I glanced around the room. Out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention, but before I could focus on it, it was gone. What was that? I wondered uneasily as I followed Audrey out of the bar. I’d had the impression it was a familiar face, but it had moved too quickly for me to recognize it.

Probably just Audrey’s new friend Eric, I thought drily as I stepped outside.

ONCE WE WERE OUTSIDE in the fresh air, Audrey seemed to sober up a modicum.

“So you won’t believe what happened,” she began. “This was a birthday party for my colleague Lena, right? And I think I’ve told you how much she hates our other colleague Lawrence.”

“He’s the one that assaulted you, right?” I cut in.

“He’s the creep who couldn’t keep his hands to himself,” she said blackly. “So Lena didn’t want him there, and everyone knew it, especially him. And then who do you think showed up?”

“Really? He did?” I said, feigning surprise even though I couldn’t care less about Audrey’s office gossip. All I wanted to know was how the date had gone with Max, whether Max had said anything about me. Whether I needed to worry.

“He totally did. Lena made him leave and—” Audrey cut herself off and glanced over her shoulder.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just thought …” she muttered. Abruptly, she brightened. “Oh! So let me tell you about your friend Max.”

My stomach jumped and I wasn’t sure whether I should correct her on the term “friend.” But before I could decide, she squealed, “First, there was this mansion.”

As Audrey launched into a detailed play-by-play of the date, I began to relax. If anything about camp had come up, Audrey surely would have said something by now. She wouldn’t be describing every piece of artwork in that house or blathering on about some text messages Nick had sent.

“Wait,” I said suddenly. “Nick kept pestering you while he knew you were out?”

She laughed. “Nicky’s just so insecure.”

“I’ve met Nick,” I said, frowning. “ ‘Insecure’ is not a word I would use to describe him.”

She laughed again and leaned toward me, her voice loose as she said, “You didn’t hear this from me, but Nick hasn’t always been Mr. Suave.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was his plus-one to a family wedding this one time, and his brother was telling me—” She broke off into laughter. “No, I shouldn’t repeat it. Nick would kill me.”

“You can tell me,” I insisted. “I’m your best friend.”

“I know,” she said lightly. “But I really shouldn’t. Let’s just say that Nick hasn’t always been the best with the ladies and leave it at that.”

“I—”

“Did you hear that?” Audrey interrupted.

“Hear what?”

She looked over her shoulder anxiously. “I think someone’s been following us.”

I turned around and studied the sidewalk behind us. There were a handful of people coming and going, none of whom seemed to be looking at us in particular. “I don’t see anything suspicious. Let’s just get home, okay?”