Slowly, andwithoutletting go, Flynn turned his head in my direction. Through clenched teeth, he said, "What?"
"Let him go," I repeated.
His only reply was an irritated look.
I stiffened my spine and tried again. "I mean, he was probably with the other guys, so…" I let my words trail off and didn't finish the sentence. In truth, I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't have to.
No such luck.
Flynn prompted, "So…?"
I cleared my throat. "So….He's part of the deal, right? I meanourdeal, where you agreed to let them go."
Normally, I was the worst negotiator, ever. But something about this whole episode was making me dig in my heels. And it wasn'tonlybecause of the local connection.
For the last three months – and longer if I took into account our whole sordid history – it had beenmeon the receiving end of Flynn's quiet rage.
During all this time, he'd never manhandled me, but I still knew what it was like to feel trapped with no way out.
Funny, I was feeling a little trapped now.
It was stupid, really. I'd been in the restroom for less than ten minutes total, but it was starting to feel like forever. If it weren't for the stranger pinned up against the wall, it would besoeasy for me to turn on my heels and march out, leaving Flynn to follow.Or not.
And yet, I wasn't moving.
Cripes, maybe Iwastoo nice.
Next to me, Flynnstillwasn't letting go.
I looked to the stranger and asked the obvious question. "Why didn't you leave with your friends?"
But it was Flynn who answered. "'Cause he's a dumb-ass, that's why."
I said, "I askedhim, not you."
Without bothering to reply, Flynn flicked his head toward the guy's cellphone, still lying on the floor a few feet away. "Check it," he told me.
I looked toward the phone and stifled a shudder. I wasn't a germophobe or anything, but that phone had bathroom cooties written all over it. Still, Flynndidhave a point.Someonehad to check it, unless we wanted whatever the guy had gotten to make its way to the gossip sites –or, for that matter, to some dude's nonexistent blog.
In a flash of sudden inspiration, I looked back to Flynn and said, "If you let him go,youcould check it."
He gave me a cold smile. "Or, I could shove it up his ass."
I rolled my eyes.Again with the ass?I gave the guy what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "He's just kidding."
Flynn looked to the guy and said, "You believe her?"
Wordlessly, the guy shook his head.
Flynn gave the guy a slow, approving nod. "Maybe you aren't so dumb after all."
I winced. It was definitely time to change the subject.
"Fine," I said. "I'll check it." Trying not to think about what microbes might be nesting on its surface, I carefully picked up the phone and was relieved to see that the screen wasn't locked.
The phone was similar to my own, and I scrolled through its open applications, quickly discovering a video that showed shaky footage of the bathroom stall, followed by even shakier footage of Flynn kicking in the door. There was also the matter of the audio, which could be just as damaging.
Deletion time.
