Page 76 of Twisted Beauty

Jana came back outside just as Liv finished packing up her camera gear. “You want to grab a late lunch?”

“I’m supposed to meet Katie at La Langosta in—” Liv checked her watch. “Holy shit, five minutes ago. You want to come with me? We’d have to jog.”

“Ooh, I love that place. Let me grab my bag.”

She heard Jana’s footsteps on the concrete inside, and then a quick conversation in muffled voices. Liv waited in the yard, planning to leave through the back gate. If she went back inside again, she’d wind up taking every single dog to lunch with her and then back to Katie’s. Unlikely that would go over well.

She texted Katie to let her know she was running late.

Jana joined her outside a few minutes later. “Sorry, I have to take a phone call from one of our US rescue partners. It shouldn’t take long. Can I meet you guys there when I’m done?”

“Of course. Should I order you a drink?”

“Margarita on the rocks with salt and lime,” Jana said with a grin and trotted back inside.

Liv’s mouth watered. “Good choice.”

She rushed out onto Calle San Salvador and headed toward the beach. Mexipup was in a neighborhood called Cinco de Diciembre, which bordered downtown PV but was at least a dozen blocks from the restaurant. Good thing she’d worn her shorts and sneakers today. Even though she was practically jogging, it took Liv a good fifteen minutes to get there.

Fortunately it was a gorgeous day outside, the sky a sapphire blue and the beach teeming with people. Just days after the storm, the floodwaters had subsided and the whole disaster was already a distant memory. As she approached the restaurant, she stopped to catch her breath and watched as a young woman was strapped in for a parasailing ride. She needed to try that one day.

She walked into La Langosta, an open-air restaurant that sat at the edge of the sand with those familiar white plastic tables spilling out onto the beach off the back patio. Much as she wanted to eat at one of those tables, Katie had her heart set on the balcony. So Liv headed upstairs and spotted her at a corner table along the railing with an unobstructed view of the sea, wearing a sparkly blue tank dress and sipping on a glass of white wine.

When Liv sat down, Katie glared at her with her arms folded.

“Well, hello to you too,” Liv said.

“You didn’t come home last night, and you show up half an hour late for lunch? What gives, Livvy?” Before she could answer, Katie’s focus snapped to her necklace. “Oh my gosh, you’re wearing it again.”

Well, shit. Liv had worked up the courage to grab it off Hector's horn so she could wear it to dinner with Matt, but she should have thought to take it off and hide it before showing up here. “I promised Tito, okay? Besides, you know as well as I do that a chunk of metal won’t make me fall in love.” Unless maybe you counted Dexter. She was definitely smitten with that dog.

“You’re a brat. Give that thing—”

“Señorita, welcome,” a waiter interrupted, and Liv jumped at the chance to divert the conversation. She ordered two margaritas on the rocks with lime and salt.

“Thirsty much?” Katie asked.

“Jana’s on her way. I forgot to tell you. And speaking of Jana, did you know Matt volunteers at Mexipup too?”

Crap. She should definitely not be bringing up Matt right now.

“Okay.” Katie folded her arms across her chest and glared at the pendant.

Liv clasped her hand over it to stop Katie from getting any ideas. It wasn’t the necklace making her think about him. It was the mind-blowing sex. She’d miss that when she left.

Until then, she didn’t want to have to keep fighting off Katie. At least, not through their entire lunch. “Let’s forget the necklace for a minute. I could use your opinion on something.”

“My opinion is that you’re spending too much time with him.” Katie narrowed her eyes. “Promise me you’re not getting all worked up over this guy. It’s a rebound thing, remember? You’re not supposed to like him.”

Liv rubbed her forehead. It wasn’t like she was falling for him, but she did like him. As a person. Was that really so bad? “Well, it’s not like I’d sleep with some guy I hate.”

“Right, but you can’t like him like him.”

“Obviously.”

Katie studied Liv for a minute and then let out a breath. “Well, as long as you don’t fall for him. That’s not why you’re here.”

“I know why I’m here.”