Undercover Accomplice. Carol Ericson

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СКАЧАТЬ put her glass to her lips and shifted her gaze above the rim toward a table to Dani’s right, where two men had their heads together. “Are you sure they aren’t gay?”

      “Not the way they’ve been eyeing us for the past few minutes.” Dani drew back her shoulders and puffed out her ample chest. “Besides, they have a table, and we’re stuck here at the bar getting squeezed out.”

      One of the men had noticed Dani’s move and he sat up, nudging his buddy.

      An evening with Dani always ended in the company of men, and for once, Sue welcomed the distraction. She smiled at the eager suitors.

      One of the guys raised his glass and pointed to the two empty chairs at their table.

      “And score.” Dani wiggled her fingers in the air. “I get the blond unless you have a preference. I’m just thinking about cute little strawberry-blond siblings for Fiona.”

      Sue’s gaze shifted to the dark-haired man as she pushed away from the bar. At least he was her type. “Go for it, Dani.”

      The two men jumped from their seats and pulled out the chairs for her and Dani. She and Dani did a little dance to get Dani seated next to the blond.

      He spoke first. “You two looked so uncomfortable packed in at the bar. It seemed a shame to let these two chairs go to waste.”

      “Thank you. I’m Dani and this is Sue.” Dani’s southern accent always got more pronounced in front of men, and they seemed to eat it up.

      Dani’s future husband pointed to himself. “I’m Mason—” and then he pointed to his companion “—and this is Jeffrey.”

      They all said their hellos and launched into the inane small talk that characterized meet-ups in bars. Sue had no intention of winding up with Jeffrey or anyone else at the end of the evening and tried to keep her alcohol consumption to a minimum.

      She failed.

      Mason, or maybe it was Jeffrey, ordered a bottle of wine for the table, and then another. Although Sue continuously sipped from her glass, the liquid never dropped below the halfway point, and by the time she staggered to the ladies’ room on her second trip, she realized the men had been topping off her wine.

      She’d have to put a lid on that glass when she got back to the table.

      As she wended her way through the crowded bar, she stumbled to a stop when she saw Jeffrey alone at the table. She clutched her small purse to her chest and took the last few steps on unsteady legs. “Where are Mason and Dani?”

      “They left—together.” Jeffrey lifted one shoulder.

      Sue sank into the chair, snatching her phone from the side pocket on her purse. “Whose idea was that?”

      “I think it was mutual.” Jeffrey held up his hands. “Don’t worry. I know we didn’t hit it off like they did, and I have no expectations.”

      She scowled at him over the top of her phone. “I hope not.”

      Dani picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Sue, did Jeffrey tell you I left with Mason?”

      “He did. Are you okay?”

      “I’m fine.” Dani giggled and sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you there with Jeffrey.”

      “That’s okay. As long as you’re all right. Do you have an address where you’re going?”

      “The Hay-Adams.”

      “Okay. Be careful.”

      Dani ended the call on another giggle and Sue shoved her phone back into her purse.

      Jeffrey raised one eyebrow. “Your friend okay? Mason’s a good guy.”

      “He’d better be.” Sue raised her phone and snapped a picture of Jeffrey. “Just in case.”

      A spark of anger lit Jeffrey’s eyes for a second, or maybe she’d imagined it. Then he tucked some bills beneath his empty glass. “Can I at least see you home?”

      She shook her head and then clutched the edge of the table as a wave of dizziness engulfed her brain. She took a sip of water. “I’m fine, thanks.”

      “Really? You don’t look fine. The booze was flowing as fast as the conversation tonight. You look…woozy.”

      Woozy? Someone had stuffed a big cotton ball in her head to keep her brain from banging around. After the day she’d had, she’d wanted to let loose, tie one on. Now she had to face the consequences.

      “I didn’t drive. I can just hop on the Metro, one stop.” She staggered to her feet and grabbed the back of her chair. She’d be paying for her overindulgence tomorrow morning for sure.

      Jeffrey jumped from his chair. “Are you positive I can’t help you? I can walk you to the station or call you a taxi or rideshare car.”

      She narrowed her eyes and peered at him through a fog. Why was he so insistent? Why didn’t he just leave her alone?

      She raised her hand and leveled a finger at him. “Stay right where you are.”

      Jeffrey cocked his head and a lock of his brown hair slipped free from the gel and made a comma on his wrinkled brow.

      Had she made sense? She tried to form another word with her thick tongue, but she couldn’t get it to cooperate.

      She resorted to sign language, raising her middle finger. Would he get the picture now? “Whatever.” He plopped back into his chair. “Just be careful.”

      She swung to the side, banging her hip on the corner of the table, jostling all the empties. Putting her head down, she made a beeline for the door.

      Once outside, she gulped in breaths of the cold air but couldn’t seem to revive herself. Walking should help. She put one foot in front of the other and weaved down the sidewalk. Oncoming pedestrians gave her a wide berth, and a few made jokes.

      Oh, God. Was she a joke? A drunk joke? She placed a hand flat against the side of a building and closed her eyes.

      She hadn’t been this drunk since college days, and she didn’t intend to make the same stupid mistakes she’d made back then.

      She shoved a hand into the pocket of her leather moto jacket and fumbled for her phone. Jeffrey had been right about one thing—she should call a taxi.

      After she pulled the phone from her jacket, it slipped from her hand and bounced twice on the sidewalk before landing in the gutter.

      She dropped to a crouch and stuck her hand over the curb to feel for the phone. The effort proved too much for her and she fell over onto her side.

      Good thing her son couldn’t see her now, passed out like a wino in the gutter.

      She flexed her fingers toward her phone but lead weights had been attached to their tips—and her eyelids. DC Metro would pick her up and СКАЧАТЬ