“Do you mind if I join you? That way I can answer any questions you may have.”
Jesus. This was sounding worse and worse by the minute.
“Is that what you came here for?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Actually, I came to see if you might be interested in having a roommate.”
What did he just say?
“I’m sticking around for a few more days, and I’d like to stay with you,” he said.
“Presumptuous much?” I shot back.
“Think of it as a sleepover.”
Bristling, I asked dryly, “A naked one?”
He gave me that million-dollar smile. “Why, sure. Thanks for asking.”
“I didn’t ask?—"
“Tammy, Iwantto stay with you. I like being with you, and I’d like to spend as much time together as possible while I’m here for a few extra days. Being able to keep an eye on you is just a bonus. The second break-in means this wasn’t a random person and a crime of opportunity. They know the Watering Hole well, which means they also likely know the employees. Employees like you.”
He made a good point. If they knew my name, they might know where I lived. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to have someone else around…just in case.
But before I could ask anything, he carried on.
“Just to clarify, I’m not inviting myself over to have sex or even sleep in your bed. I’d be more than happy to sleep in your spare bedroom if that would make you more comfortable.”
“What would make me more comfortable is if you would tell me what’s really going on.”
“How about this?” His voice was calm, controlled, and perhaps even a bit sympathetic. “Let’s go meet Frank and Vince, and you can decide after. Come on. I’ve still got my rental car. I’ll drive.”
“I have rules,” I said defiantly with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Maybe you need new rules,” he replied. “Rules that include me staying with you.”
Drinks with Frankand Vince turned out to be drinks with Frank, Vince, Ray, Wade, and Archer.
I knew the minute Ray and I walked in that this was not going to end well for me.
Ray sat next to me at the table…as in he scooted his chair as close as he possibly could to mine without actually merging our two chairs.
As the guys all laid out the new plan, Ray’s hand went from my clenched fists in my lap to the top of my thigh, once I initially jerked my hands away. His touch wasn’t sexual in nature, but rather supportive. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It was nice but also left me feeling edgy.
“We’re pulling Diego and Delia off any nonessential cases so they can be at the pub when you or anyone else closes,” Archer added. “Ray suggested we add more security measures when westore the money. We also want our staff watching guard when you take it directly to the bank.”
“You really think that will work?” I asked, not entirely convinced, but willing to try.
“If there’s no money to steal, or it’s harder to do so, to most people it’s no longer worth it.”
Personally, I liked Delia better.
Not just because she was friendly—though that helped—but because she’d spent a decade as an Air Force hurricane hunter pilot. The kind of person who strapped into a plane and flew straight into the eye of a storm, collecting data that saved lives.
The thought of that made me want to puke. Yet she’d done it for ten years.
She was sharp, brave, spoke four languages, and carried an unassuming presence that was deadly effective.
