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She let out a little squeal and came running towards him. I got out of the way before I was crushed in the stampede. Phillip had just enough time to brace himself before she flung her considerable weight into his arms. For a minute I thought he was going to fall backwards into the floor with her on top, but his back straightened, his legs tensed, and he righted them both.

Strong Phillip, able to lift overweight nymphomaniacs with both hands.

Harvey said, “This is Crystal.”

Crystal was kissing Phillip’s chest, chubby, homey little hands trying to pull his shirt out of his pants so she could touch his bare flesh. She was like a cheerful little puppy in heat.

Phillip was trying to discourage her without much success. He gave me a long glance. And I remembered what he had said, that he had stopped coming to these parties. Was this why? Crystal and her like? Madge of the sharp fingernails? I had forced him to bring me, but in doing so, I had forced him to bring himself.

If you thought of it that way, it was my fault Phillip was here. Damn, I owed him.

I patted the woman’s cheek, softly. She blinked at me, and I wondered if she was nearsighted. “Crystal,” I said. I smiled my best angelic smile. “Crystal, I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re pawing my date.”

Her mouth fell open; her pale eyes bugged out. “Date,” she squeaked. “No one has dates at a party.”

“Well, I’m new to the parties. I don’t know the rules yet. But where I come from, one woman does not grope another woman’s date. At least wait until I turn my back, okay?”

Crystal’s lower lip trembled. Her eyes began to fill with tears. I had been gentle, kind even, and she was still going to cry. What was she doing here with these people?

Madge came and put her arm around Crystal and led the woman away. Madge was making soothing noises and patting her black silken arms.

Rochelle said, “Very cold.” She walked away from me towards a liquor cabinet that was against one wall.

Harvey had also left, following Madge and Crystal without so much as a backwards glance.

You’d think I’d kicked a puppy. Phillip let out a long breath and set down on the couch. He clasped his hands in front of him, between his knees. I sat down next to him, tucking my skirt down over my legs.

“I don’t think I can do this,” he whispered.

I touched his arm. He was trembling, a constant shaking that I didn’t like at all. I hadn’t realized what it would cost him to come tonight, but I was beginning to find out.

“We can go,” I said.

He turned very slowly and stared at me. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we can go.”

“You’d leave now without finding out anything because I’m having problems?” he asked.

“Let’s just say I like you better as the overconfident flirt. You keep acting like a real person, and you’ll have me all confused. We can go if you can’t handle it.”

He took a deep breath and let it out, then shook himself like a dog coming out of water. “I can do it. If I have a choice, I can do it.”

It was my turn to stare. “Why didn’t you have a choice before?”

He looked away. “I just felt like I had to bring you if you wanted to come.”

“No, dammit, that wasn’t what you meant at all.” I touched his face and forced him to look at me. “Someone gave you orders to come see me the other day, didn’t they? It wasn’t just to find out about Jean-Claude, was it?”

His eyes were wide, and I could feel his pulse under my fingers. “What are you afraid of, Phillip? Who’s giving you orders?”

“Anita, please, I can’t.”

My hand dropped to my lap. “What are your orders, Phillip?”

He swallowed, and I watched his throat work. “I’m to keep you safe here, that’s all.” His pulse was jumping under the bruised bite in his neck. He licked his lips, not seductive, nervous. He was lying to me. The trick was, how much of a lie and what about?

I heard Madge’s voice coming up the hall, all cheerful seduction. Such a good hostess. She escorted two people into the room. One was a woman with short auburn hair and too much eye makeup, like green chalk smeared