said, “so she didn’t even have to marry for money.”
“I know. It doesn’t make sense.”
One of the attendants hailed Claire Lally a cab and she stepped into it, the carpet on the sidewalk protecting her expensive shoes from the dirty sidewalk.
“Follow that cab,” Lacey said to the driver. She felt like an undercover cop.
“You’re the boss, lady,” the driver said.
They followed Claire’s cab around the park to Fifth Avenue. The streets were beginning to get busy as the late afternoon traffic turned to rush hour. The cab turned right off Fifth onto Sixty-Fifth Street. A flash of recognition hit Lacey and she remembered that she knew the place.
“Oh my god,” she said, “I bet I know where she’s going.”
“Where?” Chloe said.
Claire’s cab pulled over to the curb just before Park Avenue.
“It’s a restaurant called Daniel’s.”
“Oh, Daniel’s. I know the place.”
“You’ve eaten there?” Lacey said.
“A few times, with clients. They seem to like taking me there. I have no idea why. It’s not like they need to impress me. I’m being paid!”
Lacey laughed.
“I had an awful date there recently,” Lacey said. She was amazed at how much had happened in her life since her date there with Ric Holt, barely a week ago. She felt like she’d grown so much in that time. She thought she’d handle a date like that differently now. She was a new woman, more confident, more sure of herself. She had the feeling if she saw Ric now, she’d be better able to stand up for herself.
“I hate bad dates,” Chloe said.
“Tell me about it. I left this place in tears.”
The driver stopped the car behind Claire’s cab. Claire went into the restaurant.
“I wonder who she’s meeting here,” Lacey said.
Chloe shrugged.
Lacey gave the cab driver another twenty dollars. It was nice to have so much cash all of the time. She’d received another payment from Benny for the night she’d spent with Lally and when she saw that her bank balance had jumped up another six grand she almost felt as if all the suffering and humiliation had been worth it. Then she remembered the way Lally had kicked Chloe and knew that no amount of money would ever justify that sort of treatment.
“You can leave us here,” she said to the driver.
Chloe followed her out of the cab and into the restaurant. A doorman held the door for them. “Welcome to Daniel’s,” he said.
Inside he took their coats and brought them to the maître d’. Lacey was as impressed by the décor as she had been the first time she was there. The fountains and crystal chandeliers glittered in the gentle light.
“Good evening, ladies,” the maître d’ said as they approached. “Table for two?”
Lacey looked at him and gasped in surprise. “I know you,” she said.
He smiled back at her with a mischievous grin. “You’re the girl who likes quiet tables.”
“I am.”
“And you sometimes run out on dates in tears.”
Lacey didn’t know what to say. She was embarrassed.
“You’re Alex,” she said.
“You remember my name!”
“Of course.”
Alex seemed pleased. He looked at Chloe.
Lacey said, “Alex, this is my friend, Chloe.”
Lacey looked over at Chloe and almost burst out laughing. Chloe was blushing! Lacey couldn’t believe it. After all she’d seen Chloe do, she didn’t think that it was possible for her to get embarrassed. It was so cute.
Chloe reached out and took Alex’s hand and shook it. Lacey smiled at her.
“Well, what can I do for you two lovely ladies today? A table?”
“No actually. I just wanted to speak to someone,” Lacey said.
“Who?”
Lacey looked into the dining room. It wasn’t very busy. There were diners at a few tables and across the room was Claire Lally, sitting by herself at a table for two.
“That woman over there,” Lacey said. “I need to speak to her.”
“Do you know her?”
“Not exactly. I know her father. Is it okay if I go over and talk to
“I know. It doesn’t make sense.”
One of the attendants hailed Claire Lally a cab and she stepped into it, the carpet on the sidewalk protecting her expensive shoes from the dirty sidewalk.
“Follow that cab,” Lacey said to the driver. She felt like an undercover cop.
“You’re the boss, lady,” the driver said.
They followed Claire’s cab around the park to Fifth Avenue. The streets were beginning to get busy as the late afternoon traffic turned to rush hour. The cab turned right off Fifth onto Sixty-Fifth Street. A flash of recognition hit Lacey and she remembered that she knew the place.
“Oh my god,” she said, “I bet I know where she’s going.”
“Where?” Chloe said.
Claire’s cab pulled over to the curb just before Park Avenue.
“It’s a restaurant called Daniel’s.”
“Oh, Daniel’s. I know the place.”
“You’ve eaten there?” Lacey said.
“A few times, with clients. They seem to like taking me there. I have no idea why. It’s not like they need to impress me. I’m being paid!”
Lacey laughed.
“I had an awful date there recently,” Lacey said. She was amazed at how much had happened in her life since her date there with Ric Holt, barely a week ago. She felt like she’d grown so much in that time. She thought she’d handle a date like that differently now. She was a new woman, more confident, more sure of herself. She had the feeling if she saw Ric now, she’d be better able to stand up for herself.
“I hate bad dates,” Chloe said.
“Tell me about it. I left this place in tears.”
The driver stopped the car behind Claire’s cab. Claire went into the restaurant.
“I wonder who she’s meeting here,” Lacey said.
Chloe shrugged.
Lacey gave the cab driver another twenty dollars. It was nice to have so much cash all of the time. She’d received another payment from Benny for the night she’d spent with Lally and when she saw that her bank balance had jumped up another six grand she almost felt as if all the suffering and humiliation had been worth it. Then she remembered the way Lally had kicked Chloe and knew that no amount of money would ever justify that sort of treatment.
“You can leave us here,” she said to the driver.
Chloe followed her out of the cab and into the restaurant. A doorman held the door for them. “Welcome to Daniel’s,” he said.
Inside he took their coats and brought them to the maître d’. Lacey was as impressed by the décor as she had been the first time she was there. The fountains and crystal chandeliers glittered in the gentle light.
“Good evening, ladies,” the maître d’ said as they approached. “Table for two?”
Lacey looked at him and gasped in surprise. “I know you,” she said.
He smiled back at her with a mischievous grin. “You’re the girl who likes quiet tables.”
“I am.”
“And you sometimes run out on dates in tears.”
Lacey didn’t know what to say. She was embarrassed.
“You’re Alex,” she said.
“You remember my name!”
“Of course.”
Alex seemed pleased. He looked at Chloe.
Lacey said, “Alex, this is my friend, Chloe.”
Lacey looked over at Chloe and almost burst out laughing. Chloe was blushing! Lacey couldn’t believe it. After all she’d seen Chloe do, she didn’t think that it was possible for her to get embarrassed. It was so cute.
Chloe reached out and took Alex’s hand and shook it. Lacey smiled at her.
“Well, what can I do for you two lovely ladies today? A table?”
“No actually. I just wanted to speak to someone,” Lacey said.
“Who?”
Lacey looked into the dining room. It wasn’t very busy. There were diners at a few tables and across the room was Claire Lally, sitting by herself at a table for two.
“That woman over there,” Lacey said. “I need to speak to her.”
“Do you know her?”
“Not exactly. I know her father. Is it okay if I go over and talk to
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