hits up another bar down the street.”
“What does he do?”
Emily laughed. “Do? I don’t think he does
anything but drink.” A couple at the next table over caught her eye. They held
up their drinks. With a nod, she rushed over to take care of them.
Madison turned just as two big guys, with thick
barrel chests crowded in on the younger man. Pushing Jamie over, they slid into
the booth next to him.
They appeared jovial but their manner was clearly
threatening. Jamie scowled as the shorter of the two men threw his arm around his
shoulder and whispered into his ear while the bigger man slid in from the
opposite direction. They scooted in close until they had Jamie trapped. The
bigger, heavier set man suddenly let out a burst of laughter as he pounded Jamie
on the back, causing the younger man to wince slightly at the impact.
A few seconds later, Jamie crawled up over the
top of the booth while the two men laughed.
Madison caught Sarah’s sad expression as Jamie
slunk out into the night. She stood on her tiptoes and signaled to her sister.
“What’s with you and that guy you were just
talking to?” she asked when Sarah approached.
“Nothing, he was just pestering me about
something.” Her blue eyes lit up. “So, how was the date?”
Madison tilted her head to the side as she
watched Jamie linger around outside the window. “Wonderful,” she said
distractedly.
Sarah frowned. “It doesn’t sound like it by the
tone of your voice. What went wrong?”
“Nothing. It was perfect. Well, except for a client’s
husband deciding to make his unhappiness with his divorce known.”
“Oh no.”
“Speaking of which, if you see any balding men with
big round glasses hanging around outside our apartment, do let me know.”
“Will do,” Sarah said, starting to turn away.
Madison grabbed her sister by the arm. ‘Hey, wait
a second.”
“Maddy,” she said in with an amused laugh, “I’m
working.”
“This will only take a second. Are you mad at
me?”
“No, of course not,” Sarah said still smiling.
“Why?”
“You slammed the door when you left today.”
“I did?”
“Then there was the dress you picked out.”
Sarah looked down at Madison’s dress. “What’s
wrong with it?”
“Nothing, but when I finished drying my hair, I
found it hanging back in the closet. I was just wondering why you put it back.”
Sarah’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t hang your dress
back up.”
Madison bit her lip. “You didn’t?”
“No, of course not.”
“You have been awfully absentminded lately,” she
reminded her sister gently.
Sarah’s forehead furrowed in response as a wary
look came into her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You left the stove on the other day. I came out
of the bedroom and—”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. The fire alarm went off while I
was in the shower.”
A look of panic entered Sarah’s eyes. Madison
rushed to reassure her. “Nothing was damaged. Well, except the pan that was on
the stove.”
“Why didn’t you say something then?”
“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” she
said mildly.
“Madison, I didn’t leave the stove on the other
day and I didn’t put your dress back up tonight.”
Madison tilted her head to the side as a worried
knot began to grow in her stomach. “Then who did?”
“I don’t know.” Sarah took a deep breath and
smiled reassuringly. “You were excited about your date. Maybe you put it back
without thinking.”
Madison felt her hands clench into fists. Someone
had been in her apartment. While she was drying her hair, someone had walked
into her bedroom and messed with her things. If Sarah was to be believed, it
hadn’t been the first time. “I think we should change our locks.”
“Why would someone break in just to straighten up
your bedroom?” Sarah asked with a nervous laugh.
The bell at the door jangled and Madison felt a
gust of cold air hit her back. She looked over her shoulder. Jamie
“What does he do?”
Emily laughed. “Do? I don’t think he does
anything but drink.” A couple at the next table over caught her eye. They held
up their drinks. With a nod, she rushed over to take care of them.
Madison turned just as two big guys, with thick
barrel chests crowded in on the younger man. Pushing Jamie over, they slid into
the booth next to him.
They appeared jovial but their manner was clearly
threatening. Jamie scowled as the shorter of the two men threw his arm around his
shoulder and whispered into his ear while the bigger man slid in from the
opposite direction. They scooted in close until they had Jamie trapped. The
bigger, heavier set man suddenly let out a burst of laughter as he pounded Jamie
on the back, causing the younger man to wince slightly at the impact.
A few seconds later, Jamie crawled up over the
top of the booth while the two men laughed.
Madison caught Sarah’s sad expression as Jamie
slunk out into the night. She stood on her tiptoes and signaled to her sister.
“What’s with you and that guy you were just
talking to?” she asked when Sarah approached.
“Nothing, he was just pestering me about
something.” Her blue eyes lit up. “So, how was the date?”
Madison tilted her head to the side as she
watched Jamie linger around outside the window. “Wonderful,” she said
distractedly.
Sarah frowned. “It doesn’t sound like it by the
tone of your voice. What went wrong?”
“Nothing. It was perfect. Well, except for a client’s
husband deciding to make his unhappiness with his divorce known.”
“Oh no.”
“Speaking of which, if you see any balding men with
big round glasses hanging around outside our apartment, do let me know.”
“Will do,” Sarah said, starting to turn away.
Madison grabbed her sister by the arm. ‘Hey, wait
a second.”
“Maddy,” she said in with an amused laugh, “I’m
working.”
“This will only take a second. Are you mad at
me?”
“No, of course not,” Sarah said still smiling.
“Why?”
“You slammed the door when you left today.”
“I did?”
“Then there was the dress you picked out.”
Sarah looked down at Madison’s dress. “What’s
wrong with it?”
“Nothing, but when I finished drying my hair, I
found it hanging back in the closet. I was just wondering why you put it back.”
Sarah’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t hang your dress
back up.”
Madison bit her lip. “You didn’t?”
“No, of course not.”
“You have been awfully absentminded lately,” she
reminded her sister gently.
Sarah’s forehead furrowed in response as a wary
look came into her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You left the stove on the other day. I came out
of the bedroom and—”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. The fire alarm went off while I
was in the shower.”
A look of panic entered Sarah’s eyes. Madison
rushed to reassure her. “Nothing was damaged. Well, except the pan that was on
the stove.”
“Why didn’t you say something then?”
“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” she
said mildly.
“Madison, I didn’t leave the stove on the other
day and I didn’t put your dress back up tonight.”
Madison tilted her head to the side as a worried
knot began to grow in her stomach. “Then who did?”
“I don’t know.” Sarah took a deep breath and
smiled reassuringly. “You were excited about your date. Maybe you put it back
without thinking.”
Madison felt her hands clench into fists. Someone
had been in her apartment. While she was drying her hair, someone had walked
into her bedroom and messed with her things. If Sarah was to be believed, it
hadn’t been the first time. “I think we should change our locks.”
“Why would someone break in just to straighten up
your bedroom?” Sarah asked with a nervous laugh.
The bell at the door jangled and Madison felt a
gust of cold air hit her back. She looked over her shoulder. Jamie
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