Page 29 of In the Nick of Time
“Another half hour and then we’re leaving.”
“Okay?”
A server approached their table taking drink orders. On a whim, Nick ordered a glass of champagne. Doug ordered a fancy drink that ended up being just another way of saying water.
“Flat water? What the hell is flat water? Why can’t a person just order water?” Nick hissed.
Doug was back to ignoring him. Nick returned to trying to learn everything he could about the room. How were they going to find the disappeared or possibly murdered agents if all they were doing was playing cards? Doug had told him The Ace of Clubs—which Nick just now realized was a ridiculous pun in its own right—was the last charge on the agents’ cards, so SPAMassumed something had happened to them here or after they left here. But did it have to be that way?
Heavy brocade curtains drew closed in front of the dancers and low music started to play overhead. Not loudly, nothing that would interfere with the concentration of the players. Nick was bored. The server returned with a flute of champagne for Nick and set a tumbler of water with a slice of lime clinging to the edge next to Doug.
“This must be a pretty great job,” Nick said after glimpsing the name badge. “Is your name Ginny? My mom—she’s dead—her name was Virginia, and sometimes she went by Ginny. Or at least, I remember my dad calling her that. He’s dead too, in case you were curious.”
Ginny, who was the proud wearer of at least a couple thousand sequins just on her own, blinked at him.
“Excuse me?” She blinked again.
This was something Nick was used to.
“Never mind. Is there a restroom back here?”
Ginny pointed to a corner opposite the other secret room and departed, clearly not wanting to engage with Nick any further. That worked perfectly fine for him.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Doug. Better to ask forgiveness later.
It felt good to stretch his legs. He’d been feeling a bit cramped and twitchy at the table. Sitting still was never a strong point for him, but it seemed even more difficult for him than usual in the game room.
He pushed into the bathroom. Decoratively, it was a significant level up from the one in the front room. Marble tiles on the floor and walls, mahogany stall doors, private urinals, and shiny nickel faucets all made for a fancy restroom experience.
While Nick was tucking, re-zipping, and buttoning in his stall, he heard the door open and shut. Ugh. Privacy in a stall ornot, he didn’t like being in bathrooms with someone he didn’t know. He quickly finished up, hoping to get his hands washed before he had to make uncomfortable small talk.
Dammit.
The stranger had plonked himself in front of one of the sinks. Leaning across the counter, he was peering into the mirror that ran the length of the wall. The man was a bit on the old side, maybe even older than Doug—Nick bit back a laugh—and seemed out of place.
Out of place was unusual for Vegas. Nick had been in town just over twenty-four hours, but he’d already seen just about everything and this guy was Mr. Awkward. He was almost cartoonish, wearing an ill-fitting black suit and pointy black shoes with, inexplicably, a weird old-timey hat on his head.
Praying the man wouldn’t speak to him, Nick soaped up his hands and turned the water on. There was nothing more awkward than bathroom conversation, everyone knew that. It was basic socialization.
Don’t make eye contact. Don’t make eye contact.
“Do you have a pair of fingernail clippers?” the man asked him.
Seriously?Rinsing his hands off, Nick tapped the air dryer. The thing was powerful enough to lift off an airplane and loud enough he didn’t want to speak over it. Did Mr. Awkward truly think Nick had anywhere on his person he could hide clippers? He couldn’t even get his hands in his pockets. Extracting his wallet would have been an issue, but luckily Doug was paying.
“No, sorry.” Nick moved to step past him and escape back to the safety of Doug Swanson. The man stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Excuse me?” Nick stared down at the offending grasp.
The stranger frowned back at Nick, then his eyes widened and his hand fell to his side.
Scowling, Nick carefully stepped around the man and pushed back into the other room.Touching him?How weird was that. Who did that? Weirdos did that, that was who.
Doug must have been watching for him because his gaze immediately caught Nick’s when he exited the restroom. Nick weaved through the tables, but Doug stood up before Nick could sit back down.
“Time to go.”
“That sounds great to me. There was a weirdo in the bathroom.”
“I saw him go in after you. What happened?”
