Project Produce(14)

My steps faltered over the sound of my name on his lips, but I kept trucking along, too mad to talk. How was I supposed to live without a job?

He slowed his pace and fell behind. A twinge of disappointment trickled through me. Hmmm. He hadn’t put up much of a fight. Not that I wanted him to, I reminded myself. Five minutes later, the deep rumble of an engine purred along the streets behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know who followed. Looked like Hot Britches was a fighter, after all.

Score one for him, I conceded, then stopped walking. God, I was getting too old for these games. Rounding the hood of his car, I found the door handle and climbed in, glancing around at the refurbished interior. What I could see of it, anyway. “Nice car.”





“Yup, she’s a beauty.”

“She?”

“Big Betty. Try to beat her in a race, and she’ll whoop your... well, you get the picture.” He revved up the engine and peeled away from the curb.

I rolled my eyes. Typical guy. We didn’t speak again until he pulled into the driveway of... holy cow, my apartment complex. “How do you know where I live?”

“I’m a Detective. It’s what I do.”

Duh, Cal. “Well, do it with someone else, please.”

He looked at me. “You’re a witness, and that freak is still on the loose. It’s my job, Mac.”

He was right, and I knew it. I just didn’t want him looking into my background, terrified he’d find out about the scandal and judge me like everyone else had. And I wanted to make a fresh start on my own.

“Listen, I knew you’d be upset about losing your job, so I called in a few favors. You know how it is.”

I narrowed my eyes. “No, I don’t know how it is.” What was going on behind those blasted mirrored sunglasses of his? “Why don’t you tell me how it is, and what these favors have to do with me?”

“I’ve lived in the neighborhood forever. Favors seem to fall in my lap. Thought I’d pass one on to you, is all.” He flashed his straight white teeth.

Great. Another flasher. “What did you do, get me a job? Why? You barely know me.” My resolve softened, but I was afraid to let my guard down. Afraid to trust he would do something nice for me without an ulterior motive. I’d come to learn if something seemed too good to be true, then it probably was.

He stared at me for a long moment, then said, “Hell, I don’t know why. Call it a moment of guilt. You sounded like you needed this job. I happened to know of a better one in a nicer hotel, that’s all.”

“Well, I appreciate the offer, but I told you I can take care of myself.” I’d let Bob call the shots in our relationship, and look where it had ended. With him arrested, and me mortified beyond belief. Mortified, depressed, and completely alone.

Note to self: Rock bottom is not a pretty place to be.

Dylan ignored me. “Your shift will be in the afternoon right after your class, so your evenings will be free to study, and you can sleep at night. Don’t be stubborn, Mac. There’s no shame in accepting help.”

“Shame has nothing to do with it. And how do you know when my class is?”

“I went to college. Just assumed it was during the day.” He flashed his pearly whites again, looking like a fuzzy star in a toothpaste commercial.

He was right. I couldn’t afford to turn down a perfect opportunity out of stubborn pride, and I really couldn’t take keeping Dracula’s hours anymore. I swallowed. “I’ll take it, thank you. Any way you can get my friend, Gloria, a job? She has to pay rent, too.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” He handed me a piece of paper with the job details. “You start tomorrow.”

I squinted at the job listing. “Okay. But I will pay back the favor. I don’t want to be indebted to anyone, Detective.”

“Dinner sounds like a good payback to me.” He glanced at me.

My lips parted, but I couldn’t think of a word to say. “That’s not what I had in mind,” I hedged.

He shrugged. “You said you had to eat. Besides, you’re the one who said you owed me. This is how I choose to collect. Do you have a problem with that, Callie?”

My name sounded so sexy on those sculptured lips, my heart pinged like I’d hit the jackpot in a pinball game. Oh, yeah. I had a problem, all right. The last thing I needed was to fall under his spell and wind up in another scandal, even if said scandal was positively gorgeous. Although, I did have a project to finish and some questions that needed answering, so I had a reason to say yes. Or so I kept telling myself.

“Dinner will be fine. Then we’re even, and I have a few questions you can answer for me, agreed?”