Meet Me in Barcelona by Mary Carter Page A

of the street. You are wearing the bikini. I am allowed to take you anywhere. This is Barcelona, baby.”
    Allowed to take her. What a misogynist . He offered her the joint. She shook her head no as she’d done each and every time he tried to get her to take it. Pot made her horny. Horny made her stupid. She was not hooking up with Rafael. “What are you going to do? Lie around all day like a dead fish?” Rafael said.
    â€œMaybe.” And maybe she’d slip out and do some exploring on her own. It had to cool down after dark. She’d always been more of a night owl anyway.
    â€œYou did not ask me about my morning work,” Rafael said. “My Zero Zero Seven.”
    Double-O-Seven, you moron . “You’re right. I didn’t.” Rafael was just too easy to bait, so she couldn’t resist doing it.
    â€œShe’s here.”
    So soon? Was he telling the truth? Carrie Ann sat up. It was everything she could do not to leap off the sofa and run down to their room. Grace was here. Just one floor below. Carrie Ann had to breathe. She had to take it slow. An ambush would only backfire. Despite herself, she could feel excitement thrumming in her, just at the thought of seeing Grace again. She needed her. She missed her. “Oh my God. Are you sure?”
    â€œI don’t like her,” Rafael said.
    Who cares if you like her, you egomaniac? Although it was an interesting statement. Everybody always liked Grace. Except maybe that guy who had slammed her in Country Weekly . Carrie Ann couldn’t figure out what had possessed Grace to post that review on her own Facebook page. Why would you want people reading your bad reviews? Like those people who send annual anti-Christmas-cheer newsletters. I have cancer. Steven is in rehab and we pray this will be the year he kicks cocaine . Happy Holidays, sorry I haven’t been in touch since the tornado. “You weren’t supposed to talk to her. Did you talk to her?”
    â€œI did not talk to her. But I was very near her. And she did not come up to take picture or tip me.”
    Why would she? You look deranged. Charles Manson would’ve steered clear of you. “You’re sure it was her?”
    Rafael set the joint on the edge of the coffee table and reached into his jeans. How could he wear jeans in this heat? Why didn’t he have ashtrays? He pulled his iPhone out of his pocket, scrolled through it, and held the screen out to Carrie Ann. She took the phone and brought the screen in close. And there she was.
    Her Grace. She looked just like she did on her Facebook fan page. Her sister. SBC. Sisters By Choice. She could still see the ten-year-old girl in the picture. And the eleven-, twelve-, and thirteen-year-old girl. She could see the two of them, sitting in Grace’s tree house, pouring out their secrets in low, hot whispers. I missed you, Gracie. I missed you so much . She ran her finger over Grace’s face. My sister. I forgive you. Will you be happy to see me? Have you missed me at all? Will you be sorry when I suddenly disappear? Will you come looking for me?
    Rafael held his hand out for his phone.
    Carrie Ann kept holding it. “Did she see you taking this?”
    â€œNot even a tiny, tiny chance.”
    â€œShe’s here,” Carrie Ann repeated. The first hurdle had been cleared. She thought she’d made a mistake recruiting that Dan guy. He had been so paranoid about the whole thing. And she had to be nice or he would’ve pulled out of it altogether. God, how he had gone on and on. Why don’t you just tell them you won a trip? He’ll never believe the vet group is raffling off a trip. What are the odds of winning a trip? What if we’re scheduled for surgery on those days? I don’t know if I can get a replacement with this short a notice. I don’t even know how many vacation days Jake has left. On and on until Carrie Ann wanted to strangle him. At least she had