Page 20 of Kiwi Gold
“And?” I asked, the wedding band all but burning a hole in my pocket. “Married? Surname? Story?” Maybe she was divorced. Maybe that was why she’d taken off her ring.
For a night.
Yeh, right.
Jax hesitated a long moment, glanced at Karen, and said, “She didn’t tell you her story?”
“No.” I considered saying that we’d been too busy running from the law for that, but I didn’t.
Jax said, “Poppy’s here somewhere. She may be able to answer. Laila didn’t give you her number, then.”
“No,” I said. “Ran out like she was Cinderella, at the stroke of midnight. That’s what’s so odd about it.”
“Excuse me?” Karen said. “When she runs away and doesn’t give you her number, that’s not odd. That’s a sign. No, it’s a billboard. I cannotbelievemen.”
I wanted to tell her about the palm-reading and the waltzing, about the tentative way Laila had put her hand on my shoulder, the way she’d drawn in her breath at the touch of my hand on her body as if it was a shock, or a thrill, or both, but how did you explain that? Or the way she’d laughed, in shock again but also with genuine humor, when I’d put the Prancing Prat on his bum after he’d tried to run me through with his rapier in the stupidest confrontation ever to grace my life.
Or, of course, the shining look on her face when we’d been waltzing, her skin glowing like palest honey in the light of the chandeliers. Luminous.
Gold calls. I answer.
I didn’t say any of that, and I didn’t say anything about the ring, either. I said, “Maybe so,” and then added, “But introduce me to Poppy, if you don’t mind. No harm in asking.”
Poppy, though, turned out to be nowhere to be found. I considered letting it go, but somehow, the words that came out of my mouth were, “Text Poppy my number, then, Jax, will you? Tell her that if Laila wants to get in touch, I’m here. Oh. Also give her my name. We didn’t get around to that.” I had no clue why I was asking, or why I wasn’t giving them the ring, since they actually knew the woman. Keeping it was wrong, wasn’t it?
Yes. Absolutely. And still, I didn’t hand it over.
Jax said, “Mate.” On a sigh, the same way I’d have said it.
Karen said, “All right, I’ve decided it’s possibly romantic and not stalkerish. Partly because I saw her dancing with you, and that looked like romance to me. Plus, two degrees of separation. Easy to say no if she wants to.I’lltext Poppy your number.” She pulled out her phone and did it, then and there. Decisive movements and an air of impulsive self-assurance, like the more volatile sort of project manager. The opposite of Laila, with that faintly breakable vibe she gave off, as if she were made too finely not to be handled with care.
Yeh, it was bad. I could’ve blamed the champagne, but I hadn’t drunk that much.
Now, I thought,Coffee.Everything else might be out of my hands, but coffee wasn’t.
I was headed to the kitchen to get it when I was startled by a knock. Not at the front door. At the back, off the alley.
Some still-drunk student, most likely, lost their way or lost their wallet. Mornings-after, eh. I opened the door.
Nobody at eye level. Somebody far below it, though. A little girl, and a dog. The dog was some very blended mix, mostly good for growing hair, which was white with black patches. When I looked at him, he wagged his fuzzy tail hopefully, like he wanted nothing more than to be my friend forever, and I saw that he was missing a foreleg.
The girl was another story. Black spectacles, firm chin, and attitude, like she hadn’t come to play.
I said, “Hi.”
She said, “Can I please use your phone?” Completely self-possessed. The dog wagged some more, panted, cocked his head, and looked like he was waiting for my answer and hoped it would be favorable. The girl looked more like she hoped I’d be up to standard, but she had her doubts.
“Are you lost?” I asked.
She sighed.“No.I’m notlost.Icouldn’tbe lost. I’m right outside my house!”
“Oh. Phone not working there, then?” What was I meant to do here? Not let this girl into my apartment, I was bloody well sure of that. I had four younger sisters, if I haven’t mentioned it. I wasn’t handing her my phone, either. I hadn’t been born yesterday, and little girls could be too convincing.
“Obviously,”she said, then added, “Except it’s not really obviously, because the phoneisworking at my house. But it’s my mummy’s phone, and I’m not allowed to ring up on it unless she says specially.”
“Ah.” I knew where I was, then. A little girl of the confident and possibly devious variety. “Sorry. Your mum’s rules, eh. Can’t go against those, can I.”
She sighed gustily, raised her arms from her sides, and slapped them against her thighs again as if my dimness knew no bounds. “I’maskingyou because Ineedit,” she said. “Because ofdanger.You’re supposed to ask a grownup if you need help, and you’re the only onehere.”
