The next morning I woke up bleary eyed to my cell ringing.
"M, 'ello?" I am not a morning person and last night was a long night. I squinted my left eye open to check out the time. 7:35. Holy crap!
"Hey, sleepyhead." Andy's singsong tone woke me up a little.
"Whaduwant?" I slurred out.
"Oh, What's that? Oh, love you too, sis!"
"Andy, it's early."
"You still going shopping with Mia this morning?" Crap, I forgot.
"It's Saturday?"
"Well, yesterday was Friday. Unless they changed something, yep."
"Crap, I've got to get up." Mia was an early bird and had a horrendously ugly habit of doing things early. Now, who would have thought that those would go hand in hand?
"Before you crawl out of bed…"
"Oh, right. You needed something?"
"Yeah, I need a costume for Halloween."
"Aren't you a little old for that?" I teased. Ranger tugged me back into bed and nestled his head in my upper back. Hmm…I don't need to get up just yet.
"It's for a costume party…er, actually a masquerade ball."
"You got invited to that, too?" I stiffened a little with surprise and the sleepy Ranger ran his hand down my tummy to sooth me. And to do other things, I'm sure.
"Oh, good. I was afraid that it was a hoax, like an advertisement. I don't know that many people on the East Coast, so…"
"Yeah, Lula and Connie got invitations too."
"You guys know the host?"
"There wasn't a name on it and I didn't recognize the address."
"I googled it and found some history on the mansion but the owner wasn't listed. Must be a very private person."
"Mysterious," I murmured and felt Ranger starting to distract me. "Hang on." To Andy. I turned to Ranger and kissed him. "I have to go get ready."
"It's Saturday."
"Shopping with Mia," I reminded him.
"Right," He started to get up. I pushed him back.
"Sleep in." I kissed him again and slid out of bed. "Still there?" I asked Andy.
"Yep, just getting dressed. So, mind if I tag along?"
"Nah, you have better taste then I do in clothes anyway." He laughed and I closed the phone, slipping into the shower.
XxXxXxX
We met at his SUV. He may be gay, but he likes to drive and I still had to put on makeup so it worked out well. We pulled into the mall parking lot at the same time Mia called.
"Where are you?"
"Miss me already?"
"Actually, I thought you overslept."
"Psh, like I would do that." I mouthed a thank you to Andy. "We're just pulling up to Macy's."
"Oh, good. Meet me in the Baby Gap." She hung up and I stared at the phone.
"What?"
"We're meeting her in Baby Gap."
"Hunh, guess Morelli and her are close." I smacked him and we walked into the mall.
Mia was in the check out when we found her. I gave her a hug and whispered, "Something I don't know?" She pulled back with a frown.
"Oh, you naughty girl." Andy drawled. Mia finally understood and she turned bright red.
"Oh, no, no, no!" She waved her arms. "I'm buying these for a friend." Andy nudged me.
"I thought that was the guy's line."
"Little late for those."
"Oh, God, guys, knock it off! I'm buying these for an old college friend who is pregnant."
"Sure…"
"Andy, shut the hell up." She grabbed her sacks and led the way out with me laughing my butt off. At the food court, we went separate ways to our own food choices. Mia went to some healthy juice stand and Andy and I went to Mickey Ds. I told you, we're just shared souls. We met back up at the tables and looked at each other's food. Our food would have kicked Mia's food's butt. Of course, our food was probably going to kill us too so we didn't say a word.
"I need to find a costume today." Andy and I shared looks at Mia's announcement.
"Really?"
"Yeah, Joe and I got an invitation to this ball thing."
"Us, too. " I pointed a finger between Andy and me.
"Really? I thought it was just a cop thing. I've heard that a bunch of other cops have gotten them, like Gazarra and Costanza."
"Connie and Lula, too."
"No kidding? Wonder what this is about?"
"You're going?" Andy asked.
"Oh, yeah. It sounds great and we don't have any other plans." I got up and threw my trash away. Mia looked at me with a worried look when I sat back down.
"What?"
"Are you sure that it's okay with you that…" She stopped.
"That I'm okay with what?"
"Me and Joe." She shrugged helplessly and looked me in the eye.
"Oh, jeez, Mia, of course, I am." It could be a little awkward at times, but I was happy for them. "I love you both and I'm glad that you're happy together. Besides, Dawn is doing so well with him." Dawn was Mia's little girl. Mia had adopted her when her sister died and she had raised her since.
Mia started to speak when my cell rang. I was relieved that this conversation wasn't going to continue. I frowned when I saw the number. "It's Marcus."
Andy's eyes widened a little. "The deaf guy calls on the phone?" I held up a finger and answered the call.
"Yo."
"Back to yo?"
"Bite me."
"Actually, I would rather not. Um, just curious, but have you seen Andy's car lately?"
"We came to the mall in it, why?"
"Because it just pulled up to my building when I came in from a run."
"You sure that it's Andy's?"
"Same NWU bumper sticker and I'm pretty sure that it's the same license plate. Unless Andy's got a kid sister or he's dating 'um real young these days, I think your little thief was driving it."
"Oh, geez, Mallory. Where is it now?"
"Still parked in front of my building. Star and I are watching it now."
"Is Mallory in it?"
"No, she's in the building."
"Crap, we'll be there in a few minutes. I'll call you back if we find the car before that."
"Got it."
Andy looked at me. "Mallory stole my car?" I sighed.
"Maybe," I turned to Mia and she stood and threw the rest of her food away.
"Let's go."
XxXxXxX
Andy's car wasn't in the parking lot. In Mia's car, Andy sat in the back and Mia was gripping the steering wheel like it has seriously pissed her off and she was trying to kill it.
"So…" Andy searched his mind for something to relieve the silence. "How does a deaf guy use the phone?"
"Is this like a knock, knock joke?" I turned around and asked.
"No, how does Marcus use the phone if he can't hear?"
"Um…the wonders of modern technology?" I shrug.
"You're kidding me."
"What?"
"You're afraid of looking like an idiot in front of him."
"No!"
"Yes, you are. You don't want to ask."
"Maybe." Andy rolled his eyes. He was good at it.
"I'll ask him. How's that, genius?"
"Sounds like you have it under control."
"Glad you have faith in me."
"Yes, Andy. I believe in you…" We had pulled into Marcus's lot and I saw Andy's car.
"There it is."
"Holy smokes, that girl is something else."
"Why did she steal his car?" Mia asked as we got out.
"Maybe she saw us getting out of it at the mall."
"Yeah, remember…this girl kinda hates Steph."
"My first preteen stalker."