Page 50 of Only for the Week
Oh, we will?
“No, I can’t sleep’til I find it. I just need everyone to help me.”
“Okay, so how’bout you go get Eve, Christian, and Micah to go with you? I’ll stay with this group, and we’ll divide and conquer.”
The color drains from Amerie’s face as she looks back and forth between Arnold and Janelle. Arnold is standing in front of Amerie so Janelle can’t see the scathing look on her sister’s face, but I can. My hackles rise with the clear discomfort she feels with leaving the two of them together. Who is she implying can’t be trusted? Her man or her sister?
Neither answer is acceptable.
Arnold offers her a reassuring smile and squeezes her hand. She blinks and literally shakes it off, offering him a warm smile. “Yeah. Okay, that works. I’ll go find everyone else.” She looks past Arnold to Janelle and Dani. “Why didn’t Evie come with y’all anyway?”
“Now you know her ass could sleep through a hurricane.” Dani laughs.
Amerie doesn’t crack so much as a smile at Dani’s comment. “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, good luck looking, guys. I’ll call to check in.”
Amerie walks toward Janelle where Eve and the guys’ rooms are, when Janelle snakes her hand out to grab Amerie’s wrist. “It’s gonna be okay, sis.”
She looks down at where their arms connect briefly then untangles herself from Janelle’s grasp. “I’ll believe that when we find it.”
With that, she walks off leaving Janelle staring at the back of her head and Dani hanging her head.
“Follow me, I know where to start.” Arnold waves us on.
He leads us to the patio where the rehearsal dinner was held and spins around to face us, rolling his shoulders back and holding his head up high. “Okay, after dinner when y’all left we stayed behind and danced around so it could’ve fallen off here.” He puts a British spin on his voice, pulling a laugh out of both Janelle and me.
“Oh, shit. Not Sherlock Black on the scene,” I say, cackling.
Janelle’s laugh becomes even louder. “Oh my God, Sherlock Black is wild. I used to call him Luther.” Arnold grins at her former nickname for him.
“That’s a good one. I would never compliment him by comparing him to Idris, though.”
“I’m so confused. Someone fill me in,” Dani interrupts.
“Arnold loses stuff all the time.” The man can make millions of dollars for athletes in his sleep but can’t keep track of his keys, phone, or wallet.
Janelle chimes in to finish the explanation. “And when he does, he has this whole bit where he becomes a British detective while he retraces his steps to find whatever he lost.”
“Hence Sherlock Black,” I finish.
Dani tilts her head at Arnold and snickers. “Men are so dumb.”
“Facts. Okay, so around here?” Janelle waves her hand around the patio area and Arnold nods.
“Yep. Specifically, right here.”He stands in a spot two feet away from the now empty table. “So, if it fell off her finger it probably would’ve rolled around this side.”
Dani blinks rapidly, her mouth slightly ajar. “Are you…gonna do that accent the entire time?”
Janelle laughs and throws her arm around Dani’s shoulder. “I learned it’s best to just let him go through the motions.” She leads her away from Arnold and me, toward the surrounding palm trees.
“What say you, Watson? Shall we look over yonder whilst the womenfolk scour the far side?”
Grinning at the first sight of my real friend, I stand taller and adjust my imaginary tie. “I say that’s a splendid idea, ol’chap.”
We comb through every inch of the patio, coming up empty handed. Arnold starts grumbling to himself, trying to remember where he and Amerie went after dinner and the next moment, he takes off.
“Oop, he’s on the move. Let’s go, people,” Janelle directs.
We follow Arnold to the pool area, and he stalks around it with one hand behind his back and the other grazing his beard.
