“Did. Hey, everybody.” He grinned at Eve. “Hardly ever see you without the badge and weapon.”
She tapped the evening bag—the one just big enough to hold her essentials. “You’re still not.”
“Oh. Okay then. Feel safer already.”
They served the salad; they started the speeches. The first, fresh and pretty, the second, mercifully short and heartfelt enough she noted several people dabbing at their eyes.
As the main course came out, Mavis sighed. “Gotta waddle.”
Eve gave her a blank look. “What?”
“Ladies’ room.”
As Leonardo helped her out of the chair, Nadine rose. Louise rose. Eve started to cut into what looked like some sort of actual beef. And Nadine tapped her shoulder.
“What? Really?”
“You’re security. Bring your weapon bag.”
“Security, my ass.” But Eve grabbed her bag and rose. “You couldn’t have had to waddle during the speeches?”
“Number Two was sleeping, but now? Sometimes they sit on your bladder. Sometimes they dance on it.” Rolling her eyes, Mavis rubbed at the mound. “Someone else is having a dance party.”
Since Eve didn’t want that image stuck in her brain, she said nothing more. And didn’t have to pull her weapon on the trip to the restroom.
She didn’t mind the dinner portion, in fact enjoyed it. Maybe it wasn’t pizza and beer with friends, but it was still sharing a meal with friends. And the Ellisons had stories to tell or conversational gambits that pulled stories out of others.
“I read,” Sylvia began, “that you and Lieutenant Dallas met when she arrested you. That can’t be true.”
“Solid fact.” Mavis lifted her glass of sparkling water, toasted Eve before drinking. “I had an off day that turned out to be the best day because Dallas busted me.”
“What did you do?” Martin asked. “If you don’t mind telling us.”
“What’d I do, Dallas?”
“Fumbled a wallet lift. You got the wallet—some tourist—but you’d been trailing him, and I caught the lift.”
“Caught me, too. I was better at the grift than the lift. Short cons, I ruled short cons back in the ago.”
Then she put a hand over Martin’s. “The street was better to me, for me, than where I ran from. What you’re doing tonight? What you and Sylvia do, what Dallas and Roarke do? I’m all in. Anytime I can help.”
Martin brought her hand to his lips. “You’re a beautiful soul. It shines right out of you.” He gave her hand an extra squeeze before turning to Eve. “And do you often make lifelong friends with former grifters and thieves?”
“Mavis was the first.”
He laughed. “And the last as well?”
Eve thought of the man sitting beside her, so obviously amused. “Not exactly.”
As dessert came out, Jake turned Nadine’s face to his, kissed her. “Gotta rock.”
And rock they did.
After an enthusiastic introduction from Martin, Avenue A took the stage to the thunder of applause. And with the blast of the opening riff, people poured onto the dance floor. They shook it in their tuxes, designer gowns, sparkling jewels. Some—more than some, by Eve’s estimate—held up their ’links to capture the moment.
Halfway through the first set, Mavis wiggled. “Gotta waddle.”
“Again?”
