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Alli lifted an eyebrow and Bea’s heart skipped a beat.

???

Things could not, in Alli’s view, have worked out better. Well, obviously they could have. She could be at her desk right now and not standing in some dump in the middle of nowhere and smelling of cabbage. But on the whole, the fates had turned in her favor and she couldn’t help but smile just a little.

“So,” she drawled. “We meet again.” It sounded appropriately dramatic and Alli gave a satisfied sigh. How had she ever doubted that things would turn out her way?

“What are you doing here?”

“Bea, wasn’t it?” Alli said, sounding calm and almost cheerful. She smiled at the dark-haired woman.

“Yes,” said Bea uncertainly. “But—”

Alli sighed. “Let’s get to the point here. Long story short, I’m an inmate and I obviously shouldn’t be here.”

“I think participant might be a better word,” began Bea.

“Details,” Alli brushed her off.

“And why shouldn’t you be here?” Bea asked. Her eyes were dark, her eyebrows marked, cheekbones high, lips plump andpink.

Alli tore her eyes away from Bea’s mouth. “Well, just look at me,” she snapped. “Do I look like the kind of person that should be here?”

Bea opened her mouth. “Well…”

Alli growled at her. “Enough. I’m here, you’re here, and this is a bit of a happy coincidence, isn’t it? Because I think we can really help each other out here.” Of course they could. She’d known the second she’d seen Bea’s face that everything was going to turn out alright.

“Can we?” Bea frowned.

Alli looked over both shoulders, checking that the room was empty. “You can get me certified out of here,” she said. “I can be back at my desk tomorrow.”

Bea took a step back. “I can’t do that.”

“Really?” said Alli, stepping forward to match Bea’s step back. “What was it again? Oh yes, ‘piss off you stuck-up, snotty little excuse for a woman.’”

“What?”

“Wasn’t that what you said?” Alli said sweetly. “And I have to say, I was shocked. Shocked that someone as calm as a yoga teacher, as controlled as a group therapist, could say something like that.”

Bea audibly swallowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about going to your boss and telling him that one of the teachers in his anger management program has an anger management problem,” Alli said, still smiling sweetly as all the pieces fell into place.

Bea shook her head. “I can’t,” she started.

Alli rolled her eyes. “Then you’ll get fired—”

“No, you don’t understand,” Bea said quickly. “I can’t get you certified out of here, I’ve no idea how that works. I literally just started here. I have zero authority.”

“Fuck.” Alli collapsed down onto a chair. “You sure?”

“Dead sure.”

Alli sucked on her teeth for a second. This could still work.Kind of. She might not be escaping tomorrow, but there were definitely possibilities here. “Alright, then you can get me my cell phone back.” She crossed her legs. “And an upgraded room while you’re at it.”

“But—”

With a sigh, Alli crossed her legs. “I’m not entirely sure that you understand how blackmail works,” she said. “See, I can get you fired. I assume you don’t want to be fired?” Who would? She herself certainly didn’t want to be.