The inevitable poking and prodding.
“What makes you think I’m frazzled?” I asked, curious. She didn’t know me. I made a habit of hiding how I was feeling.
Hannah indicated my foot, tapping an irregular beat against her carpet. I hadn’t realized I was being so obvious. It wasn’t like me. The day had gotten to me more than I had thought.
I immediately ceased the repetitive action, running my sweaty palms along the front of my thighs, drying them.
“Maybe I’m just nervous about you,” I suggested with a sly wink. I tried to get myself back in a place I felt in control.
Hannah raised her eyebrows, nonplussed. “You really can’t say a word about your job, can you?”
I shrugged. “Well, I can tell you that I had a chicken panini for lunch and my partner, Perry, wears really bad aftershave that stinks up the whole room.”
She moved the flowers around, putting the roses up front. The room was thick with quiet. I could hear a clock ticking somewhere but couldn’t see one on the wall.
I continued to look around the small space, noting a very expensive laptop on the kitchen table. Definitely not personal grade. She had mentioned that she also sat in front of computers all day. Maybe she was some sort of techie.
“What’s so bad about his aftershave?” she asked, drawing my attention back to her. I was glad she didn’t seem too concerned about my lack of disclosure.
“He smells like a frat guy trying to get laid. It’s horrible.” I watched her. She watched me. We were both trying to be subtle about the watching. And failing miserably. “Someone left a different bottle of cologne on his desk a couple of weeks ago, but he hasn’t taken the hint. He just thought he had a secret admirer.”
Hannah giggled. It was an appealing sound. Light. Not too strained. Genuine.
“Poor guy. You almost have to feel sorry for someone that oblivious.”
“It’s kind of hard to feel sorry for Perry. Have you ever known someone whose entire demeanor grates on your nerves?”
I crossed the room to stand beside her, helping her into her coat. Touching her whenever I saw an opportunity. And she seemed to like it. She leaned into me without hesitation. So easily. It did wonders for my ego.
“Not really. I tend to keep to myself at work. Though one of the guys in my office likes to eat spicy Indian food for lunch and always smells like day-old curry by the afternoon.” She shuddered and I laughed. “But don’t be too hard on Perry. He might be a nice guy if you give him a chance. Sometimes it just takes a little patience to get to the heart of a person.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Patience isn’t my strong suit, though in my job I should have learned it by now.” I liked watching her, though I tried not to be too creepy about it. “So where do you work, Hannah?”
Time for the basics.
I hadn’t dated in a long time. Not since starting my career at the Bureau. I was more than a little rusty when it came to Dating 101. I wasn’t even sure I could remember how to make small talk without sounding like an asshat.
“I work as an admin for a bratty CEO. Nothing fancy like FBI agent, I’m afraid,” she remarked lightly. But I noticed a slight stiffening of her shoulders. Her lips thinning marginally. Her eyes narrowing.
Most people wouldn’t have noted the change.
I wasn’t most people.
I knew how to read people. My instructors at the academy had said I had an instinct, which was unusual for a guy who spent most of his life behind a computer screen.
“Bratty CEO? Which one? Maybe I’ve heard of him.”
Hannah flicked a strand of hair out of her face. “Brandon Healey. He’s with Western Railways,” she replied quickly.
I wasn’t familiar with Western Railways. It didn’t have anything to do with my particular line of business.
“What makes him so bratty?” I asked.
“Just a big pain in the ass. The type that throws a fit if there’s not enough cream in his coffee,” she replied breezily.
“Sounds like a real winner,” I said with a snicker, and she giggled. “I thought you said you sat behind a computer all day. I got the impression you did something in IT. Especially seeing as you have some serious machinery on your kitchen table.”
Hannah’s mouth pinched and she glanced toward her laptop. “I do spend most of my day sitting at a computer dealing with Mr. Healey’s stuff. That’s all I meant. And I like messing around with computers for fun. I splurged on that laptop as a treat to myself.”
