Open for Murder by Mary Angela

Author:Mary Angela
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2020-08-03T13:32:16+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

At Buffalo Bill’s, a steady country beat shook the building. The later it got, and the more beer the tourists drank, the louder the band played. Inside, people were starting to dance, two-stepping with partners or boogying with friends. Zo waited for Max outside, hoping she wouldn’t regret calling him. If he showed up in his forest ranger uniform, she was going to kill him. She’d taken off her sweatshirt, put on a cute top, and traded her flip-flops for flats. She breathed a sigh of relief when she caught him walking up in jeans and a red t-shirt, looking very unlike the Boy Scout she accused him of being.

“I didn’t think you’d really call.” Max ran his hand through his hair. She wondered if he’d showered. It looked damp.

“I didn’t think you’d really come,” said Zo. What she meant was she didn’t think he’d come looking like that. It was hard to remember he was there to investigate.

“I guess we’re both full of surprises.”

The outdoor seating area was standing room only, so she followed Max around to the far side of the bar, where they ordered beers. Sarah, Kaya, and Jennifer were dancing near the stage, but Allison and A.J. were sitting together at a table. Across from one another, they looked like a couple on a first date, timid but excited. Allison had discarded the jacket she was wearing earlier, and A.J. had dropped the baseball cap. Zo could see now that his hair was the same color as his chin whiskers, red-brown against his light complexion.

Max pointed toward the dance floor. “They’ve had a couple beers.”

Sarah and Jennifer were twirling each other around the dance floor, laughing and singing. Kaya was dancing near a guy who was also alone, and when the lights dimmed and a slow song started, he pulled her into a two-step.

“Look who’s joining them,” said Zo, nodding toward A.J. and Allison. They were approaching the dance floor like two colts standing for the first time. “A.J. said she wants him to cover an event at the college. Let’s go see if we can overhear anything.”

“Me?” Max choked on his beer. “I don’t dance.”

“Everyone dances,” said Zo. “Just pretend I’m a lost animal.”

“You know, that’s not so big a stretch.”

“Ha ha, very funny. Don’t make me find someone else. You know I will.”

Max set down his beer next to hers, and she led him out to the dance floor. The band was playing an Alabama song, and she put her arms around his neck. Max moved his hands up and then down her waist, not completely sure where to put them. Finally he relaxed, placing his hands just above her hips. His carefulness was kind of cute.

A.J. and Allison took up a position near the edge of the dance floor. They could have been in gym class; their form was the same one students used. It was sort of endearing, really, thought Zo. She could see A.J. respected Allison a great deal, and Allison liked him, too.

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