“To the parking lot, to the dressing room, anywhere. It’s a lot harder for an attacker to handle two people than one.”
“Do you really think we’re okay at the theater?” Trixie asked.
“He’s never killed in the same location twice,” I repeated. “Not even in the same kind of location. We’re probably safer there than we are here.”
We paused and looked around the room. An elderly couple sat in a booth in one corner. Some high school kids occupied another table. That was it.
“I think the police would’ve told us not to go back there,” Frenchie said, “if they thought we could all get killed.”
“Tish told me that ticket sales are up,” Sasha said, and Tish nodded. “People want to see where it happened. That’s kind of sick.”
A general murmur of agreement went around the room.
“But Tish made another good point,” I said. “Are we going to let them take this away from us? Are we going to let
him
take this away from us?”
“Um, maybe,” Ronnie said. “It’s pretty fucking scary.”
Trixie squeezed her hand. “It is,” she agreed. “But I don’t think Lisa would want us to quit.”
“Hell, no,” Tish said. “Never.”
I held up my coffee mug. “To the show going on.”
“To the show going on,” the others said, and we clinked our mugs together.
“I wish I’d brought my flask,” Pip said, staring into her coffee. “I’d love a shot of Jameson’s in this.”
“Speaking of coffee,” Trixie said, “who’s that guy who came to see you, Anna?”
The other girls oohed and leaned in as I drew my brows together. “Speaking of coffee?” I said.
“OK, so there’s no good segue,” she said, an impish smile playing on her freckled face. “I just really want to know.”
I blushed.
“His name is Kevin,” Tish smirked, giving me a sidelong glance.
“How did you meet him?” Trixie asked.
“Tish threw me at him,” I said lightly.
“It’s about time,” Sasha said. “I never liked that Josh guy.”
I took a sip of water to cover my reaction.
“Kevin’s cute,” Pip said. I flashed her a grateful smile. She was the only one who had an idea of how bad things had gotten with Josh.
“He must really like you,” Ronnie said. “That’s sweet.”
I squirmed, but forced myself to smile a little. I was rather desperately uncomfortable discussing my questionable love life, but I could tell that the girls were eager to think about something else, so I was willing to go with it. “He is sweet,” I said. “I’m just taking things slow for now, but I’m going to see him again this week.”
“Good luck,” Tish said, with a broad wink.
CHAPTER NINE
I did not have butterflies in my stomach as I awaited Max’s appointment that Thursday; I had hummingbirds. I met him in the waiting room, hoping that my smile didn’t betray my elevated pulse. I couldn’t decide to how to bring it up. I had carefully rehearsed the conversation several times, but how would it go? His confession? My job disappearing?
“How have you been?” I began.
“I’ve been okay, thank you,” he said. “How about you? That’s a lovely necklace.”
“Thank you,” I said, my fingertips flitting briefly to the sapphire pendant Kevin had sent. I noticed that I automatically smiled when I thought of our upcoming date that evening. “I’m good.” I drew in a deep breath and said, “I think we should discuss Friday evening.”
He smiled. “So that
was
you.”
Damn. Damn it to hell.
Would he have assumed it wasn’t me if I hadn’t blurted it out? Damn me for being a lousy liar. My face burned. “I… wonder if you have any concerns about moving forward.”
“Concerns? Of course not. You were great. It’s good to feel like I’m talking to a real person.”
I hesitated. “I’m concerned that it would be inappropriate to continue a counseling relationship.”
He frowned. “Inappropriate how?”
“Max, there are reasons we have boundaries in a counseling
“Do you really think we’re okay at the theater?” Trixie asked.
“He’s never killed in the same location twice,” I repeated. “Not even in the same kind of location. We’re probably safer there than we are here.”
We paused and looked around the room. An elderly couple sat in a booth in one corner. Some high school kids occupied another table. That was it.
“I think the police would’ve told us not to go back there,” Frenchie said, “if they thought we could all get killed.”
“Tish told me that ticket sales are up,” Sasha said, and Tish nodded. “People want to see where it happened. That’s kind of sick.”
A general murmur of agreement went around the room.
“But Tish made another good point,” I said. “Are we going to let them take this away from us? Are we going to let
him
take this away from us?”
“Um, maybe,” Ronnie said. “It’s pretty fucking scary.”
Trixie squeezed her hand. “It is,” she agreed. “But I don’t think Lisa would want us to quit.”
“Hell, no,” Tish said. “Never.”
I held up my coffee mug. “To the show going on.”
“To the show going on,” the others said, and we clinked our mugs together.
“I wish I’d brought my flask,” Pip said, staring into her coffee. “I’d love a shot of Jameson’s in this.”
“Speaking of coffee,” Trixie said, “who’s that guy who came to see you, Anna?”
The other girls oohed and leaned in as I drew my brows together. “Speaking of coffee?” I said.
“OK, so there’s no good segue,” she said, an impish smile playing on her freckled face. “I just really want to know.”
I blushed.
“His name is Kevin,” Tish smirked, giving me a sidelong glance.
“How did you meet him?” Trixie asked.
“Tish threw me at him,” I said lightly.
“It’s about time,” Sasha said. “I never liked that Josh guy.”
I took a sip of water to cover my reaction.
“Kevin’s cute,” Pip said. I flashed her a grateful smile. She was the only one who had an idea of how bad things had gotten with Josh.
“He must really like you,” Ronnie said. “That’s sweet.”
I squirmed, but forced myself to smile a little. I was rather desperately uncomfortable discussing my questionable love life, but I could tell that the girls were eager to think about something else, so I was willing to go with it. “He is sweet,” I said. “I’m just taking things slow for now, but I’m going to see him again this week.”
“Good luck,” Tish said, with a broad wink.
CHAPTER NINE
I did not have butterflies in my stomach as I awaited Max’s appointment that Thursday; I had hummingbirds. I met him in the waiting room, hoping that my smile didn’t betray my elevated pulse. I couldn’t decide to how to bring it up. I had carefully rehearsed the conversation several times, but how would it go? His confession? My job disappearing?
“How have you been?” I began.
“I’ve been okay, thank you,” he said. “How about you? That’s a lovely necklace.”
“Thank you,” I said, my fingertips flitting briefly to the sapphire pendant Kevin had sent. I noticed that I automatically smiled when I thought of our upcoming date that evening. “I’m good.” I drew in a deep breath and said, “I think we should discuss Friday evening.”
He smiled. “So that
was
you.”
Damn. Damn it to hell.
Would he have assumed it wasn’t me if I hadn’t blurted it out? Damn me for being a lousy liar. My face burned. “I… wonder if you have any concerns about moving forward.”
“Concerns? Of course not. You were great. It’s good to feel like I’m talking to a real person.”
I hesitated. “I’m concerned that it would be inappropriate to continue a counseling relationship.”
He frowned. “Inappropriate how?”
“Max, there are reasons we have boundaries in a counseling
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