Shane Miller was watching her, concerned. “Are you all right, Ashley?”
She forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“I really am sorry about your friend.” She had told him about Jim.
“I’ll—I’ll get over it.”
“What about dinner tonight?”
“Thanks, Shane. I—I’m not up to it just yet. Next week.”
“Right. If there’s anything I can do—”
“I appreciate it. There’s nothing anyone can do.”
Toni said to Alette, “Miss Tight Ass has a problem. Well, she can get stuffed.”
“I feel displace—sorry for her. She is troubled.”
“Sod her. We all have our problems, don’t we, luv?”
As Ashley was leaving on a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend, Dennis Tibbie stopped her. “Hey, babe. I need a favor.”
“I’m sorry, Dennis, I—”
“Come on. Lighten up!” He took Ashley’s arm. “I need some advice from a woman’s point of view.”
“Dennis, I’m not in the—”
“I’ve fallen in love with somebody, and I want to marry her, but there are problems. Will you help me?”
Ashley hesitated. She did not like Dennis Tibbie, but she could see no harm in trying to help him. “Can this wait until tomorrow?”
“I need to talk to you now. It’s really urgent.”
Ashley took a deep breath. “All right.”
“Can we go to your apartment?”
She shook her head. “No.” She would never be able to make him leave.
“Will you stop by my place?”
Ashley hesitated. “Very well.” That way I can leave when I want to. If I can help him get the woman he’s in love with, maybe he’ll leave me alone.
Toni said to Alette, “God! Goody Two-shoes is going to the twerp’s apartment. Can you believe she could be that stupid? Where’s her sodding brains?”
“She’s just trying to help him. There’s nothing wrong with—”
“Oh, come on, Alette. When are you going to grow up? The man wants to bonk her.”
“Non va. Non si fa così”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Dennis Tibbie’s apartment was furnished in neo-nightmare. Posters of old horror movies hung from the walls, next to pinups of naked models and wild animals feeding. Tiny erotic wood carvings were spread out on tables.
It’s the apartment of a madman, Ashley thought. She could not wait to get out of there.
“Hey, I’m glad you could come, baby. I really appreciate this. If—”
“I can’t stay long, Dennis.” Ashley warned him. “Tell me about this woman you’re in love with.”
“She’s really something.” He held out a cigarette. “Cigarette?”
“I don’t smoke.” She watched him light up.
“How about a drink?”
“I don’t drink.”
He grinned. “You don’t smoke, you don’t drink. That leaves an interesting activity, doesn’t it?”
She said to him sharply, “Dennis, if you don’t—”
“Only kidding.” He walked over to the bar and poured some wine. “Have a little wine. That can’t hurt you.” He handed her the glass.
She took a sip of wine. “Tell me about Miss Right.”
Dennis Tibbie sat down on the couch next to Ashley. “I’ve never met anybody like her. She’s sexy like you and—”
“Stop it or I’ll leave.”
“Hey, that was meant as a compliment. Anyway, she’s crazy about me, but her mother and father are very social, and they hate me.”
Ashley made no comment.
“So the thing is, if I push it, she’ll marry me, but she’ll alienate her family. She’s really close to them, and if I marry her, they’ll sure as hell disown her. Then one day, she’ll probably blame me. Do you see the problem?”
Ashley took another sip of wine. “Yes. I…”
After that, time seemed to vanish in a mist.
She awakened slowly, knowing that something was terribly wrong. She felt as though she had been drugged. It was an enormous effort merely to open her eyes. Ashley looked around the room and began to panic. She was lying in a bed, naked, in a cheap hotel room. She managed to sit up, and her head started to pound. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. There was a room service menu on the nightstand, and she reached over and picked it up. The Chicago Loop Hotel. She read it again, stunned. What am I doing in Chicago? How long have I been here? The visit to Dennis Tibbie’s apartment had been on Friday. What day is this? With growing alarm, she picked up the telephone.