The Opium Room by Charisma Kendrick Page B

distracted by her pierced, dreaded friend at the register. A woman rang her up so she was able to pay for herself this time. Lea took the bag and peeled Karrigan away from her beau. She’d been all wrapped around him, but the cashier hadn’t seemed to mind.
    As they headed out the door, Karrigan turned and said to her boy toy, “When can I expect to see you at Dilemma again?”
    The guy replied, “I get my ankle monitor off next month. Until then I can only leave my apartment to come to work. So you’ll have to come to my place or here to see me.”
    Good grief.
    In the car, Karrigan said, “I could have gotten Mike a better defense lawyer. Then he wouldn’t have to wear that stupid monitor. He probably could’ve gotten away with community service since it was his first offense.”
    Lea didn’t want to know the nature of said offense, but she was curious to find out more about Karrigan’s legal connections. Exactly how prominent was the Kemp family in the city of Atlanta? “Your family probably has a lot of attorney friends, huh?”
    “No, I do. I graduated from Georgia University with a degree in criminal justice. I know some people in the field. I’m going to start law school… one day.”
    “Karrigan—are you serious? That’s awesome! But why are you working at the hotel when you’re qualified to do something else?”
    “I can’t pass a drug test. Honestly, I’m a little messed up right now. I want to get straight though. That’s why I’m putting off law school; I want to be able to pass the bar.”
    Lea’s heart went out to Karrigan. That was the first time she’d shown a grounded, vulnerable side of herself. She wanted to help her.
    “Oh, shit!” Karrigan turned on her blinker—for the first time that day—and switched into the right–hand lane. She slowed her speed down within the legal limit.
    “What’s wrong?” Lea turned and looked behind them. Blue lights.
    “My license is suspended,” Karrigan said, keeping her eyes on the rear–view mirror.
    When the police car sped past them in the left–hand lane, Karrigan blew a relieved breath. “Thank God!”
    “Karri,” Lea said.
    “Yeah?”
    “I just want you to know if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always call me. I mean, about anything. I’m sure you don’t feel confident confiding in your brothers about certain things, so I’m just putting that out there to you. I’m always here, and I hold no judgments.”
    “Thanks. I’ll keep your number programmed in my phone in case I ever need to take you up on that.” Karrigan exited off the freeway and pulled into an outlet shopping center. She turned off the engine, and they both got out.
    “Where are you taking me?” Lea asked.
    “Time for your main ensemble.”
    “Oh.” Oh, God, was more like it.
    “I see that look on your face,” Karrigan said. “Don’t worry, you’re going to love this.”

CHAPTER NINE
    Lea met a couple of potential customers at the next day’s meeting. Turns out she was actually going to get something out of the money she’d invested to attend the convention. Even if she hadn’t though, she’d still met Fox. And there wasn’t any amount of money she’d trade for that.
    That night, she was lying in bed awake when her cell phone rang. She grabbed it off the nightstand.
    Fox!
    “Hey,” Lea answered.
    “Hey, gorgeous. What’s up?”
    “Just lying here.”
    “I didn’t wake you, did I?”
    “No, I wasn’t sleeping. I’ve just been lying here for the last three hours.”
    “What’s wrong? You not feeling well?”
    “To be quite honest, I suffer from terrible bouts of insomnia. It’s like my mind won’t shut off. I haven’t slept since a few nights ago in your hotel room.”
    “Lea—you have got to be kidding me.”
    “No, I wish I was.”
    “I know I said I’d give you a break from me until Friday, but we’re only one day short of that. Why don’t you come stay with me?”
    Lea had herself all psyched up for Friday