Ladies' Night Andrews, Kay (great novels .txt) 📖

said. “And she was so sure he was going to get back with her. How’d she take the news?”

“About like you’d expect,” Grace said. “She’s obsessed with getting Boyce back, or at least keeping that girl from marrying him. She’s been driving around, drinking margaritas, plotting some kind of revenge. I’m really worried she’ll do something drastic. I’m going to go meet her and try and talk some sense into her.”

“Is that a good idea?” Wyatt asked. “If she’s been drinking?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” Grace said. “She’s talking crazy. I’m afraid she might hurt herself—or somebody else.”

“Please don’t go meet her by yourself,” Wyatt said. “Just wait thirty minutes, okay? I’ll take Bo straight home, and then come by and pick you up. We can go together. She might listen if we both ganged up on her.”

“Maybe,” Grace said reluctantly. “But I promised I’d come right away, as soon as she pulls into a gas station. I’ll try and stall her. But hurry, can you?”

“I’m ten minutes from home and another fifteen from the condo,” Wyatt said. “Stay right there.”

66

“Okay, I’m here,” Ashleigh said, without bothering with a greeting. “So, are you coming, or what?”

“Here, where?” Grace asked.

“Um, it’s a Hess station on Manatee, but you better get here fast, because I do not like the looks of this place. It’s definitely in the hood. The bathroom was so nasty I had to pee standing up.”

“I’m trying to think where that is,” Grace said slowly. “Like, what block of Manatee is that?”

“How should I know?” Ashleigh snapped. “I don’t even know why I agreed to meet you. You can’t change my mind, you know. That bitch Suchita is history. She’s toast.”

“Please don’t talk like that,” Grace begged. She hesitated, wondering if she should mention that Wyatt would be joining them. Stall her, he’d suggested. But that was no easy feat.

She gazed around the room and spotted Sweetie, who’d hopped off the sofa and was now sitting in front of the sliding glass doors facing the gulf.

“Look, Ashleigh, I just need to let Sweetie out for a potty break before I leave her alone,” Grace said.

“Who’s Sweetie?”

“My dog. She’s a rescue, and I’ve got her over at a client’s condo, but I don’t dare leave her alone unless I take her out. Just give me fifteen minutes, okay?”

“You want me to hang around here for fifteen minutes? No way! You said you’d meet me right away. Hell, if I hang around here for another fifteen minutes, I could be carjacked. Shiiiiit,” Ashleigh swore softly. “I knew this was a bad idea. Thanks anyway, Grace, but I gotta be moving on.”

“No, don’t leave there,” Grace said hastily. “I’ll come right now. You said you’re at Manatee, but what’s close by? What’s the intersection and which corner? Give me a landmark, Ashleigh. I’m not really familiar with that part of town.”

“For God’s sake. I don’t know. Let’s see … um, yeah, there’s a strip shopping center with a Bealls outlet right across from the Hess station.”

“If you’re worried about the gas station, drive over there,” Grace suggested. “You can just go inside and wait until I pull up. Nobody’s going to carjack you at a Bealls.”

“Maybe.” The other woman sounded unconvinced. “Or maybe I’ll stay here and get a wine cooler while I wait.”

“I really don’t think you should have anything else to drink,” Grace said.

“And I don’t give a flying fuck what you think,” Ashleigh retorted. “It’s five forty-five right now. If you’re not here by six, I’m history.”

“I’m coming,” Grace said hurriedly. “Stay right there.”

*   *   *

Grace called Wyatt from her car. “Sorry, but I can’t wait for you,” she told him. “I’m meeting Ashleigh at the Hess station on Manatee. She’s so antsy, I really couldn’t stall her any longer. She’s already talking about buying a wine cooler. I’ll keep her there as long as I can, and hopefully you can meet us there.”

Wyatt sighed loudly. “I don’t like this Grace. If she’s been drinking like you say she has, I don’t think you’re going to be able to reason with her. I think maybe you should call the cops and let them handle it.”

“Ashleigh respects me. She’ll listen to me,” Grace said. “Don’t worry. I’m just going to talk to her, calm her down, and persuade her to leave her car there and let me drive her home. She’s not a maniac, Wyatt. She’s upset, and she’s talking smack, but I honestly don’t think she’s capable of really harming somebody—other than herself.”

“I hope you’re right,” Wyatt said. “I just dropped Bo off with my dad. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Okay?”

“Hurry,” Grace said. And she disconnected.

*   *   *

She spotted the red BMW as soon as she pulled into the gas station. Ashleigh tooted her horn and waved. Grace parked in one of the slots in front of the convenience store and trotted over to Ashleigh’s car.

The BMW’s engine was running, and when the electric window slid down noiselessly and Grace bent down to talk to her friend, a blast of cold air hit her face. Grace’s heart sank when she saw two empty wine-cooler bottles tossed in the passenger seat.

“Hey, Grace,” Ashleigh said. Her face was pale and her usually flawless makeup was smeared and tear-streaked. “You know this is a waste of time, right?”

“I don’t mind wasting my time,” Grace said lightly. “Why don’t we go over and sit in my car and talk?”

“Nuh-uh,” Ashleigh said, shaking her head vigorously. “I like my car just fine.” She patted the leather-upholstered passenger seat. “You can sit here.” She reached down to the floor and pulled up a full key-lime-flavored wine cooler. “Look, I bought one for you. We can have a party. A pity party, right?”

“Um, I’m not really thirsty,” Grace said. “Come on, Ashleigh. You’ve had too much to drink to be driving. Let’s go sit in my car, and I’ll drive you home. You can plot revenge against Suchita tomorrow.”

“No effin’ way,” Ashleigh said. “Tonight’s the