the sofa and she plopped down on the
cushions.
“ I’ll get you a drink of
water,” I said, rushing into the kitchen.
After grabbing a glass from the
cabinet and pouring the water, I hurried back to the room with
glass in hand, almost afraid of what I’d see when I returned.
Jennifer was still sitting on the sofa where I’d left her and her
eyes remained her natural shade.
Whew. Thank goodness for small favors.
Maybe now we could put this whole mess behind us. She took the
glass and drank the water, every last drop with two big gulps. She
handed me the glass and wiped her mouth with the back of her
hand.
“ Why don’t you tell me what
happened?” I asked.
She ran her hand through her hair. “I
don’t remember much. We were standing outside on the sidewalk and
these men showed up to talk with Neil. They looked real
badass.”
“ The same men from earlier?”
I asked.
She frowned. “What men from
earlier?”
“ Don’t you remember at the
restaurant? Neil went outside to talk with them and he was gone for
a long time?”
She looked at me blankly.
“ You thought he’d ditched
you, so you went outside to look for him. When I went out into the
alley, he was fighting with these men and you were beating one over
the head.”
She listened with wide eyes. It
sounded like a story I would be involved in instead of Jennifer.
But I’d seen it with my own eyes, so I knew it was true. Why was
she acting normal now? I needed to ask, but I’d have to broach the
topic carefully.
“ I jumped in? That’s totally
unlike me. Anyway, the next thing I knew, I’m on our apartment
floor. It’s as if I was abducted by aliens and dropped
here.”
She stared at me. I supposed she was
waiting for me to give her answers. I had none. This wasn’t good. I
didn’t like the sound of this one bit. I would call that rat Neil
and get to the bottom of this, pronto.
I rushed over and grabbed the phone
from the end table. I still had his file on the kitchen table so I
leafed through and found his number. With a shaky finger, I pushed
in the numbers and listened to the rings from the other end of the
line. Just when I thought he wouldn’t answer the phone, a loud
knock rattled our door. I met Jennifer’s terrified gaze.
“ Maybe that’s him,” she
mouthed.
My instincts told me it probably was
the rat. He had some nerve showing up here now. I was going to let
him have it.
Jennifer straightened on the sofa. Her
eyes were wide from terror. What had this guy done to her? I
couldn’t run a business this way. I was just lucky Lily wasn’t the
one who had gone on the date. She would never have shut up about
it, although I wouldn’t blame Jennifer if she never spoke to me
again after this debacle.
I hurried over to the door, but
hesitated for a brief moment before finally swinging it open. Neil
stood in the hallway with a stunned look on his face.
“ Rylie, is Jennifer
okay?”
I glared at him. “What do you think?”
I asked.
He stepped forward as if he was going
to invite himself in, but I placed my arm on the doorframe,
blocking his entry.
“ Whoa, what do you think
you’re doing? I don’t recall inviting you in.”
I didn’t want to break a nail dragging
his ass down the stairs, but I would gladly sacrifice my
Pretty-in-Pink polish for Jennifer’s sake.
“ I need to see her. Can I
please come in?” Dark circles ringed his eyes and a grim expression
twisted his mouth.
I eyed him for a second, contemplating
whether I should call the police.
“ Please?” he asked
again.
I let out a deep breath and stepped to
the side. “Fine. But if you try anything else, I will be forced to
kick your ass so hard that you’ll have to remove your shirt to… how
do I put this in a ladylike way… go poo.”
He looked at me
incredulously.
I nodded. “Yeah, I said it. Now what
do you want?”
After a brief pause, he rushed over to
Jennifer. She slid away from him on the sofa.
“ See, she doesn’t want to
talk to you.
cushions.
“ I’ll get you a drink of
water,” I said, rushing into the kitchen.
After grabbing a glass from the
cabinet and pouring the water, I hurried back to the room with
glass in hand, almost afraid of what I’d see when I returned.
Jennifer was still sitting on the sofa where I’d left her and her
eyes remained her natural shade.
Whew. Thank goodness for small favors.
Maybe now we could put this whole mess behind us. She took the
glass and drank the water, every last drop with two big gulps. She
handed me the glass and wiped her mouth with the back of her
hand.
“ Why don’t you tell me what
happened?” I asked.
She ran her hand through her hair. “I
don’t remember much. We were standing outside on the sidewalk and
these men showed up to talk with Neil. They looked real
badass.”
“ The same men from earlier?”
I asked.
She frowned. “What men from
earlier?”
“ Don’t you remember at the
restaurant? Neil went outside to talk with them and he was gone for
a long time?”
She looked at me blankly.
“ You thought he’d ditched
you, so you went outside to look for him. When I went out into the
alley, he was fighting with these men and you were beating one over
the head.”
She listened with wide eyes. It
sounded like a story I would be involved in instead of Jennifer.
But I’d seen it with my own eyes, so I knew it was true. Why was
she acting normal now? I needed to ask, but I’d have to broach the
topic carefully.
“ I jumped in? That’s totally
unlike me. Anyway, the next thing I knew, I’m on our apartment
floor. It’s as if I was abducted by aliens and dropped
here.”
She stared at me. I supposed she was
waiting for me to give her answers. I had none. This wasn’t good. I
didn’t like the sound of this one bit. I would call that rat Neil
and get to the bottom of this, pronto.
I rushed over and grabbed the phone
from the end table. I still had his file on the kitchen table so I
leafed through and found his number. With a shaky finger, I pushed
in the numbers and listened to the rings from the other end of the
line. Just when I thought he wouldn’t answer the phone, a loud
knock rattled our door. I met Jennifer’s terrified gaze.
“ Maybe that’s him,” she
mouthed.
My instincts told me it probably was
the rat. He had some nerve showing up here now. I was going to let
him have it.
Jennifer straightened on the sofa. Her
eyes were wide from terror. What had this guy done to her? I
couldn’t run a business this way. I was just lucky Lily wasn’t the
one who had gone on the date. She would never have shut up about
it, although I wouldn’t blame Jennifer if she never spoke to me
again after this debacle.
I hurried over to the door, but
hesitated for a brief moment before finally swinging it open. Neil
stood in the hallway with a stunned look on his face.
“ Rylie, is Jennifer
okay?”
I glared at him. “What do you think?”
I asked.
He stepped forward as if he was going
to invite himself in, but I placed my arm on the doorframe,
blocking his entry.
“ Whoa, what do you think
you’re doing? I don’t recall inviting you in.”
I didn’t want to break a nail dragging
his ass down the stairs, but I would gladly sacrifice my
Pretty-in-Pink polish for Jennifer’s sake.
“ I need to see her. Can I
please come in?” Dark circles ringed his eyes and a grim expression
twisted his mouth.
I eyed him for a second, contemplating
whether I should call the police.
“ Please?” he asked
again.
I let out a deep breath and stepped to
the side. “Fine. But if you try anything else, I will be forced to
kick your ass so hard that you’ll have to remove your shirt to… how
do I put this in a ladylike way… go poo.”
He looked at me
incredulously.
I nodded. “Yeah, I said it. Now what
do you want?”
After a brief pause, he rushed over to
Jennifer. She slid away from him on the sofa.
“ See, she doesn’t want to
talk to you.
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