then cooed sympathy at Nick. `A stalker? No kidding. Just
one? I’m surprised you don’t have a whole harem following you around,
sweetie.Śhe winked one of her baby blues at him, tossed her hair again and
snapped her gum. Nick had to give her credit; she had all the moves down, and
she knew how to drum up her tips. `Some dame showed up naked in his apartment
this morning and stole one of his shirts,´ Farley said. At this rate Nick
wouldn’t need to tell the police anything. They’d find out all the details from
the town rumor mill. ` Completely naked?´ Diane cocked her head to one side and balanced her tray on her hip. `Well,
no«I’m not sure.´ Farley clucked and shook his head. `I bet she’d been hiding
under your bed all night. I read that happened to some actor in Hollywood last
month. You know, that guy who’s in all those Navy SEAL movies? Some nut broke
into his mansion and hid under his bed until he fell asleep with his
girlfriend. Then she crawled out, pulled the girlfriend out of bed and locked
her in a closet. She chased the guy around his house with a pair of scissors
for an hour before his bodyguards showed up, all because she wanted a lock of
his hair.´ Nick sighed. `Thanks, Farley. I feel a lot better now. I’m going to
file a report and then I’m going to go home and lock up all my scissors.
Honestly, though, I think she’s harmless, but the next guy she picks up might
not be as nice about ´ `Hi, Nick!Ćallie slid onto the stool next to him.
She smiled and snapped a piece of apple green gum just like Diane’s. She wore
one of Farley’s waitress uniforms complete with a narrow, white, three-pocket
apron cinched around her hips, slim black pants and a skin tight pink t-shirt
emblazoned with the logo, `I do it at Farley’s. Where do you do it?´ TEXAS LINE DANCING. `Oh, man, speak of
the devil.´ Both Farley and Diane gave Nick curious looks. `She’s here?´ Diane
leaned close. She smelled like lavender and mint, and her ponytail brushed Nick’s
cheek as she looked around the crowded bar. `Where?´ `Right here.´ Nick nodded
to the stool, and Calliope twirled around once and clapped her hands. `They can’t
see me.´ ` Where ?´ Farley asked. `That
one over by the jukebox?´ He pointed to a tiny redhead whose glum expression
was lit eerily by the glow from inside the Wurlitzer. `No, right here .´ `Who?´ Diane inched closer, and
Nick watched her scan the room, her gaze skipping over the faerie sitting only
inches away. `Come on. Are you guys in on it or something?´ That couldn’t be.
Nick didn’t know these people well enough for them to play an elaborate
practical joke on him.
`In on what?´ Farley
looked a little concerned now. Callie waved her hand right in front of his
face, and he didn’t blink. `Go away,´ Nick said under his breath. `This isn’t
funny.´ `It’s hilarious, Nick. And it’s going to get even funnier unless you
agree to help me.Ćallie waggled her fingers over Diane’s shoulder and gave
the waitress a skeptical inspection. `Shouldn’t she be taking drink orders
rather than trying to climb into your lap?´ `Get lost.´ Nick’s fierce whisper
elicited an annoyed scowl from Diane who whirled away in a huff. She disappeared
into the crowd on the dance floor, her tray held high and her hips swaying. Farley
shrugged. `This girl obviously has you on edge. You’d better call the police
before you start cracking up.´ `I’m sorry.´ Nick turned to Farley but kept
Callie in view out of the corner of his eye. `I guess this lunatic has me a
little rattled.´ `Sure. Who needs a psycho bitch on your tail? I understand.´
Farley nodded. He looked right through Callie and started setting up beer
glasses on the bar. `I’ll be back in a minute,´ Nick said. `I’m just going to
get some air.´ He downed the second drink and slid off the stool, then leaned
close to Callie. The faint scent of roses battled with the memory of Diane’s lavender
perfume and
one? I’m surprised you don’t have a whole harem following you around,
sweetie.Śhe winked one of her baby blues at him, tossed her hair again and
snapped her gum. Nick had to give her credit; she had all the moves down, and
she knew how to drum up her tips. `Some dame showed up naked in his apartment
this morning and stole one of his shirts,´ Farley said. At this rate Nick
wouldn’t need to tell the police anything. They’d find out all the details from
the town rumor mill. ` Completely naked?´ Diane cocked her head to one side and balanced her tray on her hip. `Well,
no«I’m not sure.´ Farley clucked and shook his head. `I bet she’d been hiding
under your bed all night. I read that happened to some actor in Hollywood last
month. You know, that guy who’s in all those Navy SEAL movies? Some nut broke
into his mansion and hid under his bed until he fell asleep with his
girlfriend. Then she crawled out, pulled the girlfriend out of bed and locked
her in a closet. She chased the guy around his house with a pair of scissors
for an hour before his bodyguards showed up, all because she wanted a lock of
his hair.´ Nick sighed. `Thanks, Farley. I feel a lot better now. I’m going to
file a report and then I’m going to go home and lock up all my scissors.
Honestly, though, I think she’s harmless, but the next guy she picks up might
not be as nice about ´ `Hi, Nick!Ćallie slid onto the stool next to him.
She smiled and snapped a piece of apple green gum just like Diane’s. She wore
one of Farley’s waitress uniforms complete with a narrow, white, three-pocket
apron cinched around her hips, slim black pants and a skin tight pink t-shirt
emblazoned with the logo, `I do it at Farley’s. Where do you do it?´ TEXAS LINE DANCING. `Oh, man, speak of
the devil.´ Both Farley and Diane gave Nick curious looks. `She’s here?´ Diane
leaned close. She smelled like lavender and mint, and her ponytail brushed Nick’s
cheek as she looked around the crowded bar. `Where?´ `Right here.´ Nick nodded
to the stool, and Calliope twirled around once and clapped her hands. `They can’t
see me.´ ` Where ?´ Farley asked. `That
one over by the jukebox?´ He pointed to a tiny redhead whose glum expression
was lit eerily by the glow from inside the Wurlitzer. `No, right here .´ `Who?´ Diane inched closer, and
Nick watched her scan the room, her gaze skipping over the faerie sitting only
inches away. `Come on. Are you guys in on it or something?´ That couldn’t be.
Nick didn’t know these people well enough for them to play an elaborate
practical joke on him.
`In on what?´ Farley
looked a little concerned now. Callie waved her hand right in front of his
face, and he didn’t blink. `Go away,´ Nick said under his breath. `This isn’t
funny.´ `It’s hilarious, Nick. And it’s going to get even funnier unless you
agree to help me.Ćallie waggled her fingers over Diane’s shoulder and gave
the waitress a skeptical inspection. `Shouldn’t she be taking drink orders
rather than trying to climb into your lap?´ `Get lost.´ Nick’s fierce whisper
elicited an annoyed scowl from Diane who whirled away in a huff. She disappeared
into the crowd on the dance floor, her tray held high and her hips swaying. Farley
shrugged. `This girl obviously has you on edge. You’d better call the police
before you start cracking up.´ `I’m sorry.´ Nick turned to Farley but kept
Callie in view out of the corner of his eye. `I guess this lunatic has me a
little rattled.´ `Sure. Who needs a psycho bitch on your tail? I understand.´
Farley nodded. He looked right through Callie and started setting up beer
glasses on the bar. `I’ll be back in a minute,´ Nick said. `I’m just going to
get some air.´ He downed the second drink and slid off the stool, then leaned
close to Callie. The faint scent of roses battled with the memory of Diane’s lavender
perfume and
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