Mostly, I decided. Closeenough to totally fine not to pour my heart out to my stressed, overworkedfather who wasalreadybeing overprotective. It wasn’t enough of alie to bother correcting it.
My dad looked up at me, eyessharp. “Really?”he asked.
“Really. Iamfine, and with abodyguard to look after me… what could possibly go wrong?”
Dad snorted. “You just had tojinx it, didn’t you?” he asked, smiling wryly. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but I’drather be safe than sorry.”
Of course he would. He’d been scared oflosing me once before, and I didn’t think he’d ever really gotten over that. Icould live with a little protectiveness if it meant peace of mind for him.
I owed him that much.
“I won’t keep you,” headded. “Unless there’s anything else you wanna talk about?”
I shook my head. He wasbusy, and I didn’t have anything else of interest to say, anyway. Besides, Icould come up here and see him anytime I wanted.
“Okay, back to work for you.And don’t forget about your cousin’s cocktail party,” he said.
I hadn’t forgotten,though I was still on the fence about actually showing up. There was plenty oftime left to decide one way or another.
“I won’t,” I promised as Itook a step back toward the door. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Anytime, kiddo.”
***
The look on Amanda’s face as Istepped out of the elevator told me she still wasn’t impressed with my choiceofpersonalsecurity specialist,which sounded like a pretentious way of sayingbodyguard even to me.
Even though she technicallyworked for me, I didn’t like disappointing her. She seemed to believe Icould be a lot better than I was, and it was nice to havesomeonebelieve in me.
“When’s he coming by?” Iasked, knowing Amanda knew what I was talking about.
“I made an appointment foreleven. He’s late.”
“There’s a pileup outside.”I waved in the general direction of the windows. “Blocking the parking garage.He’s probably waiting for it to be cleared.”
“Yes, sir,” Amandaresponded, in the particular tone that meantyou’re an idiot, butI’m not allowed to say so.
I’d given her permission totell me when I was being an idiot a dozen times, but she’d never actually doneit.
A lab coat in a pair ofglasses whirled into my personal space out of nowhere, making me jump back apace. It took me a few seconds to recognize the glasses, and then the maninthe lab coat, which threatened to swallow him whole.
“Morning, Mr. Emerson,”Jimmy said.
I wished he’d call me Miles.
Jimmy and I had dated for awhile in college, and he’d eventually come to work for Emerson Medical inthe research department. I hadn’t had anything to do with that, but I got theimpression he’d assumed I did, in the beginning at least. There’d even been anattempt to rekindle our little college fling on his part, but…
Not that I was in a positionto be picky, but he just wasn’t mytype. Too shy, too awkward. Iknew lots of guys who went for that, but I wasn’t one of them.
“Uh, good morning. Did youneed something?”
“No, umm.” Jimmy pushed hisperpetually-slipping glasses up his nose. “I just… I heard about your car beingbroken into, and I think your office as well? And I just wanted to see if youwere okay.”
“Oh.” I blinked at him, alittle flush of warmth washing over me at the thought that he cared. No one hadactually asked if I was okay except for my dad. They’d asked what happened,what was missing, if I was insured, but not… how I felt.
I really didn’t expect to getthat warmth from Jimmy, but I didn’t hate it.
“I, umm… yeah, I’m okay. Ithink the car break-in was random, and security’s looking into the office. Itwas probably just one of the mail room guys,” I said, knowing for sure that itwasn’t.
