Her Charming Heartbreaker by Sonia Parin Page A

butterflies in her stomach to drown.
     
    * * *
     
    “There seems to be a
case of sensitive eyes this morning,” Theo said as he watched Eddie
trudge into Joyce’s café wearing dark sunglasses and a wide brimmed
hat.
    “We had a pajama party
last night,” Joyce said. “It got a bit wild.” Joyce set his coffee
down and then leaned against the back of a chair.
    “You’re slurring your
words.”
    “No surprise there. My
thoughts are slurred too. Mind if I join you?” Joyce asked as she
pulled out a chair. “It’ll take me a while to crank myself up into
action.”
    “Room for one more?”
Eddie asked when she reached his table.
    “Good morning. How’s
your head?” For someone emerging from a night of indulgence, she
sounded perky and looked… as enticing as the first day he’d seen
her. Theo frowned. Sifting through his first impressions, he had to
admit he had found her attractive.
    “My head is fine,”
Eddie said as she sat next to him. “But the rest of my body is
functioning at slow speed and I can barely stand up straight.”
    Theo chuckled. He’d
come close to sharing their pain. If he’d given in to the
temptation of oblivion last night, he’d be moaning and groaning
this morning too. Instead, he’d kept a clear head and had spent
most of the night thinking, not that it had helped provide a
solution to his latest hurdle. In hindsight, drinking the night
away might have been a better option.
    “Joyce tells me you
girls had a party last night.” Theo pushed his cup of coffee toward
Eddie. “I think you need this more than I do.”
    “You, sir, are the
perfect gentleman. As for last night, we imbibed copious amounts of
bubbles and savored numerous cakes,” she said doing a very good
impersonation of what she’d referred to as his snooty tone. “The
jury is still out on which flavor we prefer for Sophie’s wedding
cake. Otherwise, it was a perfect night. That’s my version, and I’m
sticking to it.” She took a long sip of her coffee and sighed. “How
about you? What did you get up to?”
    “I played a game of
pool with your brothers.” He watched the two women exchange a look
that struck him as nothing short of conspiratorial.
    “Was that after you had
your hair cut? Yes, before you ask, you were seen entering
Groomingdale’s at approximately six-oh-ten in the evening.”
    “And now you want
details.” Theo wanted to throw his head back and laugh. Despite
Claire’s discretion, they’d been caught red-handed. He hunted
around his mind for an excuse but couldn’t find one. He supposed he
could let them assume to their heart’s content, so long as it
didn’t hurt anyone.
    “Your hair looks the
same, but not in a bad way. In fact, we wouldn’t mind knowing your
secret. Every strand seems to sit perfectly. But that can keep for
another day. Come on. If you’re going to spend any time in this
town, you’re going to have to learn to share details. Nothing you
do escapes attention.” Eddie’s nose wrinkled. “I just realized. We
live in a fishbowl. Nothing’s a secret.”
    Joyce nodded. “I prefer
to think of it as the circle of trust. It makes it sound less
intrusive.”
    Theo sat back and
crossed his arms.
    “Oh no, you’re not
allowed to exclude yourself from the conversation.” Eddie finished
her coffee and leaned forward. “We will get the truth out of you
eventually.”
    “At the risk of—”
    Eddie lowered her
sunglasses. “A boycott. That’s what’s at risk here. Think about it.
Where will you get your caffeine fix? And you should also know
we’re armed with some facts, so we can cross-reference whatever you
tell us.”
    “What if it’s not my
tale to tell?”
    “Please don’t take
advantage of our sluggish brains.” Eddie drained a glass of water.
“Anything you leave unsaid now, will fire up our suspicions. We
have nothing better to do.” She stuck out her lower lip.
    Theo shifted in his
chair, his eyes fixed on her mouth. “I see nothing short