Flirting with Danger by Bev Hardy (digital e reader TXT) 📖

a kid?" Luke asked suddenly, surprised.

Charlie nodded, whilst chewing thoughtfully on her thumb. Then she moved decisively to her left, searching for a place where the hedge was low enough to peer over into the garden. Luke joined her, and together they realised with disappointment that there was no way a car had been parked in that garden for a long time. The grass was completely overgrown, showing no evidence of being disturbed by cars people, or anything of the like. Charlie sighed, running an agitated hand through her hair. It would have been the perfect place for anyone nefarious to hide too.

Turning away from the sight of that house, and taking a few steps to move off the lawn, her eyes scanned the entire area of the club driveway and entrance again and again, her mind searching for answers, or something they had missed which would lead them to discovering more about the murderer. There was simply nothing there though; they would have to follow other leads. They may as well go now.

She turned around then to suggest leaving, but without warning, it happened again. She suddenly couldn't move, or think, and the words simply got stuck in her throat when she caught Luke watching her. Her stomach immediately tightened in response. It was a strange expression on his face; intense, but not purposely so (she didn't think that he had expected her to catch him out) but there was a softness there, almost a vulnerability and maybe a little confusion, or even annoyance, she couldn't work out which. She kept her eyes on him for a few moments, trying to figure out what could have been going through his head, but then she became aware that she too was staring at him, and she wondered what she was giving away in her own expression.

"We might as well go now," she said softly. "I need to get back."

 

Chapter 17

 Charlie became more edgy the closer Luke got. She'd forgotten what he looked like in a tux; Sue would be all over him.

 

 

Charlie spent a few relaxing hours with Richie that afternoon. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed that time with him. Part of her had expected questions from him about why he hadn't been able to contact her last night, but she needn't have worried. He turned up on her doorstep with a huge bunch of flowers for her and that sweet smile on his face. She wasn't usually the kind of person to be won over by such gestures, but that day, the flowers had lightened her mood. One thing was for sure, Richie really cared about her and he wasn't afraid to show it. She'd be a fool if she didn't fall in love with him.

Later, after Richie had left, standing in front of her open wardrobe and wondering what to wear, her earlier good mood began to diminish when she contemplated the ensuing evening. Normally, she would enjoy such an occasion, but with Luke there observing everything, and her wondering what he was going to say next, not to mention the way that he was clearly going to make the most of his date with Sue… under those circumstances, she could quite easily give the evening a miss.

She had been looking forward to that evening for a while now too. It was going to be a great night: fine food, good music and drinks with friends. She had already decided on what she was going to wear, but now, she wasn't so sure. She had bought the dress on a whim; it had called to her from the boutique window. But, until this night had been planned, she hadn't yet had the opportunity to wear such a dress. Now though, after having tried it on again, it somehow looked...like it was making too much of a statement or something. For a start, it showed an awful lot of leg. When she had first tried it on, she hadn't particularly noticed how much of one thigh it revealed as the long length of the dress didn't seem to emphasise the side split so much. She also hadn't minded the way that the bodice supported and lifted to emphasise her assets, but now, were they too emphasised? Why was she thinking so much about this tonight though? She never normally did.

No, she had decided that she was going to wear that dress, and that dress she would wear. It wasn't that showy, just plain black, a classic number; but the length and the addition of small, shimmering crystals on the bodice and edging the split, was enough to make her stand out from the crowd. Oh damn, would she stand out too much? Would he think she was dressing for him? This was ridiculous. There was nothing else in that wardrobe that jumped out at her anyway. She was wearing what she had originally planned to wear and she would ooze confidence that night too.

A couple of hours later, and Charlie was standing at the garden bar, assessing the patio and lawn, which had been prepared for the evening's events. There was already a buzz of excitement in the air and a building atmosphere from the short snippets that the jazz band were playing to test the sound system for later that evening. A few of the Club's regulars were mulling around the garden, or inside the reception area, but most of the guests had yet to arrive. It had been deduced that for once the English weather was going to behave itself that night, and they had decided upon round and rectangular tables, with pristine white tablecloths, placed on the lawn. The jazz band was set up at the back, the bar to the right, and, just in case, a marquee area with another bar was set up in the far corner. Candles on the tables and in the garden rockeries, and fairy lights in the trees, gave the whole scene that added feeling that the night was going to be something special.

If only Charlie didn't have that niggling feeling in her stomach so that she could relax and enjoy it.

"Here, a glass of bubbly for a sparkling lady," Eddie said to Charlie from behind the bar, handing her a tall glass of champagne. "So, it's a double date for you tonight litll lady," he said, leaning towards her, resting one elbow on the bar and assessing her appearance. "And girly are you going to be fencing off the men this evening… lucky you."

Charlie was about to take a sip of champagne but stopped with the glass half way to her mouth. "What do you mean?" she frowned.

"Come on, it's me you're talking to. There'll be at least two American's I can think of, and the boss of course," he grinned.

"You can stop right there," she pointed at him, "Luke is a work colleague and Doug is…" she paused, "a friend of the family. You and I are going to have serious words if you start saying ridiculous things tonight," she warned him.

"Hey," he held up his hands in surrender, "you know me; I'll be my usual discrete self."

"Hmm," she watched him warily, "make sure you are." In truth though, she knew that Eddie would never do anything intentionally to upset her. She sighed. "To be honest Ed, I'm really not looking forward to tonight that much."

He thought he'd sensed that there was something not quite right with her that night.

"Why baby?" he said, reaching forward sympathetically to rest his cheek on her free hand that was on the bar top. "Tell your friend all about it," he coaxed, gazing up at her.

"Well, for a start, I need you on side," she confided.

"I'm always on your side sweetie," he assured her, lifting his head but holding onto her hand. "What's troubling you?"

She finally sipped her champagne, giving herself time to consider his question.

"To start with, I don't know how well Luke and Richie will get along. They may be both American's but," she shook her head, "they aren't exactly from the same side of the track, if you know what I mean."

"You mean that Richie is boring and your New York Secret Agent is exciting and dangerous, in a rugged and daring kind of way?" he replied with an enthusiastic smile.

Charlie looked taken aback with Eddie's frank assessment. "What do you mean 'boring'? When you first met him, you said Richie was an enigmatic stranger with the body of an Adonis, and that he should be snapped up at the first opportunity!"

"I said that?" he replied.

Yeah, but that was before he found out that Richie was a lying, cheating, ratbag, who's eyes should be pecked out by a thousand ravenous crows!

"Hey, don't listen to me hunny, I'm as fickle as they come."

Charlie tutted.

Eddie leant a little closer to whisper, "But he is pretty hot though, don't you think?"

"Richie?" she asked.

"No, that Agent of yours. You must have been thrown into some close situations together; fighting crime... partners through it all," he grinned.

Oh great, this was all she needed tonight: people making assumptions about Luke and her.

"Firstly, he's not 'my Agent'" she quoted, "And secondly, we were partners in a professional capacity only," she assured him. "Thought you said you were going to behave tonight?"

He sighed. "I will, I will."

"Why on earth are you trying to match-make me with someone you don't even know anyway? And what has Richie done to fall out of your favour?" she asked.

Ooops, he wasn't going there. He'd forgotten how Charlie never missed a thing. Maybe she would just get fed up with Richie and dump him of her own accord. She seemed to have cooled off a lot with him anyway since he started proposing every chance he got.

"I wasn't exactly matchmaking," he came back casually, "I was just wondering if Richie is really your type after all, and thinking that you and the Agent might have more in common."

What was he talking about? That was ridiculous. She laughed. "We're completely different Ed; you couldn't get more different if you tried."

Eddie was not to be put off. "Well, you know what they say, 'opposites attract.'"

She thought for a moment. "Birds of a feather, flock together," she countered.

He frowned. "Yeah, crows."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. Forget a load of old birds, you have to have an attraction, or it's all just..." he gave a dismissive hand gesture, "...boring."

She shook her head at him incredulously. "Thank you for that Casanova ,but, I would just like to point out… you have customers waiting," she prompted, her eyes flicking down the bar.

He jumped up then and swung his head to the customers in question, only pausing briefly before he left her, to whisper, "Here comes Mr Rugged himself. And is that a gun I see in his pocket? Or is it something else?" he chuckled.

Charlie glanced behind her to see Luke hovering by the patio doors, searching the garden area. Her eyes widened at Eddie's audacity, and she turned back to the bar with just about enough time to reach across and slap him on the arm as he walked away. He turned, laughing at her primness.

Luke figured that he would head straight for the bar until Sue had finished organizing upstairs for