Page 110 of Absinthe Minded

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Gabe

Caterers and waitstaff crowded the kitchen, making it difficult for anyone not on the payroll to enter the room. I surveyed the trays of food waiting to be served, looking for something with protein and not too rich. Dinner selections consisted of jambalaya, shrimp creole, greens swimming in bacon, Étouffée, and other traditional Cajun dishes. Nothing I could feed Maggie in her condition.

Jessie pushed her way toward me. “Is Maggie all right? I saw you carry her inside.”

“She didn’t eat much today and with the champagne, she’s dizzy.” I snatched a dinner roll from a tray and opened the drawer.

“Gabe,” Jessie shouted.

“What?” I turned with the roll in one hand and the knife in the other.

“Did you do something stupid again? She seemed fine until she talked to you.”

“How can I cause her to be dizzy?” I stuffed a piece of cheese into the roll and pushed my way out of the kitchen.

Jessie followed. “Stop for a second, will you?”

“I need to get this to Mags.”

She grabbed my arm. “Have you seen Chantal DuBois lately?”

I jerked free. “No, why?”

“There’s a woman who keeps showing up at the bar when Maggie’s working.”

“What woman? Jess, I don’t have time for this right now.”

“I think it’s Chantal. Her hair’s blonde and she’s chubbier…”

“I haven’t heard from her in weeks. She didn’t even show up for our court date.” I headed toward the parlor.

Maggie’s mask sat on the loveseat where I’d left it, but she’d vanished. My first thought was the powder room. I knocked. When no one answered, I opened the door. Empty.

I pulled my cell from my pocket and dialed Maggie. No answer, but her ringtone played nearby. I hit redial and followed the ringing to her purse under the loveseat.

I tore the mask from my face and called Enzo. “Hey, have you seen Maggie?”

“Yeah, man she’s looking smoking hot tonight. I’mbusy. Can this wait?”

“Enzo, listen. She isn’t feeling well. She’s not where I left her, but her purse is here.”

“Hang on.” Mumbling came over the line as if he’d covered the phone with his hand. “I’m with Shanna. She said Maggie was fine earlier today. We’ll help search for her.”

I strode back toward the kitchen in hopes of finding Jessie. I caught a glimpse of her bright red gown outside, but lost sight of her by the time I made it to the door.Why do women keep disappearing on me tonight?

My mother came out of nowhere and set her hand on my arm. “Is everything okay?”

“Have you seen Maggie?”

“Not since you carried her inside. What’s going on?”

I ran my hands over my head. “She isn’t feeling well. I need to find her, Ma. Something’s wrong.”

She pursed her lips. “Did you pick a fight?”

“No, I did not pick a fight.”

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