The bad news was, since it was a Valentine’s ball, not a Halloween party, the theme was romantic couples. Beau would not be thrilled. Cassidy took a deep breath, determined to convince him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Beau was in the kitchen making sandwiches for lunch when he looked up to see Cassidy walk excitedly into the room.
“We got lucky. Vaughn’s going to the Children’s Home Masquerade Ball tonight. Unfortunately, the only tickets available are VIP, which cost a fortune, but I think it would be worth it. Plus it’s a donation—tax deductible.”
He set the mayonnaise jar down on the kitchen counter. “Tax deductible, huh? So how much of a deduction am I going to get?”
She bit her lip, which made him want to kiss her. “Seven thousand dollars.”
He shrugged. “Not too bad, considering it’s for charity.”
“Apiece.”
He laughed. “I bet no one’s ever called you a cheap date.”
Cassidy practically danced. Fortunately for his libido, her pretty feet were now in a pair of sneakers. “So are you okay with this?”
“Where do you plan to get the surveillance equipment?”
“My office. I’ve got some stuff there, plus the guys always have a stash of interesting paraphernalia. Chase pretends not to know about it. I should be able to find something. We can stop on the way to the costume shop.”
The costume shop. Beau inwardly groaned. Dressing up in some garb that made him look like an idiot was the last thing he wanted. But bringing down Vaughn countered any hesitation he had.
“Fine, get the tickets, but I’m not wearing a pair of those ridiculous tights. I’m not dressing up as a court jester or Henry the Eighth, or any guy who went out in public with his privates on full display. We need to get that straight right now.”
Cassidy laughed. “Okay, no tights.” She glanced down at the fly of his jeans. “Though you do have a very nice package.”
Beau’s gaze followed hers and he actually felt himself blush.
“No tights,” Cassidy said, still grinning. “I need to pay for the tickets; then we have to get going. Finding the right costume might take a little time.”
Beau pulled out his wallet, slid out his American Express card and held it out to her. He caught her wrist when she reached for it. “Are you sure you’re up to this? It’s only been a few days since you were lying in a hospital bed.”
“True enough. But since I don’t care for a repeat performance, I don’t have much choice. Besides, I’m not going alone, and we won’t have to stay very long. As soon as we get the bugs on his car, we’re out of there.”
“How do we find out what he’s driving?”
“Already got it. Found it in the DMV records before I made the calls.”
“Hacking again?”
“I didn’t have to hack. Digging up information is what I do. It’s all out there. You just need to know where to look.”
“So what’s Vaughn driving?”
“White 2016 Mercedes S550 coupe.”
“Nice car.”
“Not cheap, that’s for sure.” She looked away. “Not nearly as much as a Lamborghini.”
“Hey, take it easy. I called the insurance company. Youcan help me pick out a new one after this is over.” The minute the words were out of his mouth, Beau regretted them. When this was over, it would be time to end things between them. It was the way it had to be.
To take his mind off the inevitable, he grabbed the lunch plates off the counter, each with a roast beef sandwich, a handful of potato chips, and a dill pickle. He set them down on the kitchen table along with glasses of sweet iced tea.
Cassidy sat across from him and they both dug into their meals. When they finished, she picked up the plates. “So . . . what about Sir Lancelot?” she asked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
