Page 17 of Newly Tied

“Yeah?” And I heard it then, the slight tremble in her voice.

“Why’re you callin’ me?”

“I can’t call? I’m what, one of Lang’s exes?”

“That’s not what I—where are you?”

“I’m…at a party downtown, near your apartment.”

“Okay.”

“Are you home?”

“I am.”

“But Lang’s not with you, right?”

“No, he’s on that double date with Malik, remember?”

Deep sigh of relief. “That’s right, that’s right. Good.”

“Why is it good?”

“Because you won’t make this as big a deal as he will, and I don’t want to hear that I’m an idiot right now. All I need is some help.”

I could feel the chill slither down my spine. “Why do you need help?”

“Or maybe it’s fine. Maybe I’m being paranoid.”

“You’re not paranoid.”

“Not normally, no.”

“Where are you?” I repeated.

“I think maybe… See, I went to the bathroom, and when I got back, this guy, Quentin—it’s his party I’m at, and he has this great penthouse⁠—”

“When you got back,” I prompted softly. “Finish your thought.”

“Yeah, so when I got back, he handed me an amaretto sour, and you know how much I love those, but normally one, or even two, don’t do anything at all.”

My gut clenched.

“But somehow, I’m really feeling this one. I was going to ask Darcy to take me home, but she left, and I don’t know why she…”

I waited for her to continue.

“We were supposed to go to dinner after this because it was going to be just a quick stop in to say hello to Mr. Al—sorry, Quentin. I’m still wrapping my head around him telling me to use his first name—but see, he’s in from New York to oversee a sale, and I…Del, I don’t feel like myself and that’s so strange.”

She was rambling, which was unlike her. “Where’s his place?”

“By Millennium Park.”

“You got an address you can send me?”

“Oh yes,” she chirped happily. “We all got a text invite.”

“And you’re doin’ what right now?”