Free Dangerous Kiss by Jackie Collins Page B

few hours were a complete blur. Dinner with Lina, Fredo and his cousin. A club or two, and after that -
    nothing.
    Hmm… she thought. Aren't I a bit young for short-term memory loss?
    She stepped out of bed and padded into the kitchen to get a glass of water, suddenly realizing she was completely naked.
    She never slept naked. Had she been drinking?
    She couldn't remember.
    She poured a glass of water and drank it down in several large gulps, quenching a raging thirst. Then she started going over the events of the evening one more time. She remembered the restaurant where they'd had dinner, drinking champagne, dropping by a couple of clubs. She had a vague memory of Lina and Fredo heading for the dance floor, and Carlo talking to her. After that it was all one big blank.
    Oh, God! Am I losing my mind?
    She gulped down another glass of water, satiating her incredible thirst. Then she went back into her bedroom, put on a robe and sat on the edge of the bed desperately trying to recall at least something.
    Had she gotten sick? Drunk? What the hell had happened?
    This was ridiculous. She couldn't remember a thing. Someone must have brought me home, she thought. Maybe Lina.
    She wondered if Lina was home. Probably not. When Lina didn't have to work the next day she was into partying all night and sleeping until past noon the following day.
    Brigette tried her number. No response. She kept trying until the service picked up. Then she left a message for Lina to call her.
    She felt… different. Her breasts were tender, and when she parted her robe she discovered bruises on the insides of both her thighs.
    If I didn't know better, I'd think I'd been making love, she thought. But that was impossible.
    And yet… she felt as if she'd had sex.
    Her mouth was so dry she needed more water. She ran back to the kitchen, panicking slightly. Something had happened and she wasn't sure what.
    Fredo would know. She hurriedly dialled his number. He mumbled hello.
    'This is Brigette,' she said urgently.
    'I'm asleep.'
    'Sorry, but I need to talk to you.'
    'You and Carlo deserted us,' he said, between yawns. 'Lina is very furious.'
    'I… I left with Carlo?' she questioned, her stomach sinking.
    'We go dance, come back, you're both gone.' Fredo snorted his annoyance.
    'Why you wake me at this time? Call Lina.'
    'She's not home.'
    'Maybe she found Carlo,' he said slyly. 'If you let him free, I'm sure she would've taken him into her bed.'
    'Y' know, Fredo,' Brigette said irritably. 'It's not all about sex.'
    'Ah, my sweet little naive one.' And he hung up.
    So, Fredo seemed to think that Carlo had escorted her home. Maybe so, easy enough to find out. She buzzed downstairs to the night porter. 'What time did I get in?' she asked.
    'Must've been around eleven, Miss Brigette.'
    'Was I… uh… was I with someone?'
    'A gentleman.'
    An inward groan. 'How long was he in my apartment?'
    'About an hour.'
    Oh, God! Here was the deal. She must have been drunk, had sex with Carlo, and couldn't remember. Totally humiliating.
    Yet how was it possible? She'd had too much to drink before and never completely blanked out.
    It occurred to her, with a feeling of deep dismay, that she might have been drugged. Some of the models had been talking lately about a dangerous new pill doing the rounds. Rhohipnels - known on the street as ruffles. Apparently the pills were colourless and odourless, and guys were slipping them in girls' drinks so they could take advantage of them. One of the effects of the drug was total memory loss.
    Could Carlo possibly have done this to her?
    She buzzed the front desk again to find out if Lina was home. The porter informed her that, no, Lina was still out.
    She didn't know what to do next. She had no proof, although maybe if she went to a doctor they could take a blood test and find out for sure if she'd been drugged.
    No. The humiliation wasn't worth it.
    She ran a bath, collapsed into the soapy bubbles, and lay there thinking. She was