Page 21 of A Christmas Mystery

I’m absolutely certain that Lincoln and Summer came away from that conversation assuming that I am Theo’s girlfriend, but he’s too clueless to realize how it must have come across.

It makes me a little squirmy, but I don’t mention it. Not because I’m particularly discreet or tactful but because I don’t want to raise the topic at all. The next time they run into Theo, he can clarify matters to them.

What strangers believe about my relational status isn’t something to worry about.

***

OUR NEXT STOP IS THEcountry club, and if things go well, we can happen to run into both our final targets for the day there.

Unsurprisingly, I’m not a member of the country club. My family never was and wouldn’t want to be even if we were able to keep up with the hefty annual fees. I’m actually surprised that Theo is a member since he doesn’t seem to be the type, but he explains his parents gift him the membership every year. He occasionally meets acquaintances over golf, or he takes out his parents’ boat from the connected marina.

I didn’t realize before that his family is a country-club type. No wonder Chris’s parents always encouraged their friendship when they discouraged his relationship with me.

Whatever the reason, his membership comes in handy to us today. We’re able to get in to a place we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to set foot in.

Billy Curtis was in Chris and Theo’s year in school. Theo says he hasn’t kept up with him since graduation, but he’s heard he’s always at the country club if he isn’t at work.

We luck out this time. As soon as we check into the front desk and walk in one of the lush lounge areas in the main building, Theo nods toward a man working at a table on a laptop.

I’m not sure I would have recognized him if Theo hadn’t pointed him out. He’s thin and has a kind of coffeehouse aesthetic with his receding hairline and small goatee.

He’s nothing I would have expected from his appearance, however. Theo greets him when we wander over in his direction, and then we both sit down in nearby chairs without waiting for an invitation.

After a few minutes of conversation, it’s clear to me that Billy is not interested in friendly conversation. He’s holding on to the bare minimum of courtesy, but he’s more absorbed in the work he’s doing on his laptop than anything either one of us has to say.

My introduction has zero effect on him. He doesn’t care about me in even the slightest way. When Theo mentions that I’m a successful influencer, he does ask me if I’m interested in investing because he could help me with that. As soon as I make it clear I’m not a potential client, he loses all interest in me.

I meet Theo’s eyes when Billy turns back to his laptop. There’s no way this could be my pen pal. He’d never drag himself away from work enough to sustain a lengthy correspondence with someone who couldn’t help him financially.

At least it didn’t take long to determine that fact. We get up by mutual agreement and walk out of the lounge and down the hall toward the restaurant.

We glance in, just to be sure our final potential isn’t there. When we discover he’s not, we keep walking.

Theo told me that, as far as he’s ever seen, Reston Graber is always here on the weekends. But the country club is huge. He could be on the tennis courts or on the golf course or in one of the social areas or down by the lake and marina.

We walk around for about twenty minutes until we spot him at one of the bars, drinking beer with a few of his friends.

He was the year between me and Theo, and he was my lab partner for a while in a biology class. I’ve never thought much about him, but he was always friendly enough. Surely it won’t be too hard to get him talking.

While Theo goes up to get us drinks, I stroll over to a table near the one where Reston is seated. He’s attractive enough with longish blond hair and a wide, white smile. When he glances in my direction, I smile and wave at him.

He looks slightly confused, but maybe that’s because he’s drunk too much. He glances around to make sure I’m smiling at him, and then he hefts himself up to come sit beside me.

“Hi,” he says, sliding onto the bench seat right next to me. Way too close to me. He smells strongly of beer. “I know you from somewhere, beautiful, but you’ll have to remind me where.”

Oh great. He’s like that. “We were in biology together a long time ago.”

“Oh yes. Mala. Mava.” He blinks several times, making great effort to think.

“Maya.” I correct him with a smile, easing away from him slightly. His hand is already touching my thigh. “It’s been a long time.”

“Too long. Where have you been hiding yourself away?” He leans close. Very close.

I lean back as discreetly as I can. I don’t want to offend him since I need to talk to him, but I really don’t want him breathing on me. “I’ve been traveling. I’m just back in town for the holidays.”

“Well, I’m glad you came back. What are you doing tonight? I can keep you company if you need—”

“Graber!” The one word cuts into the uncomfortable vibes like a knife. Theo is looming over us. “You’re in my seat. Clear out.”

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