He seemed to notice her for the first time and smiled back, his teeth yellow and gapped. Apparently he wasn’t the type of person who saw smiles very often.
“What kind of trouble could a lady like you have?” he asked, clicking his tongue.
“It is my husband,” Tatiana said, the lie dripping off her tongue. “He does not know how to stay at home, you know? I need to find someone who will teach him.” Tatiana filled her eyes with meaning and stared at the greasy man. “Do you know of anyone who might help me?”
The bartender stood up straight and looked around the nearly empty bar. He picked up a damp rag and fiddled with it as he weighed whether or not to trust her. Tatiana leaned into the bar, letting the sleeve of her wide-necked sweater slip down slightly to expose her bra strap. The man’s eyes were riveted.
“I may know someone, but it’ll cost ya,” he said.
“Money is no problem,” Tatiana replied.
The bartender looked her up and down. “Be here tomorrow at noon,” he said. “Brendan’ll be here then. He’s the one ya wanna talk to.”
Brendan, Tatiana thought, smiling her thanks. She took a long, slow pull on her drink. Let’s just hope Brendan has a few friends . . . .
ED
I’ve decided to take this girl search very seriously. Why? Because one, I have no life and so I have time to take the search as seriously as I want. Two, if I find a girl, I will have a life and therefore will have remedied that problem. And three, I can’t get a cat. I forgot that I’m allergic.
So where does one go to find cool girls in the city of New York?
1. Chelsea Piers. Pro: active chicks. Con: chicks who think that Chelsea Piers is the coolest place in Manhattan.
2. Bowlmor. Pro: chicks who can bowl. Con: chicks who can bowl better than me.
3. CBGB. Pro: musical chicks. Con: scary musical chicks.
4. The Guggenheim. Pro: cultured chicks. Con: boring chicks who can spend hours dissecting the meaning of a red blob on a canvas.
5. Washington Square Park.
6. The School of the Performing Arts. Pro: Fame chicks. Con: chicks with stage moms.
7. The Strand, half-priced-books section. Pro: chicks that not only read but know where to find a good bargain. Con: chicks that think you’re Satan if you’ve ever been inside a Barnes & Noble.
8. Paragon. Pro: sporty chicks. Con: chicks who will spend two hundred bucks on a backpack.
9. The observation deck at the Empire State Building. Pro: international chicks. Con: too Sleepless in Seattle.
10. Port Authority. Pro: opens up the field to chicks from Jersey and Connecticut. Con: also opens up the field to hookers.
falling
Once Jake knew what he wanted, he went after it, and usually he got it.
Chocolaty Goodness
GAIA STEPPED OUT OF THE SUBWAY station in the West Village and took a deep breath. The weak morning sunlight glinted in the window of a tiny shoe repair shop, and a man in a stained white apron blasted the sidewalk with water from a coiled hose. It was a new day. Gaia had come to school via a whole new route, leaving from Oliver’s creaky, dirty brownstone in Brooklyn. Different subway platform, different train, different people. It was weird how seeing the world from a new angle could give a person a whole new outlook. And this morning Gaia felt strangely positive. She was going to figure out the meaning of the key she’d found at the Seventy-second Street apartment. She was going to find Tatiana. And Oliver was going to find her father. Everything was going to be fine.
As long as Loki didn’t resurface. As long as Tatiana didn’t find Gaia first and put a bullet through her head. As long as her father wasn’t dead.
Gaia glanced across the street at the Village School and saw Jake Montone hanging on the steps with a couple of his meathead friends and a few Friends of Heather. Maybe one of them could help her find Tatiana. Maybe Tatiana had slipped up during one of their little gatherings and said something, anything that could give Gaia a clue. Of course, it wasn’t like any of them were ever going to help her voluntarily. None of them would even speak to her voluntarily.
Unless she planned to intimidate each one of them, she was going to need a different in.
Suddenly Jake looked up and caught Gaia watching them. His amazingly light eyes grabbed her attention, even from that distance, and Gaia glanced away a second later than she would have liked.
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath when she noticed the self-satisfied smirk that crossed his face. Ugh! He thought she was checking him out. Just what she needed—Mr. Ego thinking he had yet another admirer.
Gaia turned and ducked into Dunkin’ Donuts with a sigh. Her positive mood had lasted all of ten minutes. Now she needed a double-chocolate doughnut and a nice big black coffee to take the edge off.
She joined the long line of half-asleep workers and scanned the shelves behind the counter, making sure there were double-chocolate doughnuts to be had. She smiled when a guy came out from the back wearing his maroon-and-orange Dunkin’ uniform and carrying a whole new tray of chocolaty goodness. Maybe this really was her lucky day.
“Hey, Gaia.”
Maybe not. She turned in line to find Jake standing behind her with that somehow constantly teasing smile on his face. So predictable. He thought she wanted him, so he came right after her. He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and no jacket, even though everyone else in line was bundled up against the morning chill. He was bending and unbending a tattered copy of Atlas Shrugged in his large hands. Gaia noticed this, scoffed, and turned around again to focus on the task at hand—doughnut acquisition.
“What? Surprised by my choice of reading material?” Jake asked, inching closer to her as the line moved forward.
“Surprised you read,” Gaia replied, her back to him.
Jake laughed. “Set myself up for that one.”
“At least you can admit it,” Gaia replied.
“So . . . you weren’t in school yesterday,” Jake said, angling himself so that he could see her profile as she stepped up to the counter. He leaned in near the cash register and rested his elbow on top of it, earning a fire-spouting glare from the lady behind the counter.
“Thanks for the news flash,” Gaia said to him.
“Can I help you?” the lady asked through her teeth. She glanced at Jake again, but he didn’t notice.
“I’ll have a large coffee, black, and a double chocolate,” Gaia said. Her stomach grumbled. “Make that two double chocolates.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jake smile but refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging it.
“And another black coffee,” Jake piped up suddenly as the woman turned to fill the order. She rolled her eyes, made a big show of punching the extra coffee into the register, and hit total before grabbing a couple of large cups.
“I’m not buying you coffee,” Gaia said to Jake as she fished in the pocket of her cargo pants for some cash.
“Nooooo,” he said as if he were speaking to a four-year-old. He pushed away from the counter and pulled a sleek black wallet out of the back pocket of his fitted jeans. “I’m buying you coffee. And a couple of doughnuts, apparently.”
He slipped out a brand-new twenty and tossed it onto the counter. Gaia could actually smell the crispy scent of freshly printed bills. What was this kid, a Soprano or something?
“That’s okay, really,” she said, snapping up the twenty between two fingers and handing it back to him. “I don’t really feel the need to owe you.”
“You won’t owe me,” he said, throwing the money on the counter again. “God! I’m just trying to be nice. What are you, allergic to nice?”
Huh . . . maybe, Gaia thought, mulling it over. That would explain a lot.
The Dunkin’ Donuts lady placed a waxy bag on the counter next to two steaming cups of coffee and, before Gaia could protest, picked up the twenty and started hitting buttons again. Jake smirked as he leaned past Gaia to pick up his cup. His arm grazed her cheek
and she turned away from him, the contact sending an unexpected thrill the skittering down her side.
For a split second Gaia held her breath, then her face flushed purple. Because against her will she realized she was wishing that little skin brush had lasted longer.
Okay, you are not attracted to Jake Montone, she told herself, even though her fluttery stomach was insisting otherwise. You’re obviously just delusional from stress.
Gaia snatched up her bag of doughnuts, slid past Jake, avoiding the merest brush of contact, and pushed the door to the shop open so hard it almost came off its hinges. The second she was outside, she opened the bag and broke off half of one of the doughnuts, still warm from the oven. She stuffed it into her mouth as she crossed the street against the signal.
Maybe if she kept walking, he’d take the hint. Maybe if she kept walking, her skin would cool down and her brain would start functioning again and realize that Jake Montone was so not her type. Not only that, but even if he was her type, this was no time to be thinking about guys on any level—unless they were guys who could help her find her dad.
“Hey!” Jake called out behind her.
Just let him get hit by a bus, Gaia thought.
“Hey! Don’t I even get a thank-you?” He was closer now, coming up on her heels.
Gaia chewed and swallowed and turned to face him. “I don’t remember asking you to buy me breakfast,” she said. See! You’re looking right at him and feeling nothing. It was just a blip.
He eyed that little white bag in her hand. “Using the term breakfast rather loosely.”
Gaia rolled her eyes and was on the move again. What was he going to do now, lecture her about the four basic food groups?
“Waitwaitwait,” Jake said, grabbing her arm. Gaia’s heart thumped and she sighed. “I actually wanted to ask you something.”
Oh God, he’s not going to ask me out on a date, is he? I look like a hellion. Does he not have eyes?
Gaia had, in fact, showered for the first time in a number of days that morning, but she’d only had time to wrap her hair up in a folded-over ponytail, with straggly wisps sticking out in all directions. Her cargo pants were covered with stains and her white ribbed sweater had such deep creases in it, she wasn’t sure if they were ever coming out. Add that to the fact that she was, as always, makeupless and jewelryless and that her denim jacket smelled like street urchin, and she was sure she didn’t paint a pretty picture.
“I . . . uh . . . I wanted to ask you if . . . you would consider . . .”
Okay, whatever it is, spit it out, Gaia thought.
“If you would consider joining the karate team,” Jake finished.
Gaia’s heart squeezed, and she felt her face fall. What? But no. She was not disappointed. She was relieved, right? Thank God!
“You already asked me that and I already said no,” Gaia replied. She clumsily opened the little flap on the plastic coffee cup top, spilling droplets on her hands, then took a sip.
“I know, but one of the guys got sick and I really need someone to take his place or we’ll have to forfeit,” Jake said. He raised his dark eyebrows. “Come on, Gaia. The team needs you.”
There was a persuasive argument. “I don’t think so,” she said. She started off toward school again, double time.
“Come on! How could you not want to do this?” Jake asked, falling into step with her. “You love to fight. I could tell that day you—”
“That day I kicked your ass?” Gaia supplied.
“I think there was mutual ass kicking there, but yeah,” Jake said.
“Look, I’m not a joiner,” Gaia said as she climbed the front steps of the school. “It’s just not me. And I’m not only being selfish here. Trust me. I am not a reliable teammate.”
Or a reliable friend, or girlfriend or daughter . . .
“Okay, what’s it gonna take to convince you?” Jake asked, holding open the door for her. Gaia paused for a moment. Well, that was unexpected. Jake didn’t seem like the door-opening type. She glanced at his unabashedly hopeful face, then slipped inside.
“What if I do your physics homework for a month?” Jake asked.
“Don’t care about homework,” Gaia replied, fishing out the second half of her first doughnut.
“What if I . . . get you an excuse note for gym for a month?” Jake offered.
“Like gym,” Gaia replied, momentarily wondering how it was he could offer such a thing. She popped a piece of doughnut into her mouth.
“What if I . . .” Jake stopped in the middle of the crowded hallway to think. Gaia kept walking.
“What if I buy you Dunkin’ Donuts every morning for a month?” Jake called out, his tone pleading yet confident. She was glad her back was to him so he couldn’t see the sudden smile that lit her face. There it was again—that skitter of excitement.
Damn, Gaia thought. Jake Montone? I’m having . . . feelings about Jake Montone?
He was so the opposite of the guys she liked. So the opposite of Sam and his laid-back, unconscious sexiness. So the opposite of Ed and his self-deprecating humor and kindness. Jake was a guy’s guy. He was confident and cocky and strong. In short, he was the kind of guy Gaia liked to take down a few pegs. But still, there was something different about Jake. Something that was causing these skitters. And if she was going to be perfectly honest with herself, those skitters were something she wouldn’t mind feeling more often. It wasn’t like there were many pleasant emotions to be had these days.
Gaia took a deep breath, her mouth full.
Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it, a little voice in her head chided.
But there were other reasons to say yes. The guy was offering a free month’s worth of chocolaty goodness. Plus she’d get to kick the crap out of all those annoying guys on the team. Plus, skitters or no, Jake was pretty much the only person outside of Oliver who was interested in talking to her.
But she couldn’t go to practices and meets right now. She had to focus on finding Tatiana and on finding her father.
“Gaia?” Jake said.
Then it hit her. The factor helped the pros edge out any cons. Jake and Tatiana. They’d been getting kind of buddy-buddy there before Tatiana had gone all psycho assassin on her. And he was friends with all the people who Tatiana was really close with. People who Tatiana might have confided in or at least slipped up in front of. Jake could be her in.
It was a slim shot, but it was still a shot. And maybe . . . Yes, if she started hanging out with Jake at karate practices, she could also find out what those skitters were all about.
Gaia turned around and looked at Jake, waiting a few yards away. “Okay,” she said. “You’ve got a deal.”
Inexplicably Full
JAKE LEANED HIS ELBOWS BACK ON the bleacher seat behind him, watching while Gaia made fairly short work of Erik Chin, arguably the best fighter on the team, after Jake of course. Jake was going for casual and detached, but in truth, he had to concentrate to keep from leaning forward and, well, salivating. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Gaia.
She was unbelievable—so focused, so powerful. She looked amazing out there. She looked—he had to admit it—sexy. What was that about? Up until now Jake had thought there were three requirements for sexy: skin, red lips, and some kind of visible lace. Now all of a sudden he was attracted to a sweaty disheveled girl in huge karate whites who never wore lipstick and was undoubtedly a cotton-undergarments-only type. He really needed to snap out of it.
Gaia sliced her hand across the back of Eric’s neck, he fell to his knees, and she elbow-dropped him flat on his face.
“Oh! Ooooh! Augh!” Carlos groaned animatedly next to Jake, wincing and shielding his face from the awful sight. “I can’t even look,” he said, his left knee pulled up and away from the gym floor and the mat on which the fight was taking place. “Is he still fighting back?”
“He is,” Jake replied, absently digging his thumbnail under the nail on his forefinger.
“Poor
bastard.” Carlos hazarded a glance again. Gaia picked Erik up over her head and tossed him behind her back.
“Is that even legal?” Carlos blurted as the rest of the team squeezed their eyes shut and muttered epithets.
“Not really,” Jake replied, his heart pounding.
“So should we stop them?” Carlos asked.
“I’ll tell her later,” Jake said with a smirk. On top of the serious attraction he was battling, he was also having too much fun watching someone else get their nuts handed to them by Gaia Moore. He’d been the victim of many mockings after the first-day-of-school whupping he’d taken from the girl. Now at least he was no longer alone.
A couple of seconds later Gaia pinned Erik to the mat and held him there for a few moments longer than necessary. Erik’s whole body was limp. It was clear to Jake that he wasn’t even going to try to get up. He looked over at the bleachers, his eyes begging someone to just call the match already.
“Okay!” Jake said, sitting up straight and resting his forearms on his knees. It was a relief to release his kicked-back pose. “You can let him go now, G.,” he said.
Gaia glanced up, her expression almost surprised, as if she’d just been yanked from a deep sleep. Jake’s heart skipped a beat and he smiled. He knew the feeling. Whenever he got a good fight going, it felt like he was functioning on some other plane—a plane where he was completely focused, channeling all his power and energy into his movements. Coming down from that feeling was always a letdown.
Gaia released Erik and scrambled up. The karate uniform Jake had lent her puffed out around the belt comically and the legs had come unrolled, so that her feet were completely hidden in the white folds. Jake tried not to smile, but it was hard. She looked like a little girl who’d borrowed Daddy’s pajamas. Large clumps of hair hung limply around her reddened face, loosened from her ponytail. She’d broken a bit of a sweat, and it made her skin shine under the fluorescent lights of the gym.
Chase Page 6