None of them had quite finished the first round, so their table began to look a little crowded when the fresh drinks came. Fiji took care of her original glass of wine and lifted her second. She said, “I’d take pictures of the walls with my phone, but I’m afraid the bouncer would step on it and crush it. Not that I would mind if he came over.”

Manfred glanced over at the door. The bouncer was a hard, handsome man with some miles on him. “Fiji, I’m betting you don’t drink a lot,” he said, trying to suppress a smile.

“I don’t,” she confessed. “How did you know?”

“Just a lucky guess.”

“You think he’d like my phone number?”

“Feej, that guy is tough as nails, and he’s not only been around the block, he’s run a marathon. He could eat you for breakfast,” Olivia said, half smiling.

“And wouldn’t that be a great way to wake up?” Fiji said, with a broad wink. Manfred laughed; he couldn’t help it.

“Wilma” caught Manfred’s eye. She tilted her head toward the bar. A newcomer stood there waiting for his drink, and he wasn’t looking around at the walls like a first-time visitor. He was looking at the people. He had a receding chin with a sort of billygoat beard, a nose that had been broken more than once, and prominent blue eyes.

Manfred nudged Olivia. “Sic him,” he said. “There’s your blind date.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes. “Well, damn, no wonder the waitress was surprised.” She got to her feet with a smooth economy of movement.

As she made her way to the bar, Manfred turned to Fiji. To his surprise, she was watching him with sharp eyes. “You’re not as drunk as you sounded,” he said.

“I do think the bouncer’s cute,” she said. “And I’m a little tipsy. But I’m not likely to get drunk. It’s too dangerous.”

“For you?”

“For other people.”

Manfred remembered the frozen woman in Fiji’s yard. He had to agree with her policy. He glanced over to see what progress Olivia was making with Deck. Deck was clearly startled but delighted. He didn’t seem to be questioning his good luck.

“Such fools,” Fiji muttered, and Manfred said, “Hey, I’m a man, remember?”

“Sorry,” she said. “You’re a better man than most.”

“Thanks,” he said, though he didn’t feel truly mollified. Olivia worked her way through the crowd to arrive back at their table. Along the way, she commandeered another chair for her new acquaintance.