Page 19 of Highball and Chain

Shanna

Tourists and localsmilled about the little café in old Ragusa. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the gorgeous Sicilian weather. Too bad my friends wouldn’t shut up long enough for me to do the same.

“Okay, spill it. What happened with Enzo yesterday?” Maggie sipped her orange juice, though her eyes remained fixed on my espresso.

I shrugged. “Nothing.”

“When I was pregnant with Gunnar, my doctor said I could have a small amount of coffee.” Dahlia nudged her mug in front of Maggie. “One cup won’t hurt the baby.”

“It smells really good, but it didn’t agree with me last time. Once you taste something coming up, it never tastes the same going down.”

Dahlia and I pushed our cups away.

“What is going on with you and Enzo?” Dahlia turned to me. “You practically took his head off at the airport.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I glanced out over the Mediterranean.

“Did you see that?” Maggie pointed at me. “Her eye twitched.”

Dahlia nodded. “Yup.”

I’d had about all I could stand of the two of them. “What does that mean? My eye twitched. So what?”

Maggie leaned closer and lowered her voice. “It means you’re lying. You’ve had the same tell since middle school. What’s up?”

“Oh my God, she slept with Enzo.” Dahlia laughed and clapped her hands. “When did this happen?”

I sank deeper in my chair. Sure, they were my friends, but I was a private investigator in training. I did more acting than most movie stars. How could they read me so easily? As soon as I got back to the villa, I planned to practice lying in the mirror. “It didn’t, but it almost did the night of the gala.”

Dahlia and Maggie squealed like a couple of senior citizens who’d hit the jackpot at the bingo table.

I pointed at my pregnant friend and threw her under the bus. “Don’t pretend to be shocked. I told you this already.”

Dahlia’s mouth hung open. “What else don’t I know?”

Maggie motioned for me to continue. “Shanna?”

“That’s it. We had a few long conversations after the gala, made plans to go out, and then he ghosted me. It’s over and done with. Nothing to talk about.”

Dahlia furrowed her brow. Evidently, I’d popped her romantic bubble. “A lot was going on during that time. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure he didn’t return my calls.”

“I still don’t get it. He doesn’t seem like the type.” Maggie’s frown deepened.

Her expression made me nervous. She’d either meddle or confront Enzo to right the perceived injustice. I had to put an end to it before she did something I’d regret. “Like I said, we talked a few times after the gala. Either something came up, or he decided he wasn’t interested.”

“But he hurt you.” Dahlia sat back in her chair.

“Hurt, no. Irritated, yes.” I really needed to change the subject. “It’s no biggie. He was drunk. I was drunk. Shit happens, or almost happens.”

“That’s crap.” Maggie squeezed my hand again. “You don’t do casual sex.”

“Normally…but I got caught up in the moment.” I widened my eyes to stop the twitch and cover the lie.

They stared for a few seconds as if expecting me to continue, but I held my ground.

“What do you two think of Nicolina? Leo said she lives in Paris, but she’s dated Enzo off and on for years.” Dahlia glanced at us and frowned. “You knew that, too?”

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