It’s a good thing she’s hot.
When she finished making out with her dog, she looked at me. Her eyes dropped to my shirtless torso and grew three sizes. She pinched her lips together to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. Like what you see, huh? If I hadn’t been so hungover, I would’ve been tempted to flex.
She pointed her finger at me. “Your fly’s open.”
I withered.
After adjusting things, I zipped my pants and ducked my shamed head into the kitchen. “Mind if I get some water?”
“There are bottles in the fridge,” she said, following me.
Her refrigerator was stocked with drinks, fruit, leftovers, eggs, yogurt… My fridge at home had beer and Gatorade. I retrieved two waters and turned to offer her one. Satan growled at me again.
“So, I had fun last night,” she said, hugging the dog closer to her chest.
“So did I.” Apparently. “Do you have any ibuprofen?”
She smiled and jerked her thumb toward the door. “Yeah. It’s in the bathroom. I’ll run get it.”
I silently hoped she would glance in the mirror while she was in there.
She barricaded the pup back in the kitchen, and I followed her back down the hall and walked into her bedroom. While I picked up my clothes, a horrified gasp came from the bathroom. I chuckled.
When Shannon finally came back out wearing a pink robe, I was dressed and putting my boots back on. Her hair was tied in a neat ponytail and she was wearing makeup. I could have definitely done worse at the bar.
She swayed her hips sheepishly from side to side. “No time for breakfast?”
I shook my head and stood up. “No. I’ve got to swing by the sheriff’s office before I go check out of my hotel.”
She visibly deflated. “That’s right. You’re leaving today.”
I nodded as I adjusted the grayscale American flag patch on the front of my hat. “Yeah.”
“What’s at the sheriff’s office?”
I pulled my hat down low over my eyes and checked to make sure my wallet and badge were still in the back pocket of my pants. “I’m working on a missing person’s case in Raleigh, and I think a victim from here might be related to it.”
“That’s fascinating,” she said with a sing-song sigh.
I was pretty sure she would have said the same thing if I’d told her I was here to dig septic lines for the city. I jingled my keychain. “I’ve got to head out.”
She smiled, sort of. “I’ll walk you out.”
I really wished she wouldn’t.
As we passed through the living room, she picked up a business card off the coffee table and handed it to me. It didn’t look official. Her name was Shannon Green. “WKNC News?” I turned it over in my hand.
She did a little curtsy thing. “I’m a reporter.”
I smiled. “You look like a reporter.” I tucked the card into my back pocket. “I’ll be in touch,” I lied as I opened the front door.
“It was nice to meet you, Detective.”
“You too, Shannon.”
The mountain air was nearly frozen, and I zipped up my thick coat in the breezeway as she watched from the door. The cold must have finished sobering me up because my brain clicked on. I shook my head and turned back around to face her. “We took a cab here last night, didn’t we?”
“Oh!” She laughed. “Yes, we did!”
I sighed. “At least we were responsible.”
“I can drive you,” she offered.
I checked the time again. The sheriff was leaving his office in twenty minutes. “I’ve got to be at the sheriff’s office by eleven.”
She smiled. “Give me five minutes.”
On what planet? I wondered but kept my mouth shut.
We pulled into the parking lot at the Buncombe County jail with two minutes to spare. I must admit, I was a little impressed. There was an SUV parked in the spot labeled ‘Sheriff’ and I relaxed. “I’ll hurry,” I said, wrenching the passenger’s side door open.
She turned off the engine. “I’ll come with you.”
I couldn’t object without being a complete jerk, so I didn’t and she followed me inside. Behind the welcome desk was a large black woman wearing a blue uniform that was at least two sizes too small. She was smirking before I ever even opened my mouth.
“I’m Detective Nathan McNamara from Wake County, and I’m here to see Sheriff Davis,” I said.
“You don’t look like no detective.” She stood and looked me up and down. “You’re too baby-faced and blonde to be a detective.”
Maybe charm would work. I winked at her. “He’s expecting me.”