I feel a hand slip around my waist. Starlee looks up at me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I think being cooped up for the last few days got to me.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Hey,” I say, tipping her chin up and kissing her gently. She tastes like chocolate and marshmallow. “It’s not your fault. You saved us from a heap of trouble.”
“Hopefully all that trouble will vanish in the new year.”
I rest my chin on her head and wrap my arms around her. The emcee announces that we’re one minute away; the band below starts to play. The crowd gets rowdy, shaking streamers and blowing horns. It’s all ridiculous and as the time ticks away down, the sound of each number is shouted out by the party goers. The guys all head our way and I release Starlee so she’s in the middle of the four of us. The strange electricity of washing away the old for the new is passing through us. The mammoth drops, lowering foot by foot until the clock runs out, fireworks burst in the distance and Starlee t
urns to face us.
“Happy New Year,” she says, looking at us all.
We say it in return, each of us giving her a kiss to start off the year.
38
Starlee
We wait until a lot of the crowd clears to head back downstairs. We’ve just walked into the small alley when a flashlight shines in our eyes.
I hold my hand up to block the glare and see it’s a police officer. I inspect his uniform. Okay, not police, security. Still, I feel everyone around me tense.
“You’re trespassing,” he says.
“Officer,” George says, “I work here—that’s how I had the code. I just thought it’d be nice to see the mammoth from a better view.”
“The security system tripped fifteen minutes ago about an invalid employee ID being used to enter one of the buildings.” The light shines over us. “Are you George Evans?”
“Yes, sir, and as far as I know, I’m still employed.” But his voice hesitates. He’d missed several days of work. Maybe he got fired? I glance at Charlie. The same question flits over his face.
“This is a misunderstanding,” Charlie says, stepping forward. “My brother and I both work for the resort. I’m sure if we can call one of the supervisors, we can work it out.”
The officer hesitates. Claire takes a shot. “We weren’t doing anything—just getting a better view of the stage. We’re headed home now.”
He sighs. “Look, get out of here and check with management on Monday. I suspect neither of you still have a job here. Your IDs are flagged.”
Charlie frowns. “Can you tell me who flagged them?”
He shakes his head. “Sorry, no, but you can ask up in HR.” He looks out at the mobs of people still leaving the Village. “Go, get out of here before I change my mind.”
“Thank you,” George says, giving him a smile. We all move quickly, not wanting a repeat. When we’re out of the main area and headed toward the parking lot, he says, “Who do you think turned us in?”
“Who do you think?” Charlie says with a frown. “Dad can’t go to the cops without tipping them off about his own problems, but he can take away our jobs and our money.”
“Guys,” Dexter says as we approach the cars, “I think it’s time to go talk to Sierra.”
George runs his hands though her hair. “I don’t want her to get in trouble.”
“She won’t. And when she finds out you needed help and didn’t go to her? She’s gonna be pissed.”
With his hands shoved in his letterman jacket, Jake nods in agreement. “We need to deal with this.”
The twins look at one another and then nod. Charlie speaks for both of them. “Okay, we’ll come over in the morning and talk to her. Tell her everything that happened.”
Claire opens her car door. It was already decided I’d ride back with her and Nora to the house. I stop her and say, “Give me a second to say goodnight, okay?”