AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She picks up a coffee table book calledSurf Like a Girland flips through the pages.
“Jetlag?” I press.
She snorts. “We came on a boat.” A touch of alarm crosses her facial features, and for a second, when her gaze locks on me, I sense fear. But, just as quickly, her attention returns to the book’s pages. “A friend. I think we’ll fly back, though.” Her hand rests on her stomach, and my immediate thought is seasickness.
“What kind of boat?” And how did she get by boat from Colombia to the West Coast?
“Yacht.” She holds both arms out and laughs. “Monster.”
“Super yacht?”
“Yes. Very nice, though.”
She sets the book aside and lifts a ceramic conch that could double as a serving bowl. “What’s the interior of your house like?”
“Um…”
“Like, would something like this work? I want to get you a gift.” Her lips form a pout. “So, what’s your style?”
“At our home here?” I think about the house we are currently living in. “It’s modern. Light and airy.”
“Beachy?” she asks.
“No, not so beachy. More American Southwest. Terracotta tiles, shades of terracotta colors, mixed with wood beams. But you do not need to get us anything.”
“Sophia? Is that you?” The voice calls from behind me, and I freeze.
Lauren’s hand falls to my shoulder and she tugs to get my attention. “You dyed your hair red! Holy shit. At first I wasn’t even sure it was you, but then I heard you and knew it was you.” She places her hands on both my shoulders and holds me at arm’s length, studying the color. “I really like it. It really makes your eyes pop. I love it.”
“It’s more auburn than red,” I say, gaining my voice and blinking my brain into action. “Ah, Lauren, this is my friend, Gemma.” I turn to Gemma, who is watching us closely. “And Gemma, this is an old friend of mine.” I pointedly place a hand on Lauren’s hip, so I can dig my nails into her if needed. “What on Earth are you doing in Santa Barbara?”
“Well, I could—” Her speech halts when I dig a nail a little deeper in.
“Lauren, where did you go?”
I spin, searching for Lauren’s mom.Shit.
“My mom is driving me nuts. We came here to visit a bridal shop she loves. I’d say for you to join us dress shopping, but I’m done. I can’t take any more. Not today. Does Zane know you’re here?”
“Lauren’s getting married,” I interject.
“Lauren?” Her mother’s voice seems to echo through the store.
I grip her shoulders, much like she did mine when she assessed my hair. “I’m going to duck out before we have to spend hours with your mom. Besides, it’s not like I’m her favorite person, right?”
I pinch her shoulder, tilt my head, and almost wink. It’s a half-wink, and it’s a gesture I’m hoping Lauren will read into enough to understand something is going on. She doesn’t know I’m currently CIA, but she knows I used to be FBI.
Please, Lauren, play along.
“Lauren?” Her mom’s voice draws nearer.
“Oh.” She blinks, her gaze goes behind me, probably on Gemma, then back to me. “Yeah. Get out of here.” To Gemma, she says, “You really don’t want to get caught in a conversation with my mom after she’s had a couple of glasses of vino.”
I guide Gemma, my hand on her elbow, out of the store.
Lauren calls after us, “Call me, okay?”
I toss a hand in the air, waving as I walk away.
