“I guess that’s a good thing then.”
“No, it’s not a good thing.” My teeth tear into a cold slice of pepperoni. “I told you not to get him involved.”
“I didn’t know I was getting him involved.”
“He said you sent him.”
“I didn’t send him per se. And stop smacking in my ear.”
“He made me miss breakfast,” I grouch. “And what do you mean by per se?”
“I was concerned; you know that. I mentioned the situation to him, and he said you should call the police, which I told him you had. He then asked about exterior cameras, and I said you didn’t have any.”
“Is that when you hired him?”
“I didn’t hire him.”
“Huh?” I swallow the bite and wipe my greasy fingers on a napkin. “He said he was here on a job.”
“What job?”
“To improve my security.”
“It does need improving.”
“That’s not the point, Dee. This doesn’t make sense.”
“Okay, hold on, let me ask Mick.” There’s movement, and then we’re on speakerphone. “Babe, Jord said Stiles showed up at her place, claiming we hired him to improve her security. I didn’t arrange that, did you?”
“No.” There’s confusion in his deep voice. “Not sure why he would have told Jordyn that, but I think it’s a good idea.”
Stiles lied. What the actual eff is going on? “I must have misunderstood,” I say, but Dee isn’t having it.
“Wait a minute.” She takes me off speakerphone. “What’s happening with you and Stiles?”
“Happening how?”
“Don’t even try to answer a question with a question,” she says astutely. “I’m an attorney; I know that trick. For Stiles to just show up after hearing about the incidents, he must be very invested in your safety.”
“That’s his job.”
“For clients that hire him. But as we’ve confirmed, he wasn’t hired. So, what gives? And don’t tell me nothing because you’ve been after him since day one. Now you suddenly don’t want anything to do with him, and you’re upset that he came to your apartment. I would think you’d be all over that.”
I was all over him—twice, and neither time had worked out well for me. “It’s not worth talking about.”
“So, there is something,” she says with too much excitement.
“Don’t expect it to be the start of a love affair,” I say, knowing my romantically-inclined friend. “I’m done with him.”
“What happened to your cat and mouse thing?”
“The mouse doesn’t want the cheese.”
“Oh, Jord.” Her tone gentles. “He must be interested. Why else would he have been there?”
“Because you care. He said so himself. And when I wouldn’t let him in, he came up with this story about being hired.”
“Why wouldn’t you let him in?”
