Sexy in the City

by Alexia Adams, Galen Rose, Samantha Anne, Carolann Camillo, Nicole Flockton, Iris Leach, Olivia Logan, Nancy Loyan, Stephanie Cage (epub)

  “If it’s any consolation, Ace, I don’t want this either!” I knew I was lying through my throbbing teeth but he didn’t have to know that. I shook my now sore hand. “Damn you, I hate hitting people!”

  A noise behind me had me whirling around, arm drawn back ready to clock the next bastard in line. Chase stepped back, hands up. “Easy slugger,” he chuckled.

  Tommy and Molly came down the steps from the house, concern on both their faces. I looked at Sean who was still sitting on the ground rubbing his jaw, at Chase who was smiling and at Tommy and Molly.

  “To hell with it!” I threw up my hands and stalked inside, to the kitchen and made an ice pack and went to my room. I was done. I take back everything I said about wanting adventure.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning I awoke with my cheek throbbing from where I had been backhanded and my hand hurt from hitting Sean. Lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, I went over the previous night’s events. I hate hitting people. Doesn’t mean I’m above doing it. I just don’t like it. I really don’t have a fondness for violence, although at times my attitude says otherwise. But that’s just it, it’s an attitude that has usually kept me somewhat protected. Isolated, too. Not many people will take the time to break down the walls I’ve built up over the years.

  I finally got up and went across the back yard to the kitchen. Molly pulled out a chair for me as soon as I walked in and set a bottle of aspirin down in front of me with a glass of juice. She then poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down.

  I poured out four aspirin. “Thanks.”

  “You want to tell me about what happened last night?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why not?”

  I looked at her. This wasn’t quite what I expected her to say.

  “Huh?”

  “Why don’t you want to tell me what happened?”

  “There isn’t much to tell.” I was already starting to feel like I was on the hot seat. “I got stood up. Went to the movies anyway. Men are stupid. Got smacked by an asshole in the alley and kissed by … ” I could hear this small voice in my head saying, “Please engage edit control before you start talking.” I looked at the table; I looked at the bottle of aspirin, and finally I looked at Molly, who sat there with a smile on her face, patiently waiting for me to continue.

  “Look it was an accident. An aberration.”

  “What was? The getting attacked in an alley, or getting kissed by Sean, or was it Mike?”

  “Sean, and in some ways both. I won’t make a habit of going down dark alleys anymore and, well, as for Sean, it won’t, I mean, I won’t allow it to go any further. I don’t want it to anyway.” I stood up quickly knocking my chair backward. “How did you find out so fast anyway?”

  “Laney, Tommy knows half the police force. We are either related to them or they are related to friends. But Officer Liam Sweeney, whom I believe took your statement, is one of Mason’s brothers. Her real last name is Sweeney, anyway, as for Chase knowing, well let’s just say that Chase has more informants out there than the FBI. It’s not my intention to give you the third degree.” She laughed. “Well, okay, it is. Did you hit him because he kissed you?”

  “No. I hit him because, A, he didn’t want to kiss me but did it anyway, and B, because Sean has been asking for it since the day we met, and C, because I was mad at myself for wanting it, and, last but not least, I don’t want to be some toy that gets used because two boys can’t get along.” I sighed, rubbing my aching head. “Mrs. Muldoon, the last thing I want is to want anyone again. I can’t stand the pain of losing them.”

  “Call me Molly, dear. How did William die?”

  I slowly turned to look at Molly, wondering just how many people had run checks on me? She slid a small prayer card across the table. I had managed to get one from William’s funeral.

  “I found it on the floor of your room, Laney.” I set my chair upright and sat down taking a deep breath, slowly letting it out. It did little to dispel the knot forming in my stomach. I had not spoken of this to anyone for a year.

  “William and some friends had started a fishing charter service in Santa Cruz. They had taken the boat out for a trial run. About mid-afternoon they heard a distress call on the radio from a nearby sailboat. By the time they got there, it was in flames. William and his buddy, Mark, dove into the water to save the six people who had abandoned ship. In the process of saving the last two people the sailboat exploded. Debris hit Sean in the head. He was killed instantly.”

  “You mean William, dear. You said Sean.”

  “I did? I meant William.” I rubbed my hands over my face. An ache was building up inside me and I rubbed the heel of my hand across my chest. “I didn’t find out about it until a day after it happened. I … I had gone on an overnight retreat with the girlfriends of the others who had been aboard William’s boat. By the time I got to the funeral home, William’s family had already arrived. I had never met them before. Within five minutes it was clear to me why I’d never met them too. They were no different from the family I had run away from. They wouldn’t even let me see his body.”

  I stood up and walked over to the window and looked out at the kids playing in the street. “His father made it very clear that the worthless piece of money grubbing trash that I was would not have one more thing to do with his son. I had to come back after hours and bribe the mortician to let me see William.”

  Tears were rolling down my face but I couldn’t stop them. Not this time. “By the time I got back to our house his family had cleaned everything out. The only thing they left was the furniture, pictures of the both of us, and his Marine Corps duffel bag. I had nothing left but that and my memories.” I hung my head and cried. I didn’t even have the energy to pull away when Molly put her arms around me.

  “Go ahead dear, let it out now. They were wrong you know. You are worth so much to us.”

  My body shook with the anguish I had long since held inside me. I had closed myself off from everyone after William’s death. I had felt guilty for wishing that someone else had died that day instead of William. Hell, I wished it had been me that had died that day.

  Molly pulled out a chair and gently pushed me into it. She pulled another chair up close, her hands holding mine she put a finger under my chin and lifted it. “Whether it was fate or just blind luck that brought you here, I don’t know. But whatever it was, we are more than happy to have you with us.”

  She stood up and kissed me on the top of my head just as Chase walked in. I looked up at Chase and knew he had heard everything. We stared at one another for a minute as he sat down. “Morning, Slugger. How’s the hand?”

  “Just fine.” I quickly wiped the tears from my face.

  Molly set a pitcher of orange juice on the table, “Now both of you sit right there. I’m going to fix some breakfast.”

  Chase got a glass and poured himself some juice before sitting down to stretch his long legs out. “Molly, a man would be a fool to turn away one of your breakfasts. My mama didn’t raise no fools.”

  Molly snorted and continued doing whatever she did in the kitchen. I have no clue what goes on in a kitchen except that food generally comes from one and I like to eat. Since I can’t even boil water, then so much the better that someone else is in charge of the kitchen.

  Chase sat back and looked at me. “Laney, I’d like to offer you a job.”

  “I have a job.”

  “Yes, you do. I’m sure Tommy appreciates you doing it, too. But I am prepared to offer you a better job.”

  “At the risk of repeating myself, sir, I have a job.”

  “Yes, I know that. I am also sure that you might like this job better.”

  “How so?”

  “Well I was going to bring up the money angle.” He put his hand up to stop my comment. “But I’m bett
ing that money is an issue for you. I was then going to bring up the adventure angle. Wait.” His hand went up again and I sat back impatiently.

  “And after last night you might not be so keen on adventure. So let’s talk about helping people.”

  “Okay. Go ahead and talk about it.” Pretending to not be interested but knowing full well he had my attention.

  “Woo Security is in the business of helping people. From point A, when someone is in need of protection in one form or another, to point Z, when we’ve provided that protection and we’re no longer a physical presence, or our security systems are in place, we are helping people. Helping people feel safe and secure. It’s an important job and unless I miss my guess, and I rarely do, you would be good at it. You have a good eye for reading people and situations. You know how to handle yourself. Those are the qualities I want in the company.” Chase sat back and drank more juice and waited for my response.

  “But I have a job and I don’t think it would be fair to Tommy to just cut out on it.”

  Tommy chose this moment to walk in. “Cut out on what?” He asked, bending down to kiss his wife.

  “Chase has just offered me a job.” Tommy looked at me, and then his wife, and finally at Chase.

  “No.” Tommy said bluntly and sat down.

  “Thank you, Molly.” Chase said, as a plate of food was set before him, “Tommy, I don’t think it’s your decision.”

  “No.” was all Tommy said again. I watched the undercurrents between Chase and Tommy. Something was definitely not being said here. Well, far be it from me to let sleeping dogs lie.

  “Why no? I mean I’m sure I could keep working … ”

  “No.” Tommy didn’t even let me finish speaking.

  “Sir, I think I would like a bit more of an answer than that.” I was going to push this envelope open no matter what.

  “Damn it, Chase.” Tommy turned and looked at me, “Did he tell you what happened to Mason, her first month on the job? I bet not. It took twenty stitches to close the knife wound on her arm. How about Tim Woo himself, getting shot at. Did he tell you about that?”

  Chase buttered some toast while Tommy ranted. Molly continued to put food on plates and hand them out, then pushed Tommy into a chair.

  “No, Tommy, I didn’t tell her that,” Chase said calmly. “But if I was to tell her that, then I would have to follow it up with Mason not only took twenty stitches in her arm but also had a concussion and yet she still managed to keep the client safe and alive. Now as for Tim Woo, he was shot at by a rival company who figured if Tim was gone then Woo would follow. Not only did Tim survive, but the company has still flourished to help those who need it. We serve a need, Tommy, and I require good people to help provide for that need.”

  I held up a hand to try and get a word in but no one was paying attention to me. “Umm, can I say something here?”

  “No!” Tommy bellowed as Molly laid her hands on Tommy’s large shoulders.

  “Of course, Laney.” Molly said, pushing Tommy back into his seat. “Tommy is just scared and he only knows how to deal with that in a manly fashion and that is by bellowing. Go ahead, dear,” she said, holding Tommy in his seat with only a look.

  “I like my job at the bar but if I had to be honest with myself, and trust me, I am not quite practiced at that, if I had to be honest, it isn’t filling the empty spot in me. I don’t know if what Chase is offering will either, but I have a hunch it might or at least come damn close to it. William died helping people. There have been people who have helped me. I think I owe it to him, and them, to give something back.” I looked at Tommy and reached across the table placing my hands on his clenched fists. “I won’t leave until we find someone to replace me but I would like to take Chase up on the offer.”

  “That is not the point.” Tommy sighed and glared at Chase. Chase didn’t seem particularly perturbed by Tommy’s blustering so I relaxed a bit and decided to eat. I couldn’t see Molly’s hard work going to waste and besides, that deep ache inside me was gone. In its place was something that I had no name for. I hesitate to name it hope, but I felt something stir inside me that had not been there before. Perhaps it was a beginning.

  It only took three days to find someone to replace me at the bar. Interesting that Tommy was having such a hard time finding someone about the time I came on the scene. I hadn’t seen Sean since I decked him. Mike Taylor had called, said he would like to take me out again, and I told him that I was now employed by Woo and that we shouldn’t go out. He laughed at that and said he’d like to take me to lunch on my first day at Woo. Pushy bastard.

  I guess word had gotten around about me decking Sean because the Woo employees who came into Muldoon’s after that Sunday night were prone to asking me how my hand was. When I’d had enough, I posted a sign stating that my hand was just fine. So I lied, a little. It hurt like hell — but I wasn’t going to give Sean the satisfaction of showing that. I even had Dr. Peter look at it. He was the doctor who had seen me when I had passed out in the bar. He wiggled my fingers and wrist around, made a comment about my right hook, and sent me on my way. He also said hoped he wouldn’t see me again for a long time. When I told him I was going to start working for Woo, he gave a long, drawn-out sigh and said he would go ahead and start a file on me. Whatever that meant. Before my first day at Woo, I had managed to get some time on Molly’s computer for online research. The company had been started eight years earlier by Tim and Kim Woo, brothers who had emigrated from China when they were just toddlers. Kim was the electronics genius and until recently had been the leader in developing new alarm and detection technology. A year ago Kim had taken a leave of absence. Rumors abounded about a “brotherly” take over. But, according to a company spokesperson, Kim was in China on leave to take some time off for the first time in eight years.

  Tim ran the physical security side of the company with guard services and training. Recently Mason Storm had taken on the task of improving the company to Fortune 500 recognition. Woo not only offered trained security for special events and the one-on-one personal guard but also trained people for other companies. Much of the research I had come across had been pretty positive. So much the better, I thought. I really was clueless as to how the next few months would change me.

  Probably better that way. Had I known, I might have headed to the bus station.

  On Monday I walked into the reception area of Woo with a small case of the jitters. A tall, blonde-haired man was sitting on the corner of the receptionist’s desk with some flowers in his hand. The woman seated behind the desk was scolding him and trying to shove him off. He sighed with a smile as he stood up, leaving the flowers on her desk but he didn’t go far. He walked right up to me and extended his hand.

  “I’m Dallas.” His voice said New Orleans, chickory, and beignets. “You have to be Laney.” He brought my hand to his lips. “I have to kiss the hand that punched Sean.”

  I pulled my hand free before his lips made contact. “You people must not have enough to do, if my decking Sean seems to be the biggest topic of conversation.” Dallas started to say something but the woman at the desk had come up behind him and grabbed his ear.

  “Go find someone else to bother, Dallas,” as she tugged him toward a door. She opened the door and pushed him through, then turned back to me. “My apologies Miss Murphy. Dallas is harmless. I’m Stacey Taylor. I believe you’ve met my brother Mike? I’m sorry for that, too.” She was a slim blonde with the most vibrant smile I’d ever seen. How on earth was this woman related to Mike? “Chase will be with you shortly. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  She laughed. “My name is Stacey. No, ma’ams necessary.”

  Her phone rang and I took the opportunity to have a glance around the waiting area. It was tastefully decorated but not corporate tasteless. It had warm desert beige and d
usky red tones for carpeting and furniture. The art on the wall was real. Not copies put up just to impress, but moody cityscapes that captured San Francisco’s timelessness. I’d bet any money they were local artwork.

  Chase came out with Mike right behind him. “Good morning, Laney. Welcome to Woo,” Mike said, walking right up to me and placing a finger under my chin to look at my fading bruise.

  “You don’t seem too worse for wear since the other night.”

  I batted his finger away and stepped back. “I sure wish everyone would please quit acting like it was such a surprise I survived.”

  “Not surprised,” he said stepping back and heading to the front door. “Just pleased. See you at noon.” He winked at me and walked out.

  “Jesus, does everyone come fully loaded with ego around here?” Chase just chuckled and motioned me to follow him. Once through the door the room opened up into a larger area that was split off into several rows of cubicles.

  “Everyone shares cubicle space with someone else. Usually your counterpart works a different shift. But first let’s go to my office and get the nasty paperwork out of the way.”

  As we walked along the aisles of cubicles I saw quite a few people I had already seen at Muldoon’s. Interesting that so many seemed to fancy the same place — almost like cops with a donut shop. I also passed Sean’s cubicle. He did a double take as we walked by and stood up to watch me. I turned and blew him a kiss. Lord help me. I don’t know why but that inner demon that liked pushing his buttons reared its ugly head. Sean just stared, open mouthed, before realizing he had been talking on the phone and quickly sat back down. I must admit to some small satisfaction that I could cause him a momentary loss of balance. Okay, well, it wasn’t small satisfaction. It felt damn good.

  Chase’s office was at the rear of the rows of cubicles. Now here was a lived-in office. A long leather couch sat against one wall with pillow and blanket set neatly on one end. It did not surprise me to know he slept here. From what I had gathered over the last few days, he was totally dedicated to Woo and had been for about five years. His desk had neat stacks of files on it. Busy, but organized. His window looked out onto the Woo parking area and a basketball court.