Allergies.”
She nodded sympathetically and gave him a moment to recover. Moving back behind her desk, she bumped a partially opened file drawer closed with her hip. When she looked up again, the sexy southern gentleman charm had returned.
“Melanie, pardon me if I sound forward, but you mentioned that you weren’t married. I wonder if that might mean you are unattached?”
Could he see her heart leap in her chest? “That’s right.”
“Is that right? These California boys must be crazy to let you run around free. Must be the sun. They raise us smarter in the South. Melanie, I’d like to buy you dinner if I may?”
She hesitated, not wanting to seem too anxious. DC leaned forward.
“Come on, have some pity on a new guy in town. Say yes.”
She had no intention of saying anything else.
“Come on. Say yes. I’m tired of eating alone.”
“Okay, DC. Yes.”
“All right, then. What time is good for you?”
“Most of the time I’m closed up by six-thirty.”
“Six-thirty? I’ll be a bit tied up then. What do you say to a late dinner?” He waited for her nod before continuing. “Eight o’clock okay with you?”
“That sounds fine.”
“Good. Should I pick you up?”
Melanie chewed the corner of her lip, hesitating for one quick second. “That would be all right,” she said and scribbled her address on a piece of paper. “I’m just a couple of blocks from here. Do you want directions?’’
“Naw,” he said, taking her address with a grin and a wink. “I’m getting to where I can find my way around just fine. I’ll see you later tonight, then.”
“That sounds great, DC.”
She stood and walked him to the door. “Oh, DC?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“What does DC stand for?”
He leaned so close that she could see the large pores in his skin and feel his breath fan her face. He danced his eyebrows up and down and leered.
“Why it stands for Dangerous Criminal, ma’am. What else?”
Melanie giggled. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Chapter Seven
He smiled. “Maybe I will tonight.”
Christie woke exhausted. She stretched, alone in a bed she had once shared with Sam. During their brief, turbulent marriage, they had slept, loved, and fought in this very room. Yet this was the first time she’d ever slept here alone. She turned her head and stared at the empty pillow beside her.
The sun, glaring through the heavy drapes, toasted the room uncomfortably. Was it late? She hoped so. It would be easier to face the day if it were already over. She lifted her groggy head and looked at the face of Sam’s ancient alarm.
Noon. Sighing, she dragged herself from bed. As she stumbled to the bathroom, where the faint scent of his soap and cologne lingered, she wondered if Sam was even home. The house seemed too quiet. She’d lived by herself for a while now. She knew what it sounded like.
The steam from her shower wrapped his scent around her. She made the spray cool and the shower brief. Feeling as pale and drawn as she looked, she dressed in shorts and a blouse and went downstairs for a cup of coffee. The day stretched endlessly before her.
A scrawled note, stuck to the refrigerator with a golf ball-shaped magnet, read, Christie, I have a couple of lessons this morning. Don’t leave. Sam.
She stared at it, sipping her coffee, listening to the clock tick. Outside, the dogs re-explored Sam’s backyard with wagging tails. Looking around her, she felt depression creep from the shadowed corners. Too much Sam in every room. She’d go crazy waiting here with only remembrance for company.
Making a snap decision, she pushed away from the counter and grabbed the phone. Whether Sam liked it or not, she needed to take care of things. She couldn’t stay here forever and she certainly couldn’t continue living at her house. She needed to move the rest of her things out and find a new place to live.
First, she called a taxi and then the police to find out if, by
She nodded sympathetically and gave him a moment to recover. Moving back behind her desk, she bumped a partially opened file drawer closed with her hip. When she looked up again, the sexy southern gentleman charm had returned.
“Melanie, pardon me if I sound forward, but you mentioned that you weren’t married. I wonder if that might mean you are unattached?”
Could he see her heart leap in her chest? “That’s right.”
“Is that right? These California boys must be crazy to let you run around free. Must be the sun. They raise us smarter in the South. Melanie, I’d like to buy you dinner if I may?”
She hesitated, not wanting to seem too anxious. DC leaned forward.
“Come on, have some pity on a new guy in town. Say yes.”
She had no intention of saying anything else.
“Come on. Say yes. I’m tired of eating alone.”
“Okay, DC. Yes.”
“All right, then. What time is good for you?”
“Most of the time I’m closed up by six-thirty.”
“Six-thirty? I’ll be a bit tied up then. What do you say to a late dinner?” He waited for her nod before continuing. “Eight o’clock okay with you?”
“That sounds fine.”
“Good. Should I pick you up?”
Melanie chewed the corner of her lip, hesitating for one quick second. “That would be all right,” she said and scribbled her address on a piece of paper. “I’m just a couple of blocks from here. Do you want directions?’’
“Naw,” he said, taking her address with a grin and a wink. “I’m getting to where I can find my way around just fine. I’ll see you later tonight, then.”
“That sounds great, DC.”
She stood and walked him to the door. “Oh, DC?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“What does DC stand for?”
He leaned so close that she could see the large pores in his skin and feel his breath fan her face. He danced his eyebrows up and down and leered.
“Why it stands for Dangerous Criminal, ma’am. What else?”
Melanie giggled. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Chapter Seven
He smiled. “Maybe I will tonight.”
Christie woke exhausted. She stretched, alone in a bed she had once shared with Sam. During their brief, turbulent marriage, they had slept, loved, and fought in this very room. Yet this was the first time she’d ever slept here alone. She turned her head and stared at the empty pillow beside her.
The sun, glaring through the heavy drapes, toasted the room uncomfortably. Was it late? She hoped so. It would be easier to face the day if it were already over. She lifted her groggy head and looked at the face of Sam’s ancient alarm.
Noon. Sighing, she dragged herself from bed. As she stumbled to the bathroom, where the faint scent of his soap and cologne lingered, she wondered if Sam was even home. The house seemed too quiet. She’d lived by herself for a while now. She knew what it sounded like.
The steam from her shower wrapped his scent around her. She made the spray cool and the shower brief. Feeling as pale and drawn as she looked, she dressed in shorts and a blouse and went downstairs for a cup of coffee. The day stretched endlessly before her.
A scrawled note, stuck to the refrigerator with a golf ball-shaped magnet, read, Christie, I have a couple of lessons this morning. Don’t leave. Sam.
She stared at it, sipping her coffee, listening to the clock tick. Outside, the dogs re-explored Sam’s backyard with wagging tails. Looking around her, she felt depression creep from the shadowed corners. Too much Sam in every room. She’d go crazy waiting here with only remembrance for company.
Making a snap decision, she pushed away from the counter and grabbed the phone. Whether Sam liked it or not, she needed to take care of things. She couldn’t stay here forever and she certainly couldn’t continue living at her house. She needed to move the rest of her things out and find a new place to live.
First, she called a taxi and then the police to find out if, by
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