04 - Shock and Awesome (5 page)

 
   
"You're going to cheat on it with an ugly place, aren't you?"

 
   
I gave Lily a sharp look and sniffed. "Maybe," I said, "This place has never been sold and there's not another one like it in town. I know. I've been looking."

 
   
"Maybe you could get another bungalow and just paint it yellow. Paint on, paint off, or whatever Mr. Miyagi said," she added, flapping her right hand up and down with the nail file like a paintbrush.

 
   
"It won't be the same."

 
   
"You have to stop stalking this house."

 
   
"What's it gonna do? Call the police?"

 
   
An unearthly scream pierced the quiet air, long and haunting. All of a sudden it stopped. Lily and I looked at each other. A dog howled and Lily shivered.

 
   
"Please tell me we didn't just hear someone getting murdered."

 
   
"Nope, totally didn't."

 
   
"Oh, thank God. I really don't want to see any corpses. It would ruin my O'Grady’s special and I'm really hungry. You think we should wait and see what happens?" Lily asked.

 
   
"Maybe." We waited. Lily finished filing her nails. I counted all the panes on the bungalow's windows, then took some photos with my cell phone camera. Lily tapped her feet; I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. "I don't hear anything else," I said, at last. "It was probably nothing."

 
   
"Great! Can we go eat now?"

 
   
"Yeah. Thanks for coming with me."

 
   
"It was my idea to go out for dinner!"

 
   
"No, I meant to see the bungalow. It's my happy place."

 
   
"Not like I had any choice." Lily stroked her slightly protruding belly. It rumbled and we both looked at it. "Can you drive us to
my
happy place now? Please?"

 
   
Gunning the engine, we got there in record time. Not that it mattered. Lily called ahead and placed our orders, ensuring the food was on the table the moment we sat down since I didn't want to eat at her bar as the tables weren't in situ yet. I don't know if the pregnancy was making her extra hungry, or she was just generally hungry, but she ate faster than a woman on a diet, locked in a cake factory without security cameras. Setting her fork down, she wiped her hands on the paper napkin and scowled.

 
   
"What did I do?" I asked, glancing at my onion rings next to my half-eaten burger. I could give them to Lily. I didn't want to, but I could. She was my best friend and incubating my niece or nephew.

 
   
"Nothing. It's your brother."

 
   
"What did he do? Which one?" I had three brothers. It was hard to work out which one she was mad at, though I could take a guess as I stabbed an onion ring with my fork.

 
   
Lily didn't say anything. Instead, she whipped out her cell phone and hit the button, pressing it to her ear. "Are you drinking?" she said. "Hah! Liar. I can see you, you know. Turn around, buster."

 
   
I turned around, locking eyes with
Jord
, who was standing at the bar with our other brothers.
Jord
held a beer and looked sheepish. My brothers raised their glasses to us, and turned away, giggling into their beer mugs.

 
   
"You know, it's not so bad just having a beer," I told Lily. "Don't get irrational."

 
   
If steam could have come from Lily's ears and nose, it would have. Her eyes widened, and the vein at her left temple pulsed. Then, she slumped into the booth and stuck her bottom lip out. "I am, aren't I?" She dialed again. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw
Jord
contemplate not answering, before thinking better of it.

 
   
"Enjoy your drink, honey. I'm sorry. I love you," said Lily. "No, I love you more. No, I do love you more. I love you so..."

 
   
I grabbed the phone. "Can you order me a melon mojito and bring it over? Lily will take hers virgin. You suck. No, you suck more." I hung up and Lily giggled.

 
   
"I wish I had brothers and sisters."

 
   
"Sometimes, I wish I were an only child."

 
   
"It gets lonely," Lily told me, not for the first time. Ever since we met at school, she pretty much became an honorary Graves, hanging out at our houseful of people day and night, loud people; and going home to a quiet house with uptight parents who didn't have a lot of time for her. Sometimes, I enjoyed the peace and solitude of her home life, but I wouldn't have swapped my upbringing for the world. It was the same kind of life their child would have, exactly the one Lily wanted for him or her.

 
   
My brothers ended up sharing our booth before Lily and
Jord
headed home, probably to do something really gross. So hurrah for staying at the bar, only that meant Daniel had to drive my car home and help me upstairs, and, well, yeah, he made sure I got into bed too, before dropping my car keys on the nightstand. The last I heard was the apartment door clicking shut, and a minute or two later, the sound of Garrett's car leaving. Then I was off to
Sleepyland
in my best kitten pajamas, sleeping a dreamless sleep for the first time in a very long while.

 
   
Chapter Three

 
   
"You ready for this?" Solomon gave me an imperceptible look as he pulled into a parking space in front of a dull, red brick building downtown. I kept my sunglasses on and hoped my queasiness didn't show. It hit me hard this morning that I drank one mojito too many; the most obvious clue being my green-hued skin, and waking up with my kitty pajamas on inside-out and a pillow atop my head.

 
   
I gave him a "humph" that could have meant anything from “raring to go” to “I really want to go back to bed — now” and looked up at the building. I don't know what I expected from Million Matches, but this didn't look like the kind of place rich folk came to find potential partners; but then, what did I know? I found my last boyfriend during a temp job and he was there undercover. I didn't know yet what to call Solomon? Ex? Fling? Former lover? None seemed appropriate. Friend, maybe. Boss, definitely. Anything else was yet to be defined. That lack of definition gave me a few sleepless nights, just as many, in fact, as whether Maddox was really playing an undercover role a few weeks ago, or having a little extra on the side with Detective Blake.

 
   
"Hello? Earth to
Lexi
."

 
   
"Here!" I plastered on a smile as I looked up to meet Solomon's beautiful brown eyes. I shoved my man problems into the corner of my mind that contained a big stick and a vault. If those distracting thoughts snuck out of that dark corner, I would mentally bash them. Twice.

 
   
"It's practically a done deal," Solomon continued with whatever I forgot to listen to. "All the director wants to do is check you over and make sure you'll fit in with their clientele. That's a nice dress. Pretty."

 
   
"Um, thank you. What exactly do you mean by 'fit'?" I had the uncomfortable feeling of being paraded about at a Miss World contest while being found a little closer to Near Miss. My dress was nice though: a pale pink shift that I got half-off on sale two years ago, with nude pumps, and a laser-cut, leather pouch bag that I found a huge discount for online. Heck, I was a sales ninja.

 
   
"Just that you're the kind of woman who would attract their kind of clientele," Solomon confirmed, glancing over me once more. His eyes lingered a moment too long and I gulped. "Or, more specifically, our
unsub
," he continued.

 
   
"I love it when you say '
unsub
'. It's so
Criminal Minds
."

 
   
"I don't like the word '
perp
'."

 
   
"It does sound like the noise a demented chick would make."

 
   
"
Unsub
it is." Solomon nodded, then fist-bumped me. Maybe I read it all wrong. Maybe he did just think I looked right for the meeting, because in that moment, I never felt less desirable. A fist-bump didn't exactly scream Solomon wanted me, and didn't want our fling-or-whatever-thing to be over. A fist-bump said "Hey buddy" and nothing sexy at all. What was wrong with him? That stream of jumbled thoughts reminded me, and I visualized my mental big stick bashing the stray thoughts involving my boss having the hots for me. Or not.

 
   
While I smoothed an imaginary crease from my skirt and wondered if my dress was suitable, Solomon exited the car, walked around and opened the door. "You look fine," he told me, without emphasis on “fine” not that it was important or anything. I slid my legs out, took a brief moment to see if Solomon was eyeing them — no — and grabbed my purse. It was really nice. I had seriously good taste.

 
   
The dating agency was accessed by a buzz-in entrance door with only a discreet black and gold label. It was sandwiched between an accountants’ and a small fashion label. We took the elevator three floors up and stepped into a small lobby. It was exquisitely decorated with an antique desk, behind which perched a red-haired woman around my age, in a black suit and emerald blouse that matched her startlingly green eyes. She looked up and blinked with appreciation, then smiled as Solomon approached her and introduced us, only then noticing me. Great.

 
   
"I'm Madeleine, executive assistant. If you'll just take a seat," the redhead said, indicating the leather sofa under the window. "I'll let Ms.
Callery
know you're here." She stood and moved around the desk, revealing long slim legs, beneath a knee-length skirt, and super high heels. One look and I recognized
Manolo
Blahnik
. Damn it! How high end was this place? Even the receptionist spent big bucks on fancy shoes! I had the uncomfortable feeling that my small wardrobe of fancy dresses and pantsuits would just not cut it with these people.

 
   
Moments later, the shoes returned - presumably the body in them did too, but I must admit being fixated on the elegant curve of the heels. She directed us towards the office of Solomon's contact, who awaited us at the door.

 
   
Million Matches' director was around fifty, although with some artfully placed Botox, she could definitely pass as ten years younger. She wore a pale blue skirt suit and had blonde hair that rested lightly on her shoulders. A Rolex adorned her wrist and a neat pair of gold earrings were her only other jewelry. Her bright red lipstick was most definitely not discreet, but perfectly applied. She reminded me a lot of Lily's mother. Discreet, elegant, yet slightly aloof. However, Lily's mother was a lot aloof. My entire family found it puzzling how so distant woman could produce such a bubbly, warm-hearted child. I found myself wondering if Ms.
Callery
had children, even though it was entirely irrelevant to the case. She was wearing a gold wedding band, so I guess she successfully made her own marriage, always a plus in her game, I decided.