Page 70 of Tell No One
“Are you going to leave anything precious in the car?” Tag asked. “Because it might not be here when we come out of a place like this.”
They both took their backpacks in. The moment they walked through the door, all the locals at the bar stopped talking, turned to look at them, then began chatting again.
“Is this place near where you live?” Tag whispered.
“No. What do you want to drink?”
“Strawberry margarita.”
Delaney glared. “I’m not going to ask for that.”
“Pina colada.” Tag was only winding him up.
“Nor that. You can have a beer.”
“A weak shandy.”
Delaney went up to the bar but no one moved to let him in.
“What a gorgeous doggie,” Tag said in a loud and very flamboyant voice. “He is so cute. Aren’t you, sweetie pie?”
The dog was the least cute thing Tag had ever seen. It was old and fat and half of an ear was missing. As Tag minced towards it, the dog growled.Fuck.“You don’t mean that, you big softie.”
He could feel the occupants of the bar watching him. Tag crouched down, far enough away to throw himself sideways if the dog leapt at him, but near enough to smell the dog’s rancid breath.Ugh.He opened his arms. “Come for a cuddle, cutie.”
Tag sort of half-hoped the dog did no such thing, but he lumbered to his feet and waddled over. Tag carefully reached out and scratched behind its damaged ear.
“You have to be called Princess. That is your name, right? You are gorgeous.”
“Spike,” someone said.
Tag stood up and held out his hand to the one who’d spoken. “Hi, Spike. My name’s Raphael.”
“The dog’s called Spike.” The man didn’t shake his hand.
“But it’s a girl. Oh.” Tag laughed. The dog had rolled onto his back. No balls but the other part of him was visible. Bit too visible.Eew.He bent down and tickled the dog’s stomach avoiding its lipstick. “Such a beautiful dog. Yes, you are. Gorgeous.”
The dog writhed in pleasure.
“Raphael. Your drink,” Delaney called.
Tag gave the dog one last pat and sashayed over to join Delaney. There was a drink on the table with an umbrella stuck in the pineapple slice wedged on the lip. Conversation in the pub resumed as Tag sat down.
“Is this a pina colada?” Tag whispered.
Delaney gaped at him.
“Thank you. I’ve never had one before.” Tag picked up his drink and sucked hard through the paper straw.
“Don’t thank me. The landlord paid for your drink. He said you were the first person to ever make a fuss of his dog.”
Tag turned to look at the bar and smiled his thanks. The landlord nodded.
“But you’re an idiot,” Delaney said quietly, wiping off the smile on Tag’s face. “They’re going to remember us now. Well, you, anyway. No matter where we go, we stay under the radar, right?”
Tag bypassed the straw and gulped from the glass. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
“You will be.”
