Crepe Factor by Laura Childs Page A

anybody.”
    â€œWho would I tell?” Ava asked.
    â€œUm . . . everybody?”
    â€œI wouldn’t do that,” Ava said.
    â€œThen swear on something.”
    â€œCross my heart and swear on my evil eye earrings.” Ava leaned forward eagerly. “Okay, so tell me. Spill the beans, girlfriend.”
    â€œAfter Babcock dropped me off last night. After he pulled over to the curb, barely slowed the car, and practically pushed me out into the gutter . . . I was hurrying to my apartment . . .”
    Ava gave an encouraging nod. “Yeeees.”
    â€œAnd . . . well . . . Quigg was kind of hiding in the courtyard waiting for me.”
    Ava grinned. “Look at you, hot momma. Juggling two guys at once. Back in the day I used to do that myself. You know, I’d line up two, maybe three dates in one night. Cocktail hour, then dinner, then a late-night rendezvous. Lately I’ve been trying to cut back.”
    â€œAva, stop. This wasn’t any kind of date. Quigg was just lurking there. Totally unbeknownst to me.”
    â€œHe was just . . . waiting for you? Why,
cher
?”
    â€œHe wanted to talk about the murder. He was wondering if I’d found out anything new.”
    â€œBut you haven’t.” Ava took a quick sip of wine. “Have you?”
    â€œNot really. I had no real news for Quigg. Aside from the fact that Babcock is suspicious about how he waved a magic wand and had Martin Lash’s reviews taken down from the Glutton for Punishment website.”
    Ava cocked her head. “That’s all very interesting. But none of that explains why a man was standing at your front door in the wee hours of the morning.” She wiggled her fingers. “So what really happened?”
    Carmela had sipped just enough champagne to loosen her tongue. “I kissed him.”
    Ava gasped.
    â€œI mean . . . he kissed me first. And then I just couldn’t help myself.”
    â€œGirl, you are so walking a thin, red line.”
    â€œI know that!”
    Ava dimpled. “So give me all the details.”
    â€œThere are no details. It was just a simple kiss.”
    â€œSimple?” Ava smirked. “A kiss with a man like Quigg Brevard is never simple. You should know that.”
    â€œWhich is why this whole thing is quite complicated.”
    â€œOf course it is,” Ava said. “But the big question is, what are you going to do about it?”
    â€œI have to do something?” Carmela asked. “What would I do? Jeez, Ava, all I want right now is for the kiss to have never happened.”
    â€œIt’s too late,” Ava warned. “That kiss is out there in the ozone. It’s like posting a bad selfie—it’ll never go away.”
    â€œSo what do you suggest I do?”
    â€œYou actually have several options. You can avoid Quigg for the rest of your natural-born days. You can confess your infidelity to Babcock and beg for forgiveness. Or you can live with this secret locked in your heart forever. Personally, the option I’d go for would be to kiss him again.”
    â€œHave you lost your mind?” Carmela cried, so loudly that a couple of people turned to stare. “Kiss him again?” She lowered her voice. “Babcock would kill us both. And because he’s a smart detective who carries a gun, he would probably get away with murder.” She picked up her menu and waggled a finger at the waiter. “Ah, forget it. Let’s just order.”
    They did order. Eggs Benedict for Carmela and eggs Sardou for Ava. Then Carmela sat and stared into the garden for a few minutes, deep in thought.
    â€œYou okay?” Ava asked.
    â€œI don’t know what to do.”
    Ava picked up the bottle of champagne. “Have another drink, sweetie. Champagne makes everything better.”
    *   *   *
    By the time their food arrived, Carmela was