admit freely that I am not one to easily conform to rules set by the masses, if you must know. I am a self-starter and I have new ideas. For example, I…”
He stopped her again with those annoying fingers of his. “No, no. First I have a question that might seem a little off topic.”
“As if the others were on topic?” She failed to stifle a snort. Off his look, she half-chuckled, “This is definitely the most uncomfortable and inappropriate interview I’ve ever been on. And I’ll tell you right now that I have no intention of working for D.D.E.N. Inc., but since you’ve got me intrigued, I can’t wait to hear what you’re going to ask.”
His blonde eyebrows rose slightly. “We’re one of the best firms in the city, if not the best.”
“Still.”
He glanced to Darik and back. “You are turning us down? Us?”
“Yep. And I can’t wait to do it.”
He looked truly shocked. “Why?”
She opened her purse and pulled out a trial size tube of hand cream, opening it and applying. “Look, you’re both very dashing in appearance. Those suits and your offices are spectacular. But I work for myself, which means I choose who I work with not for . And I can already see by your godlike attitude that you want a servant. And Darik over there was coming onto me very heavily and asking about my marital status, which is just wrong. I don’t want him in the days to come, breathing down my blouse as I’m trying to show him ideas, ideas by the way he has no interest in seeing. He’s got movie posters on his walls. Even his office doesn’t advertise your firm’s goals. How can I help you achieve them if this simple fact has been ignored when even his partners suggested it?”
“You could guide us.”
“Yeah.” She put the cap back on the tube. “But I don’t wanna.”
He drummed his fingers with persistence, narrowing his eyes. “Aren’t you afraid we’ll tell people about your rudeness today?”
“I could give a shit.”
Dontae pursed his lips. “Very interesting.”
“Very,” Darik echoed.
“I still would like to ask you a question.”
Michelle tucked the lotion back in her bag and glanced back and forth between them with a wry smile. “And I’d still like to hear it.”
“Have you been watching the news?
She blinked. “That’s your question? I thought you were about to ask something more unusual.” He waited. “Oh, yes, sorry. I have. Why?”
“Did you hear about the animal attack, the one they’re thinking was an escape from the zoo?”
She felt her blood freeze. After she’d left Laura the other day, she’d obsessively read up on what the news was saying and in having done so, had learned a lot about her attacker in the process. She’d come very close to being one of many he had hurt and she thanked her luck every day that she’d been spared. Licking dry lips, her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled for composure. “Yes. They won’t stop talking about it. Of course I’ve heard. Who hasn’t?”
The way Dontae was watching her made her feel like he knew something about the attack; the look in his eyes was unmistakable if she didn’t know better. But how could he know? Don’t be paranoid, Michelle.
“Do you think it was an animal who committed the murder?”
Darik warned, “Dontae…”
Dontae raised an innocent look to his partner. “What? I’m interested. It’s the topic of the week, isn’t it? We’re just discussing current affairs.” He met Michelle’s eyes again. “So…do you?”
Her hands were clammy, the lotion having trapped in the nervous moisture. She held his suspicious gaze and heard herself say with confidence, “Of course it was. I have no doubt. What else could it have been?”
“What else could it have been, indeed. Well, since our firm is Downtown where the murder took place…”
Darik said, “Dontae!” in earnest, but was ignored.
“…I guess we should all be careful until the beast is caught.”
Before she realized what
He stopped her again with those annoying fingers of his. “No, no. First I have a question that might seem a little off topic.”
“As if the others were on topic?” She failed to stifle a snort. Off his look, she half-chuckled, “This is definitely the most uncomfortable and inappropriate interview I’ve ever been on. And I’ll tell you right now that I have no intention of working for D.D.E.N. Inc., but since you’ve got me intrigued, I can’t wait to hear what you’re going to ask.”
His blonde eyebrows rose slightly. “We’re one of the best firms in the city, if not the best.”
“Still.”
He glanced to Darik and back. “You are turning us down? Us?”
“Yep. And I can’t wait to do it.”
He looked truly shocked. “Why?”
She opened her purse and pulled out a trial size tube of hand cream, opening it and applying. “Look, you’re both very dashing in appearance. Those suits and your offices are spectacular. But I work for myself, which means I choose who I work with not for . And I can already see by your godlike attitude that you want a servant. And Darik over there was coming onto me very heavily and asking about my marital status, which is just wrong. I don’t want him in the days to come, breathing down my blouse as I’m trying to show him ideas, ideas by the way he has no interest in seeing. He’s got movie posters on his walls. Even his office doesn’t advertise your firm’s goals. How can I help you achieve them if this simple fact has been ignored when even his partners suggested it?”
“You could guide us.”
“Yeah.” She put the cap back on the tube. “But I don’t wanna.”
He drummed his fingers with persistence, narrowing his eyes. “Aren’t you afraid we’ll tell people about your rudeness today?”
“I could give a shit.”
Dontae pursed his lips. “Very interesting.”
“Very,” Darik echoed.
“I still would like to ask you a question.”
Michelle tucked the lotion back in her bag and glanced back and forth between them with a wry smile. “And I’d still like to hear it.”
“Have you been watching the news?
She blinked. “That’s your question? I thought you were about to ask something more unusual.” He waited. “Oh, yes, sorry. I have. Why?”
“Did you hear about the animal attack, the one they’re thinking was an escape from the zoo?”
She felt her blood freeze. After she’d left Laura the other day, she’d obsessively read up on what the news was saying and in having done so, had learned a lot about her attacker in the process. She’d come very close to being one of many he had hurt and she thanked her luck every day that she’d been spared. Licking dry lips, her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled for composure. “Yes. They won’t stop talking about it. Of course I’ve heard. Who hasn’t?”
The way Dontae was watching her made her feel like he knew something about the attack; the look in his eyes was unmistakable if she didn’t know better. But how could he know? Don’t be paranoid, Michelle.
“Do you think it was an animal who committed the murder?”
Darik warned, “Dontae…”
Dontae raised an innocent look to his partner. “What? I’m interested. It’s the topic of the week, isn’t it? We’re just discussing current affairs.” He met Michelle’s eyes again. “So…do you?”
Her hands were clammy, the lotion having trapped in the nervous moisture. She held his suspicious gaze and heard herself say with confidence, “Of course it was. I have no doubt. What else could it have been?”
“What else could it have been, indeed. Well, since our firm is Downtown where the murder took place…”
Darik said, “Dontae!” in earnest, but was ignored.
“…I guess we should all be careful until the beast is caught.”
Before she realized what
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