Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Her car was gone when I left,” I said, hoping to ease her mind.
Twenty minutes later Bonnie showed up looking exactly like herself, only different. She wore a pair of black jeans, a black lace shirt buttoned up to the hilt with a black tank top underneath and black ankle boots.
It was so unlike Bonnie in color and style but somehow it was still prim and proper, and just a little bit stuck up. She stopped at the table and looked at Virgil and then me before she turned her gaze to Maisie, a giant question in her eyes.
“Sorry I’m late.” That was it, no explanation or wild story, just an apology before she took the chair beside me and hid behind her menu.
“No problem. How was your day?” Maisie smacked on a smile and stared at the menu, willing Bonnie to engage.
Slowly the menu disappeared beneath the table, revealing Bonnie’s face. “Let’s just say it’s nothing to write home about. If I had a home. Job applications. Printed some resumes and passed them out. Lots of sorry, buts.” She shrugged like it was no big deal and reached for the nearest glass of water.
“Well shit, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I know. Thanks. Anyway,” she said easily, plastering on a smile that was as bright as it was phony. “How is the new job going?” Bonnie was good, choosing a topic that gave her five straight minutes of peace. She was high. I knew the look well. High enough to make it through dinner without losing her shit but not high enough to allow her to check out completely.
“It’s great if you can believe it. Though I’ve had to make some strange friends to fulfill some of the requests.” Maisie then launched into the story of finding natural redheaded triplets who performed Cirque tricks.
Bonnie listened with a ghost of a smile on her pink lips. Chin resting in one hand, she looked in Maisie’s direction but never at her friend.
“Crazy,” she said on a whispered sigh and leaned in. As impressed as I was with her ability to deflect attention, I was worried as fuck because I knew what that meant. Bonnie was fucked up. She was in deeper than I thought. Just deep enough that she wouldn’t get out without help, but not in so deep that she realized she needed help.
“Excuse me.” She jumped up abruptly and, realizing her mistake, stopped with a smile. “Anxiety and hunger are not a good mix. Be back soon.” She was gone before Maisie could do that girl thing and follow her.
“I should go after her.”
“Just give her a minute.” Virgil put one of his big meaty hands on top of Maisie’s and just like that, his presence seemed to calm her. “Shit’s tough for her right now.”
“And I’m her friend,” she insisted. “If she needs someone now, it’s me.”
That was true, but Bonnie wouldn’t be able to see it that way, not yet. “Just be there for her when she reaches out to you. That’s all you can do.”
Maisie nodded. “It’s just…she’s so depressed lately, and that’s not the girl I’ve known for the last five years. Bonnie is a lot of things, but down in the dumps isn’t one of them.” I didn’t want to be the one to tell her it wasn’t depression; it was a whole lot worse.
Thankfully, the waitress showed up and took our order before Maisie started asking questions I wouldn’t answer. Bonnie still hadn’t come back from the bathroom, so I ordered for her.
“Land & Sea Spaghetti for our fourth guest.”
“She’s going to kill you,” Maisie said, a gleeful glint in her eyes.
“You don’t have to look so happy about it. I thought you liked me.”
“I do. I like Bonnie too, and I like how you two fluster each other. It’s adorable.”
Virgil laughed and scowled at me.
“It’s not adorable,” I grumbled. “It’s not anything. I’m not looking for anything right now and your friend isn’t in the position to start anything.” With anyone.”
“You mean because of Wyatt?”
I sat up and stared at her and then looked to Virgil. “Not Wyatt. The pills.” Did she really not know?
Maisie’s blue eyes turned to Virgil with a big fat question in them. I was grateful—and concerned—to see Colby downstairs in the restaurant and headed my way. “Babe, what is he—”
Maisie’s question faded under the loud pounding pulse of my beating heart. I stood when Colby stopped at our table.
“What’s up?”
I felt Virgil at my side in an instant.
“That fucker you told me to keep an eye on? Squeaker? Showed up fifteen minutes ago, and I had eyes on him until about five minutes ago.”
Shit. “Bonnie.” I took off, Virgil and Colby right behind me.
“Bonnie? What about Bonnie?” Maisie’s voice was further away but she followed, surprising no one but Colby. “What about Bonnie, cute bartender?”