7. Man About Town
Chapter 7
Man About Town
M arcus willed his body under control by imagining ways to dismember his best friend.
Troy grinned when they walked into Phail General a few moments later. A pretty flush continued to cover all of Elina’s soft brown skin. He wanted to follow that flush with his tongue, but that would have to wait. He wasn’t rushing things. She’d been hurt more than once, and he didn’t want to be an asshole.
His heart wanted more, but he knew he was getting ahead of himself. Way ahead. She only planned to be here for another day or two but he was a smart man. He could find a way to change her mind.
And if those ways involved getting naked with her, he was all in.
He yanked his thoughts away from a naked Elina and back to reality. “What did you need, Epic?”
“Just wondering if you wanted one of Ginny’s cinnamon buns. I brought back a few from the diner this morning.”
“Thanks, but we were just heading there for some breakfast.”
Troy laughed. “I could totally see that’s what you were doing when I peeked in the back.”
Elina’s flush deepened, but she also laughed, so Marcus figured he didn’t have to kill Troy. Without another word, he ushered Elina out of the store. “Sorry about that.”
She smiled. “Nothing to be sorry for. I have no regrets.”
Her open smile proved her words, and he had to force himself to bank the urge to kiss her again, right there on the street.
“Do you want to go see your building first?”
Huh. He’d forgotten about the funding. The funding he’d been requesting, and thinking about every day for almost two years had finally come through, and he’d forgotten it because the kiss had taken all of his attention.
Even now, the thought of the funding wasn’t nearly as enticing as kissing Elina again. “Let’s eat first, then we’ll go. I’d like your input on how to best use the space.”
“I don’t think I’ll be much help.”
“You’ve got an artist’s eye. I can’t draw more than stick figures. I’m sure we’ll come at it from different perspectives, and that always helps.”
“Sounds like fun.”
He opened the diner door for her and waited for her reaction. Every new person to the diner had a reaction. The layout was a typical diner. Booths along the front and side. A long counter with stools.
It was in the decor and the scents that the No Fail Diner stood out. A huge Phail coat of arms decorated one wall. The booths and the stools were covered in matching blue and green tartan. Yet the scents that emanated from the kitchen were mostly Mexican, although Manuel could, and did, cook anything. Add in the cinnamon scent from Ginny’s baking, and it was an eclectic space.
Elina’s smile widened as she looked around. “This smells and looks wonderful. I love it.”
Behind the counter, Ginny looked up with a grin. “I’m glad to hear that. Welcome to the No Fail Diner. Marcus, I like your friend.”
He moved to Elina’s side. “Elina, this is Ginny Phail. Ginny, Elina Vasquez.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Elina. I’ve already heard you were in town. Small-town gossip at its best. Everyone has nothing but nice things to say.”
Elina’s eyes widened. “Wow. It’s nice to meet you as well.”
“Go ahead and grab a seat. Coffee or tea to start?”
He watched Elina’s gaze move to the chalkboard menu Ginny indicated.
“Chai tea, black, please.”
“On the way.”
Marcus led Elina to a booth and sat across from her. As always, he chose a seat with a view of the door. “The menu is on the chalkboard, but Manuel doesn’t mind making up almost anything. Everything is good.”
He watched her eyes widen again. “Shakshuka?”
Ginny arrived with their drinks in time to hear Elina. “Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish. Eggs, tomatoes, spices. It’s delicious.”
Elina smiled. “It’s one of my favorite things. I’ve been traveling across the country and haven’t seen it on the menu anywhere except Middle Eastern restaurants in large cities.”
“Manuel makes it with either a Mexican or Afghan flair. Which would you like?”
“Afghan, please.”
When Ginny looked at him, he nodded. “I’ll have the same.”
Once they were alone, Elina leaned forward. “How in the world did a diner in a small town with Scottish decor filled with Mexican spices add a Middle Eastern dish to its menu?”
He laughed. “When Manuel learned we’d all spent time overseas, he asked us about our favorite meals. He learned to make a bunch of them for us. We’ll get him to make up some Kabuli pulao for lunch one day.”
Her eyes lit up even more. “Phail is turning out to be so much better than I expected.”
He placed his hand over hers where it rested on the table. “I’m glad. I’m hoping I can talk you into extending your stay. Indefinitely.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I asked Carl this morning how many more nights I could reserve. The B&B is booked solid, starting the weekend after this one, but I have a room until then.”
That gave him more than a week. He could work with that.
Over a delicious breakfast, they earned more than a few speculative looks from the locals, making Marcus glad he was the one facing the room. He didn’t want anyone making Elina uncomfortable. Not that they would intentionally, but he didn’t want anything scaring her away.
Elina’s first taste of the shakshuka was pure joy. He hoped Manuel was watching from the kitchen because her delight was obvious. “This is incredible. It tastes almost exactly the same as Khadijah’s back in Suraih. And she was considered the finest cook in the area.”
“You’ll have to tell Manuel. That’ll make his day.”
Breakfast passed quickly, with easy conversation and excellent food. The locals refrained themselves from intruding, but he knew they’d be stopped several times when they left. Unless they went into the kitchen to talk to Manuel and snuck out the back.
Which would only make everyone more curious.
“What’s got that thoughtful look in your eye?”
He laughed. “Just speculating how to get you out of here without you having to answer a hundred questions.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
He let his eyes rove the space. “One of the disadvantages of living in a small town. Everyone in here wants to know who you are.”
Her eyes popped wide, and she looked around. At least four heads ducked or turned away, making Marcus laugh.
She turned back to him, eyes sparkling. “That’s telling me you don’t often bring women here for breakfast.”
A laugh choked out of him. He’d never thought about it being a breakfast date. A breakfast that might imply an extension of a date from the night before. Which meant he’d started a ton of speculation without meaning to. And without getting to enjoy that night before.
Elina grinned, and he couldn’t contain his laugh. “Sorry about that. It never crossed my mind.”
She waved it away with another smile. “If you don’t care, I certainly don’t. It’s your reputation we’re tarnishing here.”
Marcus shook his head with another laugh. When had he last laughed this often and this easily? “I think I’m strong enough to handle it. It’s probably more that I’ve never brought a woman here before.”
Then he leaned forward. “But if we do ever have the night before that a breakfast date implies, we’ll be too worn out to come all this way for food.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she covered her mouth with one hand, likely to try to keep in the giggle. “When the time comes, I’ll hold you to that.”
E lina was sure her cheeks remained deep red as they made their way through the diner and out the door. Marcus nodded to a few people, but they didn’t stop and chat. Good thing, because the giggles were exploding out of her.
It was weird to think that the people in the diner were speculating on exactly how close their relationship was. She’d felt their eyes on her, had felt their curiosity, but it hadn’t been malicious, not like the creepy feelings she’d experienced in Seattle and Albany.
Once they were outside, she let the giggles escape as they strolled down the street. Marcus put his hand on her back, and that made her laughter worse. “I imagine they’re all craning their necks to watch us?”
His strong shoulders shrugged, but he was smiling. “Probably.”
They crossed the street and walked along the edges of Phail Way Park, passing the Saloon and continuing down the street. It was a challenge to imagine the space as an empty lot with abandoned buildings along the front. It was a vibrant space and she would enjoy sitting here to work on her comics.
Everyone in the park either called out or waved at Marcus, and he returned every greeting, identifying each person by name. She wondered if that was to help her put names to people or simply good manners.
When they neared the end of the street, Marcus pointed out a trail. “When the leaves are at their peak, these trails are going to bring in tons of visitors. There’s nothing in the world as beautiful as autumn in Vermont. I hope you’ll be here so we can check it out.”
She smiled. At the moment, she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be.
Instead of walking into the woods or pressing her for a response, Marcus turned to look at the building across the street.
An enclosed front porch graced the two-story building. The building was old but appeared to be in good shape. Inside the porch, a sign had slipped to tilt at an angle. Book Store . “This is going to be your police station? It’s a friendly building.”
He grinned at her. “Friendly? I like that, but I have a couple of more practical reasons. It’s got lots of space for what I need. It’s right in the park, in the middle of the town, so it’s close to everything. And my house is a short trek through the woods behind it.”
She wondered what his house would be like. Definitely neat and organized, but she wondered what colors he chose and what art decorated his space. He’d had nothing on the walls in his office, not even a picture of his team. How had he chosen to decorate his bedroom? What would his most private space reflect?
Elina grabbed her imagination and forced it under control. One kiss that had melted her brain and made her body sing didn’t mean they were getting naked together anytime soon.
Although she wouldn’t object to it.
Focus, Elina. On the building in front of you. Not on the man.
It took a deep breath, but she managed to reel herself in. “This sounds perfect.”
She turned her attention from the building to him and found heat in his eyes that matched the desire skittering through her. Even though she wanted to jump into the nearest private room with him, she knew she wasn’t ready for that. With the way she’d grown up and spent many of her years, her romantic encounters had been few and far between. Not one of them had generated such delicious heat in her body. Or her heart.
Marcus closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, the heat was banked, replaced by amusement. “Okay. Let’s focus on the building and getting to know each other better. That sound good to you?”
“It sounds perfect.”
The amusement brightened. “Every time you say perfect , my mind goes in a direction not safe for work or public viewing. I never knew I had a thing for that word, but hearing you say it sends my imagination soaring.”
He shook his head with a chuckle. “But that’s jumping way ahead. I know we’re not there yet, and I’m not screwing this up by rushing into things too quickly.”
He blew out a breath, then pulled a keyring out of his pocket. “Let’s check out the building and be responsible adults.”
She loved this teasing side of him and loved the way he spoke so openly and honestly about the attraction simmering between them. She shouldn’t be surprised. Like his call sign, Arrow had always been straightforward and honest, no matter the situation. Marcus wasn’t the type to deceive or play games. She could trust him, and that was a heady thing.
They followed a stone path to the back. There weren’t any flowers, but there were plenty of trees and bushes. It was a pretty space and wouldn’t take much to make it shine. “If you wanted some pops of color, you could add some pots of flowers like the businesses on Phail Way. Or even add some bushes that flower in different seasons.”
He stopped and looked over the lawn. “I hadn’t even thought about the outside, but you’re right. It wouldn’t take much. And having pots that match the rest of the town is a great idea. Piper got everyone on board with that, and it makes a difference.”
Elina nodded. “The town has a put-together look that is very enticing from a visitor’s point of view. Your police station could be the same. Friendly, and maybe a little quirky.”
“Quirky? For a police station?”
She laughed. “Don’t tell me you haven’t been calling it Phail Jail in your head?”
It took less than a second for the rhyme to have Marcus groaning. “Oh, hell no. A police station has to have at least some dignity.”
“In a town named Phail? I think the name is inevitable.”
Marcus cursed. “Let’s hope not.”
She didn’t reply to that. There was no way this town was going to let him escape the name. If it hadn’t already occurred to Piper, it would.
Still grumbling about the name, Marcus reached the back stoop, and unlocked the door. He opened it and stepped back for Elina to enter first.
The space led directly into a kitchen with cabinets that screamed they’d been installed in the seventies. Wallpaper showcasing hens and chicks covered the back wall. A contrasting border with cows ran along the upper edge of the cabinets. “Wow.”
Marcus laughed. “I always think I’m prepared because I’ve seen it before, but it slams into me every time.”
“Did the bookstore owners have a thing for farms?”
He grinned. “It appears so, but I think Edie and Jane were more about showing female power than farms.”
She shook her head as she studied the room. “I’m thinking they must have been vegan?”
He nodded. “They said no one could eat meat with all those cows and chicks watching.”
No kidding. “I’m going to guess this is one of the rooms you might want to renovate.”
Another laugh. “Definitely. I’ll call Falcon later and get him in here soon. But, now that I know I have the funding, I needed to get a look at it again.”
“The size of the room is great. Are you going to keep it for a kitchen and use it as a break room?”
He nodded and opened a door on the far side of the room. “There’s a combination laundry and powder room in here. Not huge, but convenient.”
“Laundry?” She hadn’t thought that would be a requirement of a police station.
“We don’t have a dry cleaner in town, so everything needs to be washable. You’d be surprised at the noxious substances that end up on my uniforms.”
And that brought to mind a couple of fun comics. Rescued animals. Scared kids. Potentially vomit, spit, and worse, but those wouldn’t make the cut for her comics. She preferred to keep the tone light. With a dramatic shudder, she pointed to the other opening. “Let’s leave the noxious substances behind and check out the rest.”
He took her hand and led her into the next room with a smile. “This is going to be the main squad room.”
His smile had her thinking all kinds of thoughts, but none of them were about the squad room.
She had it bad.