Mallory froze.
Uh-oh.Dante hadn’t thought about the two of them remembering that day. He didn’t think they had ever met.
“Um. Yeah. I think I was there. That is…I mean, yeah. I’ve been there. Once.” Mallory began to shake. She rose suddenly and said, “Please excuse me for a minute. I have to go to the ladies’ room.”
Before Dante could ask her if anything was wrong, she had fled up the stairs.
“I hope she’s okay,” Kizzy said. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”
“I hope so too.” Dante followed her with his eyes until she rushed past the exit and out of sight.
He turned back to the game in time to watch the cops score. “Damn! Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to swear.”
Kizzy smiled. “No worries. I’ve heard much worse.”
Just then, a brawl broke out, but it was quickly shut down and paled in comparison to the ruckus toward the back of the bleachers. When Dante turned to see what was going on, he couldn’t believe his eyes. A monkey wearing a white blouse with a crossbody purse hanging from its shoulder was swinging from the rafters. People were pointing and laughing.
The game continued as if nothing was wrong until the monkey reached the scoreboard. The players must’ve noticed the crowd pointing at it and halted the game. There was no use trying to play basketball with the whole audience looking away.
Everyone’s attention was riveted on this wild animal, wondering how it got there. Dante heard people in the crowd commenting that it must’ve been someone’s pet that got loose.
“Why would someone bring a pet monkey to a basketball game?”
“Some people are idiots.”
“Someone should call animal control.”
“Or the cops.”
Their annoyance was smothered by the laughter of the crowd.
Dante shot to his feet. He wished he knew what to do. He knew it was Mallory, of course. He recognized her purse, blouse, and alternate form. But shape-shifters didn’t exist according to humans—all paranormals had been warned not to blow their covers, and the game was being televised! How could he help her?
He ran down to the sidelines. Dante skidded onto the floor, stopping just under the scoreboard. Holding up his arms, he called out, “Here, babe. Come to me.”
“This is your monkey?” one of the firefighter players asked.
“Yeah. What of it?”
“Dude. That’s weird.”
Dante didn’t care how weird it was. He continued to hold out his arms in supplication. “Come on, babe. Jump. I’ve got you.”
Mallory climbed the rafters and swung around the area above his head. Either she was confused or afraid—or both.
One of the other players said, “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.” Then he laughed and added, “Or maybe that’s Noah’s title.”
Dante looked askance at the firefighter and noticed it was Noah’s buddy, O’Rourke. He tuned him out and concentrated on getting Mallory down.
“C’mon, now. I’ll catch you.”
“It’s all right, babe.” One of the other firefighters called to her. He must have thought that was her name. “You can let go, babe. He’ll catch you.”
She let go with one hand and swung by the other arm.
“You can do it. Ipromiseto catch you,” Dante pleaded.
At last, she nodded, then let go and fell into his arms. He pulled her into a tight hug, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding on for dear life. Dante hurried up the stairs but paused next to Kizzy, not knowing what to say.
