unnecessary. No one thought I was a suspect, not really. It’s just these guys took it personally when I quit. Some, like Dalton, gave me promises of help and support. Most just gave me the stink eye, thinking I had gotten too big for my panties.
Or had been pissed at me for not letting them in my panties to begin with.
Since we don’t work together anymore, I go ahead and give Dalton a quick squeeze. He jumps at it, arms circling like a bear and tugging me in tight. “Oh, Martin. You’re getting too thin.”
I could have kissed him if I didn’t like his wife, Gina, so damned much.
My weight was something I’d struggled with. In the field? I’m healthy as a horse. My mile is just shy of seven minutes, I can jump hurdles and lift weights and throw punches with the best of them. On paper, though, I was overweight, that godawful BMI number the bane of my existence.
“Eh, works been slow to take off,” I admit. “Apparently people have the same hard time believing a female private investigator can get the job done that thought a female cop couldn’t get it done, either.”
“That’s lame,” he offered, but already reaching in a drawer and grabbing a pack of crackers to offer me. I take them. I’m too hungry to refuse. “It’ll pick up soon, I know it. You just need one big gig.”
The wrapper crackled as I rip it open. “That’s not the way it works, Dalton. All my work is confidential. I could investigate the President of the United States and I couldn’t take credit for what I find. Clients value anonymity just as much as they value answers.”
He pats my head and I let him, stuffing a fake-cheese-stuffed cracker in my mouth. Sweet, merciful Dalton. Already the rage I felt for the chief was ebbing. Maybe I’d been hangry, but I refused to feel badly about it. Having me brought in had still been a dick move.
“Don’t be too mad at him,” he whispered. “I think he actually misses you.”
Crumbs fly from my mouth as I sputter. “Are you kidding me? He’s half the reason I decided to leave! Misogynist piece of--”
“Hey, hey, hey.” His hands went up, defensive. “I’m not saying you don’t have good reasons. But I think you’ve been doing this ‘tough chick’ routine for so long that you have a hard time telling when people are being nice to you.”
“Nope. All of them are assholes. Especially that guy in there--” I nod toward the Chief’s door. “Locke, I think he said. Super entitled. Was a complete jerk to me.”
Dalton’s face twists and I wonder what’s wrong until I realize he’s about to bust out laughing. “Locke? Jameson Locke? He’s the CEO of Locked In Securities. Richest man in the Triangle. Probably the richest man on the Eastern seaboard… fuck, one of richest men in America. He can probably afford to act a little entitled.”
The Triangle-- Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Home of Research Triangle Park. Which was home to, well, all sorts of business. Many of them world-dominating and worth mucho dough.
But CEO of Locked in? That took “rich” to a new level. In a land of millionaires, he’d stand out as an easy billionaire. More money than he’d ever know what to do with. Huh. Well, that explains a lot about his attitude. Except my insides feel a little like there’s butterflies in there when I think about him. That strong chest and incredible cheekbones--
I shove the last cracker in my mouth and give Dalton’s cheek a crumbly kiss. “Thanks for the food, D. Tell Gina I said ‘hey.’”
He gives me a warm smile. “Will do. Take care, Martin. And stay out of trouble.”
Locke
My chest still tingles from where she hit me. With her tousled hair and furious expression, the woman who ran into me and then had the audacity to blame me also intrigues me. No, more than intrigue. My cock is now rock hard.
I don’t do belligerent and she’d
Or had been pissed at me for not letting them in my panties to begin with.
Since we don’t work together anymore, I go ahead and give Dalton a quick squeeze. He jumps at it, arms circling like a bear and tugging me in tight. “Oh, Martin. You’re getting too thin.”
I could have kissed him if I didn’t like his wife, Gina, so damned much.
My weight was something I’d struggled with. In the field? I’m healthy as a horse. My mile is just shy of seven minutes, I can jump hurdles and lift weights and throw punches with the best of them. On paper, though, I was overweight, that godawful BMI number the bane of my existence.
“Eh, works been slow to take off,” I admit. “Apparently people have the same hard time believing a female private investigator can get the job done that thought a female cop couldn’t get it done, either.”
“That’s lame,” he offered, but already reaching in a drawer and grabbing a pack of crackers to offer me. I take them. I’m too hungry to refuse. “It’ll pick up soon, I know it. You just need one big gig.”
The wrapper crackled as I rip it open. “That’s not the way it works, Dalton. All my work is confidential. I could investigate the President of the United States and I couldn’t take credit for what I find. Clients value anonymity just as much as they value answers.”
He pats my head and I let him, stuffing a fake-cheese-stuffed cracker in my mouth. Sweet, merciful Dalton. Already the rage I felt for the chief was ebbing. Maybe I’d been hangry, but I refused to feel badly about it. Having me brought in had still been a dick move.
“Don’t be too mad at him,” he whispered. “I think he actually misses you.”
Crumbs fly from my mouth as I sputter. “Are you kidding me? He’s half the reason I decided to leave! Misogynist piece of--”
“Hey, hey, hey.” His hands went up, defensive. “I’m not saying you don’t have good reasons. But I think you’ve been doing this ‘tough chick’ routine for so long that you have a hard time telling when people are being nice to you.”
“Nope. All of them are assholes. Especially that guy in there--” I nod toward the Chief’s door. “Locke, I think he said. Super entitled. Was a complete jerk to me.”
Dalton’s face twists and I wonder what’s wrong until I realize he’s about to bust out laughing. “Locke? Jameson Locke? He’s the CEO of Locked In Securities. Richest man in the Triangle. Probably the richest man on the Eastern seaboard… fuck, one of richest men in America. He can probably afford to act a little entitled.”
The Triangle-- Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Home of Research Triangle Park. Which was home to, well, all sorts of business. Many of them world-dominating and worth mucho dough.
But CEO of Locked in? That took “rich” to a new level. In a land of millionaires, he’d stand out as an easy billionaire. More money than he’d ever know what to do with. Huh. Well, that explains a lot about his attitude. Except my insides feel a little like there’s butterflies in there when I think about him. That strong chest and incredible cheekbones--
I shove the last cracker in my mouth and give Dalton’s cheek a crumbly kiss. “Thanks for the food, D. Tell Gina I said ‘hey.’”
He gives me a warm smile. “Will do. Take care, Martin. And stay out of trouble.”
Locke
My chest still tingles from where she hit me. With her tousled hair and furious expression, the woman who ran into me and then had the audacity to blame me also intrigues me. No, more than intrigue. My cock is now rock hard.
I don’t do belligerent and she’d
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