The Throwbacks by Stephanie Queen Read Free Book Online

examined the damage from the night before. And, alas, he had to admit that Grace was not his savior either.
    At least he came away with one good thing from the encounter besides a renewed resolve to stop playing games and return to his responsible former self as a pillar of society. He reached into the pocket of his pants, which he’d never bothered to remove, and withdrew the card she’d given him.
    “Beacon Hill Decorators.” That was all it said, albeit in very elegant high-quality raised ink, and there was a phone number. Minimalist. He liked that. Emerging from the bathroom and wandering toward the cavernous living room, he looked around. Not quite this minimalist. The only item in the room was a lamp—on the floor next to the outlet. That was a concession to the need for light when one flicked the switch.
    He did have a stool over at the counter in the kitchen area. There was a stack of newspapers on the floor next to the stool. That’s where he did all his sitting—which was fitting. Aah, a rhyme. Once again he thought of Grace, and he smiled this time. She really had been delightful. With a wistful sigh, he decided it was time for coffee. Scanning the otherwise empty countertop, he zeroed in on the only appliance representing the only “cooking” he ever did in his so-called home.
    He picked up the cell phone he’d carelessly discarded on the counter the night before and punched in the number from the card. He was reforming, as he’d promised the night before. No more empty space. No more vacant women. No more revolving door. No more overindulging in Scotch. Well, maybe he shouldn’t go overboard with this reform all at once. One had to be realistic. He had his murder sting scheme and his ticking clock to think about, after all. That may require some occasional Scotch.
    He called and spoke to a very pleasant woman who scheduled an appointment with their top designer for that afternoon. He smiled and hit the off button. His buzzer buzzed at the same time he heard the pounding on his door. Now he grinned, alighted from his stool and strode through the marble corridor to throw open the door. After all, there was only one person it could be.
    “Dick Tracy, do come in.”
    Dan eyed him warily as he walked past him with his Dunkin Donuts coffee and donut box.
    “Aah, you brought breakfast. Good man.” David followed him.
    “I didn’t expect to find you so chipper this morning.” Dan grabbed the lone stool to sit. David leaned against the counter and looked over the open space of his townhouse living area, then back at his friend. He felt good. He felt confident.
    “You’re looking at a reformed man. I’m moving on with my life. I just made an appointment with a decorator to fill this void.” He waved his hand to indicate the room around them.
    “Bravo, man!” Dan’s face lit up. “Now how about if you let me and Esther fix you up with that friend of hers? She’s been dying to introduce you. Nothing formal or high pressure…”
    That put David instantly back to his wary self. A picture of Grace popped into his head again. He had a pang—of what he wasn’t sure. There was something about that woman, but he couldn’t argue with himself that she was exactly the type he must avoid—too young, too vacuous, and much too young. Nothing good could come of it. Even if he did have to admit she had remarkable warmth. Surely this friend of Esther’s was warm, definitely intelligent, maybe charming, and possibly even good looking in a middle-aged way.
    “Done. How about tonight?” David suggested before he changed his mind.
    “I’ll call Esther now. Normally she likes some lead time, but for you, she’ll move mountains and be happy to do it.” Dan seemed happy, but stared at him as if he wasn’t quite sure if he’d got the right man. Who could blame him?
    After David dressed and ate a donut, they were on their way. He picked up the paper from the doorstep on their way out the door, and of course