"Just a minute," Nancy said, pulling out her phone. She looked toward the front window where Alex, her hulking bodyguard, was standing like a stone sentinel. She sighed. She didn't want a chaperone for this part of the night.
She quickly typed: We are getting ice cream down the road. Wait for me here, please. Don't ruin this for me!
She tucked the phone away. "Shall we go?"
"Lead the way," Julian said. Instead of heading toward the front where the guards were stationed, he gestured toward the back exit. "It's a shortcut. Avoids the crowd on the main street."
Nancy took his hand, feeling a thrill of rebellion as they stepped out into the cool night air through the back door.
Ten minutes later, Alex pulled his phone from his pocket. He read the text once, then twice. His head snapped toward the table where Nancy had been sitting. It was empty. He looked at the back door, then at the crowded street.
