now?”
Down, J.D. Do. Not. Flirt.
“I like your mother better,” she said. “I don’t like you any less.” She looked at my clothes on the floor. “So where’s your cell phone? I’ll put my number in it, and you can call me sometime.”
What the what? “Uh, I don’t have a cell phone.”
She raised an eyebrow like I’d announced I was from another planet. Then her face turned red. “Oh.”
I didn’t know why not having a phone should be embarrassing—until I realized she thought I couldn’t afford one. Good. Let her think so. It was easier than explaining I hate being on the grid. If Mom or Scarlett ever needed to get hold of me, they called Brad. If I’m ever kidnapped, the assholes will send a ransom note.
Nora frowned at something on the floor and bent over to pick it up. One of my sandals. “Are you and Brad in the Mephisto club?” she said.
“Brad likes good shoes,” he said. “He bought them.”
“Seriously.” She said. “He buys your clothes.”
“They were a birthday present.” I laughed. “We’ve been buds since grade school.” I was telling her too much. Letting her in, deeper and deeper. It had to stop.
“Like me and Lisa.” Nora dropped the sandal. She got up from the bed and went to the door. “Frank’s still here. He and Lisa are making breakfast. There’s a fresh towel in my bathroom. You can take a shower if you want. And there’s coffee in the kitchen.”
Then she was gone. I felt empty inside. I didn’t like it.
I got dressed without the shower. I was going to have to ride home in yesterday’s clothes, so I’d take one later. I had no intention of staying for breakfast. The sooner I got away from Nora Deven, the better.
I headed out of the bedroom, thinking about where my bike and helmet might be, when I heard arguing down the hall. At the bathroom door, I heard Lisa’s voice. She sounded upset.
“I don’t trust him,” she said.
“You don’t know him,” Nora answered. “It sounds too good to be true, sure. But what do we know about the secret lives of corporations? Look at those McMansions in Wexford and real mansions in Los Lagos. Money is different for people who have it. I think Steve’s company must have paid for the internships.”
They were talking about Steve Heron. I’d put aside the reason I was here in the first place, and now it just fell into my lap. Jeez , poor Brad. Bad enough he couldn’t get credit for his secret good deed setting up the internships, and now credit was going to MolyMo.
“You deserve a vacation,” Lisa said. “You need a vacation. But there’s no way you can relax at…at that place .”
“We need the money.”
“We don’t need it that bad,” Lisa said.
I walked on down the hall, my head ringing with what I’d just heard. Brad’s suspicions were right on. MolyMo was trying to move in on Barton. I could guess what happened. Barton must have honored his agreement with BlueMagick and refused to let another company on the dig, and now MolyMo wanted to make Nora their unwitting spy.
That shit pissed me off. Brad spent over a year getting to know Dr. Barton, gaining his trust, arranging for funding, and now MolyMo thought they’d swoop in and skim off BlueMagick’s work.
“Morning, J.D.” Frank was in the kitchen, taking a batch of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. “There’s coffee in the pot, but fair warning. It’s bad.”
“I’ll pass.”
“I’m bringing my espresso machine over on Wednesday for Stacey’s birthday party. One makes sacrifices, but a man needs a latte in the morning. I’ll be staying here while Nora’s gone for her internship.”
“So I hear,” I said.
With a redesign, this kitchen and great room area could be fantastic. It bordered the back of the house with windows running along the entire wall looking out on the deck and the backyard.
“Ah, my bike.” The Pashley was leaning against a built-in bookcase on the far wall. “My helmet too. Thanks.” In the
Down, J.D. Do. Not. Flirt.
“I like your mother better,” she said. “I don’t like you any less.” She looked at my clothes on the floor. “So where’s your cell phone? I’ll put my number in it, and you can call me sometime.”
What the what? “Uh, I don’t have a cell phone.”
She raised an eyebrow like I’d announced I was from another planet. Then her face turned red. “Oh.”
I didn’t know why not having a phone should be embarrassing—until I realized she thought I couldn’t afford one. Good. Let her think so. It was easier than explaining I hate being on the grid. If Mom or Scarlett ever needed to get hold of me, they called Brad. If I’m ever kidnapped, the assholes will send a ransom note.
Nora frowned at something on the floor and bent over to pick it up. One of my sandals. “Are you and Brad in the Mephisto club?” she said.
“Brad likes good shoes,” he said. “He bought them.”
“Seriously.” She said. “He buys your clothes.”
“They were a birthday present.” I laughed. “We’ve been buds since grade school.” I was telling her too much. Letting her in, deeper and deeper. It had to stop.
“Like me and Lisa.” Nora dropped the sandal. She got up from the bed and went to the door. “Frank’s still here. He and Lisa are making breakfast. There’s a fresh towel in my bathroom. You can take a shower if you want. And there’s coffee in the kitchen.”
Then she was gone. I felt empty inside. I didn’t like it.
I got dressed without the shower. I was going to have to ride home in yesterday’s clothes, so I’d take one later. I had no intention of staying for breakfast. The sooner I got away from Nora Deven, the better.
I headed out of the bedroom, thinking about where my bike and helmet might be, when I heard arguing down the hall. At the bathroom door, I heard Lisa’s voice. She sounded upset.
“I don’t trust him,” she said.
“You don’t know him,” Nora answered. “It sounds too good to be true, sure. But what do we know about the secret lives of corporations? Look at those McMansions in Wexford and real mansions in Los Lagos. Money is different for people who have it. I think Steve’s company must have paid for the internships.”
They were talking about Steve Heron. I’d put aside the reason I was here in the first place, and now it just fell into my lap. Jeez , poor Brad. Bad enough he couldn’t get credit for his secret good deed setting up the internships, and now credit was going to MolyMo.
“You deserve a vacation,” Lisa said. “You need a vacation. But there’s no way you can relax at…at that place .”
“We need the money.”
“We don’t need it that bad,” Lisa said.
I walked on down the hall, my head ringing with what I’d just heard. Brad’s suspicions were right on. MolyMo was trying to move in on Barton. I could guess what happened. Barton must have honored his agreement with BlueMagick and refused to let another company on the dig, and now MolyMo wanted to make Nora their unwitting spy.
That shit pissed me off. Brad spent over a year getting to know Dr. Barton, gaining his trust, arranging for funding, and now MolyMo thought they’d swoop in and skim off BlueMagick’s work.
“Morning, J.D.” Frank was in the kitchen, taking a batch of cinnamon rolls out of the oven. “There’s coffee in the pot, but fair warning. It’s bad.”
“I’ll pass.”
“I’m bringing my espresso machine over on Wednesday for Stacey’s birthday party. One makes sacrifices, but a man needs a latte in the morning. I’ll be staying here while Nora’s gone for her internship.”
“So I hear,” I said.
With a redesign, this kitchen and great room area could be fantastic. It bordered the back of the house with windows running along the entire wall looking out on the deck and the backyard.
“Ah, my bike.” The Pashley was leaning against a built-in bookcase on the far wall. “My helmet too. Thanks.” In the
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