“I know it doesn’t seem like it but this is good, Roxie. I’l cal Lee and he’l tel Vance. We already know Flynn’s been fol owin’ you, but whatever he’s doin’, he’s been careful.
He’s givin’ Vance some trouble and Vance is a top-notch tracker. Now Flynn is getting desperate, angry and stupid and that’s good. That means he’l make a mistake.” I nodded. That made sense and even though Bil y getting more desperate, angry and stupid was pretty fucking scary, getting him didn’t sound good, it sounded great.
“Okay,” I said into the phone.
“Okay,” I said into the phone.
“He has no idea the kind of protection you have. You’re gonna be fine,” Hank assured me.
“Okay,” I repeated, believing him.
“Make sure you have someone with you when you go to Tod’s,” he went on.
“Whisky,” I said quietly. “You told me that already.”
“I know. I wanna make certain you got it.” Hank was such a good guy.
“I got it,” I told him.
“I’l be at Tod’s at nine to pick you up.”
“Okay,” I said, again.
“Later, Sunshine.”
Then he disconnected.
I flipped the phone shut and handed it to Indy just as the bel over the door rang. We al turned to see who it was and my eyes widened at what I saw.
“Ohmigod!” Indy yel ed. “Beth! I thought you were in New Mexico.”
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
Indy hugged Beth and Beth said to her, “I moved back. I heard you final y hooked up with Lee.”
“Yeah,” Indy showed Beth her left hand, wiggling her fingers. “We’re getting married.”
“That’s great!” Beth replied, smiling happily at Indy. Then her eyes slid to me and her face got pink. “Um, Roxie. Can we talk?”
Shit!
Shit, shit, shit!
Indy, Jet, Duke and Uncle Tex al stared at me. Only Uncle Tex knew about my earlier idiotic blunder.
“Sure,” I said to Beth.
We were al eating our sandwiches at the book counter.
Beth and I walked over to a couch and sat down.
I turned to her and said quickly, “I’m sorry. It was stu –” Her eyes were kind as she looked at me and she interrupted softly. “Don’t be sorry. Hank told me about your… ordeal.”
I gaped at her. “He did?”
“Yes. I’m so, so sorry you went through that. He told me, because of that, you’re behaving erratical y and you have trust issues,” she patted my knee. “That’s understandable.” Behaving erratical y?
Trust issues?
Good God.
I was going to kill Hank.
She went on. “Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you about was… um…” she stopped, looking uncomfortable.
“Yeah?” I prompted, smiling at her even as I mental y planned Hank’s untimely demise.
“You dress real y cool,” she blurted. “And I thought…
maybe, if you don’t mind, could you, maybe, um… take me shopping?”
I gaped at her again.
She went on in a rush. “I know, we barely know each other and it’s like, real y weird that I’d ask but –”
“I’d love that!” I cried excitedly, not thinking before the
“I’d love that!” I cried excitedly, not thinking before the words flew out of my mouth.
Then I thought.
Oh shit.
What was I saying?
I was leaving as soon as I could get my car. I didn’t need to become Beth’s personal shopper.
“That would be so cool!” she replied while I had a mini-flip out. She hesitated a second before she hugged me.
When she pul ed away she said, “I try, but I can’t real y get it together. I’l try something new and end up looking like a freak. I just need a little fashion direction.” Damn.
I couldn’t back out now.
And she was right, she definitely needed a little fashion direction.
“I can do that,” I said on a smile.
“Thank you,” she hugged me again. “Give me your phone, I’l program my number in it, here’s mine.” We traded phones, we traded numbers, she hugged me again, she talked to Indy, met Duke, Jet and Tex and then left, happy as a clam.
Wel , at least I didn’t feel like a bitch anymore.
That was good, right?
“What was that al about?” Indy cal ed to me after Beth left.
“Roxie tried to set Hank up with that girl,” Uncle Tex told her.
Indy, Jet and Duke stared at me like Uncle Tex told them I danced down the middle of Broadway wearing nothing but I danced down the middle of Broadway wearing nothing but Mardi Gras beads and a smile.
“I thought you were his girlfriend,” Duke said.
“I am and I’m not, I broke up with him,” I said.
Indy, Jet and Duke’s stares intensified.
“Why would you do a fool thing like that?” Duke exploded, sounding a lot like Uncle Tex.
“Don’t worry. He didn’t real y accept my breaking up with him. He stil thinks we’re together.”
Indy and Jet smiled at each other knowingly.
Good Grief.
I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the couch.
“Good fuckin’ God. These fuckin’ girls. I swear, they’re gonna kil us al ,” Duke announced and I heard him stomp away, likely into the bookshelves.
I felt the couch move on either side of me.
I opened my eyes and turned my head one way, then the other. Indy and Jet were there.