into her purse and walked away.
She had to walk past Mark Wolf on the way out. He’d seen her speaking to Claire. As she approached him he looked at her.
“Should I know you, miss?” he said as Lacey reached him.
He was good-looking for his age. He had the look of wealth, with smooth, tanned skin, rich white hair and a beautifully tailored suit.
“I don’t think so,” Lacey said.
“You were just speaking to my wife.”
“Oh,” Lacey said. She didn’t know what to say. She was breathless.
“Do you know her?”
Lacey looked over at Claire Lally. The poor woman was watching them. Lacey knew that she was afraid. She knew now what Claire’s life must have been like. She was treated as a possession. At least, she would have been treated as a possession by her father. Lacey had seen enough of Lally to know that was how he viewed women. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than growing up under the oppressive thumb of a man like that. She knew just how similar Claire’s life must have been to the life she herself had escaped in Las Cruces.
“Claire and I grew up in the same place,” she said and kept walking.
IX
L ACEY GRABBED CHLOE ON THE way out of the restaurant.
“We’ve got to leave,” she said. “Thanks for stalling the husband.”
“Just let me say bye to Alex,” Chloe said.
While Chloe was saying bye, Lacey took a notepad from Alex’s desk and wrote Chloe’s phone number on it.
“What are you doing?” Chloe said.
Lacey smiled wickedly at her as she handed the note to Alex. “That’s her number,” she said to him, “you should call her some time.”
Chloe blushed bright red. She was so embarrassed, but on the other hand, Alex couldn’t have looked happier.
“Thank you,” he said to Lacey. Then to Chloe, “I’ll call.”
Chloe shrugged. “Whatever,” she said.
*
I N THE CAB, CHLOE PUNCHED Lacey hard on the arm.
“What the hell were you thinking?” she said.
“He said he’d call, didn’t he?”
“But that was so embarrassing, Lacey.”
“You’ll be thanking me when that gorgeous man takes you out for dinner.”
Chloe sat back in the seat. She seemed to be thinking about what a date with Alex would be like. “Do you think he’ll call?”
“I know he will.”
Lacey directed the cab to the restaurant Jason had taken her too. Jason wasn’t going to be there, she’d called him and he told her she was working, but she felt like going there anyway. The place was so warm and welcoming and she felt at home there. She wanted to see Luis.
Chloe went with her. Lacey offered to buy her dinner to make up for wasting her entire afternoon.
“You’re going to love this place,” she told Chloe.
*
W HEN THEY GOT THERE, CHLOE really did love it. They sat at the bar and Luis was as charming as ever. He poured them both wine that was made on the same mountain slopes he’d grown up on.
“I wish I grew up on mountains covered with vineyards,” Chloe said.
“Life is hard there too,” Luis said.
He left them to go prepare their food and Lacey told Chloe about the date she’d had there with Jason.
“There’s a garden on the roof,” she said. “That’s where we kissed.”
“I would love if Alex took me to a roof and kissed me,” Chloe said.
“You’re smitten!”
Chloe said nothing. Lacey laughed. I can’t believe how shy you’re being about this.
“You’re shy about Jason,” Chloe said.
“No I’m not.”
Lacey thought about it. She really wasn’t shy around Jason. Everything felt so natural, so comfortable. She’d gotten to know him so well, so fast. The only thing that scared her was the thought of that handgun she’d found, and the strange photos of soldiers on the streets. Why did he have a gun? What was he up to?
“I’ll be right back,” she said to Chloe and got up and went back to the kitchen. She wanted to speak to Luis about what she’d seen.
“I hope you haven’t come to steal my recipes,” Luis said when he saw her
She had to walk past Mark Wolf on the way out. He’d seen her speaking to Claire. As she approached him he looked at her.
“Should I know you, miss?” he said as Lacey reached him.
He was good-looking for his age. He had the look of wealth, with smooth, tanned skin, rich white hair and a beautifully tailored suit.
“I don’t think so,” Lacey said.
“You were just speaking to my wife.”
“Oh,” Lacey said. She didn’t know what to say. She was breathless.
“Do you know her?”
Lacey looked over at Claire Lally. The poor woman was watching them. Lacey knew that she was afraid. She knew now what Claire’s life must have been like. She was treated as a possession. At least, she would have been treated as a possession by her father. Lacey had seen enough of Lally to know that was how he viewed women. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than growing up under the oppressive thumb of a man like that. She knew just how similar Claire’s life must have been to the life she herself had escaped in Las Cruces.
“Claire and I grew up in the same place,” she said and kept walking.
IX
L ACEY GRABBED CHLOE ON THE way out of the restaurant.
“We’ve got to leave,” she said. “Thanks for stalling the husband.”
“Just let me say bye to Alex,” Chloe said.
While Chloe was saying bye, Lacey took a notepad from Alex’s desk and wrote Chloe’s phone number on it.
“What are you doing?” Chloe said.
Lacey smiled wickedly at her as she handed the note to Alex. “That’s her number,” she said to him, “you should call her some time.”
Chloe blushed bright red. She was so embarrassed, but on the other hand, Alex couldn’t have looked happier.
“Thank you,” he said to Lacey. Then to Chloe, “I’ll call.”
Chloe shrugged. “Whatever,” she said.
*
I N THE CAB, CHLOE PUNCHED Lacey hard on the arm.
“What the hell were you thinking?” she said.
“He said he’d call, didn’t he?”
“But that was so embarrassing, Lacey.”
“You’ll be thanking me when that gorgeous man takes you out for dinner.”
Chloe sat back in the seat. She seemed to be thinking about what a date with Alex would be like. “Do you think he’ll call?”
“I know he will.”
Lacey directed the cab to the restaurant Jason had taken her too. Jason wasn’t going to be there, she’d called him and he told her she was working, but she felt like going there anyway. The place was so warm and welcoming and she felt at home there. She wanted to see Luis.
Chloe went with her. Lacey offered to buy her dinner to make up for wasting her entire afternoon.
“You’re going to love this place,” she told Chloe.
*
W HEN THEY GOT THERE, CHLOE really did love it. They sat at the bar and Luis was as charming as ever. He poured them both wine that was made on the same mountain slopes he’d grown up on.
“I wish I grew up on mountains covered with vineyards,” Chloe said.
“Life is hard there too,” Luis said.
He left them to go prepare their food and Lacey told Chloe about the date she’d had there with Jason.
“There’s a garden on the roof,” she said. “That’s where we kissed.”
“I would love if Alex took me to a roof and kissed me,” Chloe said.
“You’re smitten!”
Chloe said nothing. Lacey laughed. I can’t believe how shy you’re being about this.
“You’re shy about Jason,” Chloe said.
“No I’m not.”
Lacey thought about it. She really wasn’t shy around Jason. Everything felt so natural, so comfortable. She’d gotten to know him so well, so fast. The only thing that scared her was the thought of that handgun she’d found, and the strange photos of soldiers on the streets. Why did he have a gun? What was he up to?
“I’ll be right back,” she said to Chloe and got up and went back to the kitchen. She wanted to speak to Luis about what she’d seen.
“I hope you haven’t come to steal my recipes,” Luis said when he saw her
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