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Sarah Martin brushed at the front of her blue silk blouse with a paper napkin as she choked. "Now look what you've made me do." She hiccuped, a giggle getting caught in the cough.
"Me?" LeeAnne batted her thick eyelashes at Sarah.
"Yes, you." Sarah threw the wadded-up napkin at her friend. The tight red dress made LeeAnne's pale skin glow and her blond hair shine. Blue eyes smiled mischievously from behind the fluttering lashes.
"You're the one who made the comment about Elvis' pants being too tight and being able to see..."
"Stop." Sarah burst into another fit of giggles and looked away from LeeAnne. She stared up at the ceiling at the shiny silver orb shooting out rays of light across the dance floor and tried to push from her mind the image her mind of the slightly overweight Elvis impersonator jiggling his way across the dance floor. She mopped at the tears of laughter streaming down her face with the damp cocktail napkin stolen from beneath LeeAnne's drink. "I'm going to the ladies' room to fix my makeup and see if I can get this drink out of my blouse."
LeeAnne chuckled. "No use. The grenadine's going to stain."
"It's your fault." Sarah wrinkled her nose and slid down from the bar stool, holding onto the table until her heels clattered against the floor. Straightening her skirt, she stomped off toward the restroom. She held her head up, eyes forward, pretending to ignore the gauntlet of men she traversed, but inspecting every face she passed. She caught smiles out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't tell if they smiled or smirked at the stain across her left breast.
Returning to the table, she hoisted herself up onto the stool, using therung as a step. She glanced around for her friend and caught a glimpse of LeeAnne's red dress behind a lumbering form gyrating his arms. Serves her right, getting stuck with Godzilla. Sarah laughed and reached for her drink. After taking a sip, she propped her chin in her hands and leaned against the table.
The decision to come tonight had been a good one. After hiding out at LeeAnne's for a week, Sarah had needed some diversion. The flashing red and purple strobe lights made the people on the dance floor seem to jerk from spot to spot, rather like an old silent movie. A mass of humanity moved in front of her in time to the music. Off to the left, the Elvis impersonator wiggled his hips and she glanced away, stifling another giggle. The man in front of her, dressed in tight pants and an even tighter shirt, twirled and spun and threw his arms out in strange gestures. His anorexic-looking dance partner wore a bored expression above an super-short and tight orange dress. Her body swayed, but never really moved.
"Sit up straight."
Sarah jumped, almost spilling her drink again. She turned and looked at LeeAnne, who slid back onto her barstool. "Is your dance finished?"
"My feet have been trod on enough. Now get your chin out of your hands and sit up straight. No one will come over and ask you to dance if you slouch."
"I don't care. I'm having fun watching these wackos." She didn't want to be noticed by anyone. She preferred to stay on the outside, observing.
"That's not the point. We're here to find you a boyfriend."
"You're here to find me a boyfriend. I'm quite happy on my own. Besides, as many hours as I work, who has time to start a relationship?"
LeeAnne eyed Sarah. "Don't worry. You won't meet any more loonies like Jack."
A shudder ran through Sarah. She looked over her shoulder and scanned the faces around her. She adjusted the scarf wound around her neck and touched her left arm through the silk. Wincing at the pain of even that slight touch, she shook her head. "I certainly hope not! He damn near killed me."
LeeAnne patted Sarah's hand. "Don't worry. The scarf hides the bruises he left around your neck. I don't know how you can still function. If some loony tune had stalked me, broken into my house, and tried to choke me to death, I'd still be locked in a rubber room screaming my lungs out."
Sarah's stomach twitched. "Without your support, I would be."
LeeAnne wrapped her arm around Sarah's shoulders and hugged her.
"Ouch," said Sarah.
LeeAnne jumped back. "I'm sorry. I forgot he bruised your arms when he attacked you."
Sarah shuddered and glanced over her shoulder again.
LeeAnne leaned close to be heard over the music. "Did I tell you I really like your hair short? You've finally stopped hiding behind all that hair you had falling in your face all the time."
"I'm getting used to it." A coldness settled in her bones as she remembered the steel edge of Jack's knife against the back of her neck. Death had touched her that night. "He didn't leave me much choice after he took a hunk out of the back. It truly is short now."
"It's cool and easy to take care of." LeeAnne fluttered her eyelids. "And it makes your huge gray eyes stand out."
"Like an owls?" Sarah smiled.
LeeAnne smacked Sarah's hand. "No, you brat, so people can see how beautiful they are. I'm just thankful he only cut your hair."
"Me, too." Sarah sighed. Even after a week, she still hadn't mustered up the courage to go back to work. Only with a huge amount of pleading on LeeAnne's part had she been persuaded to leave her sanctuary tonight. Sarah knew she had to get on with life. She couldn't spend the rest of her life hiding. The bruises were starting to fade, but the memories haunted her day and night. "I can't stay with you forever. I'm going back home tomorrow." She hated being afraid. But more importantly, she hated putting her friend in danger.
"Of course you can stay with me forever." LeeAnne sipped her drink.
"No. He might hurt you as well if you get in his way." The hatred that had gleamed in Jack's eyes haunted her dreams. She shook her head to clear the vision, trying to focus on the dancers in front of her. She didn't want to remember his eyes focused on her.
"He doesn't know where I live," LeeAnne reminded Sarah. "Besides, he's probably found someone else, and you won't see him again. Psycho stalkers are that way."
"And how would you know? If only the police would keep him locked up." Sarah shivered. "You weren't there. He said he'd see me dead before he'd let another man touch me." The look in his eyes had backed up his words. "And I don't even have a man in my life."
"Hell, the man's slipped a gear. You never even dated him." LeeAnne ran her finger around the edge of her glass, staring down into its contents. "See anyone out there you want to dance with?"
Sarah uttered a nervous, hiccupping laugh and took a sip of her drink. "Stop changing the subject. I can't concentrate on my business at your place."
"So take a vacation. You deserve it."
"Pete's having fits. He can't do everything on his own." She thought of her gray-haired partner chewing on the end of his index finger. He'd been patient the last few days while she hid out at LeeAnne's. Now, two big accounts needed computer systems installed and employees trained to use them. Their other accounts required attention as well.
"Stay a few more days. Jack'll get bored and wander off to pursue some other woman."
"Excuse me."
Sarah tipped her head backwards to look up at the sound of a male voice. A tall, muscular man with red hair and pale green eyes smiled down at her. "Yes?"
"Would you care to join me in a waltz?"
"Of course she would." LeeAnne smiled broadly.
"I can answer for myself." Sarah swiveled around on the bar stool. Her gaze traveled over the man from his green flannel shirt and tight blue jeans down to the top of his boots. Glancing back at his face, she flashed him a smile. Red hair curled a bit at his ears. His eyes seemed to swallow her up. "Yes. That would be very nice," she stammered.
She stiffened as he placed his hand at her waist to swirl her around the dance floor. His hand warmed a spot on her back. He smiled down at her. A body jostled into her and someone mumbled a "Sorry" under his breath. A jumble of perfumes and colognes assailed her. Her dance partner caught her free hand with his and tightened his grip at her waist, pulling her into him. He smelled of citrus and the soft fibers of his shirt caressed her face. She couldn't breathe. The room seemed to shrink in on her. A sudden urge to pull away and rush off the floor raced through her. He stood too close. Stepping back half a step, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. She would not allow Jack to make her afraid of every man she met. "I'm Sarah." Her voice came as barely more than a whisper.
"Josh." He jerked her to one side. "Sorry. This place is so crowded."
