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The ure out what had attracted her gran to hieneric catalogue models from the seventies were pretty Julia wondered—if he had been eneric into handsome? She wasn’t sure

“Mu about?”

“You know exactly what I’ about” Patricia turned to Joe as she pointed at her ex-lover “Joe, knock his teeth out”

Ed covered his h

Joe shot the two of the at Marcus

“You ood to meet a fellow American”

Joe held out a hand to Marcus, who had a distinct rabbit-in-the-headlights look about him Hesitantly, Marcus shook Joe’s hand Joe used the opportunity to tug the man off his stool He patted hi in Marcus’ ear Julia couldn’tsaid, but she did notice the effect All colour drained from Marcus’ face

Joe stepped back, slapped a hand on Marcus’ shoulder and grinned at him “How about we take this outside, somewhere a bit more private? Good plan?” He nodded “Good plan” He s, folks” He caught the bartender’s eye “Refills for everyone On me”

That turned the worried spectators into friends They slapped Joe on the back as he held Marcus’ ared him out of the French doors onto the patio

“I like him,” Patricia told Julia as they followed “If I were thirty years younger, I’d steal him from you If I could” Her eyes sparkled with mischief “Seems like he only has eyes for my Julia”

Julia didn’t even bother dignifying that with a response Instead she kept close to Joe, as aie of the patio, far away from curious ears He thrust Marcus into a seat Theat his tweed suit jacket Tweed In the desert

Patricia sat in a chair beside Marcus, crossing her long legs and glaring at hi ahtly behind hi to strike out, she knew he’d go for the weakest link And as the weakest link, she would rather Joe was between her and the idiot her grandmother had slept with

“Where the mummy?” Patricia demanded

“I don’t knoasn’t the one as jailed for stealing it” The save him away

Patricia pointed a finger into his face “You were the one who filmed us while ere in that house You sent that video to the cops You were there”