Page 40 (1/2)

Chapter 1

A man walked into the bar

He wore a suit and tie, and he was dripping wet

He looked like the type who didn’t dishevel himself all that often—one of those New York City business types whose polish always eneral rumpledness But this man had lost his polish She could only see a bit of its faded shine in the way he carried his body, and in the dissatisfied creases at the corners of his mouth

Frownyclose-cropped hair of an indeterminate color Easy to look at The kind ofroses to your cheeks It had been a while for Allie, but she could still spot second-datethat sort of middle-distance halfway squint people adopted when they entered a basement bar and wanted to take a look around without actuallyanyone’s eyes

The problem was, Allie wanted him to meet her eyes

The problem was, additionally, that Mr Second-Date Material wasn’t here to be her first date Possibly he was looking for his real first date somewhere in the bar It didn’t uy to look at her more than Ms First Date did

“Psst!” She rose a bit from her chair in the corner “Hey!”

He continued his slow survey of the roo one side No doubt appreciating the Packers-thened black-and-white headshots arranged between mirrors behind the tables

Pulverive hiht past her oneto brain him with a beer stein

She rose all the way to standing and tried to beckon hiuy! Over here!”

It was a tricky thing, whisper-shouting Not a move she’d ever had any reason to master At the bars back home in Wisconsin, she just shouted

Tonight, though, she had two excellent reasons not to attract attention—both of them seated at the far end of the bar Or they had been, and presuuy out of the way

She didn’t want to think ould happen if she lost them

Don’t think That was her motto on this particular adventure

But the wet business spot for her not-thinking plan to keep working for her, and now he’d taken his phone out He was going to stand there all night He would never move, and she would die

A wohon at the bar

She didn’t want to She needed to

“Hey, guy with the phone?” Allie pitched her voice a little louder this time—a calculated risk

He looked up, squinting

“Yes! You I’ to you”

He swiveled, and she gave him a frantic, loave

“Hi Could you come over here for a sec?”

He did Just like that