“I think that’s what I’m doing already, thanks.”
He put his hand on my hip. “Yeahyou are. Shake that booty.”
“Take a hike.”
“Lemme buy you a drink.”
“I already have a drink.”
“You want me, baby, I can feel it.”
“Feel this.” I turned around and stomped my high heel into his instep. He howled in pain and hopped away.
If only all my problems could be handled so easily.
I turned back to George, who was grinning from ear to ear.
“That’s so hot,” he said.
I shrugged.
He grabbed my plastic cup and poured a little more Moonshine into it.
I frowned up at him. “Hey, how do I know this isn’t poison or something?”
He poured some in his own cup, took a sip, then looked at me. “It is. And you’ve already had enough to kill you. We have about three hours to live.”
I swung my arm over his shoulder. “Yeah, I wish.”
“Is my little brunette buttercup depressed tonight?”
“George, we’re totally soulmates. You and me. I’m going to leave Thierry, say goodbye to Quinn, and you and me can get together and live happily ever after. Maybe we’ll raise a litter of Chihuahuas to keep
Barkley company.”
He grabbed my hand and spun me around in a circle, narrowly missing some other dancers on the crowded floor, a motion that made me a bit dizzy. “Honey, if you were male, ripped, and available, that sounds like a definite plan. It also sounds like the Moonshine is kicking in.”
I looked up at his handsome face, with the music swirling around me, the strobe lights flickering in circles. He was absolutely right. I was drunk as a skunk.
I raised my glass. “Rock and roll, baby.”
“Well said.”
I frowned. “I kind of feel like something is missing.”
George hugged me. “You’re going to be just fine, my little chipmunk,” he slurred. Obviously the
Moonshine was working on him, too. “You just need to be more positive. Not that I’m an expert on positivity, but it beats feeling down in the dumps.”
When he let me go, I shook my head, which made me even more dizzy. “No, I mean something specific is missing. Like, right now at this very minute. Where’s Amy?”
“Amy who?”
“Amy, the blond chick we came here with? My friend? Remember?Get Shorty ’s wife?”
He nodded slowly. “Oh, yeah, her. I remember now.” He looked around. “She’s not here.”
“Obviously. But where is she?”
“Good question.”
I tried to remember the last time I’d seen her. It was over by the bar when we got our drinks. What did she say? “If only Barry could see me now”?
Not good.
I pushed my way off the dance floor. George followed. I made my way through the sea of deliciously peanut-butter-scented clubbers and over to the ladies room where I opened up the door to poke my head inside.
“Amy, are you in here?” I called.
Two severely drunk girls looked over at me from the sinks where one had just vomited, the other holding her hair back off her face. “Who the hell is Amy?”
“Gross. Never mind.” I closed the door and turned to George. “She’s not in there.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. She’s an adult, she can look after herself.”
Which, in theory, should have been true. But this was Amy we were talking about. A few months ago she’d gotten lost at the Toronto Zoo, and I had to go and collect her in Lost and Found. Though they did let her hold a baby chimp who was in for a checkup to cheer her up a bit. She’d liked that.
But there were no chimps on site at the Liar’s Club that I was aware of. No chimps at all.
Geez, I frowned.What was I even thinking? I was seriously drunk. Had to focus.
“What’s the problem?” Janie approached me with Lenny hanging on behind her.
“I can’t find my friend.”
“Oh, is that all? I thought it was something hunter related. It’s been a slow day.”
I gave her a dirty look. “Yeah, sorry to disturb you.”
Lenny grabbed Janie’s arm. “C’mon, let’s go dance.”
She jerked her arm away. “I told you before, I’m not dancing. We’re working right now, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t have any fun.”
She spun around to face him. “Yes it does. Lenny, if you don’t start acting more professional, I’m going to have to request a new partner. I’m sorry, but it’s the truth.”