Miss Fortune (19 page)

Anyone see you come out? he asked, looking toward the service door.

I dont think so.

So, Rachel, he said, exhaling smoke. Rachel, Rachel.

Thats me! she said in a singsong voice.

Do you live in Providence?

She nodded.

Get out much?

What did that mean? Was she acting weird, or something? Okay, she couldnt breathe, thanks to the skirt and the PMS, but still

Like out to clubs, he helpfully clarified.

Oh. Not a lot. Im in school.

Arent we all.

You, too? Brown?

He snorted. Nah. Rhode Island Community College. Business Administration. You go to Brown? What are you studying?

Okey-doke, here they went. Rachel inhaled and felt nauseated. That was the thing about smoking. The idea was always better than the real thing. History,she said.

Wow. Gonna be a professor, I guess.

I guess, she said. At the rate things were going, shed probably end up typing routine autopsy reports or something likewise fabulously successful and awe-inspiring.

Let me ask you something, Mike said, glancing at his wristwatch. You ever take a break from those books long enough to go out for a drink?

Get. Out ! Was he really asking her for a date ? Couldnt he see that she was poured into this skirt? Man, she was sold on the benefits of witchcraft already! With a grin, she turned toward him. Sometimes. Why?

Why? he asked with a lopsided grin. Because I thought maybe youd go have a drink with me. Is that possible? Or do you have em lined up around the corner and cant be bothered?

Now she laughed. Yeah, I can be bothered, she said, and tossed down her smoke, ground it out with the pointy heel of her boot, then smiled at Mike from the corner of her eye. For the right guy. Hey , did she just say that? Could she be flirting ?

Mike grinned, let his gaze slide down her body and back. Where do I put in my application for the right guy?

Rachel smiled. I think we can consider the application filed, she said, and thought maybe there was something in the make-me-sexy-and-hurry spell. Okay, okay, it hadnt worked on Flynn, but, still, Mike was no slouch! He was nice-looking enough, and he had a really nice smile, and nice pale blue eyes, and okay, maybe she could see herself dating this guy, and stepped, surprisinglylike way surprisinglya little closer to him

That was when she saw Flynn, standing on the patio with the other guests. Only he wasnt smoking. With his hands in his pockets, and his head down, he was looking at her. Well, actually, to be perfectly clear he was looking at her flirt with Mike. And he was not smiling his usual charming smile. In fact, he was looking a little grim up there.

Thats great, Mike said. Look, I really gotta get back in there. But Ill catch you before you leave and get your number, all right?

Sure! Id really like that, she said brightly. Too brightly. So brightly that it rang false. Gawd, what was she saying ? She hardly even knew this guy! Wasnt the usual protocol to at least have a conversation with a guy before you went out with him? That was a problem with these spells, she was discovering. She didnt quite know how to act when they started working.

Okay! he said, and smiled. So Id love to stand out here and freeze my ass off with you all night, but I really have to work, he said, and reached out to touch her hand.

I guess I should, too, she said, and stole a glimpse at Flynn. Only Flynn wasnt up there looking down at her anymore. He was looking at the blonde hanging off his shoulder.

You coming? Mike asked, and Rachel jerked her gaze to him, smiled brightly, and joined him to sneak back inside.

Okay, all right, Rachel told herself as she picked up her tray and some sushi-looking thing and went back into the party room; she shouldnt have looked up there. She should have let well enough alone, and she damn sure should have looked at her horoscope before she came tonight.

Right. But here she was looking for Flynn again, whom she instantly spotted, with his blonde of course, yukking it up with the tall man whose pet had died and some other woman who was pencil-thin and beautiful. Nothing like a bunch of pencil-thin beauties to bring a woman squeezed into a skirt two sizes too small crashing back to earth.

Excuse me, miss! some woman shouted at her before she could get too caught up in Flynns world. Can we get some drinks please?

Why, of course. Now that the woman had helpfully reduced her down to servant again, all was right with the world.

FROM across the room, standing with Marlene and Phil Wasserman and some woman whose name he did not catch, Flynn watched Rachel from the corner of his eye. He figured, being a veteran of females, which he could certainly claim to be, that he had made a rather bad mistake in not ringing her after that astonishing little kiss they had shared. Unfortunately, ringing her up was not something hed really had time to do until right around the moment he saw her lovely face staring at him from across the room tonight.

Not that he had forgotten Rachel, God no. Nor that bloody amazing kiss.

He was really rather intrigued by her, more and more all the time. Not all girls went about with Stardust in their hair, did they? And she looked, he had to admit, terribly curvaceous in that black sweater and short little skirt and high-heeled, knee-high boots.

Oh no, hed had every intention of ringing her, and was looking quite forward to an evening with a woman who actually thought of things beyond what royal would be where on any given occasion. It was just that between the two rather involved situations he was currently engaged in, time had, unfortunately, gotten away .from him. Hed meant to find a moment to explain it all to her, but then hed seen her with that American bloke having a fag, and thought it was perhaps too late.

And really, he told himself, as he listened to Phil Wasserman speak reverently of his dead wife, that was perhaps just as well, for inevitably it would endand end disastrously, wouldnt it? He risked finding himself a bit too intrigued with her, and eventually, hed have to tell her his true reason for being in America.

That would not go well. Not at all. And then hed actually have to return to England and leave things at sixes and sevens. He really fancied her far too much to create a complete mess of things.

Yes, eventually, anything he started would come to a crushing end, which was why Flynn forced himself to stop seeking Rachel out in that room. Nor did he look at Marlene, who was tragically lacking in any curves at all, and instead focused his attention on Wasserman, his reason for being here at all.

But try as he might, he really couldnt keep himself from stealing glimpses of Rachel as he sort of trailed along after Wasserman, because she was really a bit of all right. Quite dishy and very sexy with that gold in her hair, and frankly, he could count her bum among the best hed ever had the good fortune to view. Round and bouncy, the sort. a man could imagine really grabbing on to as he

What in the bloody hell was the matter with him? He was working , for Gods sake! And he was not the sort of bloke who was easily confounded by a bird!

Besides, Rachel seemed to be enjoying herself at the bar with her sodding bartender. Even if he wanted to have a word with her, he couldnt really, not with the ever-present Marlene, who was, it seemed, quite pissed after imbibing a lorry load of martinis. Quite pissed, as in plastered, and falling down, making-moon-eyes-and-suggesting-lewd-things-to-him drunk. He had absolutely no idea how to get rid of her.

When he at last convinced Marlene to have a seat at one of the little tables and tried to get her to have a bite, she refused, shaking her head in a slow-motioned drunken way, with her hair sort of flying dramatically across her eyes and whatnot. Flynn had every desire to leave her there, but frankly, he was far too much the gentleman to do it properly.

Shoving a hand through his hair, he looked desperately around for someone who might help. Naturally, his gaze fell on Rachel, who was, as luck would have it, only a few feet away.

Rachel! he called out to her as she delivered drinks to a very disorderly quartet of attorneys.

She looked over her shoulder at him, and he could swear her eyes went soft for a moment before cooling off to perfect cubes of ice. She cocked her tray high and walked to where he stood with a smile rather forcefully smashed onto her face. Drink ? she drawled.

Ah, no. I rather think nottheres been quite enough served here as it is. I hate to be a bother, but would you mind terribly locating Mr. Feizel? Im afraid his guest has had one too many.

I have not , Charlie! Marlene insisted, stabbing her elbow onto the little table to steady herself and almost toppling the thing over.

Rachel looked at Marlene. Charlie?

Long story, Flynn quickly interjected.

Go on, Marlene said to Rachel, waving a loose wrist at her. Be a sweetie and go get me a martini, she said, before covering her face with both hands.

Rachel and Flynn exchanged a look.

Id really rather you not, he said. Do you think you might find Mr. Feizel?

Ill get him right away. She walked away without another word.

She returned a moment later with Mr. Feizel, who gave Marlene one look and sighed. Dammit, Marlene, you did this last year!

Did what? she asked, smiling sloppily at him.

He sighed with exasperation and looked at Flynn. She did do this last year. We let her sleep it off upstairs and she stayed two days. I cant let her do that againmy wife would kill me.

Yeah, well, I dont want to stay here! Marlene said defiantly and tried to fold her arms against her tiny little waist, but couldnt keep her balance and slid into the table.

Come on, Ollie, would you mind? Mr. Feizel asked him, his dark eyes pleading.

Me ? Flynn exclaimed, surprised. I hardly know her, Mr. Feizel. I just thought that you might

The thing about Marlene is shes really a brilliant attorney.

The best! No one wins more cases than me! Marlene shouted, jabbing her chest with her finger.

But she and gin dont mix. If youll just drive your car up, Ill help you get her inside of it.

I dont have a car, Flynn objected, then noticed Rachel standing behind Mr. Feizel, lift a curious brow at that

Come on, man! Feizel pleaded, ignoring his protests. Take her home, have a little fun. He made a crude gesture with his tongue in his cheek just in case Flynn wasnt quite following his meaning.

Dear God, Flynn said.

Char-Zeee, I wanna go home now. I really wanna go home, Marlene began to whine, working her way to her feet as Rachel stepped out of the way.

Quite a few people were turning around now and, from the look of it, were enjoying Marlenes slide into oblivion. It was the last sort of notoriety that Flynn needed, and it seemed that the proverbial handwriting was on the sodding wall. Bugger ! he muttered irritably.

Marlene laughed as she moved to slide her arm around his neck. I love the way you talk , Charlie! she said, then hiccupped.

He sighed, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his side, forcing her to stand up, but her limbs were like those of a rag doll.

Thanks, Ollie. We owe you one, Mr. Feizel said, and with a friendly pat on the arm, he wandered off, leaving Rachel there, holding her service tray.

There was nothing he could say that could possibly improve the situation now, but he looked at Rachel as Marlene waved happily at someone across the room. I meant to ring, he said.

Did you, Charlie?

Flynn winced slightly. Id rather like a chance to explain

By all means, Ollie, explain away.

To hell with it, then. He tried, but she had her knickers in a wad, and he had a sot hanging off his bloody arm. I would. I will . But now does not seem a very convenient time for itCheers, then, he said irritably, and without another look at her, he dragged Marlene across the room and from the party altogether, rolling his eyes at some of the more colorful things the Americans shouted at him.

He dragged Marlenes almost useless body onto the drive (although she was still lucid enough to laugh at how inoperable her feet were). Whats the matter, Charlie? she asked, looking up at him, her head balanced precariously on a roly-poly neck.

If you must know, Im a bit brassed off at Rachel.

Who?

After all, its only been two bloody days, he said, making Marlene move. There is not, as far as I am aware, some rule about the time frame in which one must ring a girl after a kiss, and I did not, to the best of my recollection, say, Ill ring you in the morning , or Ill ring you within forty-eight hours . I said I would ring, and I fully in-tended to ring, but I hadnt gotten round to it quite yet, thats all.

Im freezing ! Wheres my coat? Marlene demanded, confused.

Your coat? Flynn asked absently as he pulled her down the walk.

I want my coat! she wailed.

With a sigh, Flynn stopped just at the end of the house, propped Marlene up against the wall, shrugged out of his coat, draped it round her bony shoulders, and hauled her back into his side. Youre really quite a piece of work, Marlene.

I just love the way you talk! Marlene giggled.

Flynn pushed on, and at the end of the drive, he saw Joe get out of the drivers seat and stand behind the open door, staring in disbelief as Flynn dragged Marlene to the car.

Hi! Marlene said, laughing as she tried to wave. Who are you?

Hes a mate whos to give us a lift, Flynn said, and opened the door to the backseat.

You have got to be kidding me! Joe exclaimed as he pushed Marlene into the backseat head first.

Frankly, Id give all that I had to say that I was, Flynn avowed earnestly as he made certain all of her body parts were inside. He shut the door, braced himself on the car, and looked at Joe. But unfortunately, I cannot.

Joe groaned. So what are we going to tell her?

Just what I saidthat youre a mate whos come to give us a lift.

Joe planted his hands on his hips and thought about it, dipping once to see her, sprawled across the backseat. Okay, he said at last. As long as she stays half conscious back there. We just cant let her see any of the equipment in the front. He looked at Flynn again. So where are we taking your girl, here, dude?