right away. It seems as if the voice is correct after all." She moved the mouse around, reaching over his shoulder.
Matthew lost his breath at her closeness and her faint perfume wound around him like a cloak. It was a heady feeling, and he liked it. But he had a hard time talking because of it. Finally, he said, "How to fix it?"
"Good question," she laughed, her minty warm breath close to his cheek. "I've got the back-up from the accountants with me, so let me take a look at both. Hopefully I can find the problem. They probably booked something wrong. I'm surprised they'd even issue an out of balance financial statement. That's unusual. And, very careless of them."
"Tell you what," he said, thinking of his plans for today, specially cooked up with Nat last night, "why don't you sit here, see what you can do before lunch, then we'll take a break afterwards, this afternoon."
"I don't usually take breaks," she said tentatively, wondering what to expect.
He smiled. "This is a fun one. You'll like it." He rose, and could feel her next to him so close they almost touched, before she stepped out of his way.
Calling Mutty, he made his way down the hall to the kitchen. "She might like coffee or tea," he told Sarah.
He phoned Nat. "I think we're on," he told him.
"Great," his friend said. "See you around one o'clock then."
The lunch, Bethany thought, was just right for her, sub sandwiches, her favorite, with potato salad. Eating brownies for dessert, she laughingly told Sarah she'd gained weight just looking at all the delicious food.
"Now, we meet Nat and his girlfriend Alicia downtown," Matthew said, as they finished up.
She grew worried at that. "You mean we're leaving the house?"
"Yes. Don't worry, you can bring your purse."
But it still upset her. What would she do in case of an emergency with Jacob? "If we'll be gone until four, perhaps I could bring my own car." She tried to keep the panic out of her voice.
Matthew patted his mouth while frowning a bit. "Of course you can. Ollie, Sarah's husband, drives me where I need to go. But if you have after work plans, that's fine. You can follow us. I'm just not sure how long it will take."
"Where did you say we were going again?" Bethany asked.
"Bowling. Nat's in a league, and wants me to join."
Her mouth dropped open, and she was speechless. How could he ever manage that?
Mutty accompanied Matthew, she could see, as she pulled her car into the parking lot, while the dog guided him into the noisy bowling alley. She followed quickly, assuming he'd need help.
But as she went through the doors, she saw him standing, already talking and laughing with Nat by a lane, while Mutty sat wagging his tail.
And Nat introduced her to his slim girlfriend Alicia, who had spiky black hair, lots of make-up and a scorpion tattoo on her bare arm. "How are 'ya?" she asked Bethany.
"Good, thanks," Bethany said, still watching Matthew, who sat now tying the shoelaces on his bowling shoes.
Then she pulled Alicia to one side. "How is he going to do this?" she whispered to the girl.
Alicia shrugged. "He's the type of guy that if you point him in the right direction, he just takes it from there." She looked at Bethany closely. "You his new accountant?"
"They call me a personal assistant," Bethany replied, before she said dubiously, "I guess that includes bowling."
"He's a real cutie, isn't he?" Alicia said.
"Yes, very handsome," Bethany replied awkwardly, watching Matthew.
"No, I meant Nat, my boyfriend," Alicia laughed.
Bethany had bowled before, but her best was only one-fifty six, which she told Nat, after she'd put on her shoes.
"We can fix that!" he said enthusiastically, while he showed her where to stand and the basics of throwing the ball.
Her first throw was a strike. "Beginner's luck," she said, laughing, as Matthew applauded her when Nat told him about the strike.
Then it was Matthew's turn. Nat told him where to stand, and held his friend's hand back,
Matthew lost his breath at her closeness and her faint perfume wound around him like a cloak. It was a heady feeling, and he liked it. But he had a hard time talking because of it. Finally, he said, "How to fix it?"
"Good question," she laughed, her minty warm breath close to his cheek. "I've got the back-up from the accountants with me, so let me take a look at both. Hopefully I can find the problem. They probably booked something wrong. I'm surprised they'd even issue an out of balance financial statement. That's unusual. And, very careless of them."
"Tell you what," he said, thinking of his plans for today, specially cooked up with Nat last night, "why don't you sit here, see what you can do before lunch, then we'll take a break afterwards, this afternoon."
"I don't usually take breaks," she said tentatively, wondering what to expect.
He smiled. "This is a fun one. You'll like it." He rose, and could feel her next to him so close they almost touched, before she stepped out of his way.
Calling Mutty, he made his way down the hall to the kitchen. "She might like coffee or tea," he told Sarah.
He phoned Nat. "I think we're on," he told him.
"Great," his friend said. "See you around one o'clock then."
The lunch, Bethany thought, was just right for her, sub sandwiches, her favorite, with potato salad. Eating brownies for dessert, she laughingly told Sarah she'd gained weight just looking at all the delicious food.
"Now, we meet Nat and his girlfriend Alicia downtown," Matthew said, as they finished up.
She grew worried at that. "You mean we're leaving the house?"
"Yes. Don't worry, you can bring your purse."
But it still upset her. What would she do in case of an emergency with Jacob? "If we'll be gone until four, perhaps I could bring my own car." She tried to keep the panic out of her voice.
Matthew patted his mouth while frowning a bit. "Of course you can. Ollie, Sarah's husband, drives me where I need to go. But if you have after work plans, that's fine. You can follow us. I'm just not sure how long it will take."
"Where did you say we were going again?" Bethany asked.
"Bowling. Nat's in a league, and wants me to join."
Her mouth dropped open, and she was speechless. How could he ever manage that?
Mutty accompanied Matthew, she could see, as she pulled her car into the parking lot, while the dog guided him into the noisy bowling alley. She followed quickly, assuming he'd need help.
But as she went through the doors, she saw him standing, already talking and laughing with Nat by a lane, while Mutty sat wagging his tail.
And Nat introduced her to his slim girlfriend Alicia, who had spiky black hair, lots of make-up and a scorpion tattoo on her bare arm. "How are 'ya?" she asked Bethany.
"Good, thanks," Bethany said, still watching Matthew, who sat now tying the shoelaces on his bowling shoes.
Then she pulled Alicia to one side. "How is he going to do this?" she whispered to the girl.
Alicia shrugged. "He's the type of guy that if you point him in the right direction, he just takes it from there." She looked at Bethany closely. "You his new accountant?"
"They call me a personal assistant," Bethany replied, before she said dubiously, "I guess that includes bowling."
"He's a real cutie, isn't he?" Alicia said.
"Yes, very handsome," Bethany replied awkwardly, watching Matthew.
"No, I meant Nat, my boyfriend," Alicia laughed.
Bethany had bowled before, but her best was only one-fifty six, which she told Nat, after she'd put on her shoes.
"We can fix that!" he said enthusiastically, while he showed her where to stand and the basics of throwing the ball.
Her first throw was a strike. "Beginner's luck," she said, laughing, as Matthew applauded her when Nat told him about the strike.
Then it was Matthew's turn. Nat told him where to stand, and held his friend's hand back,
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