Plus, he was always butting heads with his superiors. Charlie tells it like he sees it. It was probably best for everyone that he left to run the shop.”
I could relate with Charlie—working from home meant no head-butting with your superiors.
“Alright, enough about all that.” He withdrew a slender, silver chain adorned with a half moon-shaped pendant from the fist box and dangled it before me. “So, any guess as to what this is?”
“A necklace?”
“To the unsuspecting eye, yes. But it’s also a tracking device. With my laptop,” he said, and retrieved that from inside his bag as well, “I can trace where the person wearing this is, where they’ve been, and how fast they’re moving, all within an accuracy of about three feet.”
“Sweet!” I scooted to the edge of my chair and leaned in for a better look. “Man, too bad they don’t make dog collars like that. People would never lose their dogs!”
Nate chuckled. “Oh, they do. Where do you think this idea came from?”
I hitched a thumb in dog’s direction. “So he’s already got something like this on him?”
Nate nodded. “So don’t go taking off with my dog, because I’ll find you like that .” He snapped his fingers.
Brutus’s eyes opened for a second, then rolled shut.
“But this model has an added feature, one that’s not found on the dog collar models.” He patted the seat next to him on the couch. Curiosity carried me across the room. “See that little button on the side?”
“Um…” I squinted and saw one spot on the inner rim of the pendant that appeared thicker than the rest. “Yeah, now I do. It’s so tiny. What is it?”
“It needs to be small so it’s not easily bumped,” he said, the humor now gone from his voice. “That’s a panic button.”
I looked up and met his gaze. “Will I need something like that?”
“I would hope not. But after what happened to Grace, I’m not taking any chances. Here, why don’t you try it on?”
I leaned away from him and shook my head. “I shouldn’t.”
“This isn’t a jewelry party, Jessica,” he said with an eye roll. “I’m loaning it to you. Charlie’s all excited to test it out—you’re going to be our guinea pig.”
Reluctantly, I turned in my seat and swept my hair up off my neck, leaving me feeling very…vulnerable. He swung the pendant out under my chin, and his fingers brushed the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp. Shivers darted up and down my spine.
“So.” I cleared my throat and hoped he couldn’t see the patch of goose bumps I was sure had sprung up. “Do you guys have a website?”
“Not yet. But I did recently cross paths with an up-and-coming local web designer. I was kinda hoping she might be willing to do some bartering for it.”
“Oh?” I smiled.
“Sure. I help her get the answers she wants, and in return she helps put together our website. It’s a win-win scenario.” He gently turned me back toward him, then reached out to readjust the pendant so it sat at the base of my neck.
Patch nothing—that action caused an entire forest of goose bumps to erupt.
“Does your partner know you’re making deals on the side like that?”
Nate stretched to retrieve another small box from the table. “Are you kidding? Charlie’s been after me for months to get moving on a web site. And when he sees who’s designing it—” He stopped.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said, eyes averted. “He’ll be thrilled. Now…” He opened the box and produced a small, silver hair clip. “What do you think this is?”
“Why do I have the feeling you’re going to tell me ‘a barrette’ is the wrong answer?”
“Nope, that’s exactly what it is. Here.”
I lifted the beautiful clip from the palm of his outstretched hand. “And you’re giving this to me…why?”
“Because it’s no ordinary barrette.” By the way he spoke, the way he leaned in, eager to explain its features, Nate was clearly passionate about his
I could relate with Charlie—working from home meant no head-butting with your superiors.
“Alright, enough about all that.” He withdrew a slender, silver chain adorned with a half moon-shaped pendant from the fist box and dangled it before me. “So, any guess as to what this is?”
“A necklace?”
“To the unsuspecting eye, yes. But it’s also a tracking device. With my laptop,” he said, and retrieved that from inside his bag as well, “I can trace where the person wearing this is, where they’ve been, and how fast they’re moving, all within an accuracy of about three feet.”
“Sweet!” I scooted to the edge of my chair and leaned in for a better look. “Man, too bad they don’t make dog collars like that. People would never lose their dogs!”
Nate chuckled. “Oh, they do. Where do you think this idea came from?”
I hitched a thumb in dog’s direction. “So he’s already got something like this on him?”
Nate nodded. “So don’t go taking off with my dog, because I’ll find you like that .” He snapped his fingers.
Brutus’s eyes opened for a second, then rolled shut.
“But this model has an added feature, one that’s not found on the dog collar models.” He patted the seat next to him on the couch. Curiosity carried me across the room. “See that little button on the side?”
“Um…” I squinted and saw one spot on the inner rim of the pendant that appeared thicker than the rest. “Yeah, now I do. It’s so tiny. What is it?”
“It needs to be small so it’s not easily bumped,” he said, the humor now gone from his voice. “That’s a panic button.”
I looked up and met his gaze. “Will I need something like that?”
“I would hope not. But after what happened to Grace, I’m not taking any chances. Here, why don’t you try it on?”
I leaned away from him and shook my head. “I shouldn’t.”
“This isn’t a jewelry party, Jessica,” he said with an eye roll. “I’m loaning it to you. Charlie’s all excited to test it out—you’re going to be our guinea pig.”
Reluctantly, I turned in my seat and swept my hair up off my neck, leaving me feeling very…vulnerable. He swung the pendant out under my chin, and his fingers brushed the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp. Shivers darted up and down my spine.
“So.” I cleared my throat and hoped he couldn’t see the patch of goose bumps I was sure had sprung up. “Do you guys have a website?”
“Not yet. But I did recently cross paths with an up-and-coming local web designer. I was kinda hoping she might be willing to do some bartering for it.”
“Oh?” I smiled.
“Sure. I help her get the answers she wants, and in return she helps put together our website. It’s a win-win scenario.” He gently turned me back toward him, then reached out to readjust the pendant so it sat at the base of my neck.
Patch nothing—that action caused an entire forest of goose bumps to erupt.
“Does your partner know you’re making deals on the side like that?”
Nate stretched to retrieve another small box from the table. “Are you kidding? Charlie’s been after me for months to get moving on a web site. And when he sees who’s designing it—” He stopped.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said, eyes averted. “He’ll be thrilled. Now…” He opened the box and produced a small, silver hair clip. “What do you think this is?”
“Why do I have the feeling you’re going to tell me ‘a barrette’ is the wrong answer?”
“Nope, that’s exactly what it is. Here.”
I lifted the beautiful clip from the palm of his outstretched hand. “And you’re giving this to me…why?”
“Because it’s no ordinary barrette.” By the way he spoke, the way he leaned in, eager to explain its features, Nate was clearly passionate about his
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