Four
“Jory.”
I waited. People knowing my name never put me more or less at ease with them.
He smiled quickly. “Brad Wyndham. I met you at Paul’s party last Saturday.”
I had no idea who he was.
He lowered his voice. “You went home with me.”
That bit of information was not designed to jog my memory either. I went home with lots of people, or had a while back. Lately, I was on the look out for the one.
He cleared his throat. “You don’t remember?”
It was rude to tell the truth in this situation. “No, I remember. How are you?”
Instant smile. “You were gone in the—”
“How are you?” I repeated, cutting him off.
“Oh…fine.”
“Well, it was nice to see you again.” I smiled, closing up my spinach salad and turning to leave. After having picked everything, I realized I didn’t want it. It was typical of me.
“Wait.”
I kept moving, but before I could walk toward the cashier, he stepped in front of me.
“Don’t just dismiss me,” he snapped irritably. “I want to talk to you.”
I took out my other headphone and gave him my attention.
“You know what?” He moved out of my way. “Forget it. This whole exasperated, annoyed look you’re giving me is bullshit. I don’t deserve to—”
I walked around him and started fiddling with my MP3 player again.
“Jory!”
I kept walking, not fast, just moving at my normal pace.
“Goddamnit, wait!” he yelled, suddenly in front of me again, barring my path.
I stopped. “Whaddya want?”
“I want you to not sound like you’re bored out of your mind.”
“Sorry,” I said automatically.
“No, you’re not.” He forced a laugh. “I don’t remember you being such an asshole.”
“Okay.”
He let out a sharp breath, raking his fingers through his hair. “Paul told me you eat at this deli a lot, so I’ve been sort of hanging out here and… I got your number from him, but you never pick up and you don’t return your messages and… I just want to know what’s up.”
I squinted at him. “What’s up is that I don’t return calls to numbers I don’t know, and the idea that you’re stalking me is creepy as hell.”
“What? No… I don’t need to stalk anyone, I—”
“Fine. Then I’ll see ya.”
But when I tried to walk by, he grabbed a fistful of my sweat jacket.
“Jory, I want to see you.”
Was he kidding? “Are you kidding?”
He slowly released me. “That night was amazing. You—I’d like to—”
“I gotta go.”
But again he stepped in front of me, making sure I couldn’t leave.
“What the hell?” I groaned, hungry, annoyed, and tired. It was a bad combination.
“Why did you leave? Why didn’t you stay?”
Since I couldn’t place him, I went with what seemed logical. “We were done.” It seemed self-explanatory to me.
“Jory, you—”
“Listen, man, I need to go, so—”
“Just wait.” He held his hands up to keep me from walking away.
“What are you doing?”
The sound of the voice and the level of irritation in it were unmistakable. I couldn’t help the smile as I turned and found Detective Kage. “Hi.” I was fairly certain I was probably, suddenly, glowing. I couldn’t have stopped my reaction to the man if I’d tried.
He was scowling at me, which was the norm for him whenever he saw me.
“How are you?”
“I asked you a question.”
“Excuse me, I was—”
“Fuck off,” the detective told Brad before he grabbed my bicep and dragged me after him.
I didn’t fight or argue or anything. I let him manhandle me because, for whatever reason, it felt good to be taken care of. He made me feel protected, and at that moment, I craved his attention like air.
He stopped suddenly, and I had to tilt my head back to see his face. The man was very tall.
“I can’t decide whether you’re stupid or just—”
“Thank you for saving me from that guy,” I interrupted, staring up into his gray-blue eyes. “He was being a total dick.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “He just didn’t want to take no for an answer.”
“Seems like maybe that happens to you a lot.”
“Maybe.”
He nodded slowly. “What is that salad?”
I chuckled. “From the sneer of contempt, I’m gonna assume you don’t eat much salad.”
“You would be right.”
I glanced into the shopping basket he was carrying and couldn’t contain my gasp.
“What?”
“Jesus.” I looked at all the frozen food. “You’re not gonna eat that, are you?”
“Yeah, why?”
I picked up one of the frozen appetizers. “Do you have any idea the kind of preservatives that are in this?”
“And I should care, why?”
I looked back up into his eyes. “Detective, do you have any idea what this shit will do to your arteries?”
He grunted.
“And your cholesterol and your—”
“I don’t eat salad.”
“You don’t hafta eat salad,” I assured him. “But you could eat—”
He put up a hand. “I’m due at my buddy’s house, and he said to bring stuff.”
“So you’re planning to kill everyone?”
He rolled his eyes. “You know what, why don’t you just mind your own goddamn business, buy your rabbit food, and I’ll drop you at your place on my way.”
I shrugged and turned to walk toward the cashier.
“Wait.”
I looked at him over my shoulder.
He scowled at me for several seconds. “Shit. Show me what to get.”
“What?”
“Don’t be an ass, just show me.”
But I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. I was just surprised. “You’ll let me help?”
“Yeah.”
I felt a weight suddenly slide off me. There was something about spending time with the man that lightened me. It made no sense, but it was true nonetheless. “Okay, then. What do you want to take over there?”
His scowl darkened. “Like I know. Just… I’ll follow you.”
After I put back all his terrible choices, I walked directly to the produce area and started putting things in his basket.
I only ever bought organic, even though it cost more, because as I had told him earlier, I didn’t do preservatives.
I put apricots in the basket and carrots and green beans and zucchini and plum tomatoes.
He followed me all over the store, listening as I talked, telling him what to make with the ingredients I was getting.
When I was done, having placed two bottles of chardonnay into the basket last of all, I looked up at his face.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said flatly.
“About what?”
“That’s just it. What the hell is a fritter whatever?”
“A frittata.”
“What is that?”
“It’s kinda like a quiche.”
“So why not say quiche?”
“’Cause it’s different. Not as heavy. More like a tart.”
He groaned. “Whatever. You can come with me and make it yourself.”
I was stunned.
“Christ, could your eyes get any bigger?”
“I’m sorry, what’d you say?”
“Just come with me.” He was exasperated. “This way I can go to my friend’s place since I’m already late, you can eat, and then I’ll dump you at home.”
“Will your friends want me there?”
“They won’t give a shit.”
The idea of going home alone wasn’t appealing in the least. The idea of going out to a club and sleeping with somebody else wasn’t appealing either. The only thing I wanted to do was spend time with Detective Kage. He was new and interesting, and just looking at him made heat race over my skin.
“Okay.”
“Fine.” He sighed like he was tired, and I noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
“Maybe you should go home to bed, huh?”
“Just get in line,” he barked at me, shoving my shoulder to get my feet moving.
I went ahead of him and got into the line to check-out.
As always, I enjoyed people-watching, and seeing the woman count back the detective’s change was fun.
The way her hands trembled, the sharp intake of breath when his eyes met hers, the flashing smile she gave him.
It was all very telling. I was not the only one who saw the appeal of Detective Kage.
I wondered what his friends would be like.
It was loud. There was football on in the living room, men drinking beer and yelling at the TV, music on in the kitchen, and women talking in the dining room.
The kitchen smelled amazing, and it was warm as several women moved around setting up appetizers.
Sam shoved me into the room with the groceries, told them that I was going to make his part, and left me there.
I stared at them. They stared at me.
“So,” one of the women said, crossing her arms as she looked at me. “Whatcha gonna make?”
She had one eyebrow arched, daring me to say something…anything. I liked her instantly.
“Vegetable frittata.”
“A what?”
“It’s like quiche.”
She nodded, holding out her hand for me. “I’m Megan.”
I took the offered hand in mine. “Jory.”
Her face softened and her eyes warmed. “So what’s in the frittata?” I explained about the eggs and vegetables and cheese. “Sounds yum. I don’t usually eat when I’m here.”
“Me neither,” one of the other women said. “It’s disgusting what the guys call food.”
Apparently, the evening had evolved over the years, from Monday Night Football with the boys to couples’ night at whoever’s turn it was to host. Pizza, buffalo wings, and beer had morphed into a potluck. From the sound of it, however, the men were still bringing frat-boy fare.
“I’m gonna cook,” I announced, smiling as I walked to the sink and put down the bags. “Who wants to help me chop broccoli?”
Everyone did.
An hour later I stepped in front of Detective Kage, and he slowly lifted his head until his eyes were on my face.
“Here ya go,” I said, offering him the plate in my hands. He took it, then accepted the fork and napkin I brought for him as well, still staring up at me. “It’s good, try it.”
“What is this?”
“It’s the vegetable frittata, flatbread topped with goat cheese and tomatoes, and green beans with hazelnuts.”
He nodded.
“God, what is that?” the guy sitting beside Detective Kage asked as he reached for the plate I had just surrendered. “It smells awesome.”
“Get your own,” Detective Kage told him, elbowing his friend to keep him away from his food.
I grinned down at the detective. “We have fruit salad for dessert, with a raspberry glaze.”
“Okay.” He exhaled before starting on his food.
I turned to walk back into the kitchen, but Megan, my new friend, stopped me.
“I’m going to open the wine.”
“Perfect.”
“Jory, honey, this is so good,” Linda, who had helped me cook, called from the dining room table.
I got a chorus of agreement from everyone else.
I ate in the kitchen with Megan and two others, all of us talking about food.
They all watched me chop the berries and add the walnuts and almonds to the salad I was serving for dessert.
“I had no idea fruit salad could be whatever,” Bethany, another of my new friends, said as she watched me. “I always just do boring old bananas and apples and oranges. You’ve got none of those in there.”
I shook my head. “I hate all those.”
“God, Jory, you’re gonna make some girl very lucky.” I arched a brow for her, and she giggled. “Okay, some guy very lucky. How do you know Sam?”
I explained to them all that I was in a little bit of trouble and he was helping me out. They accepted my words without hesitation because he was a police detective and obviously straight. They didn’t question me even for a second.
Even though I had cooked, I helped Darla, the hostess, clean up her kitchen, since it was a disaster area. Just the number of empty beer bottles was staggering. I was looking at the very sad-looking herb garden on the windowsill when I felt someone behind me.
“It was good.”
I looked over my shoulder at Detective Kage. “Thanks.”
“You eat like that every night?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t have a big enough kitchen or a big enough food budget.”
He nodded. “Well, tell me when you’re ready and we’ll go.”
“Sure. I just gotta look at Darla’s wedding album. I promised I would.”
His eyes were locked on mine, and that quickly, it had my heart slamming in my chest. The man took my breath away, and he had no idea he was doing it.
“So I’ll tell ya when I’m ready.”
“Fine,” he said before moving away.
Flipping through photographs later, I had Darla draped over my shoulders, Linda leaning against my right side, and Megan with her hand on my thigh, leaning into me from the left. Two others were lying across the table to offer their memories from their friend’s big day.
“Sorry to break this up, girls,” Detective Kage said from behind me, “but I gotta go.”
“So go,” Megan told him. “Leave Jory. One of us will take him home.”
His hands were suddenly on my shoulders. “Nope, he’s gotta go with me.”
They were sadder to see me leave than him.
As I said my good nights, receiving kisses from the women and handshakes and shoulder pats from the men, I was surprised when Detective Kage grabbed my bicep and hauled me out of the apartment.
As we started down the stairs to the front door of the building, other people were coming up.
Instead of stepping in front of me, he stepped behind and let me lead the way.
Outside on the street, I was distracted by the man’s closeness, so I completely missed the guy on the bike until he was flying by my face.
I had Detective Kage’s arm locked across my chest to thank for not being hit.
“Thanks,” I said, reaching up to close my hands on his forearm. “I totally missed that.”
“’Cause you don’t pay attention,” he growled close to my ear, which sent a shiver down my spine. I was certain every inch of my skin was covered in goose bumps.
I nodded.
“It’s gonna get you in trouble one of these days.”
“Yes, Detective.”
“You need to be really observant and vigilant right now.”
“Sure.”
“You hafta be careful.”
“I know.”
“Okay.”
I was trying to catch my breath.
“Are you cold?”
“No,” I managed to get out, my voice low and throaty.
“The guy on the bike startled you.” His arm tightened, drawing me back a fraction more.
I closed my eyes and went for it, leaning into him, seeing what he’d do. I had nothing to lose, and I had to know what he’d allow.
“You’re shaking.”
I was barely breathing.
“Come on.” He patted my chest gently. “Let’s go.”
Without his body heat I was freezing in the street. I watched him walk around the SUV and get in. I was frozen to my spot, not wanting to go anywhere else with him, knowing that my attraction was mine alone. I was his witness, nothing more.
He lowered the window as he leaned across the passenger seat. “Get in the car, stupid, before you freeze your ass off.”
Nice.
I trudged over to the car and climbed into the seat.
“What the hell were you waiting for?”
“A written invitation, obviously,” I said sarcastically.
“God, you’re an idiot,” he grumbled before he pulled the car into the street.
He had no idea.