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“Time to choose our next case,” Emma said. “We’ve got a stack on my desk. I scanned them all. Nothing urgent. Some more interesting than others.”
“We’ll pass them around for review tomorrow,” Casey replied. “Tonight is time to celebrate and unwind. Also, Marc and Patrick are due back this week. So we’ll all jump into something new together.”
“Cool.” Emma polished off her champagne. “Whatever we choose, I hope it’ll be as high-octane as this past case.”
Casey’s brows arched. “Be careful what you wish for.”
Gia’s townhouse
Rye, New York
“Wow.” Dani perched her carry-on in the hallway and walked through Gia’s combo living/family room. “This place makes mine look like a cardboard box.”
Gia smiled, glancing around the modern layout with a happy, grateful expression. The townhouse wasn’t huge. But it was open and airy, which made it look larger than it was. That was one of the reasons Gia had fallen in love with it.
“I got lucky,” she replied. “The previous owner was transferred to Seattle. She needed to get out fast, so she took a low bid—mine. I’d just earned a hefty bonus, and my income qualified me for a decent-sized mortgage. It all came together at once. So here I am. And I’ve gotten spoiled. I really love this place.”
“I don’t blame you.” There wasn’t a shred of jealousy in Dani’s voice, only admiration. “I guess I don’t need to ask if there’s enough room for me to sleep. I was going to offer to take the couch.”
“No need. There’s a guest room upstairs. I already made it up for you. Did you want to rest?” It was hard for Gia to hide the disappointment from her tone.
“No way.” Dani shook her head. “All I want is a quick shower and a change of clothes. I’ve got to set up my laptop to catch up on a couple of case files, since my pet patients are being handled by an associate while I’m away. Then we can go out.” She wrinkled her nose in a way Gia recognized as something she always did when she was thoughtful. “Would you mind very much if we stay local tonight and do Manhattan tomorrow? I’m kind of feeling the past few days.”
“Not a problem. We’ll go low-key tonight and all out tomorrow.”
Excitement flickered across Dani’s face. “Is the Big Apple really awesome? All I’ve seen of it is an airport, a postage stamp of a hotel room, an Uber, and the inside of a veterinary clinic.”
Gia nodded. “The city is a world unto itself. It gets in your blood and pulses through you until it’s got you hooked. If you’re up for it, we could catch a train in earlier and do some shopping. Then we could go to a club or a restaurant or even a Broadway show if you’re willing to take whatever tickets are available. Your call.”
“Yes to the shopping. Then let’s do dinner and a club.” Dani sounded like a kid in a candy store. “I want to do all the nauseatingly tourist things that first-timers do. Fifth Avenue. Times Square. The Empire State Building. Dinner somewhere that native New Yorkers roll their eyes about and call a tourist trap. Oh, and I want to drink and dance at the trendiest club you know.”
Gia was laughing. “Forget the afternoon train. We’d better leave right after breakfast to get all that in.”
“Do you mind?”
“Are you kidding? I’ll love it. I’ll get the chance to see the city for the first time all over again. What could be better than that?” Gia’s eyes danced. “Besides, our meeting is a celebration. Let’s do it in style.”
CHAPTER 13
The Pub
Rye, New York
The Pub was Rye’s local watering hole, noisy, rustic, and complete with a jukebox, a dartboard, and great beer and food. Given this was a weeknight, the place was only three-quarters packed, and Gia and Dani were seated and served without a wait.
“This is exactly what I needed tonight,” Dani declared a little while later, munching on a personal pizza and watching a group of college kids wearing SUNY Purchase T-shirts playing darts while they tossed back their beers.
“Yeah, the Pub is our go-to place.” Gia took a bite of her bacon cheeseburger, wondering if Dani would be willing to go with her to the gym before they headed off to the city tomorrow. A whopping burger with fries and beer, leading into a full day of stuffing her face in Manhattan would tip the scale, and not in Gia’s favor. It would also make her next gym visit grueling. She’d be a slug, rather than being primed to get the adrenaline rush necessary to kick-start her workday.
“What are you thinking?” Dani asked.
Gia tilted her head hopefully. “Do you like working out?”
“Yes, if I ever have a breathing minute to do it. I’m on call a lot. And I go into the clinic early. So there’s no gym time. I make up for it by running a few miles every morning. Why?”
“Because I’m kind of obsessive about my time at the gym. Would you mind going with me, just for an hour, really early tomor
row? That would give us plenty of time to shower, get dressed, and head off to the city. Or would you rather sleep in?”
