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    Appetizers
    Appetizers
    Appetizers
    Ebook337 pages5 hours

    Appetizers

    By Geonn Cannon

    5/5

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    About this ebook

    A short story collection by Geonn Cannon:

    Backroads & Boneyards - Kathleen’s parents tried to calm their wild child with religion and a Bible college, but the end result is nothing like what they hoped for.

    Curvy Privateers & Scurvy Sea Dogs - Two employees at a theme park use their characters to overcome their nerves.

    Celestine & the Gypsy: A Radiation Canary prequel - 1979. Metairie, Louisiana. Debra Kent and Celeste Lafitte begin a friendship that will take them through their final year of school and into a life neither of them ever anticipated.

    Clothes Maketh the Man - Hannah is captivated by a beautiful man she meets at a coworker's party, but fails to get any contact information from him. When she finally does track him down, she discovers she's made one very big assumption about her crush, and following through on her attraction may require more than she's willing to give.

    Common Tongue - Two women in a foreign country form a powerful and special bond despite the lack of a common language.

    Even Money - Marlin Kensleigh is a bookie, and her outwardly geeky appearance tends to make people think they can push her around. But Marlin is no pushover, a fact tattooed mechanic Sidney Gracen is about to find out for herself

    Every Savage Can Dance - Inspired by Jane Austen, who never let her female characters have any fun together. A very proper young lady sees her friend in an unexpected light after a torrential downpour. (Requested and Graciously Shared by Michelle Rinehart)

    Open Sesame - A retelling of ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’. A poor urchin in a crime-ridden city takes an opportunity to rob from thieves so she and her lover can have a better life.

    Knockout Stage - Goalie Steph “Dagger” Thomas’ soccer team made it to the Olympics, but their dreams of gold were shattered by a single goal. Back home, Steph sinks into a depression that threatens her love of the game until a chance encounter gives her something else to fight for.

    A Perfect Stranger - Sofia Kennedy’s first time with a woman is a magical and anonymous encounter during college. (Sofia Kennedy also appears in my novel ‘Breaking Anchor’)

    Sexiled - A girl blocked from her dorm by an amorous roommate finds a kindred spirit to share the night.

    Storm Sirens - A girl seeking shelter from the storm witnesses an intimate moment and makes a drastic, criminal decision to create a happy ending.

    Those Who Consort with Beasts - A classical canidae story, set in the Underdogs universe. A wolf and her daughter living on the outskirts of Salem in the 1690s must decide what she’s willing to risk when the woman she loves is arrested as a witch.

    Unscripted - Penelope and Caroline are a typical California couple who work in "the industry" as actresses. Their stage names are Wanda Lust and Evie Archer, and you won't find their movies on Netflix anytime soon...

    Without Him - A drunken escapade between friends leads one of them to unexpected revelations.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSupposed Crimes, LLC
    Release dateMay 1, 2018
    ISBN9781944591854
    Appetizers
    Author

    Geonn Cannon

    Geonn Cannon was born in a barn and raised to know better than that. He was born and raised in Oklahoma where he’s been enslaved by a series of cats, dogs, two birds and one unexpected turtle. He’s spent his entire life creating stories but only became serious about it when he realized it was a talent that could impress girls. Learning to write well was easier than learning to juggle, so a career was underway. His high school years were spent writing stories among a small group of friends and reading whatever books he could get his hands on.Geonn was inspired to create the fictional Squire’s Isle after a 2004 trip to San Juan Island in Washington State. His first novel set on the island, On the Air, was written almost as a side project to another story he wanted to tell. Reception to the story was so strong that the original story was put on the back burner to deal with the world created in On the Air. His second novel set in the same universe, Gemini, was also very well received and went on to win the Golden Crown Literary Society Award for Best Novel, Dramatic/General Fiction. Geonn was the first male author to receive the honor.While some of his novels haven’t focused as heavily on Squire’s Isle, the vast majority of Geonn’s works take place in the same universe and have connections back to the island and its cast of characters (the exception being the Riley Parra series). In addition to writing more novels based on the inhabitants of Squire’s Isle, Geonn hopes to one day move to the real-life equivalent to inspire further stories.Geonn is currently working on a tie-in novel to the television series Stargate SG-1, and a script for a webseries version of Riley Parra.

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      Book preview

      Appetizers - Geonn Cannon

      Appetizers

      Geonn Cannon

      Smashwords Edition

      Supposed Crimes LLC, Matthews, North Carolina

      All Rights Reserved

      Copyright 2018 Geonn Cannon

      Published in the United States

      ISBN: 978-1-944591-85-4

      This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Table of Contents

      Backroads & Boneyards - Kathleen’s parents tried to calm their wild child with religion and a Bible college, but the end result is nothing like what they hoped for.

      Curvy Privateers & Scurvy Sea Dogs - Two employees at a theme park use their characters to overcome their nerves.

      Celestine & the Gypsy: A Radiation Canary prequel - 1979. Metairie, Louisiana. Debra Kent and Celeste Lafitte begin a friendship that will take them through their final year of school and into a life neither of them ever anticipated.

      Clothes Maketh the Man - Hannah is captivated by a beautiful man she meets at a coworker's party, but fails to get any contact information from him. When she finally does track him down, she discovers she's made one very big assumption about her crush, and following through on her attraction may require more than she's willing to give.

      Common Tongue - Two women in a foreign country form a powerful and special bond despite the lack of a common language.

      Even Money - Marlin Kensleigh is a bookie, and her outwardly geeky appearance tends to make people think they can push her around. But Marlin is no pushover, a fact tattooed mechanic Sidney Gracen is about to find out for herself

      Every Savage Can Dance - Inspired by Jane Austen, who never let her female characters have any fun together. A very proper young lady sees her friend in an unexpected light after a torrential downpour. (Requested and Graciously Shared by Michelle Rinehart)

      Open Sesame - A retelling of ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’. A poor urchin in a crime-ridden city takes an opportunity to rob from thieves so she and her lover can have a better life.

      Knockout Stage - Goalie Steph Dagger Thomas’ soccer team made it to the Olympics, but their dreams of gold were shattered by a single goal. Back home, Steph sinks into a depression that threatens her love of the game until a chance encounter gives her something else to fight for.

      A Perfect Stranger - Sofia Kennedy’s first time with a woman is a magical and anonymous encounter during college. (Sofia Kennedy also appears in my novel ‘Breaking Anchor’)

      Sexiled - A girl blocked from her dorm by an amorous roommate finds a kindred spirit to share the night.

      Storm Sirens - A girl seeking shelter from the storm witnesses an intimate moment and makes a drastic, criminal decision to create a happy ending.

      Those Who Consort with Beasts - A classical canidae story, set in the Underdogs universe. A wolf and her daughter living on the outskirts of Salem in the 1690s must decide what she’s willing to risk when the woman she loves is arrested as a witch.

      Unscripted - Penelope and Caroline are a typical California couple who work in the industry as actresses. Their stage names are Wanda Lust and Evie Archer, and you won't find their movies on Netflix anytime soon...

      Without Him - A drunken escapade between friends leads one of them to unexpected revelations.

      Backroads & Boneyards

      (Author’s Note: inspired by Josh Ritter’s music, specifically the songs Getting Ready to Get Down and Where the Night Goes)

      Family pictures on the wall of their den charted the evolution - or devolution - of the Lawrence family’s daughter. When Kathleen was ten, she was the ideal Girl Next Door. Pink gingham shirt, huge smile, and a bow in her long brown hair. Her parents were standing on either side of their ideal daughter. Her mother’s hand was on her right shoulder and her father’s hand was on her left. It was a catalogue shot, and no one could blame the Lawrences for wanting to recapture the image a year later. At eleven, Kathleen’s smile spread a little less wide. When she was fourteen, her parents were standing together with Kathleen off to the right. She wasn’t smiling at all anymore, but at least her expression wasn’t actively hostile.

      At sixteen, when she was forced to attend the portrait session, she chose to wear a black T-shirt and a dog collar she’d bought specifically for the occasion. Her hair had been chopped off in the closest thing to a buzz cut the town barber was willing to attempt. Her parents forced her to take off the collar, but there was nothing they could do about the hair. Their faces were full of resignation while Kathleen had a look of smug success.

      The final portrait was taken when Kathleen was nineteen, but she wasn’t in the picture. She was four hundred miles south at the Pelican Bible College in the southern part of the state. It was a last-ditch effort to save her from the dark path she’d been stumbling down. She was rude and disrespectful. She disregarded curfew, she smoked and drank. She didn’t do drugs, but some thought that was only because the town of Royal City didn’t have a thriving drug trade. She had played baseball sophomore and junior years, she even made varsity, but she didn’t even try out for her last year of high school.

      A secret meeting between her parents and their pastor led to the decision it was their only chance to get their daughter back. Kathleen came home not long after graduation and found her things packed and waiting by the front door. She begged, she pleaded, she promised to straighten out, but the decision had been made. She was on the bus that night and arrived at the campus the following day. She was going to spend the summer with her aunt who lived close enough to the school to keep an eye on her. Aunt Taylor had a farm, and her summers were to be spent working off her room and board.

      Between school, working on the farm, and her petty anger at being banished, it was four years before she went back home.

      #

      Kathleen still remembered the outskirts of Royal City like the back of her hand. The bus was empty enough that she moved to a seat next to the window so she could watch as the familiar territory unfolded next to the road. Royal City was the middle of nowhere, three quadrants of a square surrounded by foothills and miles of scrub. When she left town, her head had been shaved on both sides with locks of purple and red hair falling from the tuft on top of her head. Her hair now was a conservative length, but now it was purple and black. Everything she owned was in a bag tucked overhead or the other one stowed underneath in the cargo department.

      She was excited about seeing her parents. She looked forward to seeing the old hometown, the streets she remembered, the people who had grown into near mythic stature in her mind, but there was one person in particular weighing on her mind. She didn’t know what to expect from their reunion. In four years there hadn’t been a single email in either direction. No contact, not even a whisper of keeping in touch. It might mean nothing. It might mean everything.

      Kathleen bit her thumbnail and watched as Mr. Amos’ field rolled into view. He had alpacas, and Kathleen smiled as she thought about Vicky’s insistence that they were just funny-looking horses. He got them from Chernobyl, she declared, and that’s why they look that way. They’re radioactive. Vicky was always making up stories and telling them so matter-of-factly that she almost dared anyone to contradict her. Kathleen was the only one who ever fought back. She wondered who had been challenging Vicky’s stories over the past four years.

      The world was flat enough that she could see Royal City well before they broke the town limits. It was barely afternoon, but she could only think of it at night. The sky, blue-purple fading to black so they could see the stars, with the town shining underneath. They could see Second Street lit up like a runway until ten o’clock when half the lights snapped off one after another. Kathleen had seen that curfew darkness more than once during her wild days.

      Her smile faltered when she remembered how she was before she left. Disrespectful, angry at everything, lashing out at anyone who tried to help her... School helped her immensely. Once she stopped digging in her heels and actually listened, she discovered there was more to it than religious stuff. Aunt Taylor was the true godsend, though. The day Kathleen showed up on her doorstep, her aunt laid down the rules.

      No brats. You start to look like a brat to me, I’ll throw you out. I love my sister, but I don’t know you. I won’t lose any sleep dropping you back at the bus station. You may want to be top of the food chain, but that ends right here. I’m in charge. You try to knock me down a peg and take over as alpha, I’ll put you on your ass. Then it’s right back to the bus station. You disrespect me, my home, or my friends, and you’re gone.

      Kathleen had said, You want me to be a Kewpie Doll, too?

      I don’t want games. I don’t want stupid posturing. I know you’re a teenager, stupid posturing is like ninety percent of your personality. But out here it isn’t worth shit. Just be whoever you are, and we’ll get along fine.

      What... what if I don’t know who that is?

      Taylor swept an arm out to indicate the farm. Then this is a great place to find out.

      Kathleen said, Are you going to help me with my bags?

      No one here works for you, Kathleen.

      No one calls me Kathleen.

      Taylor turned to go back into the house. Your mother said. Kitty, Kate, Lean... you’ve had a different name for every semester of school, seems like. Until you figure out what you want to be called long-term, I’m sticking with Kathleen.

      She left Kathleen alone there in front of the house until, finally, Kathleen picked up her bags and followed her aunt into the house.

      In the end she stuck with the name she was given. They were almost to the feed store, which was the real start of civilization as far as Royal City was concerned. She sat up straighter and smoothed her hands on the thighs of her pants. They were brand-new jeans, and her blouse was also new. She and Taylor went shopping the weekend before her triumphant return so she could make a good impression. She was surprised she wanted to make a good impression. Her parents had spent a lot of money to banish her, but now she could see it was exactly what she needed. She could also accept just how far she’d pushed them. They wouldn’t have made such a drastic decision lightly. They loved her. They’d been worried about her. They did what they thought was in her best interests, and she loved them for it.

      The bus station was on the northern side of town, which meant they had to drive through the whole of Royal City to reach it. She watched the window as intently as a movie screen, eyes skipping over the familiar and unfamiliar. The bank had a new sign, one that lit up with actual video instead of lights scrolling along a single bar. Jacqui’s Fine Dining had a new paint job, and her mouth watered when she thought of their Rough and Rugged Burgers. She hoped their fries were the same.

      She found herself tearing up when they passed the high school. She was home. After four years and a few weeks, after being sent away to save her from herself, she was back. What if the new version of her was unacceptable to everyone else? What if they still looked at her and just saw hair color and a stud in her nose? What if they rejected her even after all the hard work she’d done to find out who she was?

      Kathleen wiped at her eyes. The bus pulled up to the station with a lurch and a squeal of brakes. She took a deep breath and swept her hair out of her face before she stood up and gathered her bag. She remembered what Taylor said before hugging her goodbye. Your parents didn’t send you here to fix you, she said. They sent you here to shut out the noise and the bullshit. They just wanted you to find yourself without the distractions. You did a great job, Kathleen. I’m proud of you. And if they do throw a hissy, you just get back on that bus and come on back here.

      Knowing she had somewhere to fall gave her the courage to walk down the aisle and out into the sunshine. She didn’t even have to look around once she reached the pavement; her parents were directly across from her in the parking lot. They looked exactly the same until she got up close. A bit more aged, a bit grayer at the edges, and more real. She hadn’t seen her parents in so long that she could see them as actual people rather than just Mom and Dad. Her father looked prepared for the worst, his eyes locked on the hue of her hair, and her mother’s eyes were wide with hope.

      Kathleen put down her bags and embraced them both. Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.

      Hello, Kathleen, her mother said. We’ve missed you so much.

      I’ve missed you, too. She stepped back so they could see her face. I’m sorry. For--

      Her father cut her off with a wave of his hand. You don’t have to list anything, Kathleen. His voice was rough but tempered with emotion. Hearing it again made her breath catch in her chest. He looked down at her hands so he didn’t have to look her in the eye. Sorry is enough. Sorry... is good. For what it’s worth, we’re sorry, too.

      Do two sorrys make forgiveness? Kathleen asked.

      He smiled a little. Yeah, probably works out that way. He bent down and picked up her bags. Come on. Let’s get you home so you can rest.

      Actually, there’s someone I have to go see. I wanted to take care of that first and then we could have the night together. We could talk over dinner. If that’s okay.

      Her parents looked at each other and communicated silently before her mother nodded. I think that would be fine.

      Okay. She hugged her mother and kissed her father on the cheek. I won’t be out too late, I promise. And if I am, I’ll call.

      Her mother looked shocked. We would appreciate that, Kathleen.

      And thank you for coming to pick me up. It was so great to see you.

      Sure. Her father gestured with her bags. We’ll take these home and leave them in your room.

      Thank you, Daddy.

      He nodded and left them to put the bags in the car. Her mother looked at Kathleen’s hair and chuckled softly.

      I guess, um, some things don’t change.

      Kathleen matched her chuckle, surprised that she’d never noticed how much their laughs sounded alike. Yeah. So, um. I’ll see you in a while.

      Do you want a ride?

      No, I want to walk. She looked around and smiled. Little town’s really changed a lot in the past four years. I want to take it slow and see everything.

      Her mother nodded. Okay. We’ll see you at home, then.

      She stepped back and watched her parents get into the car. She waved as they pulled out of the parking lot, then she stuck her hands in her pockets and took a deep breath. Home again. With so much changed, there was one thing she hoped was still the same. She wet her lips, summoned her courage, and started walking west.

      Romero McGiven was out in front of the gas station, cowboy hat tilted back at just the right angle to block the sun while still allowing him to see the street. He glanced toward her as she approached and she saw the angle of his shoulders change when he realized who she was. Her hair color was probably a dead giveaway. She smiled broadly and waved hello to him. His hand came up a bit off his thigh, not quite a wave but not shunning her, either. He was probably too shocked to see that she was back to think about judging her.

      A block later she turned onto Second Street. The main drag was flanked by rows of furniture shops and antique shops, a five and dime, some boutiques, and a variety of storefronts that served as revolving doors for restaurants and bars. She wondered how many had cycled through while she was gone. Burgers and tacos and Indian food, Italian subs, it had all been served on Second Street when she was in high school. Now there was a Mexican restaurant and something that smelled like barbeque.

      At the end of the block, Imogene North and Delia Child were standing outside the antique shop. They were mid-gossip when Imogene glanced over and froze. Delia followed her gaze and just barely stopped herself from covering her mouth in shock. Kathleen felt bad for them. They were fine, church-going ladies, and as such they’d been big targets for the teenage hellion she’d once been. She mooned them once, shouted horrible things when she drove past them on their way to church, and made holidays hellish by rearranging the Nativity display into obscene positions. They huddled close to the building as she approached as if trying to blend into the brickwork.

      Kathleen slowed and smiled. Miss North. Mrs. Child. She wanted to apologize for everything she’d done in the past, but it didn’t seem like the right time or place. I hope you have a lovely afternoon. It’s great seeing you.

      Imogene stumbled over her words but finally said, He-hello, Kathleen.

      Have a great day.

      She didn’t look back once she was past them, but she knew they would spread the word about her return far and wide by that evening. She didn’t care. Let people talk. Let people remember what a horrible beast she’d been. It would only make it that much more impressive when they saw how much she had changed. The Bible College didn’t force her to become a Jesus freak. It didn’t try converting her into a Bible-thumping evangelist. It just showed her how to be a good person. It taught her to think about others and act accordingly. But Aunt Taylor had been a much bigger educator than anyone at the school.

      One night, the exile and abandonment had pushed Kathleen to the breaking point. She ended up in the barn, sobbing, when Taylor found her.

      Do you know why your parents sent you here?

      Because they hate me.

      Wrong. Because you’re still trying to figure out who you are. And you’re fighting everyone who might have a problem with it at the same time. You’re on the offensive every minute of the day because you’re worried about what people will think. Just take some time, figure out what skin you’re comfortable wearing, and settle on the real Kathleen. Whoever she might be.

      Kathleen had sniffled. What if they hate that?

      Then who gives a damn? They don’t have to live in your skin. They don’t have to be you, or experience your life. Why the fuck should they get a choice in how you turn out? She patted Kathleen’s arm and squeezed her shoulder. If who you are is an asexual purple-haired feminist, then be that. Don’t lash out at people who might not find that aesthetically pleasing.

      What if I want to be a gay rancher out in the middle of nowhere?

      Taylor grinned. It’s a lonely life, kid. But I like it just fine. She rubbed the top of Kathleen’s head and walked away from her. Dinner’s on the stove in the kitchen. I don’t become your serving girl just because you cried a little bit.

      Kathleen had laughed and, when she felt like her eyes weren’t puffy anymore, had gone in to make herself dinner.

      Well, sugar honey iced tea! It really is you!

      Kathleen stopped and smiled. Only one person used that phrase, and even after her long absence there was no doubt in her mind about who was crossing the street behind her. She turned and smiled as Brenda Lee Miller hurried to catch up to her. Brenda Lee had been everything in high school; class president, cheerleader, valedictorian, and literal cover girl for the senior yearbook. She also liked to smoke and drink, which was how she and the wild child became acquaintances. The main change to Brenda Lee was that now her expensive blouse had a name tag pinned to the breast and the amount of jewelry hanging from her wrists.

      Look at you! Brenda Lee said. Nice to see a few years away didn’t make you boring.

      Never boring. Maybe a bit mellower. She wanted to catch up with Brenda Lee, wanted to know what life after high school was like for the prom queen, but most of all she didn’t want to be rude. I don’t want to try catching up with everything right here on the street. Why don’t we have dinner some night? I have dinner with my parents tonight, but I should be free this weekend sometime?

      That sounds great! Let me get your number.

      They exchanged numbers, and Kathleen allowed herself to feel proud. In the past she would have focused entirely on her goal, her mission, what she wanted. It was a small victory, but it was progress nonetheless. As Brenda Lee was saying goodbye, Kathleen realized she had the opportunity to further her own goals after all.

      Vicky is still living here in town, right?

      Vicky? Oh! Victoria Tanner? She goes by Tori now. But yes, she’s still here. This time of day, she’s working the counter at Lillian’s. An unusual expression crossed her face. So is that your first stop? Before you see anyone else, you’re going to see her?

      Kathleen nodded. Unless for some reason you think that wouldn’t be a good idea.

      No, no, no reason. I’ll let you go. But I can’t wait to catch up!

      Me neither. Good to see you.

      They parted ways and Kathleen continued on. She was grateful she’d run into Brenda Lee; her intention had been to try Vicky... no, Tori... at home where she’d lived in high school. If she hadn’t been home, or worse if she’d moved, she had no idea what her next step would have been. Now she had a destination in mind.

      Lillian’s was an old-style diner fashioned to look like a train car. It was close enough to the exit to be seen from the freeway, so they were a favorite of long-term truckers looking for a quick meal. It was also near the high school and a favorite hangout after three o’clock, which meant they were always busy no matter what time of day it was. Sure enough, as she approached, the parking lot was full of mud-encrusted trucks with a trio of big rigs parked in the empty lot next door.

      Kathleen’s hands trembled as she closed the distance to the diner. Four years and four hundred miles had shrunk down to a few minutes and the length of a football field. Windows stretched all the way across the front of the diner, but the sun was shining at an angle that turned them into mirrors. She could see herself, tall and purple-haired, the sharp edges of her reflection turned fluid by distortions in the glass.

      She was almost to the parking lot when the door opened and a girl came outside. She looked as if she had started to run, but caught herself just as she crossed the threshold. It made her look like she was tripping. She wore bright blue jeans and an orange polo shirt - the Lillian uniform since time began - and there was a white apron tied around her waist. Her hair, once so long it whipped in the wind, was cut short to show off the long slender line of her throat. Kathleen stopped where she was and stared, and the other girl put a hand over her mouth as she walked forward.

      You’re back, Tori said.

      Hi, Kathleen murmured. I didn’t know if you’d want to see me.

      Everything depended on what happened next. The weight of their last night together had been crushing down on this moment, waiting for the punchline, for the payoff. Kathleen’s eyes were wide and unblinking; she didn’t want to miss any subtle clues that she was about to be told off or slapped or asked politely to walk away.

      Tori let out a sob and took two steps forward, wrapping her arms around Kathleen just as the tears started to flow. Kathleen put her hands on Tori’s back and closed her eyes in relief and bliss.

      You’re back, Tori said again.

      I had to come back, Kathleen whispered. You still have my jacket.

      Tori laughed and buried her face in Kathleen’s hair.

      #

      Tori left the bar well before last call, even though Adam and Paul both insisted she stay to judge the karaoke contest. She claimed exhaustion but promised the next time she would stick around until the cows came home. When she left, Peter had just gotten onstage to torture Life on Mars? She counted her blessings that she was escaping in the nick of time. It was easy to ignore the passage of time with the drinks flowing and everyone yelling to be heard over the music, but once she was outside the stillness of the night left no doubt in her mind about how late it was.

      Another long day at Lillian’s. Another night trying to unwind enough to sleep so she would be well-rested for the next long day. She’d worked there for almost three years and, while it was better than anything else the town had to offer, she still wanted more. She felt like she was on hold, waiting until she earned enough money or acquired enough life experience to move on to the next thing. She couldn’t imagine still working that counter in five years.

      Tori sighed. Then again, nothing would change if she didn’t change it. She didn’t even know where to start.

      She sang under her breath as she walked, and she arrived at her door before she started a fourth song. Her laptop sat untouched on the table, but her phone would have informed her if there were any emails waiting. Nothing again

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