Mae inhaled a deep, shaky breath and expelled it as slowly as she could and she somehow refrained from pacing anxiously across the hotel lobby. She stood near the fountain, where she and Chris had decided to meet, dressed in a tiny little black strapless cocktail dress she just knew would grab his attention. She'd accessorized it with drop earring and a choker of jet beads, smoky sheer stocking, black heels and her favorite listening device. And she tried not to clutch her little back beaded evening bag too tightly, because she had a couple more essential accessories in there, not the least of which was her sidearm.

She only hoped Chris was, in fact, stupid enough and arrogant enough to show up tonight. Then again, she wasn't especially worried about that. She was fairly confident that he would show up. Because she was more than confident that he was stupid and arrogant.

And speaking of stupid and arrogant, there he was, right on time, she noticed, striding through the main entry of the Stanhope Hotel. He looked dapper and handsome and charming in his dark suit and ruby necktie and he made Mae's flesh crawl. She forced a gentle smile and took a few steps forward, meeting him halfway across the lobby.

She was an excellent judge of people, or at least, had been since prom night. She studied Chris closely as she approached him. Evidently, he hadn't seen Milly with John earlier that day. Or, if he had, he hadn't sensed anything suspicious about them being together.

"You look absolutely bewitching." He said as he took both of her hands in his.

She forced a faint blush and dropped her gaze to the ground. "Oh, Chris, you do say nicest things. Thank you."

He threw a surreptitious glance over her shoulder, as if he was looking for someone. "You don't have your bodyguard with you tonight?"

Heat flared in Mae's belly, but she managed a puzzled smile. "My bodyguard? What do you mean?"

"Percy." Chris fairly spat. "Your cousin. I figured he'd be intruding onto our good time again. Ruining everything."

"Oooh, Percy. No, he had to go back home. His mother called him."

Chris oozed out an oily little smile. "Excellent. Then I'll have you all to myself tonight."

Mae tucked her arm through his. "I think we're going to have a wonderful time tonight. I can't wait to see some of our former classmates."

"Yes." Chris said as they strode toward the elevators that would take them to the ballroom. He regaled her with stories of some of their classmates' lives. Mae found herself envying most of those lives that he described. There had been a time in her life when she'd fantasized about such an ordinary existence for herself, a career in a field she enjoyed, marriage, family and a house in the suburbs. But that fantasy had never materialized, thanks to the road she'd begun traveling or perhaps had retreated down after what had happened to her at the prom. She'd known after that night that she would never feel ordinary again. That she would never have a life she totally enjoyed. So, she'd done what she could to exist as happily as could be expected.

And in a way, she had been happy. At least, happy enough. She'd always liked her work and she had friends and a loving family. She'd been reasonably happy if not completely so. Still, she'd never quite been able to shake the feeling that there was something missing from her life, something big. She would have swore that that something was not a man. Now, however, after discovering Mike, she realized that that was exactly what had been missing. Not a man, so much, but affection. Affection she could give to another human being. Affection that another human being would give to her.

She glanced over at Chris and pretended to hang on his every word. Now, if she could only survive the evening, she thought. She would discover what it was like to find the total happiness she had never thought she would know.

"Ah, here we are." Chris said as he came to a stop before the ballroom entrance. "Welcome Woodhaven High School Class of ninety-five."

They were greeted at the table with the name tags by Phil Brooks and his partner, Mason. Mae smiled at them and moved to fasten her name tag to her dress.

"Allow me." Chris said before she had the chance.

And before she could stop him, he plucked the plastic badge from her grasp and affixed it to her dress for her. To do so, he thrust his fingers down the front of her bodice, pressing the backs of his knuckles shamelessly against her breast. It took all she had not to double a fist and whale him one upside the head.

"Thank you." She said.

"My pleasure." He replied. "Let's not stay too long at the reception all right? Being at the Stanhope with you tonight is rousing all kinds of memories. Memories I'd like very much to relieve. I can't wait to show you the boathouse. It's always been a special place for me. And I think you'll be surprised by what you find there tonight."

She made herself smile. "We have plenty of time for that, Chris. First there really are some people I want to see."

He feigned impatience. "If you insist."

"I insist." She knew he had big, big plans for the night but he didn't know she did as well.

For the next two hours, Mae kept a close eye on Chris, her wristwatch, and the main entrance to the ballroom as they circled through the crowd. Then shortly after nine, she glanced toward the ballroom entrance to see one of her colleagues from the Bureau standing at the ready, his single nod her signal that all was well. And she expelled a slow, silent sigh of relief when she realized her sister was safe and sound. Now, all Mae had to do was get Chris alone and make him an offer he couldn't refuse. Or else shoot him. She wasn't really particular.

But he saved her the trouble of having to conjure a pretense just then by abandoning all pretenses himself. "I think this evening has dragged on long enough." He said suddenly, after he'd separated himself and Mae from a small group of old classmates. "I'm getting bored. I want us to be alone. You'll come with me now, Mae. You'll come with me because I have Milly."

"But Milly's not here yet." Mae countered, pretending to misunderstand. "She's driving from Santa Barbara and won't arrive until tomorrow."

"Wrong." Chris corrected her. "Funnily enough, I came to the hotel for you earlier today"

"For me?" She interrupted laughing. "What a coincidence, Chris. Because I was out looking for you."

"Well, I doubt you had the same intentions for me that I had for you."

"Oh? And what were your intentions for me, Chris?"

"Actually." He said with another one of his evil little grins. "I had intended to kidnap and torture you, and then send you home to your father in little pieces."

Oh, my, Mae thought. That was going to sound good on tape. She forced her eyes wide in what she hoped looked like stark, raving terror and tried not to giggle triumphantly.

"But instead. Lo and behold, fate dropped your sister right into my lap. I saw her walking across the hotel lobby and when she turned down a hallway, I, and my companions, followed her."

"Goodness, Chris." Mae said. "Don't tell me you kidnapped and tortured Milly, then cut her up into little pieces. That's going to put a damper on the reunion, don't you think?"

This time Chris was the one to widen his eyes. And his mouth too, because he only gaped like a dead fish at her response. Mae was just about to express her gratitude to him for being so specific about his treats when their conversation was interrupted. Right on cue.

"Hey! Hey, Chris Irvine! I have a bone to pick with you, you lying little sonofabitch!"

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