Page 73 of Baby Duke

"Never," East sits back in her seat, eyes glazing. "Do you think she is a prostitute or something?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Your father doesn't seem like the type of guy to stoop to taking aprostituteto a charity ball. Besides, look at how she is looking at him. She looks like she’s in love."

We look at the photo in silence, considering.

"How old is this thing anyway?" East asks, closing the magazine to see the date. "Four years ago…" she trails off. "Therewaswhile there when he was more absent than usual, come to think of it. I thought it was for business, but that was more of an assumption. I mean, he never tells me anything."

I nod absentmindedly, and we fall silent, each lost in our own thoughts.

After a moment, Mr. Foster closes his laptop loudly. "Did I hear something about a day spa earlier?"

East and I glance up at him questioningly.

He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Look, grading sucks. I can't say I've ever had a pedicure before, but I know men who have. A good foot massage and scrub sounds delightful right now."

"Fuck yes!" I howl, causing the few customers remaining after the lunch rush to glare at me.

"Wait, Roe," East places a hand on my arm. "West will be furious if he finds out we left."

"So we don't tell him," I shrug, pushing the chair back with a screech and skipping to where I had left my bag. I shove the magazine into it, smiling and winking at the hostess when she opens her mouth to give me cheek about stealing a dinosaur-aged magazine. She shakes her headwith an eye roll and continues cleaning the table she had been working on.

"Bit hard to hide when our toes will be shining beacons of our dishonor," East says grumpily.

"We tell him we did it ourselves in the hotel. Trent will play along; he would do anything for you."

East stares at the table. "Fuck it," she announces suddenly.

I shriek and do a little dance. "Easterly Mazzuchelli, everyone! Breaking rulesandswearing? What in the world will we do with her?"

"Shhh!" East hisses, cheeks redder than a well-slapped ass.

A small smile plays at Mr. Foster's lips, and I bump my shoulder against his, or his arm, rather, considering the height difference.

"Aye, even Sir gets my humor," I laugh. "Let's go!"

We gather our stuff and head out the door.

"This way," the teacher says, guiding us in the opposite direction of the Hotel. "I've parked my van down a side street."

Said side street is a creepy-ass pathway between two buildings, dumpsters lining the walls, and a few cars parked up.

"Geesh," I say as I spy what I assume is Mr. Fosters van. "This is straight out of a horror movie, you know, Sir? Shadowy and secluded laneway, disturbingly plain white van, two witless damsels, and the mastermind behind it all. Good thing I trust ya', hey?"

East laughs nervously. "Man, I hate how your mind works, Roe."

"Look out for the vampires lurking in the shadows," I snap my teeth at her.

"Well," Mr. Foster says, gripping the handle of the sliding back door. "I can assure you there will be no vampires this afternoon, ladies. Maybe later, though." He winks as he pulls the door open.

East hops in first, and Mr. Foster steps up behind me. A shrill squeal has me rushing up the single step where I stop, my heart sinking into my stomach in a sickening avalanche. Four men are grinning at me, eyes wickedly bright and eager. One holds East against his front, a hand lazily stroking her belly as the other clamps over her mouth. Her chest rises and falls in rapid succession, and I meet her wide, terrified eyes.

A hundred thoughts whirl through my mind as panic sets in my bones, but the most prominent one is that I have failed East and, in turn, West.

A hard, warm body presses into me from behind, a tender hand swiping my fringe from my face and down my throat, almost tenderly.

"As I was saying, the vampires will come out later, and I am certainly no mastermind, but you were spot on about the rest, love," Mr. Foster says. I feel his nose run through my hair as he breathes in deeply.

I turn slowly, my entire body quivering. "Mr. Foster?" I whisper. Iplead.

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