Page 13 of Triplet Tease

“She’s working in the evening, in a bar.So, I’ll be free.”

Finn pulled out his phone and started tappingat the screen. “We’ll have to hit the stores first thing in themorning for something to wear. Nothing out of the backpack will workfor a charity event.” He looked up from his phone.

“Yeah, well, we don’t have much time forshopping. But Simon stressed it’s very informal. You don’t need atux, and not even a suit, Finn, so calm down.”

“Attracting the arty crowd, I suppose,”Finn looked at Harry. “But still, we need something better to wearthan what we’ve got with us.”

Harry shrugged. “True.”

And on that, we all agreed.

My two brothers couldn’t be more different.Finn practically looked dressed for the office at all times. Incontrast, Harry rocked the art student look, with long hair, colorfulclothes, and long stubble, even though he stopped being a student afew years ago and was a professional photographer in his own right. Aphotographer, but not as famous as our late mother.

“And we should have something decent to wearwhen we meet up with Dad.” Finn bit his bottom lip. “Of course,he flies in tomorrow. Do you think we’ll be able to meet Derry?”

I shook my head. “Like I said, it allhappened while you were out. Dad called. He flies into town in theafternoon, and he’s staying at the Hilton. He said he probablywouldn’t want to leave his hotel until the next day because he hasa lot of work to do.”

“Okay, good.” Finn resumed tapping on thephone, checking out local fashion stores for sure.

“Dad said he’ll meet us the day after.That’s when he’s coming over to see Decker about thedocumentary.”

Decker Bretton was a young documentaryfilmmaker who’d approach our father about making a documentaryabout his business.

Our father was an architect; therefore, Deckerintended to create a cure for insomnia with a film you’d fallasleep to. Whatever Decker had in mind, he didn’t find Harker,Maxwell, and Associates by accident; the dude used his contacts. Itwas a case of our father often working for his father. Among otherthings, our father designed the Bretton building. That was the nameof the building that we were staying in, and where the Bretton sonslived. They were a few floors above us.

“By my calculations, that means lover-boy andI are free to go undercover tomorrow night. I never expectedcrime-busting to be easy, but it’s not too much of a sacrificesuffering through a few lap dances.”

“I agree, it’ll be worth it if we meet asmuggler. We only need his contact details to pass to the police andreasonable suspicion.”

“I’ll sleep a little easier in my bedknowing little monkeys were saved from the horror of internationalsmuggling by one of these criminals being put out of business. Justone evening out of our lives can make an actual difference. How oftencan you say that?”

Harry shook his head, looking unconvinced.“Almost every day in Ecuador, I saw how our work on the sanctuarymade a difference to the animals there.”

“We all understand why we’re doing it.”

“I don’t mind going,” I said.

“You! Mr. Romantic, in a strip club? I can’tsee it, somehow.”

“It’s called going undercover.”

The guys laughed, and I did too. “You can besure, when I see those ladies taking their clothes off, I won’tenjoy a single minute of it.”

“Yeah, just like we didn’t,” said Finn.“But you might not if you have your mind on this new girlfriend ofyours. Tell us more about her.”

“Her name’s Siena. You’ll meet hertomorrow at lunch. She’s sent from heaven; that’s all I’msaying right now, but you’ll see what I mean.”

After that, the atmosphere lightened in thekitchen. I had another beer while chatting with my brothers before weall took to our rooms.

This time I closed my door in order to be alonewith my thoughts about Siena.

Even though it was late, I decided it wasn’ttoo late to send her a text and invite her to lunch. She workednights, and, for all I knew, she might still be at work or on her wayhome.

CHAPTER SEVEN

SIENA

Oh, fuckety fuck, fuck.

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