Trick and Treat - Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Lizzie glanced at her phone again as she sucked down her second cosmopolitan. He hadn’t responded. He wasn’t coming. Disappointment hit her hard. When was she ever going to get a chance to do something so thrilling, so not her as jump a Navy pilot? She glanced down at her tight white corset, her lace gloves. She was starting to worry that Maverick had forgotten her already. How many women had he pleasured in the back of a Ryde? Dozens, probably.
Vance walked into the kitchen then, carrying an empty tray. “What are you doing moping in here? There’s dancing out in the backyard, and Blondie is playing. Go get your groove on!”
Lizzie no longer felt like partying. “He hasn’t written back.”
“That’s because he’s an idiot,” Vance said as he dumped the empty tray in the sink. “Here. Let’s run a background check on him. Maybe he’s a criminal.”
“Vance!”
Vance pulled out his phone and pulled up an app.
“Why do you have a criminal-background-check app on your phone?” Lizzie asked in amazement.
“Because you can never be too safe. I run checks on everyone. Even my dogsitter.” Vance typed in Hunter’s name and frowned. “Looks like he’s clean. No criminal history.” Vance pulled up the Google app on his phone. “Let’s see if there’s any dirt. Maybe he’s married already?”
“Vance, this isn’t helping.” Lizzie sighed.
“Oh, here’s a hit,” Vance said, and pulled up a new page. “Oh…well, this doesn’t work.”
“What is it?” Lizzie asked, fearing suddenly that Maverick had a secret wife and three kids.
“Well, he got a mayor’s commendation for saving a little girl from being run over by a bus last year. Risked his life to get her out of the way. And he got a few medals from the Navy. Looks like you’re dealing with a serious hero.” Vance whistled. “If he were gay and I weren’t married…”
“Aren’t you supposed to convince me why I shouldn’t care that he’s ignoring me?”
“Oh, yes. Right. Well, sorry, sweetie. He looks like the perfect man on paper.”
“A perfect man that’s still hung up on his ex,” Lizzie said and sighed, slumping against the kitchen counter.
“Well, everyone has flaws.” Vance threw one arm around Lizzie and squeezed.
“I think I’m going to go.” Lizzie just wanted to get home. The plastic corset stays were digging into her armpits, and the lace thigh-highs chaffed. She’d had her fun night as a sexy vixen, and now it was time to get back to her real life of flannel pajama bottoms and faded tees. Plus, she had her brood of three foster kittens to feed and tuck into bed.
“It’s only eleven!” Vance exclaimed, as if it were a crime against humanity to leave a party before midnight.
“Yes, but it looks like only tricks for me this Halloween.”
“Sweetie. No. Stay. There’s still time for treats. He could still show.”
“Maybe, but I think I’ll cut my losses. Love you, but I gotta run,” Lizzie said as she stood on her tiptoes to give Vance a kiss on the cheek.