Or did she? She’d put some effort into her hair and makeup and dressed like it was a real date.
Don’t go there. It couldn’t happen. I didn’t want it to happen. She didn’t want it to happen.
Our job was to convince Paul that Madi was off the market.
During the drive, I asked, “Why do you call your Jeep O.P.?”
A perfectly innocent, non-sexual question.
“You know that old kids’ song about the one-eyed flying purple monster?”
Despite not having heard that song in decades, it started playing in my head.
“Yup. And now I’m singing it in my head.”
She giggled.
“When I went to pick her up at the detail shop, they’d only removed the protective tape from one headlight, and the song popped into my head.” She giggled. “It’s silly, but I don’t care.”
I liked this side of her, relaxed and playful.
“Why purple?”
“Why not?”
I stole a glance at her as I nodded.
“Purple’s my favorite color, and I love how the paint looks different in different lights.”
“Which is your favorite?” If this were an actual date, she’d probably write me off as lame.
“When the glitter sparkles in the sunlight.”
“Why’d you choose black?” she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
“I’m a SEAL, of course I chose black.”
“Is it like a rule or something? You get your trident and you have to buy a black SUV or truck.”
“It is; they send the SEAL police to check. If your truck is anything other than the manly black you see here, they strip you of your trident.” I patted myself on the back internally for delivering the entire lie without laughing.
Luckily, Nathan, a SEAL, also drove a black truck, or she could’ve disproved my lie without even trying.
“Must be true of Raiders, too.”
Jay also drove a black truck.
“No doubt. Black makes sense for the job. It’d be hard to blend in and go unnoticed in a sparkling purple Jeep.”
When we arrived at the upscale steak restaurant I’d chosen, I opted out of valet parking so I’d have immediate access to my truck if needed. Plus, I didn’t want to give access to the tools of my trade locked in the back. “If you don’t want to walk, I can drop you near the door.”
The look she gave me was the only answer I needed.Good thing.
If this were a real date I could drop her off, but I was on duty protecting Madi.
“Walking it is.”
Chapter 17
