Chance Encounters Read Online Free

it to the
church. You’ll find a nice guy and he’ll make you forget you ever knew the
other jerk.”
    Emma thanked Helen for her words of wisdom as she left the
table. Helen winked at her as she made her way to the table where the truck
driver and the man she had bumped into at the restrooms were sitting. Helen
exchanged a few words with the friendly stranger and they both looked in her
direction. Emma quickly turned away, afraid that now the entire restaurant knew
her story.
    A few minutes later, Emma noticed the trucker and the tall
man exiting the diner and climbing back into the truck. She was envious as she
watched the two of them, laughing and carefree. The tall man seemed to be
teasing the trucker by pretending to slap him in his big belly. Emma smiled
despite herself. If only life could really be that blithe. No deadlines, no
contracts, no fake friends, no lying cheating fiancés.
    Emma paid her bill and thanked Helen for all of her
hospitality. Helen yelled from across the counter, “Someday you’ll meet
yourself a good man, and when you do, you be sure to come back here on your
honeymoon and show him off.”
    Emma waved good-bye as she headed out into the parking lot.
She began walking back to the Inn next door when she noticed the big eighteen
wheeler was pulled off to the back of the parking lot. Hmm, must be stopping
for the night, Emma thought to herself as she reached her door. She was
about to put her key in the lock when she heard someone behind her. “Well
hello, ducky, fancy meeting you here.”
    Emma turned to see the tall man standing there. “Please tell
me that someone as lovely as yourself is not turning in for the evening
already. The evening is still young and so are we.”
    Emma smiled at the man; she couldn’t help it. Something
about him seemed so lively, so friendly. “I have a long drive ahead of me, so I
am just going to turn in.”
    “Say it isn’t so. Here you are in this lovely little town,
and you’re going to … sleep? How will you ever remember your time here then?”
    “Well, I guess I will just remember it as a little town I
stopped in along my travels. Goodnight.” She slowly opened the door to her
room.
    “Oh I find that unacceptable. I hear there is a quaint
little karaoke bar just down the road, why don’t you come with me.”
    Emma smiled at him. “I thank you, but I have had a really
long day, and I just need some sleep.”
    His head cocked to the side and flashed her his best puppy
dog eyes. “Please?” He got down on his knees, pleading with her. Emma broke out
into a big grin.
    “Really, I am fine. I am very exhausted, but thank you just
the same.”
    He jumped to his feet, picked up her hand, and gently kissed
it. “All right, but I’ll expect a rain check.”
    With that he ran down the hallway singing, “Until we meet
again,” and he disappeared around the corner.
    Emma opened her door and walked into her room. She really
was exhausted. She ambled her way over to the bed, allowing herself to fall
onto the plush floral comforter. She let out an exasperated sound as she lay
there staring at the ceiling, unmoving.
     

     
    She thought back on how she and Matt first met. She had
been working as an obituary writer for the Sentinel news for eight months. It
was a tedious job. She hated it, but she knew she had to climb the proverbial
ladder one rung and a time. She had put in a long, very boring day when Renee
called her up and screeched into the phone about her being invited to some big
time TV producer’s home for a huge party. She was allowed to bring a plus one,
so she wanted to bring Emma.
    “Emma, this is it. We get in good with these people and
new opportunities will open up for us.”
    Renee had been on cloud nine since she got the invite.
Emma remembered her dancing and spinning through their apartment. “See, my
little Emma, just the right connections is all it takes. Just think chickie,
everyone who is anyone will be at this party and now so