I stood by the window, watching Mason retreat to his truck. “Is he really leaving?” I asked.
“He better,” Hazel said, flipping on the lights, making herself at home. “Where’s the wine?”
* * *
“How’s Bear?” Ariella asked.
“Super cute and cuddly,” Hazel said. “He’s the dog we adopted from Mason’s uncle when he died. He is honestly the cutest. I can’t see how he doesn’t like people. I swear all he does is lick me or cuddle me.”
“Sounds like Mason,” Ariella giggled, taking another sip of wine.
“Shut it!” Hazel’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Ariella.
“What about you?” Ariella turned her attention to me.
“No pets,” I said, answering a little too quickly, hoping the conversation was more along the lines of animals than boyfriends.
Hazel tilted her head back, finishing her glass of red wine. She grabbed the bottle and refilled her glass. “Anyone else?”
“I’m good.” I didn’t need a headache later or to be hungover. I was still on edge after spotting Enzo at the restaurant.
“Fill my glass,” Ariella said, wiggling her glass in front of the wine bottle.
“You have to hold it still or I’ll make a mess,” Hazel said. “I can’t pour into a glass that’s all over the place.”
“That’s my tremor.”
“No, it’s you being drunk,” Hazel said with a snort. “Nice try.”
“Hey, I walk straighter when I’m drunk,” Ariella retorted.
Hazel shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Do you see what I deal with?” She turned her attention back to Ariella. “No, you don’t walk straighter when you’re drunk. You just don’t realize that you’re falling over. It’s quite amusing.”
I sipped my drink, taking in the banter between the two of them. “How long have you two known each other?” I asked.
It seemed like they’d been friends forever.
“Not that long,” Hazel answered. “We became friends through work.” She lifted the glass to her lips.
Was she avoiding the question? I wasn’t quite sure.
“We should toilet paper the neighbor’s house!” Ariella squealed. Her eyes were wide and filled with excitement.
That sounded like a terrible idea. “We aren’t supposed to leave the house,” I said. Why did I get stuck being the responsible person?
“It’s dark. What’s going to happen in the dark?” Ariella giggled. She finished her glass. I’d only counted two. She mustn’t have consumed alcohol very often, or she was a complete lightweight.
“Only murders and kidnappings,” Hazel said with a straight face before she burst out laughing. She finished her second glass and poured a third. “Gosh, I could use to get laid.”
“What?” Ariella spun around on her heels. “Do you mean to tell me that you and Mason haven’t done anything—”
Hazel stammered to the front door, pushed the curtains aside as she glanced outside. “I wanted to. You don’t know how hard it is to play nurse and not do sexy things with Mason, but he had to heal, and doctor’s orders were no sex. Too bad I was only a nurse and couldn’t override the doctor’s advice.”
“Girl, what are you doing with us tonight?” I asked. “It’s clear he wants you. I see you want him. Go to him or since you don’t have a car, call him.”
“Yes, call him and have phone sex with him,” Ariella said, giggling and clapping her hands.
“Oh my gosh! You two are troublemakers,” Hazel muttered. She covered her face with her hand.