A Bookie's Odds by Ursula Renee Read Free Book Online Page B

and joined in the toast. As they drank their respective beverages, the telephone behind the bar rang.
    Her father excused himself. She watched as he greeted the caller. His smile faded to a scowl. With a sigh, he held out the handset. “Georgia, it’s Nicholas.”
    Her brow wrinkled in confusion. Nicholas never called her. Since she and Celeste usually did not go more than two days without seeing each other, he simply waited until she dropped by the brownstone to talk to her.
    William stood with her and waited until she reached the bar before he sat back down.
    “Don’t forget you have company,” her father mumbled.
    “Yes, Daddy.” Georgia took the handset. She waited into he returned to the table before she put the phone to her ear.
    “Hey, Nick, what’s up?”
    “Is Celeste with you?”
    “No, we left her at the club last night, remember? She said she was getting a ride back with your father.”
    Nicholas muttered an expletive.
    “What’s going on?”
    “Pops called here looking for her. She told him we were giving her a ride.”
    “She’s not at home?” Georgia realized it was a stupid question. Obviously, her friend wasn’t home if they were calling around to look for her. However, the knowledge of how ludicrous she sounded did not stop her from asking, “Where the hell is she?”
    “I don’t know.” Nicholas’s voice cracked.
    Georgia gripped the side of the bar. She had to keep it together and think. It was possible, in the excitement of the evening, everyone got the messages crossed. It was unlike Celeste to lie and be deceptive. She was usually reliable, except when it came to…
    Before she could catch herself, she let out an expletive. Her father’s head snapped in her direction. With a sigh, she turned her back on his disapproving glare.
    “What is it?” Nicholas asked.
    “I caught Gianni and Celeste together last night.”
    “Caught them doing what?”
    “Getting ready to be friendly with each other. They stopped when they saw me.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I know what it looks like when a couple’s about to kiss.” Though she had promised she would not say anything, Georgia felt justified in breaking her word. Celeste had obviously broken hers and done something stupid. “Celeste told me they’d been seeing each other for a while.”
    “I’m calling Gianni.”
    He abruptly disconnected the call. Georgia dropped the handset on the cradle. She knew he would call her back when he got news.
    “What’s goin’ on, girl?”
    Georgia turned back to the men. “Celeste is missing.”
    “What do you mean, she’s missin’?”
    “She’s run away.”
    Dread filled her as she thought about the couple. Gianni was not the man for Celeste. The woman was kind and caring, while there was ugliness inside the man. He was sneaky and conniving and would end up breaking her friend’s heart.
    Georgia jumped as the phone rang. She snatched up the handset and yelled, “Well?”
    “I let the phone ring twenty fucking times.”
    “I can’t believe this.”
    “Why didn’t you say anything?”
    “’Cause I promised her I wouldn’t tell.” Her voice grew louder in response to his. She realized Nicholas was upset, but to blame her… “How the hell was I supposed to know she’d run off with him?”
    “I gotta call Pops.” Nicholas sighed.
    “You’ll call me if—”
    The line went dead.
    Georgia knew women did foolish things in the name of love. Earlier that summer, a sixteen-year-old down the street had disappeared for a weekend. She slinked home on Monday after the man she had run off with kicked her out because his wife was due home.
    Though Celeste had always dreamt of being swept off her feet, Georgia had thought Celeste would be more sensible. If she had known her friend would lose all common sense, she would have never agreed to keep the secret.
    Georgia hung up the phone and returned to the table. Her father stood, his brow furrowed. Celeste had spent as much time at their