Best Dating Rules by Tamie Dearen (no david read aloud .TXT) 📕

words kept coming back to haunt him. “I almost lost her. I don’t want you to make the same mistake.” He hadn’t even talked to Charlie or taken her grandmother’s ring to the jeweler yet. He’d lost her before he even purchased the ring. He felt the small lump of the little ring box wedged in his front pocket. He’d thought he might have a chance to go to the jeweler today on the way to dance class, but found it closed.

He pulled the box out, opening the lid and gazing at the old-fashioned ring. He imagined how it would feel to have Emily’s actual engagement ring, to give it to her, to see it on her hand. He tried the ring on himself, but it would barely slide onto his little finger. It was a sweet, old-fashioned setting. There was one central round diamond in a gold carved background that made it appear as a flower. On the side, going down the band were tiny little round diamonds, four on each side. It was probably only half a carat in total, but it would add nicely to the diamond he intended to buy for her. If he ever got the chance.

He tucked the ring safely back into his pocket and called Charlie.*****

Josh was exhausted. The emergency room had been extraordinarily busy, probably because it was a full moon. Everyone said the full moon brought out the crazy people. There were stabbings and gunshot wounds, car accidents, women giving birth. One guy, who’d gotten his hand stuck inside a glass jar, had to wait for four hours because there were so many other more pressing emergencies.

He and Brad walked back to the residents’ room to retrieve their things. When he turned on his phone, he found several phone messages and texts.

Brad, who was checking his phone simultaneously, said, “Emily’s missing. Did you get a text about her?”

“Yes, and I think I know where she is.”

“Where?”

“She left me a message to pick her up in the maternity ward waiting room.”

“Are you kidding me? She’s been here all night? We better let everybody know. They’re all crazy worried.”

“No, don’t. Not yet. Her text is begging me not to tell anyone where she is. Let’s go talk to her first.”

When they reached the waiting room, they spied her at once, curled up on a hard plastic loveseat, asleep, with her head resting awkwardly on her purse.

Josh sat down next to her and gently shook her awake while Brad stood by, watching.

“Hey. What on earth are you doing here? Everybody’s worried about you.”

She frowned and spoke grumpily as she sat up, stretching her stiff limbs. “I saw their texts last night. I sent a text to Mom and Grace and Charlie and told them I was safe and not to worry. And I already called work and left a message I’d be out today because I’m not feeling well.”

“And then what? You turned your phone back off and spent the night here?”

“Yes. I didn’t have any other place to go.”

“Look Emily, I sent him a text and explained about racquetball. He’s not mad anymore. He’s going crazy looking for you.”

He glanced up at Brad who rolled his eyes and mouthed, “Women!”

But her eyes filled with tears that began to roll down her cheeks, rewetting the salty streaks that had previously dried there. She silently took out her cell phone and turned it on, ignoring all the new messages. She opened a photo and handed it to Josh.

He recoiled in astonishment at the image on the screen. “Okay. That looks bad, but there has to be an explanation. That could have been taken last year.” He handed the phone to Brad whose eyes bugged as he let out a low whistle.

“That’s what he had on last night. It’s the same clothes. The picture was taken yesterday.”

“Okay. But still, there’s got to be a reasonable explanation,” Josh insisted.

“Can you think of one?” Her voice was dead.

“Uhmm... I don’t know. Brad? You got anything here?”

Brad shrugged and returned the phone.

“Still, your whole family’s worried about you now. They asked both of us to tell them if we found you.”

“Please, don’t!” She looked up through wet lashes.

Josh stood and walked to the hallway, speaking with Brad in a low voice. “What do we do?”

Brad pulled out his phone. “I forwarded the picture to my cell. I’m going to send it to Spencer.”

“Only to Spencer? Not Grace or Charlie?”

He shook his head. “Just him. As guys, we owe him that much. We can’t let him get blindsided with this, no matter what he did. Let’s take her to our apartment and let her crash on the couch while we’re sleeping. We’ll make her send out one more I’m safe message. Tell everyone she’s spending the day in Central Park. When she wakes up and she’s good and ready, she can leave on her own.”*****

Spencer was sitting stubbornly in the hallway outside Emily’s apartment where he’d spent the night, listening to Anne and Gherring arguing with him.

“It’s ridiculous for you to stay here waiting,” said Gherring. “I can’t believe you slept out here all night. She obviously found a place to stay last night. And, she’s already called in sick to work. So she probably won’t be back anytime soon.”

Anne said, “I’m still worried. I don’t understand what could’ve gotten her so upset. Are you sure nothing else happened? She didn’t kiss Josh, did she?”

“I hope not.” Spencer rubbed his throbbing head.

Anne and Gherring received simultaneous text messages. “Is it Emily?” asked Spencer. “What did she say?”

“She says she’s spending the day in Central Park,” said Gherring.

“She didn’t happen to mention where in Central Park, did she?”

“Sorry, Spencer. No such luck.” Anne shook her head.

Spencer’s phone received a text. His hope surged. Maybe she’d finally responded to him. At this point, he’d rather have her scream at him than continue to avoid communicating. When he opened the text, he noted with disappointment it was from Brad. He opened the attached