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Courtney flipped around to glare at them. "I am not pissed at Ian. I am simply mildly displeased. "
Marty glanced at Alyssa, then they both looked at the glass of wine as Courtney finished it.
"I give her an hour," Marty stated, taking her seat before turning and giving the hostess her drink preference.
"I give her less than that, actually," Alyssa said, as she shook her head, her blue eyes somber, her expression as carefully composed as always. It was rare for Alyssa to show emotion at all. She was the most carefully composed person Marty had ever met.
"I tell you both, tonight, I am not pissed at Ian. " Courtney spun around, her regal stature spoiled by the frown on her face as she looked at Marty. "And you are late. "
"So sorry. " Marty almost rolled her eyes. "I was busy today. "
Courtney narrowed her eyes at her. "I was by your parents' home today. I saw your car, and Khalid's, and I have been dying of curiosity. Ian has refused to tell me any gossip he may have heard. " She pouted charmingly. "Tell me there is gossip, Marty. "
It was all Marty could do to keep the flush from her face.
"Khalid was at the house to see Zach. " She shrugged. "No gossip there, sorry, Court. "
Lying to Courtney wasn't easy. Most people couldn't manage it. Marty had about a 50 percent success rate. Which wasn't that good, considering how many questions the woman could ask.
Courtney stared at her for a long moment before smiling beatifically. "You are such a liar, my dear. But I'll forgive you if you tell me the truth this moment. Otherwise, you will only force me to ask my good friend Khalid. "
Marty arched a brow quizzically. "If you're such good friends, then he would have already told you any gossip there was to tell," she pointed out. "Now stop interrogating me. We're supposed to be having fun tonight. "
Courtney sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over the brilliant scarlet top she wore as she glared, first at Marty, then at Alyssa. "Why do my good friends want to withhold the juicy details from me? It's not as though I ask for much. "
"Is she becoming more spoiled or what?" Alyssa stared at Marty in mock surprise. "I think Ian's ruining her. "
"I think she's the pot calling the kettle black. " Marty turned back to Courtney with a sweet smile. "Tell me what you know and I'll tell you what I know. "
And, of course, Courtney couldn't agree to that one. Marty watched as her friend glared at her once again, before huffing and picking up her drink.
"Are you still investigating Mustafa?" Alyssa asked Marty seriously. "You know Courtney won't give you any information on him. "
"I want other information. " Marty shrugged. "The investigation is over. It's personal now. "
Courtney perked up. "Personal?" She propped her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand. "How personal? Merely friends and concerned or 'wanting to jump that luscious body' personal?"
"She's always wanted to jump his body. " Alyssa spoke low, in a too serious voice, as though afraid someone would hear her. "I believe we were fifteen at the time. " A smile almost tipped her lips.
"Almost sixteen. " Marty frowned back at her. "And that is really beside the point. "
Courtney rubbed her hands together gracefully, her smile wrinkling her pert nose. "Ahh, the downfall of Khalid. I could get into this. I really could. "
Marty simply stared back at her for long moments before leaning closer. "Who is his latest liaison?"
Courtney blinked back at her. "His latest lover? I don't believe I've heard. "
"Who is he playing a third to?" Marty simplified the question.
Courtney narrowed her eyes, as though considering the question, before sighing heavily. "That information is not mine to give if you do not already have it. You know how this works, Marty. The rules are clear, and as a child of this world, I know you understand them well. "
Marty hated the rules. There were times she hated the world she was born into. The club. That damned club that her fathers were part of, that Khalid was part of. They guarded their privacy like America guarded its gold.
No one admitted to being part of the club, no one ever confirmed anyone else's membership, and no one sure as hell revealed relationships. Especially Courtney, the wife of the too-arrogant, too-secretive owner of the club.
"Look, it's not as though he'll get involved with anyone else if he does start a relationship with you, Marty," Alyssa stated then. "Khalid is very well-known; his reputation as a man who keeps his word is beyond reproach. While you're with him, he wouldn't be involved with anyone else. "
"That's not the point," Marty told them, as she leaned closer to the table. "To catch him, I first have to make certain I don't have someone else standing in my way. Why make a fool of myself otherwise?"
