“Sounds like a bad breakup,” he says, taking a bite out of a cheesy quesadilla.
“I guess. I mentioned Anita Dolman and she said she knew her, or least she knew of her. She said she used to hang out here.”
He stops chewing mid-bite and ticks his head to the side. “Small world.”
“And do you know what else she said?” I link arms with him as he leans in close. “She said when she started working here there was another girl who went missing—a patron who she said hung out at the bar. So I’m guessing she was a regular. Anyway, she said she left a kid behind. It sounded fishy to me.”
Jasper flashes those gray eyes to the bar. “Did she mention the girl’s name?”
“She couldn’t remember. Emerson or Emery. She wasn’t sure.”
The lights flicker, and soon Georgie and Juni make their way to the table and take their seats. They say a quick hello to Jasper and dig right into the feast, but something about that frown on Georgie’s face doesn’t sit well with me.
“How did it go with Bad Boy and Lumpy Pants?” Words I never imagined I’d use in a sentence, let alone say out loud.
Georgie waves me off. “I forgot my credit card.”
Juni wags a fried eggroll my way. “I was pinch-hitting. I had mine. We needed it to ante up at the bar.”
“I see.” Odd that Georgie ducked the question. I hope she’s not hurting financially. I’ll wait to ask her how she’s doing another day. Nothing ruins a good time like dwelling on finances.
Macy hustles over and plops into the seat beside me, her face flush with color.
“Macy, have you been drinking? Your face is red as a beet.”
A naughty smile swims on her lips. “Drinking, dancing, flirting. I may never leave.” She picks up a nacho chip dripping with jalapeños and cheese and toasts us. “Let’s just say Gio made quick work of our date. And by the way, thanks for pitching for dinner, you two.” She winks over at Jasper. “I had to spring for drinks at the bar.”
Jasper lifts a brow my way. How about lobster, Bizzy? It’s on me.
A dull laugh strums through me. “Dessert will be on me,” I whisper his way. “My cottage in about two hours.”
I wouldn’t miss it.
The room grows dark, and a couple of hot pink stage lights swirl around until they create a circular beam of light over the darkened stage and Archie Alden steps up dressed in a tuxedo, looking dapper with his signature white picket fence smile.
Macy claps the longest and the loudest, thus garnering an approving wink from the magician at hand.
He runs through a few quick tricks, warming up the audience by plucking a bouquet of flowers from his sleeve, making a bottle of wine disappear under a series of large cones and making it mysteriously appear right in front of Macy—my sister’s favorite trick by far. A spotlight falls over my sister and she holds up the bottle of wine much to the audience’s delight.
Jasper gives my hand a squeeze. I saw a figure dressed in black deliver it.
I nod his way because I saw the same thing. I suppose there’s not much magic in any of these routines, but it makes for a fun night, I’ll give them that. And it makes for a free bottle of wine, too. But I’m betting good old Archie will find a creative way to make my sister pay for it.
Archie steps over and takes up my sister’s hand, leading her to the stage, and I’m a bit relieved he didn’t seem to notice the rest of us. It’ll teach her for landing us in the self-proclaimed fun zone.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” His voice echoes throughout the room. “It seems we have a wine thief on our hands.” The audience roars with laughter. “A rather beautiful wine thief.” He kisses the back of her hand and the audience coos at the sight. “What is your name, princess?”
Macy’s blue dress glows like a sapphire under the white-hot spotlight.
“Macy Baker.” She gives a cheeky wave to the crowd.
“Macy Baker, you have a fire in your eyes that could turn this room into an inferno. How would you like to lie down and relax while I show you exactly how much you float my boat?”
A groan comes from me as I lean toward Jasper. “That was cheesier than these nachos.”
He ticks his head to the side. Something tells me Macy will eat up every bit of cheese he’s willing to give her.
I nod because he’s right.
Macy is quickly hustled over to the table behind them covered with a dark cloth that sits to the floor. This must be the floating lady trick Julian did with Bernie the other night. And I’m glad about it, too. I’ve always wondered how they pulled this off, and now I’ll have Macy to tell me. Here’s hoping she’s paying attention to something other than Archie’s hypnotic dark eyes. He does have an enchanting appeal about him.
The room grows black as night and ice cold, with the exception of a dull red light that surrounds the two of them on stage.
“Let’s see if I can make all of your worries disappear,” Julian says as he pulls on a pair of white gloves and waves them back and forth over her body. “Wham, bam, alakazam. May all of Macy Baker’s trouble scram!” A plume of smoke explodes over my sister’s body and Archie waves something in the air that sends the audience into an uproar with laughter.
I suck in a quick breath and lean toward the stage.
“Oh my God,” I groan. “Is that…?”
“Her bra!” Juni slaps the table and cackles just as Archie sends it sailing in my direction and I catch it with one hand before it smacks me in the face. And dear Lord, it’s still warm from her body.
“How did he do that?” I
