“Brill!” Becca exclaimed. “My shift starts in half an hour, we’ll get you at one of my tables, we’ll carry on girlie time even when I’m workin’.”
“I need to call Max,” I told them, digging in my bag, looking for my phone. “Do either of you have his number?”
“Sure,” Mindy said but I was still digging.
Then I realized I’d left my phone on Max’s nightstand. And Niles might have called while Max was at home.
Drat!
I dropped my purse to hang on the chair and turned to the table. “Actually, I forgot my phone.”
Mindy’s thumb was moving on her phone, she beeped it and handed it to me. “Use mine, should be ringing.”
I took it, glanced at them both and muttered, “Excuse me,” before I got up and walked from the table the short distance to the lobby.
“Yeah?” Max answered.
“Max?”
“Duchess?”
“Yes.”
“Everything okay?”
“Um… we’re going to The Dog.”
There was a moment of silence, loaded silence.
Then, “What?”
“We had a somewhat… difficult conversation at dinner. Mindy needs a drink.”
“Mindy’s drivin’ and she’s supposed to be drivin’ you up here, she doesn’t need a drink.”
“Trust me, Max, I think she needs a drink.”
He was quiet a second then his voice was soft when he asked, “That bad?”
“Not really,” I answered honestly, “just that, if we don’t do evasive maneuvering, it might get there.”
“I need to come down?”
All right, maybe he was nice.
“I’ll call you if I think you should.”
“All right, Duchess,” he replied, “and speakin’ of callin’. Your phone’s here.” I held my breath and he went on. “You got a coupla calls. The display says they’re from your Mom.”
“Oh.”
Mom. She knew I was here. I was supposed to call her and talk through the Niles situation. With all that went on, I forgot.
“You want me to answer, she calls again, give her Mindy’s number?” Max offered.
“No, that’s okay, I’ll call her tomorrow.”
“Whatever you want, honey.”