Page 44 of Take the Wheel

Nancy just smiled, slow and knowing. ‘Hard to say.’

Ari’s fingers tightened ever so slightly around her glass. That was the thing with Nancy. She had a way of landing a hit without ever making it clear she’d swung in the first place. It was a skill. An infuriating one.

‘Would you have done it? Slept with her?’ Nancy asked, and her tone was different. Ari could see she was done bantering.

Ari considered a joke but then shook her head. ‘No. I was planning to shove her in the bathroom and lock her in while I pillaged the drawers.’

Nancy paused for a split second and then laughed, and Ari heard relief in it. And she was glad she’d said it.

‘You didn’t want me pawing her?’ Ari asked, careful to keep her tone light.

Nancy shrugged. ‘I don’t want you to go too far for this. You wouldn’t feel right about using someone like that.’

‘You don’t think?’

‘I don’t,’ Nancy said.

She might have been right about that. But it wasn’t the main reason she couldn’t have slept with the waitress. But Ari wasn’t about to tell Nancy that she couldn’t see herself touching anyone but her.

Thirty-Five

‘OK, well, I think we’ve probably bothered that woman enough tonight,’ Nancy said. ‘Anything else is going to start to look weird. We need someone new to lift the keys from.’

‘OK, how about him?’ Ari nodded towards an older male waiter making his way through the crowd, balancing a tray of empty glasses with impressive ease.

Nancy considered him, eyes sharp. ‘Could be.’

Nancy straightened her dress, adjusting her posture into something more effortless, more natural. ‘Fine. Who’s trying this one?’

Ari’s grin widened. ‘Distraction and opportunity. You charm; I lift. Or do you want to swap?’

Nancy was surprised. ‘You think we can do this together?’

‘I don’t know why we tried it any other way,’ Ari said.

Nancy tried not to notice anything else you could read into that statement. ‘Alright. But let’s not overcomplicate things. You’re the thief, I’m the diversion.’

Ari clapped her hands together. ‘Great. I’m getting a taste for theft.’ She paused. ‘How do I know when the moment’s right?’

Nancy thought it over. ‘When I mention the bride, go in for the kill.’

They drifted through the crowd, slipping into their roles as if it were second nature. Nancy made her way toward the waiter. Ari, meanwhile, moved in the opposite direction, looping around.

Nancy smoothed her dress, already moving toward the older waiter. She knew her in—what every hard-working staff member wanted to hear. And she should know.

‘Excuse me,’ Nancy said, catching the waiter’s attention. ‘I just wanted to say what an incredible job you and the staff are doing tonight. The whole thing is running so smoothly. Must be a nightmare keeping everything on track.’

The man blinked in pleasant surprise. ‘Oh well, thank you, miss. We do try our best. A wedding like this has a lot of moving parts, but it helps when the guests are cooperative.’

‘Oh, of course,’ Nancy said smoothly. ‘And I have to imagine you’ve seen your fair share of weddings working here. Must be a fascinating job.’

The waiter smiled, loosening slightly under the unexpected conversation. ‘Oh, I’ve seen three generations of the Cavanaugh’s get married under this roof.’

‘Wow,’ Nancy said, trying to look interested. ‘We were just saying how well everything seems to be handled. I mean, the bride must be thrilled—’

Ari didn’t need to hear the rest. That was her cue. As Nancy kept the conversation flowing, Ari shifted subtly closer, letting the noise of the room mask her movements. The waiter’s keyring hung just slightly loose from his pocket, attached to a belt loop but within reach.

Nancy watched as Ari let her fingers brush against the cool metal carefully, now a little practised from her first two abortedattempts. A quick flick, a shift of pressure, and the weight of the keys dropped easily into her palm. She curled her fingers around them, tucking them smoothly into the fold of her dress before stepping back.

---