Page 54 of About Last Night

"Not my shoe," she said, her tone desperate. "I lost my engagement ring."

Chapter 15

DEREK'S THROATconvulsed. "You lost your engagement ring?"

Janine burst into fresh tears and leaned on the railing.

"I noticed it was missing," he said lightly, "but I just assumed you'd taken it off on purpose."

"When?" she asked, grasping his arm. "When did you notice it was missing?"

Derek cleared his throat. "When we were, um, in bed."

She tore back into the room, and he followed, then stood back as she skimmed her hands across the top of the comforter, then stripped it from the bed and shook it violently.

"Do you see it?" she asked.

He shook his head, guilt galloping through his chest. "Don't worry, we'll find it. You check that side of the room, and I'll start over here."

Janine nodded, emitting a little hiccup, then fell to her knees, patting the parquet floor. Feeling absurdly responsible, he started looking in the opposite corner, patting small areas before moving on. Thirty minutes later, they bumped behinds in the middle, both empty-handed.

"It'll turn up somewhere," he assured her.

"Yeah," she said. "In a pawnshop." Sitting back on her heels, Janine covered her face with her hands. A bitter laugh erupted from her throat. An hour ago she was thinking that telling Steve she couldn'tmarryhim would be difficult. Now she'd be able to top that tidbit by confessing she'd also lost his grandmother'sheirloom ring. The only silver lining was that the ring was a distraction from her revelations concerning Derek.

A knock on the door startled her so badly, she jumped. Derek yanked up his jeans and shirt and headed back to the bathroom. Janine dragged herself to the door, but her spirits rose when she saw Manny through the peephole. She swung open the door. "Oh, Manny, thank goodness you're here!"

He held up a roll of gauze. "Is someone in trouble?"

"Big time," she said. She took the gauze, then tossed it on the bed. Janine stepped into the hall, keeping the door barely cracked. She struggled to keep her voice level. "I have to go outside."

Manny sighed. "Janine, I know you're claustrophobic, but—"

"Not because I'm claustrophobic! I dropped something off the balcony, and I have to find it right away."

He held up his radio. "What is it? I'll call a guard to look for it."

"No! I can't risk someone finding it and keeping it."

"What did you drop?"

She puffed out her cheeks, then held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger.

His eyes bulged. "Your engagement ring?"

She winced and nodded.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not getting a good feeling about this."

"You can sneak me out and I'll find my ring, then you can sneak me back in, and no one will be the wiser." She clapped her hands together under her chin, sniffing back tears.

"Janine, no one is supposed to leave the premises."

"I won't be leaving the premises, I'll just be under the balcony!"

He angled his head at her. "This isn't another pitiful attempt at escape, is it?"

"Cross my heart."

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