cared what happened to Meredith Munro. I was already thirty and I hadn’t found a man. My two brothers and father were both dead, killed by two wars without purpose. Mom lived in Maui surrounded by pool boys years younger than me. I was alone in the city with nowhere to go on another Christmas. Sure I had my job at Davis Brothers Advertising,but no one there really cared. Goodness knows I let more than enough of the young ad men there woo me. All I received for my trouble was a few too many ex-boyfriends and an uncomfortable case of crabs.

So as the city bustled with the last minute shopping on Christmas Eve, I was in a deeper funk than ever. I was thirty and alone in a one bedroom flat in the heart of Downtown. It was nearly noon as I stared at my open address book. I could call Vic and at least have company tonight. The younger Davis twin made no secret of the fact that he liked me, even if he did get rough. I walked out of a few too many of our encounters with bruises, but at least he would see me.

No, I’m not doing that to myself again. I might be alone, but I didn’t need my boss to know exactly how desperate I felt.

I rose from my reading chair and padded over to the kitchen. I looked down at the advertisement I circled near the bottom of the classifieds. It was just a few simple words, but when I saw it over my morning coffee it had intrigued me enough to stop and look at it.

 

ALONE AT CHRISTMAS? JOIN US AT 488 LENOX AVE SUITE B, 2 P.M. CHRISTMAS EVE

 

I read the words to myself again and again. No phone number, no organization, not even a name. I wondered who else would want to do something like this for a few moments, but as I thought about a series of stranger and stranger characters, I knew it didn’t matter. My decision was already made.

I didn’t want to be alone again on Christmas.

I stopped only long enough to check my hair in the mirror before I put on my peacoat and a sensible pair of shoes. I grabbed my keys and was out onto the busy streets of River City.