Covert Alliance by Linda O. Johnston

Author:Linda O. Johnston
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-08-15T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Alan hadn’t intended this moment to be a test of Kelly’s sharpness and ingenuity...or maybe he had for reasons even he considered inappropriate right now. She was smart. She had motives of her own. But they were working together now, no matter what she had done to get here.

He could have—should have—warned her whom he felt fairly sure they’d run into here, since Dora had indicated she would be at the Blue View tonight at the time of the reservation Alan had asked her to make for him.

The look Kelly shot him now appeared both justifiably puzzled and angry. But she turned her head immediately and looked at Dora as he stepped forward to confirm their reservation.

“Of course, Alan,” Dora responded warmly. “So glad you came.” She wore a nice tailored dress, nothing like the sexy, sparse outfit they had seen her in with Stan at Tony’s Lounge, nor the professional business suit she had worn that day at Government Plaza. No matter what she wore, she was one attractive lady, which undoubtedly was a major factor in Stan’s apparent interest in her.

But since Alan had learned earlier that day that her parents, the Shallners, had bought the Blue View Restaurant a few months ago and she was instrumental in helping them run it, he had no doubt that her family’s money was another reason for Stan’s interest.

Kelly had mentioned a desire to befriend Dora. They hadn’t discussed exactly why yet, but he suspected she wanted to learn what Dora knew about Stan—and maybe, Eli. Alan thought it was a potentially good idea.

In fact, the situation could work out really well since these two women were both in hospitality and both worked at restaurants—notwithstanding the major differences in the nature of those eateries and their connections with them. If some camaraderie developed between them, Kelly might be able to learn something useful from this woman in whom Stan Grodon appeared to be interested.

Now, once he and Kelly were seated and had a modicum of privacy, Alan would explain this to her and help her come up with a way to start chatting with their hostess.

If it made sense, he might even apologize.

It turned out he didn’t need to explain anything. As Dora picked up a couple of large menus from the stand and encouraged them to follow her, Kelly inserted herself in front of Alan and beside the other woman. “This place is so wonderful,” she gushed. “It’s my first time here. I’ve only been in Blue Haven a short while, and I’m a server at the Haven Restaurant. I really like it there, but it must be amazing to work at a place like this.”

Of course Kelly wouldn’t know that Dora was part of the family that owned this place and might somehow embarrass herself. But he could step in and interrupt if things seemed to be going south.

For now, Dora just turned toward Kelly. She was shorter than Kelly and had to look up through her clearly false eyelashes.

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