“No, you live on the opposite side of town. I’ll just take a taxi.”
“Are you sure?” He looked around suspiciously, as if thugs waited in the shadows to attack me. “Let me take you.”
“No, I insist.”
If Eddie took me home, he might think he had a chance of getting an invite into my place. Better to cut it off here, nice and clean.
“I saw some taxis down at the corner. I’ll just flag one down.”
He helped me to my feet and watched me gingerly test my ankle, stepping forward a few paces.
“I just need to walk it out,” I told him. “But, thank you for the meal. It was nice meeting you.”
Eddie gave me a hug that was a little too tight and went in for the kiss. I turned my head just in time, his dry lips landing on my cheek. Poor guy needed some Chap Stick. He pulled away, laughing nervously, and then waved before he walked around his car and got in. I waited until he drove away before taking off in a brisk pace toward the stoplight on the corner.
Tomorrow, I was going to tell Angel to quit it with the blind dates. My love life might be pathetic, but it was going nowhere fast with her castoffs. I could find ways to humiliate myself, thank you very much.
I was almost to the light when the same black sedan that drove by minutes earlier came sliding into the parking space next to me. Speeding up my pace, I tried to pass it, but it kept pace with me. It wasn’t the first time I’d dealt with creepers in this city.
Six months ago, two kids had tried to harass me during my evening stroll around the block. They each got two nasty talon cuts across their backsides when they tried to touch me. Lesson learned.
I was about to turn and give the driver a piece of my mind when the window rolled down. Sitting inside and grinning like a fool was Gideon. He stopped the car, waving for me to come near.
“Was that sorry sap your date?” Gideon’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “Hot date you had there.”
“He wasn’t bad and you know it.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
Gideon could barge into my life and accuse me of crimes, but he didn’t have the right to judge my dates.
“In fact, he was quite handsome,” I said with a nod.
He laughed and put the car in park. “Maybe for a rooster hybrid.”
Inwardly, I cringed. He’d spotted Eddie’s true nature, too.
“Let me guess, you used the old I-sprained-my-ankle get out of jail card,” he added. “Nice move.”
“Oh, you recognized that one? Too many girls use it on you?”
I smiled sweetly at him through the open window as he chuckled.
“But seriously, what are you doing here?” I looked around at the mostly empty street. “Are you stalking me now?”
“No, I was just driving by. I’m staying at the Grandview Hotel on the corner.”
Gideon sounded entirely too defensive. I’d only been kidding him.
“I was just heading back to the original crime scene,” he continued. “We need more photos of the victims and I remembered there was a family picture on their wall.”
“Great, you can give me a ride.” I hopped in before Gideon could object, making myself at home in the pristine car. Might as well save a taxi fare. “Nice ride. Is this a rental?”
“Yeah, I’m based in Texas. We flew in yesterday.” He put the car into drive and pulled into traffic.
For a Texas boy, he didn’t have much of a southern drawl. Probably grew up somewhere else.
“This was the car I got stuck with,” he said with a frown.
“It’s not bad.” I ran my hand over the black dashboard. Not a speck of dust on it. “Could do worse.”