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you know him. He probably did it on
purpose. He's a manipulative bastard."
    "But why?"
    "What difference does it make? Whatever the
reason is doesn't change the outcome." The room was starting to
spin. She laid her head back and tried to focus on the wine bottle
on the coffee table. "Did we drink that whole bottle already?"
    "No, you drank the whole bottle. Have
another cracker. I'm surprised you're still upright considering you
haven't eaten all day."
    "I have a strong constitution." She
hiccupped.
    "I can see that." Eve took a small sip. "So
what's your plan?"
    Olivia wrinkled her nose. "Plan?"
    "You're the one who always wants a plan of
attack."
    "Oh. Oh, right." She nodded, wincing at the
way the room jerked sickeningly. "A plan. My plan is to stay as far
away from both those cretins as I possibly can. The Bay Area is big
enough, right?"
    "So that just leaves your home," Eve pointed
out.
    Olivia growled.
    Eve held up her hands. "Don't kill the
messenger. I was just making sure you realized that."
    "I can ignore my father."
    "And Michael?"
    Olivia folded her arms tightly across her
body. "I'll avoid him too."
    "Are you sure you want to?"
    "Of course I do. Why would I want that
faithless dog back?" In her mind, she saw his blue eyes aged with
wisdom, the broad expanse of his shoulders, and how good his butt
looked on his way out the door.
    She downed her entire glass in one gulp and
held it out for a refill.
    "So you don't still have feelings for him?"
Eve asked, handing her a cracker instead.
    "Other than tense loathing? Not a thing."
She took a savage bite out of it.
    "Isn't that telling?"
    "What do you mean?"
    "What do you feel for David?"
    "David?" She frowned. "David Mariner? What
does he have to do with anything?"
    "Just answer the question. If you ran into
David on the street, how would you react?"
    "I haven't thought of David in ages. He was
several dates ago." She pursed her lips. "I suppose if I ran into
him I'd make some small talk and then get back to whatever I was
doing."
    "Exactly. So what does it tell you that
you're so worked up over seeing Michael again?"
    "That I need more to drink." She reached for
the bottle and almost toppled off the couch. "Whoa."
    "Here." Eve steadied her. "Sit back and I'll
do that."
    "You're a pal." She muffled another hiccup
behind her hand and leaned back until she was reclining against the
armrest of the couch.
    "I wonder if you'll feel that way in the
morning."
    "Don't worry. I've never had a hangover,"
Olivia said proudly.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    Olivia heard the door open and click shut
but she couldn't lift her head to greet her customer, and getting
up from the stool was completely out of the question. It was all
she could do not to groan.
    "I wondered what kind of condition you'd be
in," she heard Eve's voice say, followed by the sound of something
set in front of her.
    She cracked her eyes open. This time she did
groan. In relief.
    "Here. Let me." Eve opened the bottle of aspirin and
offered her three tablets. "You're going to have to stop holding
your head for a moment to get these down."
    "My hands are keeping my brain from spilling
onto the counter."
    "I thought you never got hung-over."
    "You were right. There's a first time for
everything." She took the pills and sighed when she noticed the
steaming latte Eve held in her other hand. "Have I told you how
much I love you?"
    "I figured you needed it. You didn't stop by
Grounds for Thought this morning."
    "I woke up too late." Olivia took a sip of
her drink and waited. When her stomach didn't roil in protest, she
drank some more. "Thanks for letting me crash at your place."
    Laughing, Eve said, "I didn't have much
choice. You kind of passed out on the couch."
    Olivia frowned. "I did?"
    "Yes."
    "How did I get to the guest bedroom?"
    "Treat carried you."
    "And I wasn't lucid. I can't believe I
missed that."
    "How are you really? Do you feel as green as
you look?"
    "I feel chartreuse. Is that how I