Page 36 of Macaron Massacre
She makes a face. “It was a play on something he said about his birthday cake. Anyway, the anger stemmed back to the fact he cut off my credit cards about nine months ago and left me with a mountain of debt to figure out on my own. He stopped paying Michelle’s, too, but her career has taken off so she didn’t complain.”
Noah tips his head to the side. “Your mother said he cut her off, too.”
“Oh, he did, way back when.” She blinks up at him. “He cut us all off. And after all the sacrifices we made for that man. He didn’t give a lick about us in the end. We all wanted him to eat it.” She shakes her head. “And isn’t it just like him to complicate things even in death? He could’ve had a nice little heart attack or gotten hit by a bus. Butno—he had to go and get murdered and leave us behind as suspects.”
I don’t quite know what to say to that. I’ve heard a lot of varying things from people who are grieving in the last few months, but I think Claret—what’s left of the Dallas clan, takes the cake.
She checks her watch. “I have to run. I’m meeting my boyfriend and his girlfriend for dinner.” She shakes her head, clearly disgruntled as she looks my way. “Be thankful your love life isn’t nearly as complicated. I’ll see you at the funeral.” She waves as she takes off.
A part of me wanted to correct her. My love life is exactly that complicated. Maybe good old Claret and I should have a coffee klatch one day and exchange horror stories from the front lines. My stories would trump hers because for one, my “boyfriend” has a girlfriend and awife.
I take a deep breath as I thread an arm through Noah and Everett’s. “We’re off to see the wizard, and the wizard’s name is Meg Lemon.”
Chapter 13
The Jungle Room is the nexus of all things kinky here in Leeds and perhaps in all of the Western Hemisphere as well. A rainbow of lights bears down on us as we enter a rather large area outfitted with rock walls with metal latches protruding from them. Normally, I’d wonder what they were for, but half the men and women here are secured to the jagged surface by way of those rubber handcuffs I saw Meg carting around.
I groan at the sight of this place. “I refuse to be bolted to a wall. And I’m sure as heck not tying up either of you. This was all a big mistake. How about we leave and grab a pizza at Mangias?” That option, though delicious, is just as daring, considering the heartburn one can derive from a single slice of pie. Although, with Noah and me, back in the day, it seemed to have an aphrodisiac effect.
Meg scuttles over and grabs me by the elbow. “Oh no, you don’t. This is just a warm-up. We haven’t even begun to fight.” She lets out an ear-piercing whistle and calls the room to order.
A familiar couple bounds in through the back, and I feel a touch of relief at the sight of them. Keelie, with her hair in a ponytail, and Bear in a ratty old pair of sweats and—is that a pillow tucked under the crook of his arm?
Keelie bounds over. “Did we miss the good part?”
“Nope,” I’m quick to assure her. “Meg was just about to handcuff us all to one another and turn the lights out to see what happens.”
But, apparently, Meg has far more vanilla plans as she has us go around the room and introduce ourselves. As fate or my sister’s perverse need for drama would have it, Noah, Everett, and I go last.
“Hello.” I give a nervous wave to the sea of faces smiling back at me. “My name is Lottie Lemon—and I’m Meg’s sister.” I tip my head my beautiful sibling’s way—whom I will most likely kill later for putting me through this ripe humiliation.
“Noah Fox.” He lifts a hand to the crowd.
“Everett.” He nods to the crowd as well.
A woman in a tight red sweater—Judith from lower Hollyhock as she introduced herself—offers a spontaneous applause. “We’ve got two men!” she squeals, looking our way. “Finally! We’re so progressive tonight. How long have the two of you been together?”
I glance back, but there’s not a soul behind us, and then like a thunderbolt, it hits me.
“As a couple?” Red Sweater Judith is relentless with her inquisition.
Noah taps his chest. “Are you talking to me?”
Judith’s plus one, a hipster with a beard and skinny jeans, nods. “Yes, you. You and your boyfriend.”
Everett lifts a hand. “I’m actually here with Lottie. He’s just a straggler who wandered in the door.”
The room breaks out into rumbles as a collective consensus quickly builds that Noah should be ousted.
Meg laughs so hard I think I actually see her spouting tears. “Wait a minute! He’s welcome to stay. You see, my sister hastwoboyfriends.”
“No!” I shout as the crowd quickly turns on me. “I don’t. I’m actually good with just the one.” I point to Everett rather unconvincingly as the bodies in the room seem to edge in closer to me.
Keelie clicks her tongue as she waves the room to attention. “Lottie and Meg are both right. Lottie was dating Noah first, and then it turned out he had a wife and—”
The room breaks out into gasps and boos.
And who the heck is booing, anyway?