slapping the folder down as he let out a breath. “You can’t be here. This is a place of business.”
“Yeah.” Corey stood, stretching his back. “You should think about getting a new desk chair, that one is really uncomfortable.” Angelo watched Corey stroll across the floor to the window. He rested his palm on the wall and looked out. “Nice view of the park, though.”
With Corey’s back turned, Angelo took a moment to take in his appearance, which was more put together looking than when he’d last seen him at the apartment house with Tommy. He wore a nice black shirt tucked loosely into dark green slacks with a brown belt, and his blond hair was neat and combed. “How did you find me?” Angelo asked.
Corey turned to face him. “I’m crafty.”
“If you want to discuss what happened the other day we can do that outside of here another time, but this is—”
“A place of business,” Corey said, cutting him off. “Just like my home. So, Angelo.” Corey moved toward him and Angelo fought the urge to take a step back. “You’re an expert at human behavior, huh?”
“I...I...” Fuck. This guy’s got me rattled .
“Tell me then, Angelo. What would you say about the behavior of someone who shows up at another’s place of business and threatens his life?”
“Okay, look,” Angelo said. “I do want to talk to you about that, but not here. If you’re willing to do that, we can go somewhere and talk right now. But not here. And that’s non-negotiable, so if you want to push it, I’ll call security and have you thrown out.”
Smirking, Corey widened his eyes. “Ah. There you are. I wasn’t fooled by your leather jacket the other day, but I can see now there’s a scrappy little Boston boy underneath that pretty, professional packaging.”
Corey’s eyes locked onto Angelo’s in a way that made him feel cornered, and for a moment he felt like the guy could see right through him, right into his soul. “As I said, I’ll talk with you if we can go somewhere else. Do we have a deal?”
Shrugging, Corey nodded. “All right. But after your little stunt the other day I think you should at least buy me a drink, so somewhere with alcohol. No shitty little coffee house.”
Moving across the floor, Angelo picked up his fallen briefcase, then went back to his desk and locked it in his drawer. “You ready?” he asked, avoiding Corey’s eyes.
“Lead the way, doctor .”
Angelo opened the door and headed down the hall, trusting Corey would follow. The snide way Corey had said doctor wasn’t lost on him, and he knew that despite the man’s controlled, cordial tone, he had no respect for Angelo, and was extremely pissed off.
But Angelo was no slouch when it came to dealing with awkward conversations and bad attitudes, and he was confident he could resolve this in a peaceful way if Corey was willing to give him the chance.
“I’ll be back, Barbara,” he said as he passed through reception.
“Okay,” Barbara said. “Goodbye, Mr. McCrevice, it was nice to meet you.”
Angelo glanced back.
“Nice to meet you as well,” Corey said, then caught Angelo’s gaze, humor dancing in his eyes.
They moved to the front of the building, and Angelo stole a glance at Corey as he pushed open the door. “I can’t believe you got her to sign you in using that name.”
Corey followed him out onto the sidewalk. “I can be very persuasive at times.”
“Yeah, I don’t doubt that.”
“That didn’t sound like a compliment, Dr. Nardovino. Still thinking I’m a conman?”
Angelo stopped and frowned at Corey, who stood a couple of inches taller than he did. “Let’s just save the conversation until we’re sitting down, okay? There’s a pub around the corner.”
“Of course,” Corey said. “ I’m very civilized.”
Angelo’s lips tightened. “This way. Let’s go.”
****
Corey followed Angelo Nardovino into a sports bar called The Inside Pitch, which at this early hour had
“Yeah.” Corey stood, stretching his back. “You should think about getting a new desk chair, that one is really uncomfortable.” Angelo watched Corey stroll across the floor to the window. He rested his palm on the wall and looked out. “Nice view of the park, though.”
With Corey’s back turned, Angelo took a moment to take in his appearance, which was more put together looking than when he’d last seen him at the apartment house with Tommy. He wore a nice black shirt tucked loosely into dark green slacks with a brown belt, and his blond hair was neat and combed. “How did you find me?” Angelo asked.
Corey turned to face him. “I’m crafty.”
“If you want to discuss what happened the other day we can do that outside of here another time, but this is—”
“A place of business,” Corey said, cutting him off. “Just like my home. So, Angelo.” Corey moved toward him and Angelo fought the urge to take a step back. “You’re an expert at human behavior, huh?”
“I...I...” Fuck. This guy’s got me rattled .
“Tell me then, Angelo. What would you say about the behavior of someone who shows up at another’s place of business and threatens his life?”
“Okay, look,” Angelo said. “I do want to talk to you about that, but not here. If you’re willing to do that, we can go somewhere and talk right now. But not here. And that’s non-negotiable, so if you want to push it, I’ll call security and have you thrown out.”
Smirking, Corey widened his eyes. “Ah. There you are. I wasn’t fooled by your leather jacket the other day, but I can see now there’s a scrappy little Boston boy underneath that pretty, professional packaging.”
Corey’s eyes locked onto Angelo’s in a way that made him feel cornered, and for a moment he felt like the guy could see right through him, right into his soul. “As I said, I’ll talk with you if we can go somewhere else. Do we have a deal?”
Shrugging, Corey nodded. “All right. But after your little stunt the other day I think you should at least buy me a drink, so somewhere with alcohol. No shitty little coffee house.”
Moving across the floor, Angelo picked up his fallen briefcase, then went back to his desk and locked it in his drawer. “You ready?” he asked, avoiding Corey’s eyes.
“Lead the way, doctor .”
Angelo opened the door and headed down the hall, trusting Corey would follow. The snide way Corey had said doctor wasn’t lost on him, and he knew that despite the man’s controlled, cordial tone, he had no respect for Angelo, and was extremely pissed off.
But Angelo was no slouch when it came to dealing with awkward conversations and bad attitudes, and he was confident he could resolve this in a peaceful way if Corey was willing to give him the chance.
“I’ll be back, Barbara,” he said as he passed through reception.
“Okay,” Barbara said. “Goodbye, Mr. McCrevice, it was nice to meet you.”
Angelo glanced back.
“Nice to meet you as well,” Corey said, then caught Angelo’s gaze, humor dancing in his eyes.
They moved to the front of the building, and Angelo stole a glance at Corey as he pushed open the door. “I can’t believe you got her to sign you in using that name.”
Corey followed him out onto the sidewalk. “I can be very persuasive at times.”
“Yeah, I don’t doubt that.”
“That didn’t sound like a compliment, Dr. Nardovino. Still thinking I’m a conman?”
Angelo stopped and frowned at Corey, who stood a couple of inches taller than he did. “Let’s just save the conversation until we’re sitting down, okay? There’s a pub around the corner.”
“Of course,” Corey said. “ I’m very civilized.”
Angelo’s lips tightened. “This way. Let’s go.”
****
Corey followed Angelo Nardovino into a sports bar called The Inside Pitch, which at this early hour had
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