Free Desire After Dark by Amanda Ashley Page A

clearing the table.
    Tom left a few minutes later, but only after reaffirming their date for Sunday night.
    The rest of the evening passed quickly. It was half an hour before closing time when Vicki saw Antonio enter the diner. All the booths and tables in her section were full. But then a strange thing happened. She saw Antonio stare at Bert Summers, who was sitting at a booth in the back. Bert hadn’t even finished his pie and coffee when he dropped a ten dollar bill on the table and headed for the door. Looking faintly smug, Antonio took the booth Bert had vacated.
    Curious and strangely annoyed, she went to his table. “What did you do?”
    â€œDo?”
    She gestured at Bert, who was just walking out the door, then pointed at his barely touched plate. “Why did he leave so abruptly?”
    â€œMaybe he remembered an appointment.”
    â€œYou did something to him. I saw you.”
    â€œWhat did you see?”
    â€œI don’t know. You looked at him and all of a sudden he just got up and left without even finishing his order.”
    â€œPerhaps he was no longer hungry?” Antonio replied, his face inscrutable.
    â€œWhy didn’t you just take one of the empty tables?”
    He lifted one brow. “Why do you think?”
    She pursed her lips, her brow furrowed in thought. Something wasn’t right here, but what? “Was that you outside the window earlier tonight?”
    He nodded.
    â€œWhat were you doing out there?”
    â€œNothing, why? Is there something else you wish to accuse me of?”
    â€œNo, of course not,” she said, feeling properly chastised. “I’m sorry.” Looking up, she saw Gus watching her. “You’ll have to order something.”
    â€œCoffee.”
    With a nod, she left the table.
    At closing time, the diner was empty save for Antonio, who continued to sit at the booth in the back corner, his coffee untouched.
    â€œWhat’s with him?” Bobbie Sue asked, coming up beside Vicki. “He comes in here practically every night and never eats anything.”
    â€œI’m not sure.”
    â€œI think he’s kind of creepy, you know?”
    Vicki shrugged. “He seems nice enough.”
    â€œIf you say so.” Bobbie Sue removed her apron and wadded it into a ball. “I’m going over to the Blue Horse for a while. I told Steve I’d meet him there. Do you want to come along?”
    Vicki considered that for a moment. The Blue Horse Tavern was a dive located on the outskirts of town. They catered mostly to the young crowd who wanted to dance and drink a few beers but didn’t want to make the trip into one of the bigger cities. She had received her first kiss on the dance floor at the Blue Horse.
    â€œSure,” Vicki said.
    â€œNo sense taking two cars,” Bobbie Sue said. “Why don’t you go with me?”
    â€œAll right.” Vicki glanced at Antonio, not surprised to find that he was watching her. “Just let me finish cleaning up.”
    As she approached his booth, Battista stood and dropped a twenty dollar bill on the table.
    â€œYou’re a very generous tipper,” Vicki remarked as she cleared the table.
    â€œI like the service.”
    â€œThank you. Good night.”
    With a nod, he turned and left the diner.
    Â 
    The Blue Horse was in full swing when Vicki followed Bobbie Sue inside. The lights were low, the music loud, the air thick with the combined smells of perfume and perspiration, lust and alcohol.
    They made their way to the bar, where Bobbie Sue ordered a cosmopolitan and Vicki ordered a strawberry margarita. As she sipped her drink, Vicki nodded at several people that she recognized.
    â€œLook, there’s Linda Fay,” Bobbie Sue said, pointing at a brunette who, unfortunately, had a long face that resembled a horse’s. “She always was a homely thing, bless her heart.”
    Vicki nodded sympathetically. A few minutes later,