Page 124 of Family Affair

“I need a moment.” She spread her fingers and fanned herself with both hands. “Does this place have a restroom at all? Please say it does. Isoneed to use it.”

Andy laughed. “Sure it does. Right there.” He pointed behind the pool tables.

“I’ll be right back.”

Once alone in the bathroom, she contemplated her dilemma. Going back was out of the question. Both of them, but especially Andy, had enough beer in their system to make them unmanageable. Andy wouldn’t let her go – she saw the resolve to get lucky tonight in his bleary eyes. She couldn’t in all honesty blame him, seeing as she spent the last couple of hours doing nothing but encouraging their attention.

The restroom didn’t have a window for her to crawl out of.

Cautiously, Coco slipped out of the restroom and tiptoed down the dark and narrow hallway in search of another exit. Spotting a swinging door with the sign “Employees Only,” she hurried on over.

“Where do you think you’re going?” A dark figure blocked her way. Coco jerked back. “It’s the employee area, in case you can’t read. You’re supposed to go that way.” The girl pointed to where Coco came from. About Coco’s own height, she looked kind of scary with more facial piercings than freckles and wearing all black. Coco had seen her out earlier serving drinks.

“I just want to get out. I mean no trouble.”

“You’ll have to get out like everybody else. And don’t forget to pay first.” The waitress clearly thought Coco was skipping on her bill.

“My drink has been paid for. Please let me out this way.”

“No.”

“Please. There’s a man out there who’s had too much to drink and I want to avoid him. I’m sure you don’t want an ugly scene at your bar.”

The threat of an ugly scene didn’t faze the girl. Her extremely made-up eyes narrowed making it look like she had black holes where the eyes should be. Arms across her chest, she shook her head. “Uh-huh. Can’t go through here, and that’s that.”

Coco glanced back. Then forward. Behind the Goth wannabe, she could distinguish a dark rectangle of the door that led out, into the night, to her car, and eventually home. A wild thought sprung out of nowhere,Can I take her down?

Coco gave herself a mental shake.

Digging into her pocket, she pulled out her last twenty. “Look, that’s all I have, my gas money. Please, let me go out of here.”

The waitress blinked, then slowly reached out and took the money. And moved aside.

Coco shot out of the back door like a projectile and sprinted to the gas station.

Breathing heavily from exertion and adrenaline, she was in her car and driving in seconds.

On the highway, the shakes started. Coco suddenly grew dizzy and cold, with full-body tremors rocking her to the point where she had to grip the steering wheel tighter or lose control of the car. She considered stopping, but changed her mind. She wanted to get home, put on her robe, and curl up on the couch. Some people thrived on catching the adrenaline high, and more power to them. She wanted her quiet, boring life back.

What a night. So many close calls.

And what she found out about Cade was… well, she wouldn’t think about it now. Later, after a cup of soothing tea, she’d sit down and analyze the situation from every angle.

By the time Coco reached her street, the adrenaline subsided, leaving her exhausted. She suddenly felt sleepy, and it took all her remaining energy to get out of the car and drag her feet to the front door. She let herself in and expelled a deep breath. Chap was nowhere around, probably asleep in Lucy’s bed while no one was looking. The opportunist.

Her room was dark, but she didn’t bother turning on the light as she bent to pick up her robe lying in a heap on the floor.

The lamp clicked on.

Her heart dissolved inside her chest. The rush of fear was akin to a bucket of icicles upended on her head.

“Boo,” he whispered.

She screamed.