Chapter 6
“YOUlook like shit.”
“Gee, Ry. Thanks a lot.” Connor stormed into his friend’s office and plunked himself into a chair.
Ryland sat across from him, his expression wary. “Bad night?”
“You could say that.” He composed himself even though he wanted to pick up the sharp letter opener on the desk and plunge it into his heart. “Thanks for seeing me on short notice. I know you’re busy, what with the party tonight.”
“No problem. Everything is under control. Any security issues?”
“No. Bart and I are all set, and the hired guys are in place. I wanted to talk to you about something else.”
“Shoot.”
Connor swallowed. “Would you say you know me well, Ry?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
“And if there were any…defects in my character, you would have seen them, right?”
“I’d like to think so.” Ryland stared. “What are you getting at?”
“If you had to describe me to someone, how would you do it?”
“Fishing for compliments?”
“No, I’m serious. Would you describe me as levelheaded? Rational? Sane?”
“Dude, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”
You mean other than my dead best friend appearing to me in dreams, begging me to fuck his widow? No, not much. “I just…”
“Is it Elaine?”
Elaine. Even though he knew the dream had been a figment of his imagination, it had felt so real. The look in her eyes had been one of pure allure. Her pink nipples had been taut. Her sex had been moist.
For him. Not Lloyd.
“Fuck.”
“Connor?”
“Do you really think I would have made a good cop, Ry?”
“A fantastic one, but why are we talking as if it’s never going to happen?”
“Even if I’m a little bit insane? Because they test for that sort of thing.”
“You’re not insane.”
“Oh, yeah? Then why am I dreaming about having sex with Elaine?”
“Our Elaine?”
“Yes, our Elaine.Lloyd’sElaine.”
“Oh.” Ryland’s mouth fell open, retaining the shape of the ‘O’ and his face lost all color. “Night dreams or day dreams?”
