squished inside her sneakers and her pants legs looked like she’d been walking through a flood. Watermarks lined the fabric up to her knees. Her hair hung in soaked strands. An umbrella would’ve given her position away—Carte would’ve noticed the same umbrella following him through Greensboro. So she’d been a good PI and left the umbrella at home. Now, looking like a drowned squirrel, Tonica pushed her hair back, and sighed. All of this for nothing.
“To hell with that,” she said to herself. She headed out of the alley and down the sidewalk toward the restaurant she’d spied Carte entering a few minutes before. She’d get the goods on the lawyer by herself. She didn’t need Olivia’s permission to go into the eating establishment. Last time she checked, America was still a free country.
With her mind made up and determination fending off the chills, Tonica walked down the sidewalk and right up to the sushi restaurant. She took in a strong breath of courage, grinned at the tingle of anticipation and adrenaline coursing through her and opened the door. Inside, dark ebony tables covered in ivory tablecloths sat coupled with chocolate leather booths and chestnut wood chairs. Throughout the compacted space, innocent ivories, bold scarlets, and vibrant verdants abound from framed art to napkins to chopsticks.
She’d been here before, but couldn’t quite remember when. Maybe during her time at college, she couldn’t be certain. She couldn’t pin down the memory before a handsome host approached. Dressed all in black, the soft lightening highlighted his ebony hair and dark-brown almond eyes. His bangs flirted with his eyes.
“Welcome to Wasabi’s Sushi . A party of one,” he spoke with a slight accent that revealed what he thought about her, but his eyes took in her soaked attire and a small grin appeared on his face. “If you’ll follow me.”
She did, but she searched the candlelit tables for Carte. Not knowing where the host would place her, she had to figure where her mark sat so she could get closer to him. If he’d been sitting by the restrooms, she could excuse herself and go by his table, visually snagging whatever information she could, or better, eavesdrop on his conversations. If he sat at the sushi bar, she could easily pretend to be interested in the creation of the various sushi rolls and do the same.
Wasabi’s Sushi sat mostly empty at this late hour. The rain drove most people indoors during October for fear of ice and slick roads. Tonica had left her car about a block and half back down West Market Street by the Panera, having followed Carte on foot. She didn’t want his driver spotting her vehicle’s tail. So, she simply watched his sleek, ebony Lexus SUV drive down to the bookstore, Carte got out, entered the bookstore with driver in tow. He exited the bookstore sometime later and walked down to the sushi house. Tonica had followed him, discreetly until Olivia pulled her off her assignment.
Screw that.
“Here you are,” the hostess said, still smiling softly at her. “Would you like hot green tea? It will warm you.”
“Yes, thank you.” Tea sounded so good on such a dreary and cold day.
She slid into the two-person booth and shuddered, the chilly leather seat cold against her wet clothes. Her nipples contracted and pointed merrily through the soaked blouse. Like a second skin and a wet tee-shirt contest, her drenched clothing suddenly made her feel naked. Her pointy peaks tingled. No wonder the damn host kept smiling at her. She yanked her raincoat tighter, and then relaxed. Putting her observation skills to work, she took in her surroundings. Maybe the décor kept it intimate, but like most sushi places, it held a close familiarity, cold and abstract, but familiar all the same.
Across the empty seating area, sipping a small cup of saki, Carte Seay sat, facing her. His driver/bodyguard sat at a perpendicular angle, to Carte’s right, where he could see the door, no
“To hell with that,” she said to herself. She headed out of the alley and down the sidewalk toward the restaurant she’d spied Carte entering a few minutes before. She’d get the goods on the lawyer by herself. She didn’t need Olivia’s permission to go into the eating establishment. Last time she checked, America was still a free country.
With her mind made up and determination fending off the chills, Tonica walked down the sidewalk and right up to the sushi restaurant. She took in a strong breath of courage, grinned at the tingle of anticipation and adrenaline coursing through her and opened the door. Inside, dark ebony tables covered in ivory tablecloths sat coupled with chocolate leather booths and chestnut wood chairs. Throughout the compacted space, innocent ivories, bold scarlets, and vibrant verdants abound from framed art to napkins to chopsticks.
She’d been here before, but couldn’t quite remember when. Maybe during her time at college, she couldn’t be certain. She couldn’t pin down the memory before a handsome host approached. Dressed all in black, the soft lightening highlighted his ebony hair and dark-brown almond eyes. His bangs flirted with his eyes.
“Welcome to Wasabi’s Sushi . A party of one,” he spoke with a slight accent that revealed what he thought about her, but his eyes took in her soaked attire and a small grin appeared on his face. “If you’ll follow me.”
She did, but she searched the candlelit tables for Carte. Not knowing where the host would place her, she had to figure where her mark sat so she could get closer to him. If he’d been sitting by the restrooms, she could excuse herself and go by his table, visually snagging whatever information she could, or better, eavesdrop on his conversations. If he sat at the sushi bar, she could easily pretend to be interested in the creation of the various sushi rolls and do the same.
Wasabi’s Sushi sat mostly empty at this late hour. The rain drove most people indoors during October for fear of ice and slick roads. Tonica had left her car about a block and half back down West Market Street by the Panera, having followed Carte on foot. She didn’t want his driver spotting her vehicle’s tail. So, she simply watched his sleek, ebony Lexus SUV drive down to the bookstore, Carte got out, entered the bookstore with driver in tow. He exited the bookstore sometime later and walked down to the sushi house. Tonica had followed him, discreetly until Olivia pulled her off her assignment.
Screw that.
“Here you are,” the hostess said, still smiling softly at her. “Would you like hot green tea? It will warm you.”
“Yes, thank you.” Tea sounded so good on such a dreary and cold day.
She slid into the two-person booth and shuddered, the chilly leather seat cold against her wet clothes. Her nipples contracted and pointed merrily through the soaked blouse. Like a second skin and a wet tee-shirt contest, her drenched clothing suddenly made her feel naked. Her pointy peaks tingled. No wonder the damn host kept smiling at her. She yanked her raincoat tighter, and then relaxed. Putting her observation skills to work, she took in her surroundings. Maybe the décor kept it intimate, but like most sushi places, it held a close familiarity, cold and abstract, but familiar all the same.
Across the empty seating area, sipping a small cup of saki, Carte Seay sat, facing her. His driver/bodyguard sat at a perpendicular angle, to Carte’s right, where he could see the door, no
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