Mad Gold (Providence Gold 2)

Wringing my hands in front of me, I grimaced and bit my bottom lip. “I really don’t think I want to…”

Jones had his phone set to that irritating tap tapping noise as you typed, and when it started as his thumb flew across the screen, I panicked.

“I drank some of the milk in the refrigerator and it gave me diarrhea!” I yelled, just as the door to my office opened.

“I’ll come back,” a familiar deep voice that I hadn’t heard in a week muttered.

Why me, Jesus? Why me?

Madix

It had been a week since I’d seen Dahlia. Initially, the reason had been down to me being called out to one of the drilling sites because someone was stealing small pieces of machinery like power tools. Then, when I’d gotten back, it had been because I didn’t know what to say to her. When I’d realized that I knew where she worked and I could just pop in with the bullshit excuse of needing my vehicle checked, I’d done just that.

From being a cop, I’d learned that you had a less chance of being stopped and questioned if you looked like you belonged there and knew where you were going. Not wanting to risk being stopped by a helpful employee in her dad’s garage, I’d walked toward the back of the building, figuring that’s where the offices were, and avoided making eye contact with anyone.

What I hadn’t expected to happen was to walk around the corner just as she was saying, “I drank some of the milk in the refrigerator and it gave me diarrhea!”

Wincing, I went to turn around and leave just as the guy she was talking to turned to look at me, and found myself saying, “I’ll come back.”

What else could you say? I couldn’t just walk out with him looking at me. He’d call me back and then I’d have to dig myself out of an even deeper hole.

“Madix?”

She sounded absolutely horrified as she said my name. I really hoped it was because of what she’d said to the other guy, and not just that she felt that way about me showing up.

“Hey,” I replied awkwardly. “I, uh…,” I took a quick look back at the guy who was studying me. He was about nine inches shorter than me and looked around the same age as my dad. I didn’t notice any similarities between him and Dahlia though, so maybe he was a family friend. “Have you got a minute?”

“I’ll just go and make sure there’s plenty of toilet paper in the bathroom,” snorted the guy, turning around and walking toward the door. As he exited the room, he shot over his shoulder, “Wouldn’t want you to get caught short, seeing as how your colon is about to blow!”

I fought the smile that wanted to break free at that moment for many reasons. Firstly, I wasn’t a smiley person, it just wasn’t a natural thing for me. I had to force it a majority of the time and then I felt like I probably just looked creepy. Secondly, Dahlia’s eye had started to twitch, and she was reaching in the direction of a huge mug on the desk beside her. She hadn’t thrown it yet, and I didn’t want to push her over the edge and end up having to lie when she got arrested for assaulting the guy. Absolutely I would lie for her regardless of the fact I was a former cop. Why though, I didn’t know. Something about Dahlia intrigued me past anything I’d come across in my life.

Her hand had reached the cup by this point and was lifting it, so I decided to say fuck it and moved to take it away from her.

“Give it back,” she hissed, giving it a tug. “I just want to hit him once.”

“You’d never get me,” the guy’s voice sounded from the hallway. “With your luck, it’d probably go through the window and kill a bird.”

For some reason, that totally deflated any fight Dahlia had in her and she let go of the mug instantly, leaving me holding the thing away from her just in case she changed her mind.

“He’s right,” she muttered so quietly that I had to strain to hear her. “It probably would,” she sighed and hunched her shoulders as she looked at her feet, deep in thought about something.

When she didn’t look back up at me and I couldn’t take seeing her like that anymore, I broke the silence. Clearing my throat, I explained why I was here – well, the lie I’d come up with.

“I need my truck checked.”

Her head had snapped up when I’d cleared my throat and she’d looked at me like she’d forgotten I was there. What an ego boost! When I gave her my explanation, she blinked rapidly for a couple of seconds and then moved toward her desk.