Page 30 of Jesse

“You’re popular tonight. You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?” He lets go of my hand and sits back in his chair as he rakes his fingers through his thick, dark-blonde hair.

“Boyfriend? No,” I say. “It’s just… work. My partners, I mean. They’re just texting to make sure I’m OK.”

“Ah,” he says. “Yeah, I get it. You were less than thrilled about coming on this date with me.”

“But… I’m thrilled now. Really. I’m actually having a good time with you.”

“I hear another ‘but’ coming. What is it?”

“It’s just… um… well. Maybe I am a little hungry. Are there any hors d’oeuvres?”

“Oh,” he says, looking for Stan.

“No, don’t call Stan back. I don’t need them that bad." And then, as if on cue, and the whole world is plotting against me—because of course it is, that’s how shit like this shakes out when you’re stupid enough to plan a kidnapping and then chicken out at the last possible minute—my stomach growls.

Loudly.

“Oh, shit!” Jesse says. “No, you gotta eat. Let me go get the tray. I’m sure there’s a tray. Joey thinks of everything when it comes to dates. Be right back.”

I check my phone once he disappears from view.

We’re here!

Dammit! How the hell did they get across the lake so fast? I strain my eyes, peering out over the water, searching for the little boat.

And yup. There it is. Silent. No motor, as we discussed. Bobbing just past the long, Boston Brothers dock.

My phone buzzes again.

Did you do it?

No, I text back.

Do it now!

And just by the tone of the text I can tell it’s Mila talking to me.

I don’t think we should.

Too bad! We voted. Everything is in place. Now drop those pills into his glass. He’s already coming back.

I look up towards the house, but I can’t really see it. There’s a hill in the way. But then I see the top of his head and my phone buzzes again, and I don’t know what comes over me, but my fingers have the roofies and then I’m dropping them into his glass, which, unlike mine, is still full.

I grab the champagne bottle and fill my glass back up so we can have a toast when he gets back. And then I just stare at the pill at the bottom of his glass… and… and I can’t do it.

I switch glasses just as Jesse comes into view.

“You’re in luck!” Jesse calls as he skips down the steps towards me. “I found a whole tray of meatballs on a stick!”

He’s laughing so hard at this I forget that we’re in the middle of a kidnapping and start laughing too.

“What’s so funny?” I ask, as he sets the tray down in front of me.

And then he sits, picks up his glass and takes a sip.

Spits it out. Looks at the glass and makes a face.

Fuck.