“Okay, everyone.”
Jay’s voice was again in his ear as the hour wound down, rounding up the troops.
“Let’s make sure we are all present and accounted for at the eleven o’clock charity drag show. You’ll see a table for ten reserved up front. It will be easy to wrangle Talia onto the deck right after Matzo Belle takes her final bow.”
Jonah had forgotten all about his pal who was part of this year’s charity entertainment. He had bonded with Matzo Belle’s alter-ego back when they were both interns in college. Now she was a sought-after act that Jay had finally landed after years of begging…with a little nudge.
“What if Tal doesn’t – ” Asher spoke up, but his words quickly dwindled. Jonah didn’t think he had ever heard the guy sound so unsure. “What if she suspects something’s up?”
Jay chuckled. “Let’s just say…Eli has a little long-distance surprise planned for all of us. Trust.”
Trust the signs from above.
Chapter Eighteen
The meet and greet had finally ended. Tzipi's face hurt from smiling, her hand cramped from signing autographs, and her feet were screaming in Kara's heels.
She slipped to the back deck, pretending to check her phone. Really, she was just trying to breathe.
"Did you ever play Whack-A-Mole as a kid?"
She looked up. Jonah stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets.
"What?"
"Whack-A-Mole. That arcade game." He joined her at the rail. “Because I feel like the minute we knock one fucker down, another critter pops up, wanting something from you."
Despite everything, she almost laughed. "You mean Rob and his contract? Or Hannon and his... everything?"
"Both. Either. Take your pick." His expression was grim. "Rob's got that terminal pop-up planned. Hannon's probably sobering up somewhere, which somehow seems worse. And we've got—" he checked his watch "—too much time to kill until this boat docks."
"So what do we do?"
"We use two mallets." At her confused look: "Whack-A-Mole strategy. You can't get them all with one mallet. You need two players."
"You want to split up."
"Just for a bit. We’ll walk into the drag show together. It’s going to be packed. I need to get a few things sorted. Before Rob comes looking for you. Or if Hannon surfaces. If we split up, we're harder to find."
She was quiet.
“Do you trust me?" His eyes were steady, serious.
The question hung between them. This man who'd lied to her all night. Who'd protected her anyway. Who was now asking her to trust him with something he wouldn't explain.
She thought about the fragile truce they'd made. The way he'd gotten her through the meet and greet. Hell, really the whole night. The way he'd said I'm her bodyguard like he meant it.
Two mallets. Two players. Working together.
"Yeah," she said finally. "I do."
Something in his expression softened. "Then trust that I'm getting us out of here. Midnight. I'll come find you."
"Okay." She took a breath, and nodded. But for the record? I was terrible at Whack-A-Mole. I always panicked and just kept hitting the same hole over and over."
His smile was small but genuine. "Good thing you've got a partner this time."
They leaned elbows on the railing, facing one another. No longer six paces.
