Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Emelia closed the bakery and went upstairs to get Leo. The pup was growing fast and so energetic; she liked to walk him several times a day when she could. Occasionally, Vanessa would take him to the park during her lunch hour.
Tonight, she was meeting the girls at the Redfish Lounge for karaoke. She’d never been. Joy laughed and anointed her a karaoke virgin, and tonight was her opportunity to lose the title.
She leashed Leo to take him to a nearby dog park.
He loved the park, and there were several pups he liked to play with.
“Leo, stop pulling me. We’re getting there,” she said as Leo tugged on the leash. It was late afternoon; the air was warm but not humid.
As they reached the dog park, Emelia couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. She kept glancing over her shoulder, but the street was quiet. She let Leo off the leash, and he bounded off to play with one of the other dogs. She found a bench and smiled as he darted around, his tail wagging in excitement.
The sense of being watched persisted, so Emelia called to Leo who, of course, ignored her. She chastised herself for not taking him to obedience school, but nothing was to be done about it right now. Emelia pulled a biscuit from her pocket, called him again, and he came bounding over.
Emelia leashed Leo and glanced around the park. A few people were walking on the sidewalk, but no one stood out. She shook her head and decided she was on edge, particularly with Titus out of town.
As the sun dipped lower, Emelia got a text from Joy reminding her of their karaoke night. Crap. Time was slipping away. She stepped out of the gate, closing it behind Leo, and dashed home. Leo sensed her unease because he kept looking around and growling softly.
In a matter of minutes, she was at her apartment.
Emelia took off Leo’s leash as they walked upstairs, and she fed him dinner.
Checking her watch, she realized she had only an hour until meeting the girls.
After showering, Emelia picked through her closet for something to wear. Joy noted that karaoke nights had a more casual atmosphere, so Emelia opted for black ankle-length skinny pants and a sleeveless beige satin top. She pulled out a pair of ballet flats to wear with the outfit.
After another quick walk around the block with Leo, she put him in his crate with his favorite toy.
“You be a good boy.”
Leo yipped and wagged his tail before settling in to gnaw on the rawhide bone.
Emelia drove, since it would be dark later. She found a parking space in the lot behind the lounge. Laughter from the club competed with the upbeat music. She walked around to the front door and saw Joy, Naomi and Felicia standing in line.
“There you are,” exclaimed Joy. “I was afraid you would chicken out on us.”
Emelia pointed to herself. “Me? Chicken out? No way.”
“Mallory, Dawn and Isabelle are already inside.” Joy did a happy dance.
“I’m so excited. I’ve never done karaoke,” Emelia said. Her heart thumped in time with the bass of the music.
“It’s so much fun,” said Joy.
“Humph,” grumbled Naomi. “Not if you’re singing.”
Joy playfully struck her arm and burst into laughter. “Spoilsport. You’re just jealous.”
“Because you sound like a singing hyena?” Naomi replied.
“Ha ha,” Joy said, sticking out her tongue at her sister-in-law.
Emelia laughed. The two women were hilarious together. Besides, she’d already heard from the other women that Joy was tone-deaf and off-key—the evening promised to be interesting.
Finally, the bouncer came out of the double red doors. He checked IDs, and Emelia walked into a kaleidoscope of neon lights and lively chatter. The crew was still busy checking the mics and spotlights.
They spotted the other three women at a large table at the edge of the room. Additional tables, adorned in white tablecloths, were arranged around a small dance floor, each featuring a solitary candle.
The lounge was filling up fast as the women settled in. A server came to take drink orders and gave them menus to look at.
“I love coming here,” said Mallory. She looked over at Emelia. “You are so going to enjoy it.”
Emelia smiled. She’d always wanted to try karaoke but never had someone to go with.
“So, what do you hear from Titus?” asked Naomi.
“Oh, he sent a couple of texts. He must be busy,” Emelia replied.
Naomi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Probably.”
Emelia didn’t miss the knowing look Naomi exchanged with Isabelle. It was weird, almost like they were mind-talking. Was something going on with Titus? Something she should know about.
Emelia intended to ask, but the server came back with their frozen concoctions and took their food order. By the time she thought about asking, the emcee appeared, and karaoke officially started.
The evening went by fast. Emelia enjoyed singing with the group and, after hearing Joy sing, understood what her friends were saying about Joy’s singing ability. But it was all in good fun.
Emelia stifled a yawn. She had to get up early. While the evening was a blast, it was time to leave.
“I’ll walk out with you,” Joy said. “We’re going to stay a while longer.”
“No need. The parking lot is well lit.”
Joy shook her head. “Maybe so, but you’ll be alone, and the self-defense moves I’ve learned might come in handy.”
“Whatever,” replied Emelia.
“Seriously, you should come to the center and take the classes on Tuesday night with us,” said Naomi. “They’re empowering.”
“Hmmm. I’ll think about it,” Emelia said. She decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Not that she needed to protect herself physically right now, but one never knew.
Emelia and Joy walked around back to the parking lot. They hugged and promised to get together soon. Joy stood by the back entrance while Emelia pulled out her car keys and opened the car door. She waved to Joy, who returned to the club.
She started the car, put it in reverse, and heard a whomp whomp whomp.
Curious, Emelia got out of the car, looked at the back to see if she hit anything, which she hadn’t, then inspected the front.
She had a flat tire.
Emelia groaned. It was late, she was tired, and now she had to wait for Triple A to change it.
She called and was told it would take an hour before anyone could get there. Emelia sighed and walked back inside.
The girls looked up in surprise when she got to the table.
“I thought you left,” said Joy.
“Me too. I have a flat tire, and no one can come to fix it for an hour,” she explained.
“Well, have some dessert, then we’ll go out and wait,” Isabelle piped in.
Emelia sat and ordered a crème br?lée. This was not how she expected the end of her evening to go, but flat tires happen.
About fifty minutes later, she got the call that the tow truck was there to change the tire. By then, all the women were ready to leave and walked out together.
The driver got out of the truck and looked at her tire. Then walked to the other side.
“Miss, both of the front tires are flat.” He shined a light at one. “This one’s been slashed.” He walked back to the other side. “This one too.” The man turned to Emelia. “Someone did this on purpose. You should call the police.”
The women gasped and surrounded Emelia as she dialed the police.
Who would do such a thing?
Emelia wondered if Wyatt had a hand in it, although he was still up north. Who would he even get to do his dirty work? Although knowing how wily he was, finding someone was probably easy.