Laura nodded slowly. She took one bite of her toast and then put it down, finding she didn’t have much of an appetite. Zach picked up his own cutlery as if that was permission, and started to make his way through the considerable stack of pancakes.
She considered him while he tucked in, taking a sip of her coffee instead of eating more. He was benign enough, she thought. There was nothing threatening about him, from his avuncular manner to his grandfatherly appearance. If he’d dedicated his life to teaching children, that was as much a service as the one she provided. Perhaps he was someone she could trust.
And even if she couldn’t trust him, they had a lot in common – and he could tell her a lot about the things she could do.
Laura checked her watch. It was halfway through the morning already, and she felt drained from their conversation. Even though she’d been waiting to meet someone like Zach for a long time, this was a lot to take in – and she still wasn’t sure she had processed it properly. She needed time to marshal her thoughts, to figure out what to ask him, what to talk about. She needed time to clear her head before she got overwhelmed and started feeling like she needed a drink again.
“I’m going to have to head out,” she said, pushing her toast to one side. “We should meet and talk again soon. You have my number?”
Zach nodded. “And you have mine,” he said. “I’m an old man, Laura. Retired, no wife, my children grown and leading their own lives. I’m at your disposal. You call me when you want to talk again.”
Laura nodded. “I will,” she said, which was a promise.
She got up, turning to face the road and her car again. She had another person to see today, and she didn’t want to wait around too long before she saw him – because, as strange as it was to admit it to herself, she needed him just then.