18. Eighteen #2
Charlie didn’t push the issue. She just nodded. “I’ll have the Bananas Foster French Toast, please. I’ll have a side of bacon, too, and an orange juice.”
The server smiled. “Absolutely.”
“Good choice,” I enthused with a fake thumbs-up, bobbing my head like a fool.
Charlie rolled her eyes.
Still smiling to myself, I ordered without looking at the menu. “I’ll have the Stanley Classic, eggs over-medium, hash browns instead of grits, coffee, and a tomato juice, please.”
The server nodded, then turned to Jack. “And you, handsome?” She wasn’t flirting. Jack could have looked like a movie monster and she still would have called him that. He was clearly the one who would be picking up the bill, so the server wanted to ingratiate herself for a good tip. That was all.
A quick look at Charlie told me she wasn’t bothered. She probably had to put up with it all the time. Jack had one of those faces that made women go weak in the knees. Heck, he probably had that effect on some men.
“I’ll have the Corn Beef Hash Sunny Side Up,” he said. “Coffee and orange juice too, please.”
“No problem.” The server smiled without making eye contact. Her mind was already on the next table.
“About the Axeman,” I started, determined to take control of the conversation.
“Just a minute.” Charlie wagged her finger and shook her head. “We’re not quite there yet. I want to know what you and Knox did after you left the bar last night.”
I couldn’t see my face but knew I looked sour. “Nothing. Why do you think we did anything?”
“The vibes between the two of you were intense,” Charlie replied. “The air kind of sparked with energy. It was almost like sitting in pea soup. The air was tangible enough you could chew it.”
I took a deep breath. “What are you implying?” I complained.
“That you want Knox to park his bus in your garage.”
She looked so innocent I couldn’t believe the words had come out of her mouth. “What?” I demanded. “You did not just say that.”
“Oh, I’m a deviant when I want to be.” Charlie bobbed her head knowingly. “Right?” she prodded Jack.
“No one is more deviant than you, baby,” Jack replied, clearly understanding his assignment.
I glared at him. “Are you actually encouraging this?”
He shrugged. “Listen, I sympathize with you. I really do. But she’s going to do what she’s going to do. When she sets her mind on something, she’s relentless.”
“What has she set her mind to?”
“You getting a happy ending,” he replied. “You’re her first friend here, especially with Harley marooned in Detroit.”
Harley was Harlequin Desdemona Stryker, a crossroads demon with more attitude than brains.
Okay, she was smart, but she didn’t often think before she acted, which was how she’d ended up in Detroit.
She’d inserted herself in Charlie’s mess, helped her win the fight, and then been punished in the aftermath.
I had no idea how long she was going to be stranded in Detroit, but her exile wasn’t ending anytime soon.
“Should I be grateful that I’m her only friend?” I asked. “Because, and stop me if I’m wrong, this doesn’t feel like a friendly process. It feels bossy.”
“That’s because you’re not willing to seek your own happiness,” Charlie said. “That’s why I have to do it for you.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “Charlie —”
“No.” She was stern when shaking her head. “I didn’t think I was ready for a happily ever after when I met Jack. It was the last thing I was looking for. But it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
She beamed at Jack as he smiled fondly back at her. I refused to let their sappiness soften my stance.
“That’s all well and good for the two of you, and I truly am happy you found each other, but I don’t have time for a boyfriend.”
“There’s always time for true love.” Charlie adopted a far-off expression. “It’s the best thing in the world.”
“I definitely don’t have time for love.” I was firm. “I’m focused on my career. Nothing more. You need to come to terms with it.”
Charlie didn’t hesitate before responding. “No.”
“No?” I challenged.
“No,” she confirmed. “You’re going to be happy, whether you like it or not.”
I had no idea how she was making happiness a threat. When I turned my pleading eyes to Jack, he was shaking his head.
“This is her thing,” he said. “I’m not getting involved.”
“But … .” Frustration grabbed me by the throat and started to squeeze.
“I will give you a momentary break,” he said. “I want to show you something.” He pulled out his phone and started tapping the screen.
I was so desperate for a distraction I didn’t care if he was going to show me something gross, like porn. I would take any distraction over the star-struck look on Charlie’s face.
When he held up his phone, I had to squint to realize what he was showing me. It was the video they’d taken at the first crime scene.
“What am I looking at?” I asked.
“Just a second.” Jack’s brow was furrowed as he angled the phone so both of us could see. “There,” he said, pausing the footage.
I had to look hard, but I knew within seconds what he wanted me to see. “It’s the symbol,” I said. “It’s under all the blood, but it’s there.”
Jack nodded as he put his phone on the table. “We need to figure out what this symbol means.”
I leaned back in my chair. “Maybe my idea to break into the Hayes house isn’t the worst idea in the world.”
“I’d prefer a different plan, but I’m not ruling it out,” Jack said. “Try to come up with something legal first, if you don’t mind.”
“Fine,” I said, “but no promises.”
“Just give it a try.”