Hellion, a New Adult Romance Novel(82)

 

Alissa was allegedly too tired most of the way here to discuss our plans, but since we arrived in San Jose, she hasn’t shut up. Turns out, it was better to wait like she suggested and get to know the lay of the land first. Now we can follow someone from a distance without looking like maniacs since we kind of know the streets a bit. I hate to admit it, but so far, having her along has been a bonus. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have had my kiss. The kiss. The one I can’t stop thinking about. Just looking at Mick through the back window gets me all aflutter.

 

“Okay, so now what?” I ask. Without waiting for her answer, I continue. “I say we wait outside and watch people leaving, and follow the ones who look like they’re going for a drink.”

 

“And how are you going to do that?” Alissa asks.

 

“Watch and learn, grasshoppah.” We lean on the car and watch people filtering out of the building. It’s six at night, which we all agreed would probably be the time the lower-level employees would be leaving. Now we just have to hit the lottery and find the one person in the whole place who will spill the beans. “Watch for anyone wearing tight skirts, low-cut tops, or heels way too high for comfort.”

 

After several older looking single ladies and a few single men exit the building, a gaggle of chicks walks out giggling and holding onto each other’s arms. They fit my profile to a T, probably in their late twenties or early thirties and definitely dressed for picking up guys. They’re the perfect age and profile to have jobs that include gossiping. Awesome.

 

I grab Alissa’s arm in excitement and shake it back and forth as I hop on my toes. “It’s them!” I whisper-squeal. “It’s them!”

 

“See you at The Pit!” one of them says loudly to a youngish guy in a suit walking out after them. His tie is loose and the top button of his shirt undone.

 

He waves sloppily in their general direction. “Yeah.” He’s too busy texting to do more than that.

 

“Bingo,” I say, calming myself and narrowing my eyes at the girls so I can take in more details. They all pile into an SUV together. It’s black with four doors but too far away for me to see much else like the make or model.

 

I push Alissa ahead of me, around the side of the car. “Get in, get in,” I say, all excited that my plan is working out so far. Success is almost within my grasp, I can practically feel it.

 

“No need to rush me,” she says, getting my hands off her back by turning sideways. “We know where they’re going. You heard them, right? The Pit.”

 

“Yeah, but what if they change their minds? Come on, we don’t want to lose them.” I open the door and pull the seat forward so she can get in. It would probably be nicer to let her sit in the front, but there’s no way in hell I’m not sitting next to Mick. Besides, Colin is being such a dode in the back seat … no wonder Alissa was mostly comatose on the way over. He’s about as much fun as a wart right now. Maybe he can put her to sleep again.

 

“What’s the deal?” Mick asks.

 

“They’re going to The Pit,” I say, unable to keep my breath from coming too quickly. I feel like I just ran two miles.

 

“Where’s that? It’s not around here. We didn’t see any bars called The Pit,” he says, frowning in the rearview mirror at his brother.

 

“So?” I buckle my seatbelt. “Come on, what are you waiting for? We can look it up on my phone if you really want to, or we could just follow them and go there and find out first-hand.”

 

“Isn’t there something closer?” Mick asks. “Why would they go so far away?”

 

“How am I supposed to know?” I wave at his keys. “Come on, come on. We’re losing time here. They’re in that black SUV over there that’s leaving the parking lot.”

 

Mick turns the engine over and reverses out of the space. “I’m getting a bad feeling about this,” he says, staring out the front windshield.

 

“Shush,” I say, my eyes glued to the SUV. “You’ve had a bad feeling since before we even started this thing.” The SUV is going really fast, and I watch the speed gauge on Mick’s car nervously as it continues to climb. “Careful,” I say. “I don’t want to get pulled over. It’ll ruin everything.”

 

“The Pit is like ten miles from here,” says Alissa, looking at her phone. “I have the phone number. Do you want me to call and get directions?”

 

“No,” I wave her off. I pat Mick’s shoulder. “Just drive. Follow the car and we’ll get there.”