Free Double Trouble by Steve Elliott Page B

next morning, all eager to continue with our search. I kept an eye on Maureen, seeking any telltale signs that she was the secret note writer, but, of course, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. I did, however, find a plethora of clues that she was feeling the bite of Paul’s Cupid arrow - small giveaway signs like lingering glances, almost inaudible sighs, ‘accidental’ touches and the quivering smiles that littered the landscape. Why hadn’t I seen these clues before ? They were so obvious now that I was looking for them. But what was I going to do about it? Should I encourage Maureen and see where our affiliation led or should I take her aside and tell her to stop wasting her time on me? I stood back and surveyed Maureen dispassionately. She wasn’t beautiful, but that didn’t matter so much to me. I’d take personality over looks any day. What was the point of having a beautiful partner on your arm if they drove you crazy with a grating personality? No, prettiness wasn’t an issue. What then? What was stopping me from marching over to her right now and kissing her? Was I lonely? Yes ! Did I ache to hold someone in my arms? Yes ! Would I be ecstatic to run my hands over her body at night? Yes, yes, yes ! So what was the problem here? I knew that Maureen would be overjoyed if I asked her to be with me. Wouldn’t she? A tiny doubt crept into my musings. Maybe I was wrong about her feelings, although they appeared to be fairly apparent. But, by her own admission from when we’d found the second love note, she’d never been in a relationship with a woman before this. Would I be leading her astray or frighten her off if I professed that I wanted to be with her?
    I threw my hands up in disgust. Questions! All of the time questions ! And so many of the wretched things. I hated the first stages of romance. What would the other person do if I did that? If I approached it this way, would they leave or stay? Bah ! Trying to second guess someone else’s reactions was enough to drive you around the bend.
    We piled into Maureen’s car and made our way to the church. It was late morning, so all of the services had ended. We casually made our way inside the building but the place was empty of worshippers. Sure enough, the church boasted a choir, judging by the raised loft at the back of the hall. Glancing around for observers, we climbed up the stairs leading there and scattered around, seeking the note.
    “ Found it!” Janice whispered, a few moments later, brandishing another small metal tin.
    “We’ll read it later,” commanded Stephanie. “Let’s head for home before we’re caught.” One by one, we descended the stairs and fled the building in a guilty fashion, obscurely feeling as if we’d just desecrated the place.
     

Chapter 16.
     
    Arriving back at Maureen’s house, we gathered impatiently around Janice as she placed the container on the kitchen table. “ Open it, Jan, and let’s see what we’ve got,” Stephanie commanded.
    “Stand back ,” Janice ordered. “You just never know.”
    Instinctively obeying her instruction, we took a backward step as Janice carefully opened the tin. Immediately, there was a small explosion and a cry from Janice as she automatically shielded her face. The room filled with fumes and everyone began coughing. I rushed over to Janice and hastily dragged her out of the room. The others stumbled to safety after me.
    We regrouped in the living room and then retreated outside the house as the fumes began to follow us.
    “What the hell was that ?” Stephanie exclaimed, as she recovered her breath. “Is Jan okay?”
    I peered anxiously up into Janice’s face. Her eyes were firmly shut and streaming with tears. “Somebody get me a wet cloth,” I commanded. Maureen scampered off and returned almost immediately with her handkerchief, dripping with water.
    “Take it easy, Jan,” I soothed, as I wiped at her eyes to remove any vestige of irritant. “Open you eyes