Full Blast by Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes

at Frankie and Dee Dee’s party. Not only that, she’d barely touched her food.
    Oh, well, it was too late to worry about it now. Besides, she was single and over twenty-one, and if she wanted to act a little wild and crazy every now and then, so be it. Max accused her of thinking too much, of being too predictable.
    Let him get a look at the new Jamie Swift.
    The music was coming from the alarm-clock radio on the bedside table; Johnny Mathis singing “Chances Are.” The bed was empty. Jamie wondered why Max wasn’t already naked and in it. Maybe he’d sensed just how nervous she was and wanted to take his time. She turned for the short hall leading to the sitting room, almost tripping over her own two feet.
    Okay, so she was a little tipsy.
    “ ‘Chances are,’ ” she sang off-key as she started down the hall, failing miserably at her attempt to walk straight. Finally, she called out. “Okay, here I am, ready and willing.” She stepped inside the sitting room, did a little dance routine, and then froze when she found Max standing at the door with Myrna Hobbs.
    The woman looked Jamie’s way, and her mouth formed a gigantic.
     
    .  .  .
     
    “JAMIE, I’M SORRY YOU’RE SO EMBARRASSED,” MAX said, once he’d packed her inside his car and pulled away from Carteret Street Bed and Breakfast.
    “I’ll get over it.”
    Max shook his head. “I can’t believe Myrna Hobbs kicked me out of my room.”
    Jamie wasn’t surprised. “Oh, that’s nothing. Myrna will beat it to the Piggly Wiggly the minute they open tomorrow. By noon, everyone in town will know what happened.” She did a massive eye-roll. “Did you hear what that woman called me, Max? She called me a drunken floozy.”
    “Yeah, well, I think I got it across to her that I didn’t appreciate it.”
    Jamie had to admit it was true. Max had called Myrna Hobbs on the carpet for that one, which was why the woman had asked him to leave the premises. “Thank you for defending me.”
    He grinned. “I’ll have to admit, you did sort of look like a drunken floozy, but I liked it. You looked cute.”
    Jamie groaned.
    “Hey, I think it’s great you’ve loosened up, Swifty.” He gave a low whistle. “And that thing you’re wearing under your dress,” he added. “Where can I buy you ten more just like it?”
    So he’d liked the body suit. At least one good thing had come of the evening.
    A voice sounded from the dashboard. “Excuse me? What are we up to now ?”
    Jamie put her finger to her lips in an obvious attempt to stop Max from telling Muffin what had just occurred. He smiled and turned down the volume switch. “Wait a minute. You’re worried about what my computer will think of you?”
    “Muffin is not just any computer,” she whispered.
    Max turned up the switch.
    “Hello?” Muffin called out. “Is anyone home?”
    “I’m here,” Max said.
    “Why’d you hit the volume switch?”
    “None of your business,” he said, grinning.
    Silence. Finally, “Don’t piss me off, Max. You need me. I make you look good.”
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I need the name of another hotel. Something with a work station so I can go online. You know the routine.”
    “What was wrong with the last one?” Muffin asked.
    “Too stuffy. See what you can find.”
    Jamie was only vaguely aware of the conversation between the two. She didn’t feel well, her stomach was churning and her head hurt, no doubt from the alcohol she’d consumed. She was glad when Max turned into her driveway. She waited until the safety bar rose before reaching for the doorknob. “Well, I’d invite you in, but I have to go throw up.”
    “Rule number one: never mix your alcohol.”
    “Geez, I could have used that information earlier.”
     
    FLEAS NUDGED JAMIE AWAKE THE NEXT MORNING at five A.M. She rubbed her eyes and looked at him. “Gee, thanks for rescuing me from the possibility of sleeping late on a Saturday.” Since becoming housemates with the bloodhound, she