Chapter 19 When Sneaking Out the Back Isn’t an Option
When Sneaking Out the Back Isn’t an Option
Heidi clattered down the stairs, two at a time, with her usual bounds.
How she could make that much noise in her socks, how she didn’t slip and crash to the bottom, Morgan didn’t know. But somehow, Heidi always made it down in one piece.
“Ready?” Heidi slipped into her sneakers, leaving the laces undone.
She nodded, and together they went out the door. Morgan turned north. “I thought we’d go to the Park Grille.”
“The smart casual place you mentioned? Sure, let’s start there. It would be good to see what they’re like, in case they ever have openings.”
Start there? Was Heidi expecting a pub crawl? “Is there anywhere you want to try?”
“Lula told me about a local place, Oscar’s Tavern. It’s on the west side of the park, near Alameda. Apparently it won a Best Dive Bar in Denver award. She says it’s buzzin’. Have you been there?”
Best Dive Bar award didn’t sound very promising. Would it be full of frat boys and smell of weed? “I’ve passed it but never been in.”
“Then tonight’s the night.” Heidi shimmied her shoulders as they walked up East Ohio toward the park. “I want to learn to play shuffleboard. They have one there.”
“I haven’t played that since college.”
“Great. You can teach me. It doesn’t look that hard.”
Morgan laughed. “Any game of dubious skill is hard after a few beers.”
They reached the park and cut around the lake.
Canada geese sat on the frozen edge, and a few people walked dogs.
The Park Grille was less than half full when they reached it.
Morgan led them into the bar, and they pulled up seats at the polished timber counter.
Morgan snagged a wine list and perused it.
“I’ll get the first shout,” Heidi said.
Shout? She scratched around in her memory for the expression.
“What do you want?”
Right. “A glass of the Oregon pinot noir, please.”
The bartender came across, and Heidi ordered. “Which is your happy hour wine?”
“House red or white.” He pointed to a chalkboard listing them.
“A glass of the red, please.”
Morgan bit her lip as her bank balance flashed before her eyes. Of course. She, too, should have ordered the cheaper wine.
“This looks like a cool place.” Heidi looked around. “Professional crowd, good tippers.” She hooked her hi-tops around the rungs of the stool. “Do you want to order happy hour snacks as well?”
“Sure.” Morgan studied the chalkboard list. “Want to share a plate of tapas?” It was half-price during happy hour. That wouldn’t break the bank.
“Why not.” Heidi waggled her eyebrows. “It’s not chicken wings or burgers, which is what I normally eat at work. My jeans are getting tight.”
Morgan’s gaze was snagged by the denim stretched over Heidi’s hips. “They look fine to me.”
“I carry all my weight in my hips and arse. Pear shape. You can’t see most of it under this long shirt.” She flapped the fabric, revealing a glimpse of skin above her jeans.
“Womanly shape. Not pear. You’re not a Froot Loop.”
“Not yet. Still working on that one. I told you I applied to DU for the fall, didn’t I?”
“You’re getting organized. Job, housing, college, all figured out.”
“The investigator too. I called Altitude as you suggested. I got a discount because I knew you! Only five percent, but I’ll take it.”
Morgan’s hand stilled midway between the counter and her mouth. “You mentioned me?”
“I said my roommate recommended them; Brandon asked who that was—it’s always good to know who’s recommending you. He said to pass on that whoever’s working on his portfolio now isn’t doing a good a job as you. Maybe you should ask for it back.”
Morgan licked her lips. “It doesn’t quite work like that.”
“Strange that your company would take someone off an account who was handling it well.”
She shrugged. “It’s all about balance and distribution between advisors.”
“Still. Brandon asked if I knew where you’d gone to. I think if you changed firms, he’d follow you.”
“What did you tell him?” Shit, shit. She should have thought this through before suggesting Altitude to Heidi.
“Nothing. Just that I’d pass on what he said about you being better than the new person.” She tilted her head. “Was that the wrong thing?”
“No. All good.” She let out a slow breath. Heidi didn’t seem to think anything was unusual. It would be okay. “So does he think he can find Serena?”
“He said he’d get back to me but implied it wouldn’t take too long.”
“And what will you do if he does trace her?”
“Well, I haven’t actually thought that far ahead.
Send her a demand? Get lawyers that I can’t afford and if I could afford would probably take all the money she owes me?
Turn up on her doorstep with a can of gasoline and a lighter?
” She must have seen Morgan’s expression as she added, “Only joking. I’m a pacifist, so the answer is gentle, nonconfrontational things.
Which will probably have no effect. Have you got any clients who are vigilantes? ”
“Not that I know of.” Morgan laughed. “But there are a couple who wouldn’t surprise me if they were.”
“Maybe Serena’ll be somewhere gorgeous like Lake Tahoe or Aspen, and at least I’ll get a road trip out of the confrontation. You could come too, and we could drive like maniacs, plot revenge on the evil ex, and share a motel room, like we’re college kids.”
“Maybe.” Laughter trickled out of her. Heidi’s enthusiasm was infectious. When had she ever answered such a stupid plan with “Maybe”?
“Knowing my luck, she’ll be somewhere cold and dreary, like… Well, I don’t know enough about US cities to know where would qualify for that. But if she’s in Drearyville, I’ll call the lawyers.”
A server brought their tapas and a basket of bread.
“This is massive. I don’t know about you, but half of this is more than I usually eat for dinner. The Fly Inn isn’t known for their generous portions.”
Morgan took a piece of warm bread and wiped it through the taramosalata.
Sometimes, she’d come here after work with Manuela and a couple of the guys, and they’d shared a tapas platter and a bottle of wine before heading home.
Those days were gone. Luckily, six was too early for anyone from Mattingley to be here.
She refocused back on Heidi, who was spearing a meatball with her fork.
For a few moments, they were silent as they ate.
Heidi did everything with gusto, it seemed.
Eating, hiking, even working at her shitty job.
Right now, appreciative hums came from her as her lips closed over an olive, and her gaze roamed the platter for what to try next.
She was as delicious as the food. What sort of idiot was Serena to screw her over?
Heidi looked across. “You’re not eating?”
“I am.” She reached out blindly and picked some walnuts from the plate. Took a sip of wine. Tried to figure out exactly when she’d started to find Heidi so compelling.
It had to be that she saw no one else most days. That was it. She was people-deprived, which was like sleep deprivation and probably made you just as weird.
“Hey, Morgan. I thought that was you.”
Morgan froze. Had she summoned Manuela by thinking about her? She closed her eyes, but when she opened them, Manuela was leaning against the bar next to her.
“Hi, Manuela. It’s good to see you.” She stood, grasped her shoulder, and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
“You too. You’re looking well.” The tiny wrinkle between Manuela’s eyes gave away the lie.
Morgan forced a smile. She wore less makeup these days, and the dark circles under her eyes were more evident.
“You too.” Her nerves jangled. How could she steer the conversation so Heidi didn’t realize who Manuela was?
Didn’t find out exactly where Morgan didn’t work anymore?
Her armpits instantly felt clammy despite her forty-eight-hour antiperspirant.
She picked up her fork and stabbed a meatball.
“I’ve missed our lunches,” Manuela said. “It’s not the same at work without you.”
She flicked a glance at Heidi, who was watching them with the sort of polite smile someone wears when they’re waiting to be introduced, then refocused on Manuela. “I’ve missed you too. Why don’t we try and have lunch next week?”
“That would be good. I’ll call you. I’ll need to check my calendar, but I think Wednesday is looking good.”
“I’ll work on that.”
Manuela pushed away from the bar. “I’m obviously interrupting your date. There’s a couple of us from work in the next room. If you’ve got time to say hello, I’m sure they’d love to see you.” To Heidi, she said, “I’m sorry to interrupt your date.”
“No worries,” Heidi said with a polite smile.
“I’ll look forward to your call. Bye, Manuela.” People from Mattingley in the next room? They were never here this early. Morgan waited until Manuela was out of earshot before turning to Heidi. “Sorry about that. Manuela is someone I used to work with.”
“I gathered that. How long ago did you work together?”
“It was a while ago now,” she lied. “I can’t remember exactly.”
“If you want to go and talk to your old coworkers, don’t worry about me.” Heidi tilted her empty glass. “I’ll sit here and have another glass of wine while I wait for you.”
Like hell she’d go and talk to anyone from Mattingley.
See their awkward, pitying expressions, field questions about where she was working, and probably answer questions about her old accounts.
“No way.” She punched Heidi on the biceps.
“We’re out together tonight. I don’t want to talk with people I used to know.
” She broke the last piece of bread in two and gave half to Heidi.
“Let’s finish this scraping of hummus and go check out Oscar’s Tavern. ”
The best dive bar in Denver had to be better than talking with anyone from Mattingley.