Operation Date Escape

far corner of the darkened room, adding as they settled onto their stools, “If we don’t get home too late.”
    It was a pretty safe bet they wouldn’t make it home before midnight. Not when there was a bar filled with men and Nanci was with her. That meant she’d safely be able to avoid calling Cole for at least one more night. And hopefully by tomorrow she’d be able to convince herself that she was doing the right thing where their relationship or rather non-relationship was concerned.
    “Promise?”
    “What?”
    “I want your word that you’ll call him tonight if it’s not too late when you get home.”
    Kelsie smiled. “I promise.” It was the easiest promise she ever had to make.
    Nanci pulled a menu from the stand in the center of the table and flipped it open. “Good, because Joe’s stopping by my place tonight at nine, so you’ll be home in plenty of time to call Cole.”
    “You tricked me!” she exclaimed, drawing a few curious glances their direction.
    “Drastic times call for drastic measures,” Nanci admitted with a grin.
    “Some friend you are.”
    “You’ll thank me for it tomorrow. I promise.”
    The waitress arrived to take their order before Kelsie could reply. All she could do was give Nanci the evil eye from across the table. Not that the evil eye ever achieved the desired effect on her friend, but just giving it made her feel a whole lot better.
    “The drinks go on my tab tonight,” her friend told the waitress.
    “That’s because she feels guilty for being a low-down, conniving best friend,” Kelsie grumbled as she slung her purse strap over the back of her stool.
    “Sounds like my ex-boyfriend,” the waitress said. “Only he always made me buy the drinks. So what can I get for you two?”
    “Give me a Captain Colada,” Kelsie announced, not missing the look of surprise on Nanci’s face. Then she added with a smile, “And make it a strong one.”
    “What are you doing?” her friend gasped in surprise.
    “I’m placing my drink order.”
    “I thought you preferred light beer or wine coolers because mixed drinks hit you too fast.”
    The waitress looked to Kelsie as if expecting her to change her order, but she had no intention of doing anything of the sort. It was going to take more than a few mixed drinks for her to gather the nerve to call Cole; which apparently she would be doing when she got home.
    “You know what?” she said, looking over the drink menu again. “I think I will change my order.”
    “I thought you might,” Nanci said , sounding relieved.
    Kelsie glanced across the table at her friend and smiled, then turned to the waitress. “Make that two Captain Coladas.”
    “Two? Uh, okay.” The waitress hesitated before turning to take Nanci’s order. “And for you?”
    “I’ll have a margarita. Easy on the salt.”
    “Okay, I’ll be right back with your drinks.” The waitress hurried away, grinning as she went.
    Nanci closed her menu, shoved it back into its holder and then leaned forward, pinning Kelsie with her gaze. “Two Ultimate Captain Coladas?”
    She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m really thirsty. Hope you brought lots of cash tonight. Those mixed drinks can really add up.”
    “I have my Visa with me if the need arises. But I’m not too worried.”
    “You should be. I’m feeling pretty wild tonight.”
    Her friend simply laughed. “Intending to be a real party girl, huh?”
    “You bet.”
    She snorted. “As if that’s ever going to happen.”
    She bristled at her friend’s reply. She could be a party girl if she wanted to. “There’s always a first time for everything.”
    “Sounds like I might have to up my Visa limit for tonight,” Nanci said , clearing finding humor in Kelsie’s warning.
    “ Laugh all you want. Tonight’s the night I drink you under the table. Unless you decide to save yourself some serious cash and let me out of my promise. Then we can just forget all about your offer to buy my drinks tonight...”
    “Not a chance. Like it or not, you are going to call Cole tonight.”
    Damn.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    Three Ultimate Captain Coladas and an order of chicken quesadillas later Kelsie stumbled into her apartment and closed the door. This was it. She’d made her best friend a promise and she was woman enough to keep it.
    She fumbled several times with the door chain before successfully hooking it. Ha, see there. She wasn’t drunk. An intoxicated person couldn’t have figured the door chain