He closes the car door and comes back around.
“How was today?” he asks, not even looking annoyed.
Ray would often leave me waiting outside my work back before I started to take the bus. But if he were there and I was late, I’d get attitude at the very least.
“Good,” I say, buckling up. “How was your day?”
“Pretty easy so far. I took the day off.”
“Oh. Careful, though. Calling it easy might’ve just jinxed it.”
“Good point. I did stuff, it just wasn’t difficult stuff. Had some errands to take care of. Hungry?”
“Gettin’ there, yeah.”
“I hit the supermarket on my way to you. I thought maybe you and I could cook dinner.”
I jerk in surprise.
“I know you worked all day, and my day was easy,” he says, “but I’ve got a hankerin’ for that meal you made the other week. The stir fry.”
“Oh. Oh, sure.”
“I hope I guessed right with all the ingredients. I’m happy to help. Put me to work,” he says, smiling. “I’ll do all the chopping and I’ll set the table and do the dishes.”
I nod nervously. “Okay, sure.”
I swallow down what feels like a lump as I stare ahead at traffic.
“Unless you want to make that dinner salad you told me about. We can stop again and get the ingredients for that.”
I blink. “The dinner salad?”
“Yeah. The caprese chicken with the avocados?”
I blink again. He remembered that conversation?
“Teriyaki chicken stir fry sounds nice. And you’ve already bought everything.”
“Cool. Maybe the dinner salad tomorrow. Ass-wipe bug you at all today? Emails or texts?”
I shake my head, brain feeling fuzzy as I try not to show a reaction to the words coming out of his mouth, words about us spending time together not just tonight but also tomorrow.
“No. I think I um…saw your private eye at the food court during my lunch, though. I kind of forgot about him and then at lunch, saw him. I think. I’m pretty sure.”
“You did. He told me you looked directly at him. He didn’t know I shared his description, or he wouldn’t have been seen. I apologize if that made you uncomfortable.”
“Oh. It’s okay.”
“You’re friends with Deb Pugliese?”
“Not exactly friends. More acquaintances and maybe kinda on the road to becoming friends? She’s good friends with my cubicle neighbor. They asked me out to lunch. I think they did it because Debbie was curious about you. I saw you give her the finger this morning.”
I chance a glance at him. He’s staring straight ahead, expression unreadable.
“And what did you tell her about me?”
“Don’t you already know what I said from your private eye?” I inquire and as soon as I do it, I flinch, regretting it, hoping it didn’t sound like sarcasm, because I didn’t mean it sarcastically, I just figure he heard all about the conversation.
He smiles at the windshield and then his eyes meet mine as we stop for a red light.
“I do.”
I moisten my lips. “Sorry, I hope that didn’t sound snarky.”
“It didn’t.” He gives me a firm shake of his head.
“So, you’re also aware of what she said about you?” I ask.
“I am.”
I say nothing.
Neither does he.
And the air feels thick.
“You got things you wanna ask me, Violet?” He finally breaks the silence.
I bite my thumbnail.
“Ask me whatever you wanna ask me.”
We proceed through the now green light.
His phone rings and I’m either saved by the bell or this time…cursed.
He hits a button on the dash.
“Alana, you’re on speaker. I’m not alone.”
“It’s about Amber.”
“Tell me. Just the skinny.”
“Hand in the till again. I’ve got her in the back office, and I think she’s ready to bolt.”
“This caught on camera?”
“Yes, boss.”
“I’ll be there in seven minutes. Don’t allow her to leave.”
He pulls a U-turn as he presses a button on his dash to end the phone call.
“Sorry, Violet, gotta make a pit stop on the way home.”
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into the parking lot of Genesis. I knew this was one of Killian’s clubs a long time ago. Ray pointed it out to me before and I suggested we go in. He never wanted to. I thought it was a little weird, since he frequently talked about Killian.
“Should I wait here?” I ask.
“No, come in. Have a glass of wine or a cocktail while you wait. I just have to deal with a staff member who’s been stealing from me.”
“Deal with?” My body is tense.
“She’s had some till shortfalls on her shift, so we started watching closer. The amounts got larger and we now have camera footage showing it isn’t just poor math skills. This won’t stand.”
Is he only going to fire her? Or is she about to learn that screwing over Killian Coulter will not stand in some other way?
What does that mean, though?
A shiver trills up my spine.
“I’ll bring the stir fry stuff inside, so the chicken doesn’t spoil in the car. One sec. Wait there. I’ll get your door.”