Moose’s beady eyes hit mine and he assured me, “It’s fine, Lila. Carlos promised me he wouldn’t touch you. He’s grateful for the evidence you found. It’ll be fine,” he said again, and I began to wonder if he was drunk.
“No, Moose, it isn’t fine. Not until Hector and Carlos are out of town and out of our lives. I’m getting my kids to safety and hiding out until this all blows over. I think you should do the same.”
Not waiting for his response, I got out of there as fast as I could, shaking my head as I went over everything he’d just admitted to me.
What a stupid fuck!
The sad part was that I didn’t think I’d be able to work for him anymore, not after he pulled shit like that, and I really enjoyed my job. I’d have to figure out another way to make money, something that didn’t involve drug cartels and drug-dealing bimbos.
I called Bea as I drove away, telling her everything I’d just learned from Moose. She said she’d look into Hector and Carlos and put everyone at the station on alert.
“Are you sure you still want to go out tonight?” she asked.
“Hell yeah,” I replied, desperation clear in my voice. “Moose is sending the final photos to them now, and they’re all the way in Columbia. Nothing’s going to go down tonight, and tomorrow we’re all going to go off the grid for a while. I really need tonight with you and Amy May to blow off steam and have some girl talk.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then, and, Lila … Be careful.”
“This is so lame,” I whined as I picked up my dirty martini and took a sip.
“What?” Amy May asked, smiling at me over her Cosmo.
“It’s six thirty on a Thursday night,” I explained. “When I said I wanted a Ladies’ Night, I meant go out, get drunk, stir some shit up. Not dinner and drinks and home by eight.”
“We’re not in our twenties anymore,” Bea responded. “We all have to work tomorrow and have families at home … We have to be responsible, not go out and get blitzed, then have to deal with the horrors of a hangover the next day.”
I pouted because she had a point, and that sucked.
“Hey, if it makes you feel better, we can just order
appetizers. You’ll get a buzz quicker that way,” Amy May said, always thinking ahead.
I grinned at her and said, “Deal,” then laughed. “Remember when we used to be able to stay out all night drinking, then go right to work the next day without getting any sleep?”
“Yeah, now if I don’t get my full eight hours after just one glass of wine, I can’t even function,” Bea said sadly, and both Amy May and I nodded in agreement.
“Ugh, try running a bakery. If I’m not in bed by eight, I’m a bear in the morning. Jason says I’m worse to get up than the kids.”
“Are you ladies ready to order?” the hot young waiter asked us, pulling us out of our depressing conversation.
“Can we get the spinach dip?”
“And the potato skins?”
“Oh, and those little taquito things?”
“Sure, anything else?”
“Another round, please.”
“Got it … Dirty martini, Cosmo, and red wine coming up. And I’ll get those apps right in for you.”
“Thanks,” I said, then watched his butt as he walked away.
When I turned my attention back to my friends, they were both staring at me.
“What?”
“Didn’t you ask us here to tell us about Cade?” Amy May asked, taking the lime peel out of her drink and running her tongue around it in what I assumed was supposed to be a sexy move, but just came off as creepy.