Bonnie began walking into traffic without thinking and his widening eyes and hand flying into the air made her look at what she was doing. She scrambled back onto the sidewalk and glanced away, embarrassed, then found her gaze drifting back to meet his. Bonnie tried to look casual when she felt anything but. What is he doing here? She bit her lip and glanced around, then back to him. He wasn’t alone, she realized. A good-looking man with shaved short hair and mischief in his eyes stepped forward and said something in his ear. His friend wore jeans and a blue t-shirt with yellow writing that read, “Deal With It.” When other pedestrians walked past her, she realized she’d missed the light’s change. Joining them as though nothing ridiculously peculiar was happening, she kept pace with the crowd, but could not take her eyes off him. She smoothed her hair self-consciously and then realized she was being silly. Hold your head high, girl. That’s how to do it. Arriving in front of him, she
Nate watched her yelling at him. Of course, she was scared; why hadn’t he thought of that before showing up like this? But he couldn’t tell her the truth. She had him in a bad spot and she didn’t even know it. She’d looked at him like he was the problem like she was scared of him. What could he tell her? I’m the one who saved you? That guy will never bother you again, or anyone else–I made sure of that. I know where you live because I brought your things back to you. That bag in your hands, I know what’s in it. I studied everything in the purple wallet you’ve stuffed too many receipts into for it to close. I even know you forgot to take your pill yesterday. When she left, didn’t turn around or look back, he walked to the nearest building and leaned against it, watching her, oblivious to the many, many New Yorkers walking past him enjoying the bright Indian summer day. He pulled out his phone and called Elliott. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” “You scare her off or something? Wh
Darrell walked back to the kitchen. “You want some coffee? I’m assuming you do. So the woman last night, is she who’s got that weight on your soul? You know what I’d do?” “What?” “I’d go find her.” Not sure he wanted to reveal that he already had, Nate decided to ask, “How would I do that?” “Her scent. Duh.” Oh. That. The fresh shampoo mixed with her aroma that he couldn’t get out of his nose. And then the sweet scent of arousal he’d gotten a whiff of when they were walking hand in hand. God help me. “It’s a big city. That’s not so easy.” A knock at the door swung both of their heads in that direction as a muffled voice called through, “Let me in.” Danny. “How’d he get in the building?” Darrell mumbled, impressed. Nate opened the door and walked Danny with a look that sized up the messy room with distaste. He turned on his packmate. “Elliott tells me you’ve contacted the woman you saved.” Nate cast a guilty look at Darrell and shrugged at the dropped jaw waiting for him in t
They walked to a local restaurant that had a full bar and while Bonnie wouldn’t normally have a drink during work hours, this was her client and in a way her boss, so…best job ever. As the bartender leaned in, she was pleased to hear Lauren inquire as to whether they carried Chardonnay, one of Bonnie’s delicious favorites. “We have that by the glass.” “Two, please.” Lauren turned on her bar stool and crossed her legs. “So, what have you got for me?” The women talked about marketing for the boutique at first, but as they were halfway into their first glass they were laughing so much that the business was soon forgotten. “Yes, you should have seen his face!” Lauren mimicked her ex-husband’s reaction, lowering her voice. “'Do you know how many clothing stores there are in New York? You might as well throw money into the Hudson!’” Bonnie laughed, “Once I was dating a guy who told me that because I was a woman, corporations wouldn’t take me seriously! There was no way I’d get anywhere
“Can you turn the TV up?” Bonnie asked and the bartender glanced over to her and nodded, then grabbed the remote. The reporter grew louder by the second. “They still haven’t found the animal that killed Robert Williams here a little past 3:30 a.m. last Saturday. As we’ve told you, police say the body was torn to shreds, but now we hear that the zoo is denying any animals have escaped, assuring us they are on full lockdown. What was it that killed Robert Williams that night, are the supernaturals back? And most importantly, are we safe?” Lauren’s voice came through the fog. “So scary.” As if someone had just packed her gut with ice, Bonnie stared at the screen. “Oh my God,” she whispered. Lauren glanced over. “Haven’t you seen this? They’ve been talking about it for days.” Numb, Bonnie shook her head, admitting quietly, “I don’t watch the news.” Laying down the menu and picking up her fresh glass, Lauren shrugged one shoulder. “Smart. It’s always bad
Darrell and Elliot waited until they heard the door to Danny’s office close, then Elliott Looked at his bearded friend and said at a lower volume, “Between you and me, I’m not having her here to see if she can be trusted. I just want to get Nate talking again. He hasn’t said a word since Sunday.” “He’s got it bad. He hasn’t come in today, either. What’s he doing?” “Who knows?” Sitting in the chair opposite Darrell’s desk, Elliott added with a tired spirit, “You and I are the only sane ones around here. Let’s do something. Let’s promise to always stay single. Anything else is too messy.” Darrell stretched his arm across the desk. They clasped hands and said together, “Deal.” Looking at the door with his mind full, Darrell leaned back and sighed, “An animal escaped from the zoo. Can you believe it?” Elliott rubbed his head. “We’re lucky so far. They found fur on the body, so…” “Yeah. It’s a good thing the police believe werewolves no longer exist or they’d be checking that evidenc
Glancing around the room to movie posters on the walls, Bonnie took a seat across from an oval silver desk. “Does your firm design movie theaters?” she asked, smiling. Blue eyes flicked to the posters and he shook his head a little, lowering himself jovially into a high-backed, gray leather chair that blended with his suit. “No, just an obsession of mine. My partners wish I’d put photos of buildings on the walls, but I ignore a lot of what they say.” He grinned, eyeing her with so much interest, it made her a little uneasy. “So, Ms. Zane. Tell me about yourself.” She hated this question in interviews, but she’d had enough to arm herself. She’d learned to always have a few sentences at the ready, something short and sweet that told a little about herself, but not too much, something that showed her dedication yet also sounded personable. “Well, I’m from California, USA, and moved here five years after graduating from Berkeley with a marketing degree. I’ve got plants, but no pets. I
Bonnie blinked at Danny's question, her temper bubbling. “Sorry? What? No.” “Never?” She returned his cold glare. “No, never.” “Cheated?” “Danny,” Darrell muttered from the sidelines. Danny threw him a glance. “Let her answer the question.” Bonnie glanced back and forth between them, offering sarcastically, “You mean like on a bet or a guy?” “Either one.” “The answer is no.” He nodded, seeming to believe her despite himself. What was even stranger was that he looked disappointed. “This is your own business, this marketing thing?” Marking thing? A sense of pride pulled her spine taut. “Yes. Completely mine.” “What made you do such a thing?” She shot back, “Meaning?” He rapped on the desk with his fingers. “Work for yourself. Why would you do that? Don’t work well with others? Not a good teammate? I’m curious.” Her crossed leg bounced as she considered how not to punch his smug face. “I do very well with teams, it’s why I’m able to fit in with so many. That’s necessary for