Trixsters Anonymous
“Well, maybe it wasn’t fun. It was invigorating, though, and we were good at it. I want to do it some more.”
“Still lost here. What’s going on in your head?”
“We’re starting a business. Something where we can help other unsuspecting women, and maybe men, find the truth.”
“You want us to be PIs? Don’t we need to have some sort of license?”
“Come on, Emi. If we put our heads and resources together, this could be a real business. We did great.”
“Carlton wasn’t exactly hard to catch. He was cheating on you right under your nose. We snuck around, followed him, and took some pictures. I’m not sure we’re actually qualified to do this as a business.”
“I think the opposite. It took me way too long to finally wake up. Thank God, I stopped having sex with him, but I still was an idiot. What if we can help others who suspect their significant others are cheating?”
“We’ll set out to destroy relationships? It sounds pretty horrible.”
“You can’t possibly understand because you aren’t in my shoes. But what’s horrible is being the laughing stock of the community when it comes out that Carlton has been cheating on me for months—the questions, the smirks, the sympathetic and questioning glares. It’s humiliating, so I see this from a different perspective. It’s saving someone’s pride and self-worth, and besides, if there’s nothing to discover, then it’s not destroying relationships.”
“Maren, are you sure you’re okay here? This is crazy. Maybe ending your relationship has made you delusional.”
“No, Emi, I’m of sound mind. When we suspected Carlton of cheating all those months ago, I was devastated, but after crying myself to sleep for a week, I got mad. The range of emotions has cycled its course. Now, I’m perfectly fine. Actually, I’m better than fine. I feel like I just shed two-hundred pounds of dead weight. Knowing he was a lying, cheating bastard and having to pretend things were okay was slowly killing me inside. Now, I can fly high.”
I scan her face for signs of hysteria or that she’s lost her mind, but she’s cool as a cucumber, staring back at me with sincerity and hope.
Ripples of excitement shoot through me. She’s right about a few things.
This was fun. If you don’t count the blowjob debacle, we really did well. We took our time, scouted our moves, and flawlessly found the evidence she needed to prove her fiancé was a lying sack of shit. We saved her a lifetime of being Maren Breen.
“Okay, I’ll call your bluff. We can try this, see what happens, but where do we even start?”
Her eyes start to gleam, and the smile returns. “We start with a name. I think Tricksters Anonymous has a nice ring to it.”
The name bounces around my head, and another jolt of excitement bubbles inside. “Tricksters Anonymous has a certain flair to it.”
“You in?”
No hesitation, no reservation, I know my answer. “Hell yes.”
Chapter 1
Walker
My eyes scan the restaurant as I walk through the door. There’s a roar of laughter at the far end of the bar, and without seeing him, I know I’ve found Marcus.
Fucking great, he’s surrounded by a bunch of suits. I should have known that him choosing this place was a set-up. It was too coincidental that he’d select a place close to the station. He lured me with the promise of a few beers after a shitty day. Absentmindedly, I agreed, not checking the place out.
But now I see it, the swanky restaurant-bar combination. Perfect place for a bunch of lawyers to congregate and brag or sulk, depending on the situation. I’d prefer a hole in the wall with good food and cold beer. I consider ducking out and going to the local bar by my house, sending a text that I’ve been called back to work. Before I can bolt, Marcus stands and spots me.
He narrows his eyes suspiciously and bustles through his crowd, coming my way.
“Walker, timely as usual.” He claps his hand in mine and yanks me into a man hug unnecessarily. When his mouth is close to my ear, his jovial mood changes. “You even think about leaving now, I’ll shoot your ass on Saturday and leave you in the woods.”
He steps back, drops my hand, and raises an eyebrow.
“You couldn’t shoot my ass on your best day. Come up with something more believable. I see you’re sporting the suit today.”
“Court all day. Brutal couple. Reconfirms why both men and women should have a prenup and consider sterilization after they’ve finished having children.”
“Rough one?”