“Hey, you forgot your beer,” a man at the bar called.
Erica looked over her shoulder. “I don’t trust it.”
The cop had started the groper’s Miranda statement whenNeesa’s phone pinged.
Rylee:Sorry, I’m going home. Erica is heading back toward your table. See you tomorrow.
“Should we go after her?” Dakota hoped Neesa would say yes. “If you introduced us, I could see her safely to where she wants to go.”
The door opened, and Rylee left.
Neesa raised her hand and waved it overhead. “Erica!”
Erica scooted around the cops and came to stand near them.
Dakota offered again, “If you introduce me to Rylee, I’m happy to see her safely to where she wants to go. That was a lot.” He had an overwhelming need to be with Rylee to see if she was really okay, to possibly comfort and protect her. Of course, his needs had to take a backseat to Rylee’s sense of safety. Without an introduction, he would do nothing.
“Rylee?” Erica asked. “No, she says she’s fine. The Metro’s only a block away. And there are plenty of people on the street.”
Dakota walked the women back to their table, and for the rest of the night, he wondered whether what Veer and Kumar had said was true: his guardian angel desperately wanted to put Dakota and Rylee together, while her guardian angel was steadfastly steering Rylee in a different direction.
Chapter Thirteen
Rylee
Wednesday
“Why are you dressed like that?” Neesa asked as she walked into Rylee’s office.
Rylee looked down at her yoga pants and hoodie. “In just a minute, I’m going over to the warehouse to put together my jump bag, so I’m ready to rocket out of here when there’s a new call out. Then, I’m going rock climbing with Papa Team.”
Neesa shut the door gently before turning to ask, “I’m not inside your body, Rylee, so I can’t tell. Are you up for a deployment?”
“If I’m not, I’ll pull myself off the roster.” She closed the lid on her computer. “I’m not going to endanger anyone.”
Neesa got a wicked grin on her face. “I’m going to sit for a second and spill some tea while you sip your coffee.”
Rylee picked up her cup, cradling it between both hands, and leaned back. “Tea? Yes, please.”
Neesa moved over to the guest chair and sat. “Before I get to my news, are you okay from last night?”
Rylee sighed. “Fine. Just another night at the bar. How about you and Dapper Jasper? I didn’t abandon you. You had Erica, right?”
“I had a good time. I really like him.” Neesa’s face pinked. “I’m glad I went, though, I’m sorry that you had a shitty time of it.”
“Meh. One more guy removed from polite society.” She took a sip, then set her mug back on the coaster. “The dude is getting his comeuppance. I checked the court website. He was arraigned, and he posted bail. I used his name to find hissocials. He’s asking for lawyer recommendations and bitching to his bros about how women in his father’s day enjoyed being beautiful creatures for men to enjoy. He’s got a lot of videos up about the kind of women he laments are not in his life.”
“He needs a mommy cooking for him and cleaning the house?” Neesa asked.
“And who takes care of his natural male needs on demand. No means yes is his philosophy.”
“You did womankind a favor,” Neesa said. “But you did give your PO box and your burner phone number to the police, right?”
“Yup, and my initials. The groper would have trouble pinpointing me as RR Jones. There are about two hundred in the area, mostly men.”
“RR? Do I know your middle name?” Neesa asked.
“Rose.”
