Calamity Jena (Invertary 4)

He could almost hear Joe’s teeth clench. “Reinforcements?”

“Yeah.” Frank sat back in his seat. He was only drinking black coffee. Frank worried he’d get a gut if he ate decent food.

“Want to tell us what’s going on, Frank?” Joe’s tone was flat and deadly. Most men would run when they heard it. Not Frank. He was too stupid.

“I called the mother.” Frank tugged at his cuffs. His smile was nasty. Grunt pushed his food away before it turned in his stomach. “Jena’s mom was real interested to know her daughter is hanging out in the same town as Josh McInnes. She’ll be here on the first flight she can get. She’s a big fan. Convinced that McInnes will hear her songs and give her the break she’s been chasing her whole life.” He looked smug. “I promised her I’d get her some face time with Josh if she came and talked to Jena. I made it clear if she doesn’t get Jena on a flight to the States, there’ll be no Josh time.”

Grunt eyed his fork. He wondered how it would look sticking out of Frank’s throat.

Joe was not impressed. “I thought you wanted to talk to Jena, not make her go back with you. That’s what you said when you hired us. We’re here to show your woman what a big, important guy you are. Let her know what she’s missing. Why the push to get her stateside?”

Frank leaned forward, arms on the table. “I don’t need to tell you shit. You’re hired meat. Performing monkeys. You don’t need to know nothing.” He pointed at Joe. “Your job is to do what you’re told.” He pushed out of the booth and sneered at them. “Waste of money. Amateurs. Be ready in fifteen. We’re gonna try talking to Jena again.”

With that he swept out of the room, like the president at a state dinner.

“I hate that guy,” Grunt said.

Joe patted him on the back. “That’s what I like about you, buddy. Straight to the point. No messing around.” He looked at the door Frank had disappeared through. “He’s an asshole.”

No truer word was spoken. “Why you think he’s got such a hard-on for this Jena chick?”

Joe shrugged, but it was tight. Forced. “Dunno. But I’m getting a bad feeling about it. I thought this would be an easy gig. Give the guy an ego boost. See Scotland. Now I’m getting a rash from taking his money.”

No kidding. Grunt felt the need to shower every time he was around Frank.

“What do we do?” he said. “See this thing through or bail?”

Joe’s lips tightened. “Got a bad feeling. Let’s see how this plays for now.”

“Watch the girl,” Grunt said with a nod.

“Yeah, watch the girl. I think the moron may be planning more than we guessed. Definitely more than he told us. Wouldn’t want to see Jena hurt.”

No, Grunt thought grimly. There was no way they’d let that happen.

“What’s with you and all these first dates, anyway?”

It was Saturday afternoon. Matt was busy prying nails from the old floorboards in her kitchen. Yet another job he’d taken on without consulting her. She’d also found paint samples on the table. She was beginning to suspect Matt had taken over her renovation.

She’d been a bit disorientated when she’d woken in her living room instead of her bedroom. She’d been alone in the bed, which was more of a relief than anything else. Part of her had been anxious about dealing with Matt, but he’d behaved as he normally did—lecturing her about her breakfast choices while providing coffee that was actually drinkable. There was no awkwardness and there was no mention of the night before. Jena knew she should be pleased that it wasn’t a big deal, but part of her was seriously disappointed. She laughed at herself. What was she expecting? For him to be so turned on by her close proximity that he fell at her feet? No. She was glad things were back to normal. Over the moon about it, in fact.

“Jena, are you listening to me? What’s with all the dates? Are you desperate for a man?”

“Yeah. That’s exactly it,” she drawled. “I’m desperate. I can’t live without a man in my life. I’m incomplete. Woe is me.”

Jena continued to fill the black garbage sack with the last of the discarded wallpaper. Who knew there was so much paper on the kitchen walls? The room wasn’t big, yet the garage was full of bags waiting for rubbish pickup day.

“I’m being serious here.”

“How about you tone down the male chauvinist attitude and I might answer your questions?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, making her squirm. It was amazingly easy to forget he was a cop.

“What’s the deal with the dates?” he asked again.

With a heavy sigh, she turned towards him. He looked sexy in his butter-soft blue jeans and old grey shirt. Her mouth watered at the sight. He had a body to die for. After a night spent cuddled up next to him, she knew exactly how good that body could feel. She shook her head to clear it.

“I know how much courage it takes to ask someone out and I don’t want to throw it back in their faces. I give everyone a chance at a first date. Then at least I can tell them honestly if we don’t click. Without the date, a rejection is just plain mean. I don’t like hurting people’s feelings.”