Still, it wouldn’t hurt to check in with Dex, especially if my friend didn’t show up. He sent a quick text about “a perfect target” to him and slipped his phone back in his pocket.
Whoa. So he was part of this… and so was this Dex person? They obviously had a scheme going. It sounded like it had something to do with stealing credit cards from women, and it looked like I was the perfect target.
He pulled a rag from beneath the counter and began wiping it down, keeping an eye on me and his other customers. Maybe I could catch him at his own game? What could it hurt? He might be more willing to implicate his friend if he got caught.
It was now or never, so I pulled out my phone, looking at it like I’d gotten a text, and let out a sigh. “Damn.”
He glanced my way. “What is it?”
“She’s not coming.” I looked up at him. “This is the second time we’ve set something up, and now she’s saying she can’t come… again. I’m starting to get a complex.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yeah.”
“Well… you could still get that drink. What do you like?”
I let out a discouraged breath, knowing I had to play along. “Uh… maybe a Daiquiri. I’m in the mood for something citrusy.”
“Sounds perfect.” While he left to mix my drink, he sent another text, telling Dex that it looked like my friend had ditched me, and I was ripe for the taking. The response came right away, saying that he’d just arrived to check me out.
Whoa. That was fast, and my heart rate picked up. I fought the urge to look around the room to spot him and checked my watch instead. I still had nearly thirty minutes before Dimples was supposed to get here, but maybe that was perfect timing to pull this off.
A man slid into the chair beside me, and I tried to stay calm. He held up his hand to get the bartender’s attention, using a predesignated hand signal that the job was a go.
“I’ll be right with you.” The bartender finished mixing my drink and brought it over. “There you go.”
“Thanks.”
“What can I get you sir?”
“That looks pretty good.” He motioned toward my drink and sent me a smile. “How is it?”
I took a couple of small sips and nodded. “Mmm… it’s really good.” Just to be safe, I made sure it was too far away for him to put anything in it.
“Then I guess that’s what I’ll have.”
The bartender nodded. “Right away sir.” He hurried to mix the drink, thinking it was a good thing he’d already added the drug, since Dex would never have gotten the chance to do it himself.
Oh crap. I’d just taken a few sips. This was bad.
“Are you waiting for someone?” Dex asked.
Knowing I still had a part to play, I frowned. “I was, but she bailed at the last minute.”
The bartender set Dex’s drink in front of him, and Dex picked it up and turned to me. I caught the gleam of excitement in his dark eyes. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a goatee and glasses that looked a little off. Was it a disguise? He looked nothing like the men Willow and Dimples had picked out, but, if it was a disguise, maybe that explained it.
“Then I propose a toast. To making the best of a disappointing night out.”
I smiled, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic as him, and I picked up my drink to clink it against his. He took a swallow, watching me while I raised the glass to my lips. Keeping my lips closed, I tipped my head back and made swallowing motions, so it would look like I’d taken a drink. A little of the liquid managed to enter my mouth, but not enough to matter… I hoped.
Setting the glass back down, I licked my lips to keep the drink from dribbling down my chin and swallowed. Crap. I’d just swallowed a little more, but it shouldn’t be too bad. In all, I’d taken maybe a couple of spoonfuls, maybe less. Surely that wouldn’t be enough to affect me.
Dex had been watching me closely, and he’d enjoyed the sight of my tongue licking my lips. It excited him, and he could hardly wait for the next ten minutes to pass while the drug took effect. Then I’d be his for the next half an hour or so, and he could hardly wait.
Yikes. This might not have been the best idea. I still had twenty minutes before Dimples arrived. Maybe I’d better send him a text. I reached for my phone, but it wasn’t on the counter. I must have put it away.
“Do you come here often?” Dex asked.
“Uh… no. This is actually the first time.”
He nodded, thinking that I needed to drink a little more. “Well, it looks like my friend is here. I hope you have a good evening.”
“Uh. Thanks. You too.”
He held up his glass, so I grabbed mine, sloshing it a little, and tapped his. He took another drink, so I pretended to as well. He walked away, and relief filled my chest. I rummaged through my purse for my phone and couldn’t find it.
Did I put it somewhere else? The last time I’d used it, I’d pretended to get a text. Had I left it on the counter? It wasn’t there either. Damn. Had it fallen on the floor? I glanced toward my feet, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. Crap. I had to get out of there. But where could I go?
Wait. I had a burner phone in my pocket. I could call Ramos. As another wave of dizziness washed over me, I pulled the phone from my pocket and concentrated on flipping it open. It had been a long time since I’d used a phone
