Holding her gaze, he answered, “I solve problems.”
Waiting for him to elaborate, she quickly realized that nothing else was forthcoming. Wrinkling her brow, she cocked her head as she asked, “Solve problems? What kind of problems?”
Sighing, he continued, “Simple. People have problems. I’m sent in to fix them. Any way I can. Any way that gets the job done.”
Not having any idea what he was talking about, she probed. “Who do you work for, solving problems?”
“Different people. Some better than others, but they all know I can take care of things.”
By this time, Annie realized that he wasn’t going to give her any more information and what he had given her seemed a little scary. What kind of man have I invited up to my apartment?
Recognizing that she was beginning to question his motives, Stoney knew that he needed to move the conversation to her. “So, tell me about being a vet.”
Immediately the smile that lit her face took his breath away once again. Green eyes, bright and alert, turned on him as she effused. “I love it. It is the only job I ever wanted. My parents were afraid that if it didn’t work out, I would have no plan B. But I never needed a plan B.”
“How long have you been in practice?” Stoney found himself wanting her to keep talking. He no longer cared about her talking so that they focus was off of him; he simply wanted that smile to continue to beam his way.
“I’ve been out of vet school for two years. The practice downstairs was owned by Dr. Cranston and he took me in then made me a partner. He died six months ago and left me the practice and this apartment. His practice was a good one, but it has been hard to keep things going.”
“Business is bad?”
“No, actually there is a lot of business, but I had vet school loans to pay off and can only afford my two employees right now. And this apartment is free, but we work all the time.”
Looking around at the old, minimally furnished apartment, he noted that it was clean and well kept. But still…facing an alley in an area not populated with other apartments for neighbors.
“Do you feel safe here?” he asked with bite in his tone, his irritation showing.
“It’s not so bad,” Annie admitted reluctantly. “I don’t go out at night. If I’m in the clinic late, then I use the inside staircase and I always keep the outside door locked.” Shrugging, she continued, “It works for now. Sometime, when there is more money, I can move out. But it keeps me close to the animals if we have a patient that has to stay over, like Sarge. That way my employees don’t have to try to come back.”
“Who works for you?” As he asked, he found himself thinking when was the last time I gave a fuck about talking to a woman for any reason other than sex or information?
“Suzanne is a dream. She is almost finished with her vet tech degree and we’ve become good friends. She could work anywhere but said she wanted to work for a female vet. She’s kind of quiet and doesn’t go out much, so she is willing to work for me as she finishes her classes. Leon is my vet tech and surgical assistant and they both are my receptionists for now. I’m hoping to move her to a full-time vet tech position when she graduates and then be able to hire a full-time receptionist.”
“Money a problem?” Stoney asked cautiously.
Laughing, Annie replied, “Who doesn’t have money problems?”
She really didn’t know she was in possession of a quarter of a million dollars of cocaine. Twice. Throwing that shit out in the garbage.
“But you know what is nice?” she asked as she looked into his face. “Suzanne and Leon aren’t just employees. It seems as though we are starting from the ground up, building something special. We work closely and we have fun. So even though I can’t pay them what they are worth, and after the business expenses and my loan payments are paid each month, there is very little for me to live on…I love what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with. That makes it special, don’t you think?”
Stoney looked into the face of the woman sitting next to him. Eyes bright with excitement, not dull with drugs. Taking in a man and his dog, not expecting him to pay instead of trying to figure out exactly what she could extract from him. Stoney tried to remember a time when he knew women like Annie. But right now, all he could see in his mind was her. Her goodness.
They stared at each other for a few minutes, the street noises fading away until the only sound they heard was their breathing. Slowly drawing toward each other as though a magnet was pulling, they met in the middle of the sofa.
“Doc, I’ve fucked you up against a wall and then on the floor. A woman like you deserves to be taken in a bed by a man who cares. You got a problem with that?”