Bad Seed

“Hi,” I said instead.

“Listen,” he said. “I know this is a little weird, but I saw you sitting here, and I just thought… Well, I thought maybe you’d like some company.”

“Sure,” I said without thinking. “That would be great.”

I gestured toward the empty chair across from me. The blue-eyed man lowered himself into it and smiled at me again. His eyes were enough to keep my attention, but that smile didn’t help matters. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. His jaw was angular and strong, and his blue eyes held mine like some sort of tractor beam.

“I’m Julie,” I said.

Very smooth.

I stuck out my hand for him to shake. “Julie Black.”

“Michael Smart,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, Julie.”

I smiled. “You too.”

“So,” Michael said. “I haven’t seen you in here before, which must mean you’re new in town. Or maybe just visiting?”

“Just moved here,” I said. “Do you use that line on all the girls?”

“What’s that?” Michael asked, frowning slightly.

“You must be new in town,” I mimicked.

“Was I wrong?” he teased.

“Not at all,” I said, and I could tell he was every bit the playboy he seemed to be. “Well, I’m here every day,” Michael said. “Just ask Sarah. She’ll vouch for me.”

“I don’t doubt it.” I laughed softly.

Michael was easy to talk to. Much easier than I would have anticipated. When he sat down, I immediately felt my nerves kick into overdrive, but once we started talking, the banter flowed easily.

“What are you up to?” Michael asked, nodding toward the computer.

I sighed. “Looking for a job.”

“No luck?” Michael asked.

I shrugged. “Not yet. I’ll find something. It’s just a matter of finding the right something.”

Michael looked at the computer closer and squinted. When he looked back up at me, I felt my stomach tighten.

“Journalism?” he asked simply.

I nodded. “I’m hoping to find an online position,” I said. “Maybe a weekly column or something.”

“You know,” he said. “Dallas isn’t that far. You could always commute up there. Find a job at a reputable paper.”

“I did t

hat,” I said with a smile. “I actually just left Dallas.”

“Oh yeah?” Michael asked. His interest was flattering, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into the details of my life with a complete stranger. After all, we’d only known each other for ten minutes.

“I needed a change.” I shrugged. “This place seemed perfect. The only problem with Ennis is its lack of publications.”

“Yeah,” Michael said. “You won’t find a need for reporters around here. It’s a pretty quiet town.”