AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The police?” I scoff. “They’d just love me wasting their time with this. I mean, I might be imagining the whole thing.”
Adele gives me an appraising look. “Do you think you’re imagining it?”
I shake my head. “No. Someone’s watching me. I feel it.”
“Then do something about it before it’s too late.” She nudges me with her elbow. “I enjoy having you as a roomie. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” I sip my wine. “So, what are you doing home, anyway? I thought you had a date tonight.”
Adele rolls her eyes dramatically. “He cancelled. His brother got tickets to some boxing match.”
“Ouch. Passed over for a night of watching two men throwing punches at each other.”
“I know, and I was a sure thing tonight, too.”
“He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
“No, he does not.” Adele puts her glass down and gets to her feet. She holds a hand out to me. “Come on, let’s go out and have some fun. It’s been ages since we went to a club.”
There’s a good reason for that, but she looks so hopeful I can’t bring myself to tell her I hate clubbing and that even if I didn’t I’m too tired to go now. So I take her hand and let her pull me up off the sofa.
“Give me half an hour.”
“You have fifteen minutes,” she says.
“It’s alright for you.” I wave my hand up and down the length of her body. “You were expecting to go out, so you’re already glammed up.”
“And you’re naturally beautiful, so you don’t need to do as much as me to get ready,” Adele counters. “Now jump to it before I knock another five minutes off.”
“So bossy,” I grumble, but I go to get ready all the same.
Though I’d like to take a shower to wash off the workday, there isn’t time, so I get the only suitable dress I have in my wardrobe and change into it. Reaching to mid-thigh, the silver slip dress is the sexiest garment I own. I bought it on a whim and have never had the chance to wear it.
Once dressed, I slip on black high-heeled shoes and wince as my poor feet are squeezed by the rigid leather. I’m going to regret wearing them by the end of the evening, but who cares?
I run a comb through my hair. It’s naturally straight and doesn’t take a lot of maintenance. My skin is also soft, smooth and blemish free, which is lucky since I have no patience for beautifying routines. That’s why the only make-up I own is a deep red lipstick which I apply a mere hint of. Grabbing my fanciest purse, a black satin clutch, I check I have a credit card, and I’m ready to go.
When I return to the living room, Adele flashes me a mock scowl. “It’s not fair. Eight minutes, forty-three seconds and you look ready to rock the runway.”
“Perhaps if I was a few inches taller.”
“Pff!” Adele waves off my self-deprecating remark and hands me the shot glass she was holding. “You’re gorgeous and you know it. Now, drink that and we’ll go. I’m in the mood to party.”
I resist asking her when she isn’t in the mood to party and sniff the drink she offered me. There’s a foul smell to it. “What is this?”
“Tequila. You have to down it all in one go.”
I scrunch my nose up. Not wanting to offend Adele by refusing to drink, I gulp it down fast.
“There.” She takes the glass from me. “Now we’re ready to have some fun.”
I follow her out of the apartment and lock the door behind us. There isn’t an elevator in the building, which is a converted Georgian townhouse, so we take the stairs. As we reach the lobby at the entrance, I wobble and have to grab onto Adele’s arm to steady myself.
“You okay?” she asks.
“Aye.” Even to my own ears, my Scottish accent sounds more pronounced. “I’m just a bit fuzzy. I’ll be alright in a minute.”
We step out into the street, and I shiver. I forgot to bring a jacket and the September air is cool on my skin. I’m about to go back inside, to fetch a coat, when a Mercedes pulls up at the curb next to us.
