Sealed with a Hiss by Addison Moore (read 50 shades of grey .txt) 📕

admittance, free drinks, free red velvet chocolate chip cookies from the Country Cottage Café, and the freedom to fall in love while you’re at it!”

Emmie catches my eye from the refreshment table and shrugs. I guess they liked the cookies.

I knew we shouldn’t have offered up something so delicious tonight. It was my lousy idea to throw in a few free platters of Emmie’s latest sweet treat. This is what I get for being nice.

“Now”—Lacey takes Bobbie by the hand—“as a special treat and a surprise, my team and I have banded together to honor my best friend, Bobbie Buckingham, this evening.” An elastic smile stretches across her face. “Not only are she and Chip an example of relationship goals for the rest of us, but they’ve never had a honeymoon! So we have a little surprise for the two of you. Chip, why don’t you step on over?”

Chip Buckingham, the dark-haired man with the roving eye, takes his place next to his wife and both Jasper and I take a moment to scowl at him.

Diane heads up on stage with Sugar in one hand and a large manila envelope in the other. Gizmo runs up right along with her, wagging his happy little tail, and the audience breaks out into laughter at the sight of the furry cutie.

“This is from all of us at a Perfect Pairing,” Diane says as she hands the envelope to Bobbie. “You kids enjoy it.” She trots back to her seat as Bobbie clutches the envelope to her chest.

“What have you done?” Bobbie laughs as she slips her finger across the seal. “This is the part where normally I would say you shouldn’t have, but if whatever this is involves an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, well then, yes, you very much should have!”

The crowd bucks with laughter and cheers.

Bobbie pulls out what looks to be a few eight by ten photos as she thumbs through them quickly and her smile quickly dissipates as she staggers on her feet.

“This must be good,” Mom whispers my way.

“You”—she takes a step back from Chip and her face goes white—“you’ve been cheating on me?”

A sharp gasp hisses around the room, followed by a small titter of laughter. And I can’t blame the ones who are laughing. It all feels so very staged as if Bobbie were about to land the punch line.

“Who is this woman you’re with?” Her voice is tight and curt, and suddenly it’s apparent to everyone this is no laughing matter. She turns to look at the crowd. “This is you, isn’t it, Keegan?” she growls as she tosses her microphone into the crowd. “I hate you!” she cries out to the faceless woman before giving Chip a hard shove to the chest. “And I hate you, too!” The pictures fall from her grasp as she runs right out of the ballroom, and on her heels is Chip, the cheater.

Lacey chokes into her microphone as she looks to the crowd. “Please, stay and— um, there’s a book in the back, I think.” She drops the microphone and takes off for Bobbie like any good best friend would.

The chandeliers up above light up the room once again as instrumental music begins to seep through the speakers.

Diane gets up and pulls the redhead that was talking to Lacey earlier to the side, and the two of them look to be having some choice words themselves.

My guess is that’s Keegan.

I’m about to head that way when they both dart out of the ballroom using the same exit Bobbie took off in. And Gizmo is right there on their trail, barking up a storm after them.

Bodies rise from their seats, and soon the crowd is murmuring in hushed whispers as we try to digest what just played out before us.

Jasper leans in. “I’m going to collect those pictures.” He darts for the stage before I can answer.

It’s a good idea for many reasons: first and foremost to protect Bobbie’s privacy, and then, of course, in the event they’re needed as evidence for her forthcoming divorce.

Soon, the entire room is on their feet and some of the women have migrated back toward the front, toward that coffin, pretending to add a few extra notes to the mix, but we all know they’re hoping to catch a glimpse of those pictures. And Macy just so happens to be a first class offender, leading the charge.

Good call on Jasper’s part for snapping them up.

Fish pats my chest with her soft little paw. I smell a rat, Bizzy—one of the human variety. Who do you think gave that woman those pictures?

Sherlock barks. It was Diane! I saw her do it. And to think I thought she was a nice woman. Poor Gizmo is stuck with her. Maybe I should help him plot his escape?

“Just because she gave Bobbie that envelope doesn’t mean she knew what was in it,” I say.

Mom nods my way. “You’re so right, Bizzy. But who would have done something like this in front of a crowd no less? It takes a monster.”

Georgie steps in. “My money is on this Keegan person. I’ve never been wrong about who the other woman was in my man’s life. Sometimes a woman knows exactly who to point the finger at.”

Mom huffs, “And sometimes there are far too many potential other women. Believe me, I would have never pointed the finger at you, Juni. No offense.”

Juni shrugs as she adjusts her leather jacket. “No offense taken. I aim to surprise.”

“Speaking of surprises—” I say. “Would the three of you mind keeping an eye on things? I need to check the foyer and maybe let the staff know what’s going on.”

I take off with Fish and Sherlock in tow. The foyer to the inn is cool and sparse with bodies. The gray wood floors and the dark wooden walls hold a rustic appeal, and just in front of the creamy marble reception counter is an old-fashioned grand staircase that leads to the upper level.

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