She won’t look at me, and I’m reminded of something from our first day at the hotel.
“Maybe instead of making a full-on run at Dash, we need to talk to his girlfriend?” I stand. “Tatiana, what can you tell us about Mara Thrasher?”
Tatiana clicks away with the name.
“Mara?” Carolina puzzles.
“Yeah, I think Dash has been abusing her,” I explain. “She had a bruise on her face when she dropped off the welcome packet.”
“Shit,” Carolina scrubs her face with her hands. “I was so upset with you telling everyone we’re engaged. I didn’t even notice.”
Tatiana’s hands stop. “You’re engaged? Thank you, Jesus! Lou owes me big time.”
I laugh, thinking about her 6’7” husband, also known as the drag queen Midnight Louise. “I can’t even imagine what Lou owes you.”
Tatiana points at me. “Never you mind about that, mister. But congratulations!”
I hold up my hands. “Fake engagement, T. Fake. We got a little carried away when we arrived at the hotel.”
“There’s no ‘we’ about this, Rambling Man,” Carolina slaps my shoulder, then turns to Tatiana. “It was all him.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Tatiana continues to laugh as she turns back to her computer. “Okay, here we go. Mara Thrasher started dating Dash about five months ago.”
“Around the beginning of the year,” I muse.
“Also around the time the reunion was announced,” Carolina adds.
I pause. “And you think the only reason they’re dating is that she’s organizing the reunion?”
“What better way to get closer to me?”
“I think we need to separate them at the game tonight and ask her a few questions,” I turn to Tatiana. “Do you have any pull with the Tampa Bay Rays?”
“Honey child! My secret connections have secret connections. What do you need?” Tatiana winks.
“About 15 minutes with Mara Thrasher.”
Chapter 35
“When dressing up to storm a castle, foam finger is optional.”
-Carolina
In all our scheming to catch Dash confessing to murder, Rand and I forgot to dress up for the spirit contest at the baseball game.
“We can’t go to our seats looking like this,” Rand pauses at the Rays’ gift shop.
I look down at my dress slacks and summer twin set. “What? This is appropriate.”
He laughs and pulls me into the shop. Forty-five minutes later, we’re walking out, clad head-to-toe in Rays baseball gear. I even have a foam finger and about a dozen ideas of how to annoy my Rambling Man with it.
Rand grabs my hand as we walk to our seats. It feels right to be walking hand-in-hand with my Imaginary Fiancé. His hand fits perfectly with mine. None of those fat sausage fingers that crush the shit out of mine. His fingers are strong and long, and know how to do all the sexy things.
Shit. Now I’m thinking about all the things I’d like to do with him later.
“Puffin? You’re bright red right now,” Rand interrupts my filthy daydreams. “Want to share with the class?”
I bite my lip and shake my head. “Nope. Not right at this moment.”
