Dells, Chattanooga, Mammoth Caves… Anywhere we could pitch a tent and make a fire without someone calling the cops.
“Aw, Dad,” I sighed wistfully and drove the car south on Ashland Avenue, then turned left on Roscoe and left into the alley behind Melita’s house. I hopped out to punch the garage’s security code into the keypad, then hopped back in and drove the Jeep into her garage.
I’m sure she won’t mind, I thought as the garage door rumbled shut again. Pretty sure. Reasonably sure.
I left the alley and walked back to Ashland to hail a cab, my dress swishing around my thighs, my crotch weirdly alive and semi-aware in my panties, purring like a cat with every step. Somehow it seemed like it improved my posture, making me taller, longer, stronger. I felt like an animal, supremely connected to my body instead of just driving it around like it was a borrowed car.
The first cab I saw slowed immediately for my upraised arm and I got into the back seat, thumbing my phone’s face as I gave the driver the address.
I’m not coming back, I texted Melita.
Hold up what?? was her immediate reply.
Tell u everything later, I replied and stuffed the phone back in my purse even though I heard it start ringing. I knew she would call back and be pissed I didn’t pick up, but I was on a mission that I had to complete. Now. And if I thought about it too hard, I would just chicken out.
CHAPTER 6
I fluffed up my still-damp hair and stepped into the revolving glass doors. A blast of cool air shot up my dress and tickled my thighs as I walked into the cavernous marble atrium.
I could hear the sound of water trickling far off in a corner, shielded by a bamboo screen. Music and blue light filtered down from the skylights and somewhere I heard people walking, but couldn’t see them.
Looking around, I found the curved desk of the security guard and walked across an expanse of echoing tile to the uniformed guard. Holding myself as straight and confident as possible I simply asked for Mr. Jack. The security guard cocked his head at me slightly and consulted the clipboard on the desk.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Well, no,” I stammered, “but I think that he--”
“Brienne?”
I whirled around, suddenly wondering what in the hell I was really doing there. How was I supposed to pull this off?
“Oh,” he said, his features a mask of amused confusion, “I thought you were bringing coffee?”
I waved my hand in the air as though that was a small matter that should be immediately forgotten. I’d seen other people get away with that kind of sorcery so why not? I could try it, right?
“Well,” I said, putting on a sultry purr, “I heard that you already had an espresso bar here in the building?”
I raised one eyebrow at him and hung my hand on my hip, trying to look as though I was sassy and confident even while my insides were doing backflips and begging me to hide in a corner somewhere.
To my complete astonishment, it appeared to work. His eyebrows went up in an expression of surprise and mirth. He seemed to be enjoying the tease.
OK. You like the saucy vixen, do you? Well, if this is going to be how I have to play it, I will.
I switched my weight to my other hip, almost biting my lip at the intense stroke of my panties across my crotch. That was a complication. How was I supposed to concentrate on my mission with my labia getting more frisky with every passing second? I felt a flush crawling up the skin of my chest and hoped he wouldn't notice.
“The meeting is over anyway,” he admitted, shrugging. “I assumed you had forgotten. We were just going to lunch. Would you like to join us?”
“I came about the job,” I blurted out with my chin lifted, slightly disbelieving the words as they rolled out of my lips.
I must be insane.
“The job,” he repeated slowly, working his jaw as though rolling the words around in his mouth. I could see a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.