Page 41 of To All the Men I’ve Killed Before

I sip my drink and turn my attention back to the guy at the bar. He really doesn’t look the type to be drugging girls in bars but if I’ve learned anything it’s that looks can be incredibly deceiving. Monsters don’t always look like monsters. Sometimes they look like Jacob Elordi in a V-neck tee. He’s the perfect lab rat. He must sense me looking at him as he turns and glances over at our booth, gives me a grin and then turns his attention to Antoinette. A plan quickly comes together in my mind.

‘Antoinette?’

‘Yes?’

‘Can you quickly google the nearest rooftop bar?’

She looks at me, confused. ‘Don’t you like it here?’

‘It’s fine,’ I say. ‘But I’m about to give you your first practical lesson.’

Antoinette grins wickedly and reaches for her phone while I smile back at the bar guy.

‘So apparently the nearest place is Ophelia’s. It’s a five-minute walk.’

‘Great,’ I say, just as bar guy approaches our booth, drink in hand.

‘Hey,’ he says, looking from me to Antoinette. ‘Would you ladies mind if I joined you?’

‘Sure,’ I say. ‘Sit.’

He squeezes himself in beside Antoinette.

‘Hi again,’ he says to her. ‘Do I need to keep my drink away from you?’

He does. But he doesn’t know why. Yet.

I laugh. ‘She’s not usually so clumsy. I’m Kitty,’ I say, holding out my hand. The man takes it and shakes it.

‘Very nice to meet you,’ he says. ‘I’m Carey.’

‘You’ve already met Antoinette,’ I say and he laughs.

‘We’re acquainted. I’d like to say she threw herself at me but sadly it was just a drink.’ Antoinette gives an embarrassed shrug. ‘Can I get you girls anything?’

‘We’re actually just about to leave,’ I say with a sad face.

‘You’re not going home? The night’s only just starting.’

‘We’re actually going to check out Ophelia’s,’ I say. ‘Apparently the views are to die for.’

‘You should come with us,’ Antoinette says. ‘You could be our tour guide!’ She’s looking at him hopefully. Carey looks over at the group he was with. I can see him wavering.

‘Sounds great,’ he says. ‘Let me just go and tell my friends I’m bailing.’ He hops out of his seat, leaving his drink on our table.

When he’s out of earshot, I say, ‘Now pour some of whatever you swiped into his glass.’

‘How much do I put in?’ Antoinette says, pulling the cap off the vial.

‘All of it,’ I say.

And she does it so quickly I barely even see it.

She wasn’t lying about her sleight-of-hand skills.

‘Told you,’ she says to my impressed face.

Carey is back over. ‘All cool,’ he says. ‘We leaving now?’