“I need to check something out. And going to a target location on a date would make me look less like I’m poking my nose around in stuff.”
I laughed. “You hardly need me as a cover. Why not take Spring?”
“Right. Two reporters. That’s not conspicuous at all.” No missing the sarcasm.
“Where are we going?”
“You know Tully’s?”
“On the highway? Sure, I’ve been there.” Wasn’t my favorite place, but if he’d wanted to go to Fifties, then we would’ve been going to Fifties. I was just as glad my favorite diner wasn’t thetarget location. I yawned.
Ulysses immediately said, “I’ll swing by to pick you up.”
I barked out a laugh. “Ulysses, I’m fifteen minutes in the wrong direction.”
“Just stay put and I’ll get you. I want to pick your brain.” He hung up.
I stretched. If I put my head down, I was liable to go to sleep. I sniffed myself.Yep. Another shower’s in order.I still had an odeur de smoke—even though I’d already scrubbed down at the hall. Or maybe the lingering scent was just my imagination.
Still, I hopped in, washed quickly, and was dressed and towel-drying my hair when Ulysses arrived. I opened my door to him.Scrumptious. I could totally eat him up.Those blue jeans and his black leather jacket with the aviator sunglasses. Damn.
He arched an eyebrow. “Keep looking at me like that and we’ll never make it to dinner.”
“I’ve got some leftover pasta. Or I can whip up a batch of Kraft Dinner after we’ve dirtied my sheets.”
He stepped forward and yanked me in for a hard kiss. “As much as I love KD—and I truly do and will one day take you up on that offer—my questions aren’t going to get answered if we stay in.”
I pouted.
With a grin, he yanked me out through my front door. He stepped back inside, grabbed my jacket, keys, and sunglasses. He handed me the jacket and glasses, then he locked the door.
“I could’ve done that myself.” Since the sun was only now beginning to hit the horizon, I donned my shades. By the time we headed home, I wouldn’t need them.
Ulysses slapped my ass. “I know you can. Now, get in.”
I did. And by the time he was on my street, I was fast asleep.
With a start, I awoke when his tires hit gravel. “Oh shit.”
He laughed. “I wasn’t going to wake you, Sleeping Beauty. Except for the snoring, you were adorable.” He pulled into a spot, put the SUV in Park, but didn’t turn off the engine. “I almost turned around—I really didn’t realize how tired you are. That’s on me. We can go back—”
“No way.” I stretched. “Turn the engine off and let’s go in. That twenty-minute power nap will carry me through until I get home. Just don’t let me fall asleep on the way home—that’ll really fuck with my internal clock.”
“You’re sure?”
I reached over and hit the ignition to shut the engine off. “I’m sure.”
“Yeah, okay.” He unplugged his phone from the charger. Then we both got out and headed inside the restaurant.
Tully’s was sort of a cross between a bar and a restaurant. The pool room in the back was the sort-of-a-bar part, while the restaurant was…well, pretty much as advertised. The grub was decent, but the place was on the opposite side of town from me. I had to put in some effort to make it out here. Generally, I didn’t find it worth the effort. But with Ulysses? Always willing.
We removed our sunglasses. I tucked mine into the neck of my jean shirt.
Ulysses put his in his jacket pocket.
“Don’t forget they’re in there. You might break them.”
“Cheap pair. Because yes, I’ve done that before.” He gestured to the sign. “That true?”
