42 Hearts

Rick sat down on the sofa, and tried a little misdirection.

"I don't own Sethe, and if I did, I'd sell her to a circus." His attempt fell flat as his father's zeroed in on him, and he felt like he was in the crosshairs of a sniper.

"Son, you know who I'm talking about. En Meaghan Torno, with whom I spent a very good supper before she and your sister went out." Rickie felt sweat breaking out on his face and resisted the urge to rub his palms on his trousers as he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"I like her." The older Ahmad allowed a small smile at his son's expression. "She isn't like your customary woman, and her sister is, um, unusual as well. I enjoyed their company; you need to bring her here more often, to relieve an old man's loneliness. That's all I'm going to say about today."

He looked at the mulish expression on his son's face and almost laughed out loud.

"Go, and have a good night.I'll see you at breakfast."

He finally allowed himself a chuckle after his son left.

Misdirection, indeed.

~~~

Meaghan collapsed on her worn sofa, and winced as her bottom connected with one of the supports under the cushion. Her feet and back were aching, and all she wanted to do is take a warm shower and go to bed. She pulled the pins out of her hair, allowing it to fall down her shoulders, and massaged her scalp.

Supper had gone surprisingly well. JoAnne had chatted amicably to both of them, and Meaghan was charmed by the elder Ahmad. Sethe and Tina, it turned out, liked many of the same music artists and idols, and the conversation flowed easily between everyone. She couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't interrogated, given that Rickie's father had to know what was going on between her and his son.

Her phone rang, and the object of her thoughts was on the other end.

"Hello, Rickie.How was the trip to the coast?"

"Never mind that," he impatiently replied, "Are you alright?Did my father bother you?"

"Do you think he would interrogate me over poached salmon? Your father was a perfect gentleman, and I had an enjoyable time. Sethe just dropped us off a couple of minutes ago, and it was a marathon session of shopping. I could barely keep up with those two."

Rickie relaxed incrementally. Meaghan sounded a bit tired, but not upset or unhappy. He was afraid she might feel intimidated, but it appeared that the evening went well.

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"I'm glad.I just wished I had been there, you know, just in case."

Meaghan laughed, a sound which never failed to make him happy.

"Should I be worried that I might end up on the ceiling of a headhunter lodge? It was fine. It would have been wonderful to see you, of course."

Her voice dropped to an intimate level, andRickie felt the impact in his gut. He took a deep breath to slow his unruly heart.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow, Meggie.Pleasant dreams."

"You too, sayang."

[A/N: "my heart"]

Both wore silly grins as they completed their bedtime rituals.