She turned to me, more than likely unable to see me throughher opaque lenses.
“Donning my disguise.”
“It’s night.”
“Yeah.”
“We’re going into a bar, not traveling through time back tothe fifties to take a ride in a convertible.”
“I don’t want anyone seeing me here.”
“That much is clear,” I muttered.
“You shouldn’t want anyone to see you either, includingsomeone in particular,” she pointed out.
I let my gaze drift through the busy parking lot before Ireturned it to her.“It’s obviously going to be crowded.I’m going to blendin.”
She lifted a hand to the arm of her sunglasses, dipped themlow on her nose and looked over them at me.
“Girl, this place is trashy.You are not trash.No wayyou’re gonna blend in.”She slid her glasses back and crossed her arms on herchest before she demanded, “Tell me again why we’re here.”
“I just want to see him.”
“I told you the scuttlebutt about him.”
“I still want to see him.”
She shook her head, and I couldn’t be certain, because itwas dark and so much of her face was covered, but I could swear I saw herexpression get soft with worry.
“The him you knew is long gone, sis,” she informed megently.
“I want to see for myself.”
My eyes clashed with her shades for a long time before sheblew out a breath, murmured, “Let’s just do this,” and turned to her door topush out.
I got out too, and after I’d closed my door and locked thecar, I realized my hands were trembling.
I put my keys in my purse, then shook my hands to get thetrembles out.
Really, I should have reconnected with Ally or Indy.They’dknow what to do and they’d give me the strength to do it.
“It’s now or never, Malia,” Toni called over the roof.
“Right.Do this.Okay,” I mumbled to myself and rounded thecar.
We went in and I was relieved I was correct.The place waspacked.If you wanted to see someone, you had to be looking.
I was, however, concerned that Toni was also correct.
This place was rough.
I scanned the crowd as Toni latched onto my elbow and pulledme through bodies to the bar.
I doubted it was gentlemanly manners that had the two menskedaddling from their stools as Toni barreled us their way so we could assumethem, and more that Toni looked mildly insane in her getup, and they might betough customers, but they wanted nothing to do with her.
She deposited me on my stool, sat on hers, and after ananosecond of glaring at the bartender, she wrapped her knuckles impatiently onthe bar.
He turned his attention to her, did a double take, thenwandered down to us.
