Invisibility Cloak (27 page)

He was so close to them, but hidden in the bushes, he could hear Amanda’s dress swirl around just as she asked Smeth, “Shouldn’t we head back, Jeffrey? Dinner will be served soon.” The shuffle of her feet, just barely rose above Jeffrey’s reply.

“Let’s sit here, Amanda.”

Ryder observed Smeth through the trees. “Oh, your wine. Here, take a sip.” Jeffrey held up his own glass and tapped it with Amanda’s. “Cheers. Now, drink up and then we’ll go eat.”

She took a small sip out of her glass. “I don’t know if I can drink anymore, Jeffrey. I’ve had two glasses already.”

Jeffrey closed in on her, pulling her up sharply against his frame. “I want you a smidgen looser, love.” He held the glass up to her mouth, forcing her to drink some.

“Why?” Amanda shook her head. “But, I’m not that thirsty, Jeffrey.”

“For me?”

Amanda brought her brows down and snapped, “No.” Thrusting the half-filled wine glass at him, she stood and wobbled away. Ryder’s eyes followed her as she headed toward the Country Club’s back patio. Smeth didn’t move and stayed where he was on the bench. Ryder trailed behind Amanda. Since it was getting dark, he didn’t need the cover he did earlier.

“Amanda, wait!” Smeth called out behind her, just as she made it to the back patio of the Club. She turned as Jeffrey came up behind her with Ryder close behind, hidden behind the dense foliage.

Ryder swore under his breath as Smeth wormed his way into her good graces.

“Amanda, I’m sorry.” Smeth directed her to sit down on one of the cushioned chairs in front of the fire pit. “Can we sit down here?”

She looked around then slowly sank down on the wrought iron loveseat.

“I think I should go home, Jeffrey.” Amanda put both hands on her stomach. “I don’t feel so good.” The fading sunlight glinted off her silver chain on her wrist.

Ryder frowned, just how much wine had she drank?

“S
ure, I’ll take you home, Amanda.”

Amanda nodded and stood up. Her head began to spin and her vision blurred. Instead of only one Jeffrey, there were now three distorted visions of him sitting beside her on the outdoor settee. Bile rose in her throat and her body reacted. Her diaphragm lurched forward and Amanda clutched at her stomach as fire swirled in her gut.

Oh Crap, I’m going to puke!

With one arm around her waist, Amanda stood up on shaky legs. “Um, give me just a second, Jeffrey.” Like a blind man she walked unsteadily into the club, pawing the wall a few times to give her support. Looking frantically around for the bathroom, she finally spotted a small sign and followed the arrows to the woman’s restroom. Her body swayed so much she had to extend her arms out at her side just to keep from falling over.

What is going on?
Her stomach lurched again and she stumbled through the door, still feeling like she was going to throw-up. She looked around and her eyes widened.

Wow.
This was one of the prettiest restrooms she’d ever seen.

And she was going to puke all over it.

Hang on Amanda . . .
she thought dimly before she lurched for the toilets.

Instead of the usual bright lights and standard bathroom toilets, this place had low lighting and wood doors for each toilet stall. And even a sitting room with brown leather couches, she noticed quickly before reaching out for the lavatory door handle. Amanda pushed at a wooden section of what she thought was the bathroom stall door, but it wouldn’t move. Squinting her right eye closed, she tried to get her brain to work properly and fixated on what was in front of her.

Good Lord!

She hadn’t drunk that much today had she? When her eyes re-focused she realized she was trying to push open the wall next to the brown wood stall door, so she shifted one hand to the darker colored section, while she kept the other hand over her mouth.

Praying that she could wait to puke until she got to the toilet, she turned the brass knob to open the door.

The door flew open so fast, she landed hands down on the toilet rim. It was probably the exact place she needed to be at that exact moment. Leaning over the stool, she waited for it to come, but nothing. Still nauseated, her skin was clammy, covered in sweat. Slowly pivoting, she pulled the wooden lid down and sat down. She bit back a sob. It was scary feeling like this. She’d never been this drunk before. Tears slid down her cheeks and the salty drops curved into her mouth.

Carefully she reached for the toilet paper roller and pulled a few squares off to dab at her neck and face. And again, she tried to re-group. Even as drunk as she was, she still noticed how nice this bathroom was as she peered around. Dark walls, pull chain to the right of her and brass toilet paper holder to the left. She sighed again, for
cripes sakes
, she could live in here it was so darn nice. Thankfully it was quiet in the ladies lounge. Everyone must be in the dining area.

The last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her like this or create a scene. The bathroom fan thrummed steadily above her and Amanda closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down.
Okay.
She sucked in a deep breath.

Without warning, the lounge door opened and the outside sounds of the corridor burst into the restroom briefly. Clipped footsteps of someone in high heels brushed past where she sat enclosed in the bathroom stall. She really didn’t want to see anyone, so she held her breath. Maybe no one would know she was even in here if she was really quiet.

“
Ewwwww!
That woman drives me crazy!”

“Oh, Sof,” another woman’s voice purred. “You know he just feels sorry for her, don’t you?”

Sof?
Someone was actually named after a sofa? Amanda slapped her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t burst out in laughter.

“Well then, where is he?” The snappish click of high heels walked by her stall again. “Come on, I need to calm down.”

“Sit here.”

Amanda heard a faint shuffling of
something
. “Do a line. That always makes you feel better.”

“Aarrr!” It sounded like something was thrown across the room. “She’s as bad as her moronic husband!”

“There, there. Sit. Snort.” A woman’s sharp laugh echoed through the restroom. “It always makes you feel better.”

“She’s such a baby.” A large inhale. “All stupidly wide-eyed and the bitch even limps!”

Amanda’s stomach jumped. Were they talking about her?

“Sof, calm down. Here, just one more.”

Another soft sniff. “I still have to deal with the general. He won’t leave me alone.”

Amanda shook her head, wanting to focus so she could hear more. The voices sounded cloudily familiar.

“I can keep the general busy. You never should have joined with him in the first place. Would that make you feel better?”

“You know what would really make me feel better?” A large inhale. “Ryder naked underneath me.” Crackled laughter followed more sniffing. “Or on top of me.” A small giggle. “I wonder if he is as big as I imagine him to be.”

“You look gorgeous.” Sniff, sniff. “He won’t be able to turn you down tonight.” Sniff, sniff.

“As long as he’s not playing Mister Fricken’ Bodyguard to Creepy Miss Science Nerd.” Sniff, sniff.

Yes, they were talking about her.

Images of the popular girls from Junior High School making fun of her invaded her head and she bit her lip. Amanda thought that after you grew up and worked hard to get a few degrees that it wouldn’t hurt as much.

But she was dead wrong. Her heart and lungs squeezed tight at that very moment. That crappy
I’m not-good-enough
shame she hadn’t felt in over twenty years rolled over her. She’d never wanted to have to go through those feelings again. Never thought she would.

Why’d it still have to hurt?

But now, instead of a thirteen year-old geek, she was an inebriated thirty-five-year woman sitting on a toilet seat in a country club. She clutched her head with her hands.

Could it get any worse than this?

“I’ll distract her if you want me too.” Sniff, sniff. “And the general, too.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Sniff, sniff. “I thought I had it taken care of, but time will tell.”

“Let’s get back to the dance. We can always do a few more lines later.”

“Yes, I suppose. Hey, I know.” Crackled laughter again sounded through the lounge. “Maybe I’ll start limping! Then he’ll pay more attention to me!”

Her heart contracted and she narrowed her eyes at the back of the stall door
willing
them to keep talking. Those voices . . .

She was positive it was someone she knew, but her head was too blurry to put it together. They obviously knew her. But her stomach unexpectedly lurched again and bile rushed up her throat. She needed to cough.

Ah!
Her eyes watered and tears rolled down her cheeks as she pressed her mouth together.
No!

“Come on,” one of the women said. “Let’s take care of the general first.”

Their high heels clacked out of the women’s lounge.

The fleeting sounds of the country club lobby resonated through the restroom as the door opened and closed. That brief rush of muffled conversation and glasses clinking heard in a two-second span. All the while her head swam around and around. The only thing she could do was lower her head in her hands and pray.

R
yder caught up with Smeth and grabbed his left shoulder as he walked back into the club’s rear lobby. Jeffrey turned to see who was there and jerked away from his grip.

“Where is she?” Ryder growled. He was so pissed-off; he had to hold himself back from ripping Smeth’s head off.

Jeffrey’s eyebrow’s jumped up under his wire-rim glasses. “What?” He shook his head. “Oh God, it’s you again?” Smeth turned totally around and put his hands on his slim hips. “For God’s Sakes, Stevenson, go kill something or someone and leave me alone.”

“How about I start with you, asshole?” Ryder grabbed him by the collar and pushed his fist into his pansy-ass expression. “What did you do?”

“I don’t have the vaguest idea what you are talking about.” Smeth waved him off with the only hand not pinned against the wall. “Now shoo. Go find your own date.”

“Where’s Amanda?” Ryder snarled a second time.

“Ryder.” Sophia came up behind him and placed her hand on the arm that gripped Smeth by the neck. “What are you two doing? This is a country club.” She leaned in closer to Ryder’s ear. “If you want to get rough, we can leave right now.” She smiled. “And go back to my place.”

No way
. Shuddering at the thought, he eased his grip up on Smeth.

Jeffrey frowned at him as he tucked his shirt and suit back in place. “I do need to go find Amanda, because she did say she wasn’t feeling well. Did you see her in the ladies lounge, Sophia?”

She licked her lips. “No. I was just in there too. It was empty except for Mimi and me, that is.”

Smeth adjusted his suit cuffs. “Well, I’ll have to look around for her then.”

“I’ll go with you.” Ryder walked up beside Jeffrey.

Jeffrey stopped and put his hand up. “I’ll go find my date, myself.” Pointing his finger at Ryder, he ordered, “You go with your own date.”

“Come on, Ryder.” Sophia looped her arm around his. “I need a drink.”

He grudgingly nodded; he could use a drink as well. But damn it, he was worried about Amanda.

“Look, Ryder.” Sophia pointed to a cluster of people milling around the dining tables with drinks in their hands. “There’s Mimi and Roger. They said they’d save a seat for us.” She pulled him in their direction. Roger’s head was turned as he spoke to someone on his left, but his arm encircled his wife with his other hand.

Ryder had to admit, Mimi Carlyle was a looker, but definitely not his type. Hell, she looked like she was ready to walk 22nd Street after the dinner dance. Her dress looked painted on, with the halter front dipping down to her navel and only glittery laces bringing the left and right side of the dress together. She was in a deep conversation with General Holmes. The short, gray-haired man looked intense as he spoke and Mimi nodded every so often.

When Sophia finally dragged him to the table, she draped her purse over an empty seat, and exclaimed, “There you are, Roger! Have you seen Jeffrey and Amanda?”

“Yes.” Roger pointed to his index finger in to the hallway that led to the restrooms. “But, Amanda doesn’t look so good.”

Ryder’s gaze followed where Roger indicated and he jumped out of his seat. Amanda’s face was pasty white.

“Ryder, where are you going?” Sophia asked as he walked away from the table.

“I’ll be right back,” Ryder said over his shoulder. Amanda leaned back against the wall while Jeffrey hovered over her. They appeared to be discussing something, but he couldn’t hear their low murmurings. As he approached, all he could see was Amanda, and she had wrapped both arms around her stomach with her head bowed down.

“Amanda, are you okay?” He barked out as he came up next to her.

She pulled her pale face up and stammered, “I, I think I’m coming down with something, Ryder. I’m going to have Jeffrey take me back home.”

Smeth’s chin jumped in the air and his eyes narrowed. Ryder wanted to punch the asshole for giving him that
See, I told you so look
.

“Amanda, let me take you home.” Ryder reached out to her.

“No, please stay, Ryder.” Her green eyes met his. “I’m just going home to sleep, anyway. I don’t want to spoil your evening as well.”

“Amanda . . .” Hell, he didn’t even want to be here. And if she was going, he wanted to get out of here, too.

“I’m taking her home, Stevenson. She’s my date!” Jeffrey pulled Amanda away and walked to the front of the club.

There was nothing Ryder could do, so he watched Smeth navigate her to the front door. He stalked behind them until he saw the valet bring Smeth’s car around. Satisfied she was on her way home to sleep off whatever bug she had, he turned back to the dining area.

Sophia waved at him as he entered the dining hall. “Ryder, I ordered you a beer.”

“Thank you, Sophia.” He needed a drink. Or two.