Scandalous 2 Page 0,75

eyes lower to the ground, to her shoes. It's like all the excitement washed away. Jack could kick himself for saying it. Quickly, he adds, "I have no idea what you're really doing, Mrs. Gray. I just like to pretend that I do." Lifting her chin, Abby eyes him, trying to tell if he's being honest with her.

After a moment, she laughs. "You have to stop doing that to me. I spent the last few weeks setting everything up. I wanted it to be a surprise."

Jack tickles her lightly, just to see her smile again before taking her hand and following her to the car. When he gets into the passenger seat, he sees a blindfold on the dashboard. He lifts it and asks her, "Are you planning something kinky?"

Abby's face flushes. She slaps his arm and starts the car. "Not this time. Now, put it on and stop messing with me. I'm really nervous about this. I'm afraid you won't like it."

Jack looks at his wife. She has hope in her eyes again. He can see it. No matter what this is, he knows it's important to her. "I'm sure I'll love it." He ties the blindfold and the car lurches forward. Jack's heart races a little bit as they drive. Abby is uncharacteristically quiet.

When the car stops, Abby comes around and takes his hands. She leads him from the car. Jack can feel gravel crunch under his feet and a cool breeze on his face. He can feel Abby's breath on his neck. She must be standing on her tippy toes behind him.

Abby's hands touch his shoulders gently. "I've been thinking about what to do next, Jack. The reason why I went to seminary in the first place was so that I could help people. I wanted to make a difference. I think I can make a difference here. I think that I can do something good. Just give it a second to sink in before you say anything." There's a slight tremor in her voice, like she's afraid of what he'll think.

When Abby's hands lift the blindfold from his eyes, Jack's jaw drops. They are standing in the middle of a busted up parking lot with the remains of a dilapidated warehouse. The metal building is a dingy yellow with a broken windows. A portico is hanging haphazardly over the front entrance. It looks like it's been abandoned for years. Weeds fill the parking lot, pushing their way through what's left of the pavement. The building is probably condemnable.

Jack doesn't understand. He can't see what Abby has envisioned here. Taking her by the hands, her pulls her around in front of him. She looks so cute when she's nervous. Abby sucks her bottom lip into her mouth and looks up at him with big green eyes. Jack says kindly, "You have to give me a little more information, beautiful. I have no idea what you see in this place. I just hope you don't want to live here."

Abby laughs and smiles hard. "No, I don't want to live here, but I do want it." She turns toward the building again and says, "It would be perfect. No one else wants it and it's in a bad location for just about everything - "

"Except for what you want to do?" Jack asks.

Abby nods. She twists her hands together and stares at the building while she speaks. "I want to do something to help the poor. I decided that the best way to inspire others is to practice what I preach. This building is perfect. There's still metal shelving inside. It's not too big, and not too small. And there's nothing else around. It's like a little oasis." She sighs looking at it.

Jack still can't see what she sees. He slips his hands around her waist and leans his chin on the back of her shoulder. "Tell me more. What would you do here?"

Staring straight ahead, Abby paints him a picture of her dreams. Abby smiles as she says it, her hands moving through the air as she points and explains. "It would be a place to get food, clothing, and blankets. In the fall, when schools start up, it's hard to come up with money for sneakers, backpacks, and jeans - you know, the kind of stuff we had. I'd want to stock those kinds of things, along with non-perishables, coats and blankets for winter. There are a lot of kids that go without. It would be a