After he leaves, I give up on sleep, download a new book on artificial intelligence, and get lost in it. When I look up, a cold breakfast sits beside my bed and my friend Samantha is knocking on my doorframe.
A native New Yorker, the dirty-blond sports a black t-shirt, black jeans, and a black jacket which conceals her shoulder holster. The bad-ass private eye and former FBI agent carries the sweetest little kid in her arms.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure.” I put aside my reading and wave to little Mikey as she plops down in the chair by my bed.
“I heard about your accident. Why didn’t you call me?” She’s right. I should’ve and as I’m about to apologize, her toddler scoots out of her grasp and plants a fat raspberry on my cheek.
Sam blushes and pulls the squirmy child off the bed. “I’m sorry. Blame his father.”
All the awkward gone, I grin, lower the bed bar and hug her. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course. I would’ve been here sooner, but we were out of town. When I heard a pilot came within inches of the Statue of Liberty, I couldn’t believe it was you.” Sniffing, she glances at the card attached the two dozen roses. “Whoa. Are you and Dash seeing each other?”
“God, no.” I release a small stuffed bear from the base of another bouquet and dance it in front of Mikey.
As he laughs, Sam creases her brows. “What really happened between you two?”
My face heats as I recall the humiliation last year but make light of it by making the toy sing while it prances over the blanket. “Oh, we had dinner and a little wine. La-la-la.”
My audience of one giggles and claps his hands so I ham it up and bounce the teddy on his head. “On the job, we didn’t drink much, la-dee-da. Just a glass to take off the edge and after, he asked me to his room. Hee-hee-hee. I agreed. We shared a kiss so hot, it melted the wallpaper, then he pushed me out the door. Da-dum-dum-dum.”
“You are so weird.” Smiling, Sam shakes her head. “Did he say why?”
“No. But at Grayson’s picnic, he apologized. He said I was too good for a one-night stand or some such shi… nonsense.”
“Ouch. No wonder you’re pissed.”
When her son reaches out his fingers, I give him the bear and he emulates my stand-up comic routine.
Meanwhile, Sam holds my hand. “Do you still have the hots for him?”
“Nothing my electric banana can’t fix.” As I waggle my brows, she rolls her eyes.
“A battery-operated fruit is no substitute.” The minute she sets the toddler down, he makes a beeline for the door.
Lightning fast, she jumps up and as she returns with him in tow, I lean over and whisper, “Hey, not everyone has daily multiple orgasms written into their prenup.”
Her cheeks turn pink as she smiles. “Your bounty hunter could give you those, too, if you’d give him half a chance.”
“You too, Brutus? What is it, his English accent?” I clunk my head on the back of the bed. “We couldn’t be worse for each other.”
“Have you seen the way he looks at you?”
I hold out my palm. “Stop.”
“Did they tell you his dad paid for this private room?” As her words sink in, my mouth drops open.
“No, I didn’t. I just assumed… Actually, I hadn’t thought about it at all. Why?”
“I’m guessing it’s because you saved his life.”
“I’ll pay him back.” I do the math and moan. By the time I finish evening the score, I’ll be one hundred and ten.
“Dash also put a lawyer on retainer for you. He cares about you.”
Make that two hundred and twelve.“If he does, why would he sneak through my phone messages and call my ex? I’ve been attempting to friend-zone this biker for over a year and now he’s going to think I want to reconnect.”
