At Greenwich Village, Eve restlessly paced the floor of her friend’s spacious living room. She hated keeping the truth from Reynner, but if he had an inkling of what she’d planned, he’d stop her. She couldn’t have that. She loved him and would use her last breath to find a way to free him.
He’d kept her earring.
She couldn’t get over that. Smiling, she stopped at the window and glanced at the busy street below, trying to figure out how to borrow Kat’s Fiat.
Cars idled at the red traffic lights as a few early-morning health fanatics jogged past them. The flower seller adjacent to Kataya’s building, wearing a large straw hat to keep the morning heat off him, rearranged the colorful blooms in his stall.
At the draggy slaps of bare feet on the hardwood, Eve turned as Brenna staggered into the lounge half asleep and flopped onto the dark green armchair, her eyes still shut.
“How do you not knock into walls and such?” Eve asked in amusement.
“It takes loads of practice and many learning bruises. Besides, it’s not the first time I’ve spent the night here. Oh, and never rearranging the furniture helps a lot—mornin’, Eve, you're early.”
Kataya snorted, walking into the room, a soda in her hand. “It’s eleven A.M. All of New York is up.”
“It’s Sunday,” Brenna grumbled.
“Then they should be up.” Kataya handed Eve her orange drink. “It’s all I have loaded with sugar. So what happened last night? When you called, you said all was okay?”
“It is, it is…” Eve looked at both of her friends. “He loves me,” she burst out even, unable to contain her joy, even if there was a big fat black cloud hanging over her happiness.
Brenna’s eyes popped open. Then a huge grin spread across her face. “Oh, Evie, to finally see you happy—” She jumped up from the armchair, did a little dance-wiggle, and hugged her. “I’m so thrilled for you. And darn, Reynner is scrumptious—I can still say that, right?” she asked quickly.
Eve laughed. “You can say anything, Bren.”
“Oh, good.” She dropped down on the armchair again.
“I can see by the blush on your face how pleased you are.” Kataya said, studying her with a small smile on her lips. “I'm happy for you. But what about that woman from last night?”
Her happiness dimmed a little. “He explained everything about her. She’s an ex-lover who doesn't want to let him go even though he wants nothing to do with her.”
“And?” Kataya picked up her coffee from the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room and sat down on the green and navy striped futon.
“Later. I promise I’ll tell you all then.” Eve jerked to her feet and rubbed her damp palms down her jeans. “First, I need to borrow your car for an hour.”
“Why? What happened to yours?”
“I couldn’t use it because Reynner dropped me off. But I really need to make a quick trip somewhere and be back before he comes for me.”
Kataya eyed her for a silent, suspicious second. “Why?”
Darn. Eve heaved a sigh. Now wasn’t the time to spill the truth about Reynner. It would take too long to make a skeptic like Kataya believe her. At least Brenna was a little more open-minded. “Please, Kat, lend me your car, it’s really important.”
Her friend studied her for another moment, then nodded. “All right. With all the agitation flying off you, it must be. I’ll take you, as soon as Bren moves her butt off that couch.”
“I'm moving, I'm moving,” Brenna objected, lurching to her feet.
Eve really didn't want to drag her friends into this. But if she said no, they’d both dig their toes in. They could be so stubborn. “Fine.”
***
Ten minutes later, they climbed into the Fiat and buckled in. Kataya raised the air-conditioning to cool the stifling heat trapped inside the car. “All right, where to?” she asked.
Eve hesitated, then said, “Lila Smith.”
“The oracle?” her friends blurted out in unison, turning stunned faces to her.
Eve grimaced. “Yes.”
