Japanese version. Ju-On. ”
She blinked at him. “You like horror movies?”
“Is that so surprising?”
“Well…yeah. You’re, you know…”
“…gifted with a battery-operated stick up my ass?” he offered with a dry smile.
Her sudden laugh could have lit the entire cab. “Yes.” She leaned a little closer, eyes glittering impishly. “I’ll tell you a secret.”
He swayed closer, lured by that wicked gleam. “And that is?”
“I still have the night light. It’s pink. My Little Pony. ”
“Your little what…?”
“You are such a boy.” She laughed again. “God, we sound like we’re in junior high and playing Truth or Dare. Is it my turn to ask yet? I have to think of a good one.”
“Missed your turn. When did you graduate?”
“You don’t play fair.” She shrugged. “Two years ago. I’ve been bouncing from one temp job to another ever since. I’m hoping this is my last contract…but right now it doesn’t look promising.”
He captured her hand. Her fingers were soft and small in his, and as he leaned closer he caught the scent of lavender. “You’ll get your investor, Stephanie. I’m your advantage, remember?”
She withdrew her hand with a tense smile. “Are you the guy who ate a cheeseburger after it fell on a New York sidewalk?”
“That was Michael.”
“Oh.” She pointed a finger at him, her eyes alight. “Then you must be the one who got caught having sex in the library.”
Of course Aaron had told that story—and left out that it was about himself. Derek wasn’t going to be the one to tell her the truth. His phone vibrated in his pocket; he took advantage of the distraction to check it. Work emails, even this late at night. They were starting to pile up. He was trying not to feel guilty, and failing. “Not me.”
“Oh, come on!” She scowled. “There has to be some dirt on you. You’re way too serious. Guys like you are usually secret freaks on an R. Kelly level.”
He eyed her sidelong and tucked his phone away. Work would have to wait until after dinner.
She returned his gaze with a long, discerning look. “Like I said. Too serious.” She looked out the window again. “Next question. Are your parents still together?”
He stiffened. “I’d prefer not to discuss my family.”
“If you’re my fiancé, I should know more about you.”
Derek shook his head. “He won’t be asking about me. He’ll be asking about you. You don’t need to know my whole life story.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why would they possibly want to know about my family?”
Stephanie glared back at him, fearless and challenging. “What if they ask a simple question and I panic and blow the whole thing because I don’t know your favorite food? Or what your mom’s name is?”
“It’s not a multiple choice quiz with an answer key. You could say my mother’s name is Conchetta McFee and they wouldn’t know any difference.”
Her mouth quirked at the corners. She half-swallowed a snickering sound. “Conchetta McFee?”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “Be quiet, you impudent imp. You put me on the spot.”
“See? Even you’re getting flustered. Now imagine me, trying to make up something convincing with Rodgers and Wheeler staring at me. When I tell them your childhood pet was a cactus and you used to pretend to be a goldfish in the bathtub, it’s completely your fault.”
“Dragon, actually.”
“…you pretended to be a dragon?”
“Yes.” He looked firmly out the window. “I thought the Loch Ness monster was a dragon, and I’d use my toy boats to drown hapless sailors.”
She burst into that silvery, engaging laughter again, and leaned over to nudge him with her shoulder. “You know, you’re almost cute…for a Terminator.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, and forced a tight smile.
She was waiting. He could feel it in her silence, in the soft, curious way she looked at him. He was tempted to
She blinked at him. “You like horror movies?”
“Is that so surprising?”
“Well…yeah. You’re, you know…”
“…gifted with a battery-operated stick up my ass?” he offered with a dry smile.
Her sudden laugh could have lit the entire cab. “Yes.” She leaned a little closer, eyes glittering impishly. “I’ll tell you a secret.”
He swayed closer, lured by that wicked gleam. “And that is?”
“I still have the night light. It’s pink. My Little Pony. ”
“Your little what…?”
“You are such a boy.” She laughed again. “God, we sound like we’re in junior high and playing Truth or Dare. Is it my turn to ask yet? I have to think of a good one.”
“Missed your turn. When did you graduate?”
“You don’t play fair.” She shrugged. “Two years ago. I’ve been bouncing from one temp job to another ever since. I’m hoping this is my last contract…but right now it doesn’t look promising.”
He captured her hand. Her fingers were soft and small in his, and as he leaned closer he caught the scent of lavender. “You’ll get your investor, Stephanie. I’m your advantage, remember?”
She withdrew her hand with a tense smile. “Are you the guy who ate a cheeseburger after it fell on a New York sidewalk?”
“That was Michael.”
“Oh.” She pointed a finger at him, her eyes alight. “Then you must be the one who got caught having sex in the library.”
Of course Aaron had told that story—and left out that it was about himself. Derek wasn’t going to be the one to tell her the truth. His phone vibrated in his pocket; he took advantage of the distraction to check it. Work emails, even this late at night. They were starting to pile up. He was trying not to feel guilty, and failing. “Not me.”
“Oh, come on!” She scowled. “There has to be some dirt on you. You’re way too serious. Guys like you are usually secret freaks on an R. Kelly level.”
He eyed her sidelong and tucked his phone away. Work would have to wait until after dinner.
She returned his gaze with a long, discerning look. “Like I said. Too serious.” She looked out the window again. “Next question. Are your parents still together?”
He stiffened. “I’d prefer not to discuss my family.”
“If you’re my fiancé, I should know more about you.”
Derek shook his head. “He won’t be asking about me. He’ll be asking about you. You don’t need to know my whole life story.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why would they possibly want to know about my family?”
Stephanie glared back at him, fearless and challenging. “What if they ask a simple question and I panic and blow the whole thing because I don’t know your favorite food? Or what your mom’s name is?”
“It’s not a multiple choice quiz with an answer key. You could say my mother’s name is Conchetta McFee and they wouldn’t know any difference.”
Her mouth quirked at the corners. She half-swallowed a snickering sound. “Conchetta McFee?”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “Be quiet, you impudent imp. You put me on the spot.”
“See? Even you’re getting flustered. Now imagine me, trying to make up something convincing with Rodgers and Wheeler staring at me. When I tell them your childhood pet was a cactus and you used to pretend to be a goldfish in the bathtub, it’s completely your fault.”
“Dragon, actually.”
“…you pretended to be a dragon?”
“Yes.” He looked firmly out the window. “I thought the Loch Ness monster was a dragon, and I’d use my toy boats to drown hapless sailors.”
She burst into that silvery, engaging laughter again, and leaned over to nudge him with her shoulder. “You know, you’re almost cute…for a Terminator.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, and forced a tight smile.
She was waiting. He could feel it in her silence, in the soft, curious way she looked at him. He was tempted to
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