Read Online Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark - Free Book Online Page A

drink through a
straw. “At least just take sips.”
    “Don’t worry about me, Shawn,” she said with a smile. “I can hold my
liquor. Hey, do you ever get a break? Do you think we can get in a
dance?”

    Even in the crowded room, she stands out.
She’s pretty and animated and looks happy. And what a dancer! She
gyrates to the beat of the music as though she’s been doing it all her
life. She’s so obviously enjoying herself.
It’s good that she’s so petite. It’ll make things much easier.

    The music stopped. Carly and Shawn went back to the bar while the
band took a break.
    “How was the babysitting?” he asked in an even voice, now that they
didn’t have to yell to each other to be heard.
    “Oh, fine. The kids are really cute, and Mrs. Richey pays well. But
that Mr. Richey…”
    “What?” Shawn encouraged her to continue.
    “I don’t know. He doesn’t exactly fit the ‘tent’ mold. I mean, I
don’t think he’s too happy about being there.” Carly decided not to
mention the way Mr. Richey looked at her. She wasn’t sure yet if Shawn
was the jealous type. She decided to change the subject. “Have you
heard anything more about Leslie?” she asked.
    “Oh, God, Carly. Let’s not ruin the night talking about Leslie.” He
groaned.
    “I’d have thought you would care more about her, Shawn. You went out
with her for a long time.” Carly tried to stifle a hiccup.
     
    “Look, Carly. It’s over with Leslie. That’s it. Finito
. I don’t want to talk about it. I thought you
got that.”
    The liquor was working its wonders on her now. Carly didn’t like the
impatient tone of Shawn’s voice, and she wasn’t going to let things
lie. “Well, I’d hope that someday, if we’ve been going out for a long
time and I disappeared, you would give a damn,” she sulked.
    “Well, I would hope that you
wouldn’t be crazy enough to run away and hide and pretend you were
kidnapped,” Shawn shot back. He turned to fill an order called from the
other end of the bar.

    Trouble in paradise. She doesn’t look so
happy anymore.
]ust an hour ago, who knew how things would turn out? Such a simple
plan: find a girl to dance with
—a
nd keep hidden until she’s
served her purpose. Now that she’s leaving, heading for the exit, plans
need to change
.

    Carly heard the low roar of the ocean as she crossed the street. She
turned right, heading south toward Ocean Grove. She could walk home
from the Stone Pony in less than ten minutes.
     
    The night air was warm but fresh and salty and it sobered her
somewhat. How had everything gone wrong so quickly with Shawn just now?
Had she overreacted? Was he really a jerk and not the nice guy she had
thought him to be?
    She walked along the curb, watching out for pieces of glass that
could cut through the thin soles of her sandals. The streets in Asbury
Park weren’t as clean as Ocean Grove’s. Nothing about Asbury Park was
the same as Ocean Grove. Fronting the Atlantic Ocean was the only thing
they shared.
    As she approached the border between the two towns, she could see
the old brick Casino silhouetted against the night sky. The once grand
building had been deserted for years. In the light cast by a solitary
streetlamp, Carly could make out the danger: keep out sign.
    She paused for a minute as she decided how to proceed. She could
walk all the way around Wesley Lake or just follow the narrow pathway
that edged around the Casino, then cut across the few yards of sand
that led to the beginning of the Ocean Grove boardwalk. Her house was
just a couple of blocks from there.
    Though it was dark and she was a bit wobbly on her feet, she opted
for the familiar pathway, the one she had played on so many times as a
kid. She kept her left arm extended, her hand touching the Casino’s
outer wall as she followed the rounded contour of the building. It was
just as she was about to jump down from the pathway to the sand that a
gloved hand slammed an old brick down on her