Page 14 of Things I Read About

“Th-those are the most fun, right?”

He sucks on his teeth as he looks me up and down again.

The champagne runs away with my tongue. ”Like what you see?” I bat my lashes as I say it. A very un-Sally thing to do.

His mouth hitches. “I see… a hazard.” He drops his hand.

The act makes me sad, as does his assessment of me. Hazard? What the heck does that mean?

Before I can ask what he means he leans in. “Main Lift? At seven?”

“Yes! I mean, uh, yeah.” I nod.

“Okay. See you then, Sally.” Then he turns and disappears into the mass of people.

I bob my head around, trying to watch his gorgeous neck as he retreats, but it’s like he vanishes.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Kat squeals, grabbing my other arm—the one not singed by magical Nate fingers. “You did it. You freaking walked right up and asked that hot, scary, body builder, mob boss on a date, Sally!”

“I did… I did!” I laugh.

“And”—she lowers her chin and talks at me from under her eyebrows—“if Nate had said no I think this guy would’ve climbed over the bar top and offered himself to you on his knees.” She gestures toward the bartender.

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah.”

I frown. “Hm. Why couldn’t I get that kind of a reaction from Nate?”

“Honey. That guy is harder to decipher than Grandpa’s strange tweets. One time Gramps just tweeted out ‘Butters.’ What the heck was that—a shopping list? A reply to someone else, where the question asked prompted the answer butter, but plural?” She starts laughing.

How much champagne hasshehad?

“We should tab out.”

“I tried,” Kat squawks. “Nate paid for our drinks!”

“He did?” I look behind me, hoping to see him. “I wonder why.”

“Take the win, Sal. I’m not sure how far you’re going to get with him. He thinks you’re hot, which, duh. And he almost smiled at one point, I think. But is he going to take your train to pound town station? I don’t know.”

I grimace at all the words she just said. “Let’s go.”

“Good call, good call.”

We make it back to our suite with only one minor stumble. I don’t see Nate again, which is probably for the best. I was one more sip of alcohol away from actually asking out loud about licking various body parts.NotPeak Sally.

After getting Kat somewhat situated, I change and climb into bed. I attempt to read but the words are dancing around on the page. I close my book and my eyes. I squeal and kick my legs.

I am going on a date tomorrow.

With an actual assassin.

Wait, what the hell? Is that what he said? What did he sayexactlyat the end? Am I dating a killer?

5

“I leave you wack-a-doos alone for what, an hour, and Sally’s going on a date with a serial killer?”