Then he grinned. “Besides, it’s patriotic. Supporting the local economy. Taking business away from the Mexicans. Win-win.”
She fought the urge to get out of the tub, storm off, slam a few doors. Not her style. Not the person she wanted to be, anyway.
Also, he had a point.
“Okay,” she said. “But you have to promise me. If we’re…”
Her throat closed. She couldn’t get the words out. She wasn’t sure what the words even were.
It wasn’t like they had a commitment. What did they have in common, really? They’d been thrown together, and they’d stuck together because it seemed to make sense.
It wasn’t love, or anything like that. She wasn’t sure she even remembered what being in love felt like.
It was attraction. Pheromones. It was making the best of the situation. He kept things light, and so did she.
Maybe I can’t feel anything deep, she thought.
But she liked him. He was funny, and he was kind. And he’d kept his promises to her.
“If we’re going to stay together,” she finally said, “there needs to be a point when you’re done. With things like gigs for Bobby.”
He let out a long, slow sigh. Nodded. “Yeah. I know. You’re right.”
“I’ll clean up,” she said. “Why don’t you go to bed? You look exhausted.”
He smiled, because that was how he was. The good guy. The one who let things slide. Who appreciated what he had. Pretended to, anyway.
“Thanks. I’m wiped.”
She shut down the hot tub, put on the cover. Washed the wine glasses and put them in the dish rack to dry. Threw the bottle in the recycling bin. Decent wine, she thought, and she liked that it was local. If she could talk them down a little on the case price, she’d stock it.
By the time she went into the bedroom, he was sound asleep.
She rinsed off in the shower, put on a T-shirt and pajama bottoms-no need for lingerie-and slid under the covers next to him.
Lying there, she thought, he’s not perfect, but god knows, neither am I.
Maybe this is close enough, she thought.
Not a life she ever could have imagined living. But it wasn’t bad.
x x x
Two days, he’d said. “Texas. Flight plan’s for Houston, if anyone asks.”
One day down, one to go.
Almost 10 p.m. Time to close up shop, she thought, and go home. She shut down her computer, turned off the office light, locked the door.
Tuesday night. A slow one. The kitchen was already closed, except for bar snacks for another hour. She wasn’t sure if the hour would be worth it. The bar empty except for two stools. The four-top settling their bill. Only one other customer that she could see, sitting at the two-top tucked into the alcove to the right of the front window. A dark corner, she thought. Maybe she needed to install another accent light. Kendra, the waitress, was there, laughing at something the customer had said, blocking her view of him, except for his shoulder, the side of his torso, some curly gold hair.
As she walked toward the door, a part of her already knew. Before Kendra stepped away and she saw him clearly, her heart had already started racing, raw adrenaline coursing through her body like a flood of melted ice.
The man at the two-top smiled and lifted his hand.
“Well, hello there, Michelle-how nice to see you again.”
Fucking Gary.
Chapter Two
A part of her wanted to run. It was the rage that stopped her, coming in hard after the rush of fear.
Gun. She carried a.38 Smith & Wesson in her Be &D hobo. Tucked in a holster sewn into the leather. She’d had it made custom. Her hand snaked toward the flap.
Gary’s smile broadened, his eyes trailing the movement.
Fuck, she thought. She couldn’t just shoot the son of a bitch down in her restaurant.
Could she?
Kendra paused at her side, whispered in her ear: “He said you were old friends. He’s been waiting. Do you want me to-?”
“It’s fine.” She forced a smile. “I was just surprised.”
“Did he call you ‘Michelle’?”
“An old nickname. Excuse me a minute.”
She waited until Kendra had gone over to the four-top to pick up the check, and then she approached Gary’s table.
“Why are you here?”
“I thought you might have time for a glass of wine.” He chuckled. “We have some catching up to do. Don’t you think?”
The last thing she wanted to do was sit down and have a drink with fucking Gary.
“What do you recommend?” he asked, running a finger down the wine list. “You know a lot more about this stuff than I do. Something nice. And smooth. My treat.”
She kept her voice steady. Smiled like she would if he were any other customer. “Kendra? Would you bring over a bottle of the Turley, please? Two glasses.”
She turned back to Gary. “Anything else?”
His eyes moved from hers, slowly down her body. Taking everything in. “I’ve already eaten.”
She rolled her eyes. He was so fucking predictable.
Michelle pulled out the chair opposite Gary, and sat.
Kendra brought the wine.
“Well, thank you… Kendra, right?” He smiled. “Kendra was telling me about her studies at the college here, while I was waiting for you. Getting your master’s in… environmental… systems, is it?”
“That’s right,” Kendra said. “It’s a great program. I think your friend’s son would really like it. But there’s a lot of options. Environmental engineering, environment and community…” She was fresh faced and earnest, her enthusiasm for her subject close to the surface, like her enthusiasm for most things. A sweet girl.
Not someone Michelle wanted to put in front of Gary, not for another minute.
“Kendra, why don’t you go ahead and punch out. I’ll pay you for the rest of the hour.”
“I still have some side work-”
“It’s been so slow. Don’t worry. Matt can handle it.”
The bartender. In his late twenties, tattooed and pierced, hard bodied from mountain biking and rock climbing and whatever else he did.
Not that he’d be any match for Gary.
Michelle’s heart started pounding again, and she thought, Matt will be okay. He’s over at the bar, where he won’t hear anything we say. He won’t know anything. He won’t be a threat.
She just didn’t want to be left alone with Gary, even if Matt was no real protection.
“Thanks, Emily-see you tomorrow!” Kendra said over her shoulder.
Gary raised his glass.
“If you think I’m going to toast with you-” Michelle said.
“Now, now. We’re two old friends, having a drink. How’s it gonna look to your boy-toy at the bar if you don’t?”
She pasted a smile back on. Lifted her glass. Clinked. Watched Gary sip.
She wasn’t going to ask how he found her. He wouldn’t tell her the truth, she knew.
Most probably, somewhere along the line she and Danny had been compromised, by someone who’d claimed to be on their side.
“Well, this is really nice,” Gary said.
If he meant the wine, it was. She’d been tempted to order the cheapest glass on the menu for him, but even those were decent. Might as well make him pay for it.
“The whole place, I’m just so impressed. I bet those are your photos on the walls, right? I always did think you had a real good eye.”
“Right.”
“You look like you’ve been working out,” he said, sniffing at the wine. “I mean, you always were into that as I recall, but seems like you’ve taken it to another level.”
It was true, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. Wasn’t going to tell him about the self-defense classes, the kickboxing, how all that activity was one of the few things that helped her relax.