across from him was also in charge of some team of thugs or mercenaries—she wouldn’t tell and, of course, he wasn’t going to ask—who literally played highwaymen, pretending to be going after the girls for their own gain. Where did she meet with these men?
“Let’s drink to the success of the next road trip, shall we?” Amber lifted her glass. “Brad has more information, Lily.”
Brad picked up his glass and drank to the toast as he broodingly studied Llallana. He wanted to get her alone with him…like the last time. Part of him wanted to kiss her again.
4
“That went quite well,” Amber said, after loading up the dishwasher. Despite the cool weather outside, she’d opened the kitchen back door that led onto the second-story deck outside. Standing by the entrance, she studied Llallana sitting on the stool outside, smoking a cigarette. A sign of nerves—Lily hardly smoked except when something was bothering her.
“Don’t you have other guests downstairs to attend to?”
“That’s what the staff is for,” Amber replied, “and I usually take the evening off when Brad comes to dinner.”
Llallana turned around in the semidarkness. “Sorry to have interrupted your plans.”
“Oh, come on, we’ve been friends for four years, Lily. You don’t have to play those games with me. And Brad isn’t interested in me, and vice versa.” Amber took a deep breath. “There was choking tension in the room this evening between the two of you that’s new. Mind explaining the source to me?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Llallana took a drag of her cigarette, then crushed it into the ashtray. “I didn’t feel anything.”
“When you guys didn’t hit it off when Brad first came on the scene, you told me you didn’t like his type. Too strait-laced, or something like that. What changed?”
“I still don’t like his type,” Llallana flashed.
“Uh-huh,” Amber murmured. This thing between her friend and Brad had gotten more and more interesting to watch each meeting. They were antagonistic toward each other from the very beginning, yet there was a subtle hint of sexual attraction. “It’s cold out there. I’m going to close the kitchen door now. Coming in?”
“I have my jacket on. In a few, okay?”
“Okay. Don’t leave without saying ’bye. I have stuff to talk to you about.”
“About what Brad told us?”
Amber shook her head. “We can talk about that tomorrow. There’s something else.” She wanted to tell her about the call and instant messenger conversation a few hours ago. “It isn’t urgent, but it’s something interesting.”
“All right. I’ll be there soon, ’kay?”
“Take your time, sweets. I have a few business chores to finish up first, anyway. It’s almost closing time.” Amber quietly closed the door. Llallana would confide in her when the time was right.
She turned off the main light, leaving only the twin ones over the oven and kitchen sink, then took a stairway through a side door that led down to her office. The luxury of living upstairs from where one worked was that she didn’t need to worry about taking late bus rides or driving a car at night.
She collected the cash box from Katia, one of her wait staff, as she peeked into the kitchen. “Any guests left?”
“Someone walked in really late and I told him the ovens were off already. He went off.”
Usually The Last Resort accommodated late customers, but Katia knew that Amber didn’t like to be disturbed when the CIVPOL chief was here. On other nights, Amber would take over and let her help go home.
“Thanks, Katia. You and Dru can go now. I’ll finish up. See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
Amber locked up after they left, turning off lights here and there. She had structured her café hours to suit her needs, keeping it open from ten to two during the day for customers who wanted to buy her cookies and have a quick coffee or tea break from their work. In the evenings she served the
“Let’s drink to the success of the next road trip, shall we?” Amber lifted her glass. “Brad has more information, Lily.”
Brad picked up his glass and drank to the toast as he broodingly studied Llallana. He wanted to get her alone with him…like the last time. Part of him wanted to kiss her again.
4
“That went quite well,” Amber said, after loading up the dishwasher. Despite the cool weather outside, she’d opened the kitchen back door that led onto the second-story deck outside. Standing by the entrance, she studied Llallana sitting on the stool outside, smoking a cigarette. A sign of nerves—Lily hardly smoked except when something was bothering her.
“Don’t you have other guests downstairs to attend to?”
“That’s what the staff is for,” Amber replied, “and I usually take the evening off when Brad comes to dinner.”
Llallana turned around in the semidarkness. “Sorry to have interrupted your plans.”
“Oh, come on, we’ve been friends for four years, Lily. You don’t have to play those games with me. And Brad isn’t interested in me, and vice versa.” Amber took a deep breath. “There was choking tension in the room this evening between the two of you that’s new. Mind explaining the source to me?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Llallana took a drag of her cigarette, then crushed it into the ashtray. “I didn’t feel anything.”
“When you guys didn’t hit it off when Brad first came on the scene, you told me you didn’t like his type. Too strait-laced, or something like that. What changed?”
“I still don’t like his type,” Llallana flashed.
“Uh-huh,” Amber murmured. This thing between her friend and Brad had gotten more and more interesting to watch each meeting. They were antagonistic toward each other from the very beginning, yet there was a subtle hint of sexual attraction. “It’s cold out there. I’m going to close the kitchen door now. Coming in?”
“I have my jacket on. In a few, okay?”
“Okay. Don’t leave without saying ’bye. I have stuff to talk to you about.”
“About what Brad told us?”
Amber shook her head. “We can talk about that tomorrow. There’s something else.” She wanted to tell her about the call and instant messenger conversation a few hours ago. “It isn’t urgent, but it’s something interesting.”
“All right. I’ll be there soon, ’kay?”
“Take your time, sweets. I have a few business chores to finish up first, anyway. It’s almost closing time.” Amber quietly closed the door. Llallana would confide in her when the time was right.
She turned off the main light, leaving only the twin ones over the oven and kitchen sink, then took a stairway through a side door that led down to her office. The luxury of living upstairs from where one worked was that she didn’t need to worry about taking late bus rides or driving a car at night.
She collected the cash box from Katia, one of her wait staff, as she peeked into the kitchen. “Any guests left?”
“Someone walked in really late and I told him the ovens were off already. He went off.”
Usually The Last Resort accommodated late customers, but Katia knew that Amber didn’t like to be disturbed when the CIVPOL chief was here. On other nights, Amber would take over and let her help go home.
“Thanks, Katia. You and Dru can go now. I’ll finish up. See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
Amber locked up after they left, turning off lights here and there. She had structured her café hours to suit her needs, keeping it open from ten to two during the day for customers who wanted to buy her cookies and have a quick coffee or tea break from their work. In the evenings she served the
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