“I was born here. My father was a colonel in the army, and my mother was a professor in the classics department at a local university. We traveled a lot, either for my mother’s book research or when my father got new orders. In retrospect, my father played a large part in my decision to join the army and go to Officer Candidate School after college.”
“That must’ve been fun.”
“Loads.” He laughed. “I’ve been out for a while and started my company two years ago. I’ve been pretty busy ever since.”
“Well, on behalf of civilians everywhere, I want to thank you for protecting our freedom and liberties,” she said.
A wide smile etched his face. “Thanks. It was my honor to serve my country.”
He held the door to the coffee shop open. They placed their order, and Ivan insisted on paying.
Tiffany found a table, and he came over with their drinks.
She inhaled the aromatic smell of her chai latte. “You don’t strike me as the tea type.”
He glanced down at his green tea. A lopsided grin etched his face. “I only drink coffee when I’m on assignments.”
“So you install security systems for a living?”
“No. I installed one a year ago for my grandmother’s assisted-living facility and picked up a few more locations by word of mouth. I’ve done a few businesses in Chicago. One being the community center where Ms. Jeannie teaches classes. I’ve taught a few senior security classes there.”
“You’re big on security.”
He laughed. “You could say that. My company, Mangum and Associates, specializes in personal protection for dignitaries, business executives and notables. We take long and short-term assignments.”
“Wow, so you’re like high-end bodyguards. Have you ever protected anyone famous?”
“A few,” he admitted.
“Seeing all those new places must be exciting for you.”
“Not all glitz and glamour, I assure you. It’s plenty of long hours, even longer reports and not much of a social life. In fact, I live a pretty monklike existence.”
“I’m familiar with that,” she said drily. “Not the danger and intrigue, but the long hours, minuscule social life and loads of paperwork. So why the business of protection?”
Ivan shrugged. “It seemed a natural extension of my skill set, plus I enjoy it.”
“I’m sure the world is a much safer place because of it,” she said sincerely.
Ivan glanced up. Their gazes connected across the table.
Clearing his throat, he opened his laptop. “I suppose we should get started.”
*
For the next thirty-five minutes, Ivan laid out his plan for Tiffany’s store. He took into account everything she asked for, plus a few Mission: Impossible–type features that she didn’t. When Tiffany started to protest, he cut her off.
“It wasn’t as expensive as you think.” He slid his laptop around to face her. “See?”
Tiffany scanned over the screen. She blinked a few times. “Wow, this is actually…affordable.”
“I get discounts on the merchandise, and my fee is reasonable.”
“Ivan, this seems like almost a pass-through on costs.”
“I’m not doing this to become wealthy, Tiffany. This is more of a hobby for me. The work I do at Mangum is high stress, keeps me busy and affords a great living. The services I provide to the community allow me to give back.”
She looked skeptical.