Page 11 of Bad to the Bone
Alex stifled a sigh. Since he’d been the one to arrange for Ricky Lee and Crae’s entry to the reunion dance, everyone assumed he knew far more than he did about Ricky Lee’s future plans.
“Maybe he just wanted to catch up on old times.” Not that Ricky Lee’s old times had been ones he probably wanted to remember, but it was the best Alex had to offer.
“If that was the case, I’d expect him to be leaving town now that the reunion’s over.” Having supervised the collapse of the tables and chairs and their return to the cafeteria, Stephanie joined them. “I hear he and that friend of his have booked rooms at the hotel through next week.”
“He could have stayed in their house if it hadn’t been torn down,” Melissa observed with a touch of cattiness. “Of course, the condition that place was in, if it hadn’t been torn down, it would have fallen down by now.” It was hardly fair to imply that Ricky Lee was somehow at fault for the condition of a run-down house on the wrong side of town that he hadn’t lived in for over a decade, but pointing that out to Melissa wouldn’t do any good.
“I wonder what he’s been doing that he can afford to pay for a hotel room for better than a week,” Ashley said. “Those rooms at the all-suites aren’t cheap.”
“I’m surprised they’re bothering with two rooms.” Melissa’s face twisted into a knowing smirk. “The way those two were hanging all over each other on the dance floor, it’s obvious they only need one.”
“Did you see how he…?” Alex tuned out the disparagement and headed outside to get the ladders from his truck so they could take down the decorations from the ceiling. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could get out of there before he said something he’d regret later. It seemed most folks were still inclined to think the worst of Ricky Lee, no matter what.
