She nods, and I understand she’s tipsy when I meet her glassy eyes. Petite like she is, I’d imagine it doesn’t take much alcohol for it. And with servers who constantly top up glasses, it’s hard to keep track.
We all walk out of the restaurant, and my hand remains on her back, just above the waistline of her skirt. I tell myself it’s in case she loses her balance again, but I know it’s because I don’t want to let go.
“How did you get here?” I ask as I remove my hand and clench it to chase away the prickling sensation.
“I drove.”
“You can’t drive now.”
“Where do you live?” Kevin questions as he reaches us, his arm wrapped around Shelly’s shoulders.
“South,” I answer before her.
“Oh, we can drop you off then.”
“I’ll take care of her,” I insist.
My friend frowns. “But you—”
“Honey,” Michelle interrupts, elbowing him slightly, “let him. I want to go home. I’m tired, and these shoes are killing me.”
I understand what she’s doing before he does, and I clench my teeth. “Right, of course,” Kevin agrees once it clicks. “Well, Andy, it was apleasure getting better acquainted with you. I hope our work together will last for many, many years.”
He shakes her hand, then mine. I let him pull me in for a quick hug, and he whispers, “South is quite the detour for someone you don’t even like.”
Then, after an irritating wink, he wraps an arm around Michelle again, and they walk off to their car.
“Alright, let’s get this over with,” I say, pulling out my keys and unlocking my car.
“Wait,” Andrea protests, pointing at a rusty pile of peeling red paint under a flickering streetlamp. “What about my car?”
I raise a judging eyebrow at it. “You’ll come back tomorrow to get it,” I explain, opening the door for her.
“I have a busy weekend,” she insists. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to get it back.”
Why must she be so difficult all the time? “Give me your keys.”
She obeys, and I walk up to the valet at the hotel’s entrance. “When does your shift end?” I ask him.
“In three hours, sir.”
I pull out my wallet, grab three hundred in cash, and extend it to the man. “Can you take that car over there back to Genesee when you’re done?”
“Uh, sure, sir.”
“Perfect.”
He uses the valet ticket pad to write down the address, and I hand him the key and the cash as I give him more instructions.
“What was that about?” Andrea asks when I return.
“He’ll bring your car back to your place when his shift ends.”
“What about the key?”
“In your mailbox.”
“What if he steals my car?”
