Chapter Thirty

Dinner over, Selene leaned her head on Brent's shoulder, picking with her fork at her dessert-- a torta de kore made with lemon, pomegranate, and other fruits. She had moved her chair next to his after they finished their second bottle of wine and just before she ordered a snifter of Benedictine. When Brent asked if she wouldn't prefer a cup of coffee, she ordered coffee, too, but still insisted on getting her liqueur.

"Aren't you going to drink your coffee?" Brent asked.

Selene's sleepy eyes searched the table for the cup, but failed to find it. "Won't do me any good anyway."

"I told you not to drink so much."

"What are you, my mother?" Selene turned an unfocused gaze on him. "It's no wonder Elise ran away from you, if this is how you treat a girl these days. Always saying what to do and what not to do, never letting a girl make any decisions of her own..." She settled herself back on his shoulder. "Good thing I broke up with you. I would've gotten bored."

"I didn't bore you as a friend."

"Friendship is different. Besides, I wanted you for more than that. You knew it, too."

Brent took her hand. "I guess I did. It was wrong of me to pretend like I didn't."

Selene shrugged and reached for her snifter. Finding it empty, she looked around for the waiter.

"Can you take you mind off the liquor long enough to listen to me for a minute? I need to ask you a favor."

Selene struggled to sit up. "So we finally get to the real business of this evening's entertainment."

"I wanted to see you for your sake, not just your connections."

She adopted a look of tipsy unconcern. "I don't know why you think I'd believe that, but whatever. Let's get to the truth of the matter."

"I was hoping you could help me out. Elise got her identity changed and if I give you the data I have on her, I was wondering if you could find out if she's planning to go anywhere. In particular if she's planning to leave the country."

"How would I know something like that?

"Your husband is a consul and your father used to be the CEO of a major airline and is still a principal shareholder. Are you saying you don't know anyone who could find out if she's bought a plane ticket or arranged for a visa?"

Selene brooded in silence for a few minutes. "I suppose I could make a few phone calls, but I really couldn't care less if you found this girl or not. It's obvious she doesn't give a damn about you."

"Maybe not, but I give a damn about her."

"Must be nice to have someone who cares," Selene sniffed.

"As if you don't," Brent pointed out. "Your husband adores you, by your own admission. You say you have other men who like you pretty well, too. You don't sound like you're hurting for men who care."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

Selene met his eyes unsteadily. "Do you still care about me?"

Brent smiled. "I think you've had too much to drink. Would you like me to take you home? You know I can't let you drive in this condition."

She shook her head. "What would my husband think if I came home late with a strange man? Have the waiter call a cab."

Brent spotted the waiter and motioned him over. Selene looked up and tried to order another Benedictine, but Brent stopped her. "She doesn't need anything else."

After he had given the waiter his card and they were alone again, Selene turned a sullen pout on him. "Spoilsport."

"I don't want to be here all night watching you drink. Go home and drink, if that's what you want to do."

"I probably will. Nothing else to do around there."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, until the waiter reappeared with the receipt. Brent signed then helped Selene to her unsteady feet. He guided her to the waiting area near the front door where they would be able to see the cab when it arrived. "Thank you for agreeing to help me," he said, adjusting her coat and guiding her to an upholstered bench by the window. "I know I'm putting you in a potentially compromising situation. And thank you for your company."

"Oh, sure," Selene said. "You got what you what you wanted." She gave a drunken imitation of her most seductive sidelong look. "But I haven't gotten what I want yet. If my husband wasn't at home tonight, I'd invite you over. You're acting uptight, but I bet you're still a lot of fun once a girl gets you alone."

"You've had way too much to drink, or you wouldn't be talking like that."

"How do you know? I've always thought you were fun in bed. If I knew where Elise is, I'd tell the lucky bitch what a good thing she's giving up. Too bad she was only using you."

"She wasn't using me, Selene."

"Oh, wasn't she?" Seeing the cab pull up in front of the restaurant, she tried to stand and Brent jumped to his feet to assist her. "I don't need your help," Selene assured him, pushing his arm away.

"Well, I'm walking out there with you anyway, since that's where my car is." He guided her down the walkway toward the curb. Just as they neared the cab, Brent stopped her with a tug on her elbow. "Here's the information you'll need." He slipped a piece of paper into her hand. "Call me as soon as you find out something. And thanks for meeting me tonight. I really needed to talk to someone, and you're still a great listener."

"Thanks for the crumbs from your table." The cool air seemed to have sobered Selene up a bit, and leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Call me sometime, since you don't seem to mind being a girl's toy. Maybe my husband will be out of town and we can have some fun."