Free The Downfall of a Good Girl by Kimberly Lang Page B

cease-fire?” he said.
    That got her attention in a big way, and he had no idea why.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Just until this Saints and Sinners thing is over. We’re going to have to be around each other and the constant battling is giving me a headache.”
    Shock caused her jaw to drop, so he softened it with a promise.
    “You can go back to hating me with a passion on Ash Wednesday.”
    “That rather defeats the purpose. You know that half the interest this year comes from the fact we’re well-known to be adversarial.”
    That was true. Vivi’s little showdown at the cleanup site on Tuesday had been the lead in every news item about Saints and Sinners. “I didn’t say we had to become best friends. Just a small attempt at tolerance so I don’t have to watch my back all the time.”
    Vivi seemed to find the proposition amusing for some reason, but she finally nodded. “I agree. Now, in the spirit of this cease-fire, will you please step aside?”
    He bowed deep from the waist and stepped aside. “Of course.”
    Vivi nearly hit him with her wings again as she put her hands against the door and pushed. The door didn’t open. She pushed again, harder, but nothing happened.
    She turned to him. “A little help, please?”
    He tried, but the door wouldn’t open. A second, harder push also accomplished nothing. He cursed, and Vivi looked at him sharply.
    “It can’t be locked.”
    “It’s either locked or stuck. Either way, it’s not opening.”
    “What kind of door locks people inside?”
    He was thinking the same thing. The door was smooth and blank on this side, and he couldn’t locate any kind ofmechanism to explain why the door wouldn’t open now. “It must lock from the outside somehow.”
    “It wasn’t locked a minute ago.”
    “True.”
    Vivi turned sharply, smacking him with her wings again. “Oh, damn it. That guy was carrying a box when he came out. I bet he came back and threw the lock.”
    “That’s as good an explanation as any.”
    “This is going to be embarrassing.” She thought for a minute, then sighed. “Who can you call that will come unlock the door?
Discreetly
,” she added.
    “No one.” At her look, he added, “I’m not exactly close friends with anyone on this boat.”
    That got him another sigh. “Let me think. Caroline McGee is here, and I’m pretty sure I know her number. I’ll never live this down, but she’ll be less likely to make a big production out of it. Can I borrow your phone?”
    “Where’s yours?”
    “In my purse in the dining room. Why are you being difficult?”
    “Because mine is in my jacket in the dining room as well.”
    Her eyebrows went up. “You’re kidding me.”
    He pointed to his very tight leather pants. “No pockets.”
    Vivi cursed a blue streak that would have been amusing in a different situation. “Okay, this is going to be so embarrassing, but…” She made a fist and beat against the door. “
Hey! Help!
There are people trapped in here!”
    He leaned against the steel wall and let her bang until she stopped and rubbed her hand. “Do you really think anyone will hear you?”
    “Yes, I do.”
    “Everyone is at the other end of the boat. There’s a band, the engine noise…”
    “Then break it down.” She waved a hand toward the door. “I’ll pay for the damage.”
    “Break it down? Are you crazy?”
    “Be all macho. Put your shoulder into it.”
    “It’s a metal door, Vivi. No one’s that macho.”
    “So we’re just stuck in here?”
    “People are bound to miss us eventually. We’re not exactly just part of the crowd tonight. They’ll come looking.”
    “Great. I’m going to die in a storage room.” She rubbed a hand over her eyes.
    “Relax. We’re not going to die in here. Worst case scenario is that we have to wait until we dock and the engines are turned off. Someone will hear us shouting then.”
    Vivi started pacing. The wings were smacking against everything—including him—but at least she would