04 - Shock and Awesome (19 page)

 
   
"Totally. She's really sharp. I trust her."

 
   
"That's good. And you know the family will rally around if you need anyone. Everyone will help."

 
   
"I feel so lucky, you know. I have everything I want. The guy I adore, a family, a best friend, a new house, the bar. How did my life get so perfect?" Lily slid past me and walked into the kitchen, testing the back of her hand against the coffee pot. I knew she would find it hot. I'd only just made my morning cup. I waited while she prepared herself a mug and thought on what she said. Our lives did seem to be pulling together. Hers a little faster than mine, but I'd never begrudge her that. Best friends always wanted the best for each other. That should be law.

 
   
"On the downside," I decided, continuing, "not that I want to rain on our parade, but we are thirty soon."

 
   
"
Pfft
. Like that matters. We got our lives together by thirty. That's an achievement. That's a major life thingy. Like, a moment. Some people never make that. We should celebrate."

 
   
I gave her a skeptical look. "You think my life's together?"

 
   
Lily shrugged. "More than it's ever been. Great job..."

 
   
"Don't push it."

 
   
"A job you want," she corrected, "hot guys everywhere you turn."

 
   
I counted off on my fingers. "Ex-boyfriend, boss, desperate single dating-agency guys, and the targets of my investigation."

 
   
"I don't see your point. Plus, you bought a house. Wait. What house? Where?"

 
   
"I just told you."

 
   
"No, you did not. Tell me everything. Tell me now. Wait until I make my coffee," Lily added as she poked her head inside the fridge. "Where's your two percent? Why don't you keep it in the door like a normal person?"

 
   
"It keeps cold better on the shelf."

 
   
"It's a refrigerator. Everything stays cold. Whatever." She emerged with the milk, holding the carton aloft like a trophy. She sniffed the opening. "Still good. Unlike ours."

 
   
"Is that the only reason you came up? To get coffee because your milk was sour?"

 
   
"
Nooooo
. I brought packing boxes for you. Coffee is like a thank you. From you... to me." She held her mug aloft and smiled benevolently. "
Thaaaaank
yoooouuu
."

 
   
I pulled a face and wrinkled my nose, hoping I didn't look like a Pug. "You made it yourself."

 
   
"I thank myself." She reached her hand over her shoulder and patted her back too. "Now tell me everything. Where is it? What does it look like? How many bedrooms? Are the neighbors hot? Did you get a deal? When can I house crash?"

 
   
"Um..." I began to count questions on my fingers. "Not far from here. It's the buttercup yellow bungalow. Two bedrooms. I don't know. Maybe. Sure!"

 
   
"Omigod! The ochre ranch?"

 
   
"Yellow bungalow," I corrected.

 
   
"Ranch."

 
   
"Bungalow. Bungalow. Bungalow."

 
   
"Okay, don't have a heart attack. Call it whatever you like. I'm so pleased. This atones for all the times you made me sit outside there with you like a creepy stalker. You are on the only person I know who stalks homes. Except my mom. And the stalking totally paid off. High five!" Lily high-fived me, which was awesome because I deserved it. Also: high-fiving was the only kind of five I would be able to afford once the mortgage was in place. Not that I actually tried getting one, but Serena, who doubled as my accountant, thought I would be able to get one when I called her. The idea of home ownership seemed both near and far, amazing and stomach-churning. "When are we going for a second viewing?"

 
   
Just as I was about to suggest a trip, there and then, my cell phone rang, Ben Rafferty's number flashed on the screen. I put a finger to my lips. "Work," I told Lily, before hitting answer. "Hi, Ben."

 
   
"Hi,
Lexi
," Ben's voice came down the line, deep and delicious. "I'm outside your house. I thought you might like to go to brunch?"

 
   
My voice came out like a squeak. "You're outside my house?" I dashed past Lily to the window and looked outside. No cars idling at the curb. I closed my eyes and sighed at my forgetfulness. Of course, he wasn't outside “my house.” He was outside what he thought was my house.

 
   
"I, um..."

 
   
"Oh, you're busy?" He sounded disappointed.

 
   
"No, that is, I, um, I'm not there. I'm, um..." I flapped my hand at Lily. What should I say? Lily pulled a face, then grinned. She started running on the spot with big exaggerated arm movements. "I'm out running," I told Ben, and Lily gave me the thumbs up. I puffed into the phone for effect. "I'm a little ways away. I'd love to go to brunch, but I'll need to run home first. Why don't I meet you somewhere?"

 
   
"I could pick you up in half an hour?"

 
   
"Sounds great. See you then! Gotta run!" I clicked off, then looked at the phone.
Gah
! What had I done? Set up a date with suspect number three and now I had thirty minutes to get dressed and across town. Even worse, what if Ben waited outside? How could I show up in my car when Ben thought I was running? "Can you give me a ride?" I asked Lily.

 
   
"I would, but some jerk drove into my car last night and the taillight is busted. I don't want to get a ticket."

 
   
"Is the jerk the wall across the street? The same one that got you last time?"

 
   
Lily pouted. "I don't want to talk about it."

 
   
I could call any member of my family, but they would want to know the details and the chances of any of them driving fast enough was close to zero. Unless
Jord
turned on the sirens. "Is
Jord
in a car today?"

 
   
"Nope. He's playing Officer Good Cop at some school."

 
   
"Poor kids." That left only one other option. "Solomon, can you give me a ride?" I asked when my boss picked up the phone.

 
   
"What's wrong with your car?"

 
   
"Nothing. It's fine. I have to get to the Chilton house in thirty minutes and I can't be seen in my VW."

 
   
"Where's the Ferrari?"

 
   
"In the agency garage. I drove my car home last night." I explained my predicament and Solomon promised to pick me up in ten minutes. He didn't explain where he was, but I'd long given up asking. Maybe he was out to brunch too. With her. Maybe Maddox was out to brunch with Detective Blake. I wondered what they were all eating and my stomach rumbled. "I need to get dressed," I told Lily. "What should I wear?"

 
   
"Sweats. You're out running." She checked my hair. "At least you won't have to brush your hair."

 
   
"I brushed my hair already!" I yelled over my shoulder as I steamed past her on the way to my bedroom. Pushing the door until it was only open a little so we could still talk, I rummaged through my closet until I found tight running pants and a pink short-sleeved top. I dressed and wound my hair into a low, messy ponytail, reasoning that I could shower and change at the Chilton house.

 
   
"Who's the guy?" Lily called.

 
   
"Suspect number three. Hot. Sexy."

 
   
"Cuff him!" she replied.

 
   
"He might not be the one."

 
   
"The One
one
or the suspect one?"

 
   
"The thief," I clarified. "He might just be a hot, rich guy."

 
   
"I don't know what attracts you to him." Lily snorted. "Is the dating fun?"

 
   
"Kind of. I mean, I've had worse jobs than to go out for dinner and talk, and Ben's really cute."

 
   
"Are you gonna sleep with him?"

 
   
"No! He kissed me, but I can't get too interested because..." Because what? Because I was sad about breaking up with Maddox, even though it was my idea to split, and sadder that I didn't — and possibly wouldn't — ever know the truth about what happened with Detective Blake? Or because I didn't know what the situation was between Solomon and me? Did I want to get back together with Maddox and could I ever trust him, now doubt was in my mind? Or did I want to pursue something with my boss? My head began to hurt just thinking about it.

 
   
"When you catch the suspect, you can date this Ben guy for real."

 
   
"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be thrilled to find out he was in our suspect pool. He'll find me really attractive then. Besides," I paused, a thought occurring to me. "If he's the genuine article, he's rich and he's looking for a rich woman; and that, I definitely am not."

 
   
"Only in spirit, honey."

 
   
"Better than nothing. How do I look?"

 
   
"Sweaty and you haven't even gone anywhere."

 
   
"Great!" Grabbing my purse and keys, I hustled Lily downstairs, arriving on the sidewalk just as Solomon pulled over.

 
   
"Do you often run with your purse?" he asked as I slid into the passenger seat.

 
   
"Only when there's a sale on in front of me, or a mugger behind me." I dropped it on my feet and folded my lightweight running jacket over my knees. "I didn't think. I was flustered."

 
   
He scanned me before pulling onto the street, hauling a U-turn and heading back the way he came. "You look flustered."

 
   
"You don't." He didn't. He looked damn delicious and he smelled as if he just got out of the shower. I wanted to lean over and sniff him, but I was pretty certain there was a rule about that in the employee handbook; and if there wasn't... someone should write one. Or maybe Solomon would put smell-care alongside our basic healthcare?