by Jennie Marts
“Yeah, totally,” he said. “It’s just interesting. I’ve never had anything like that happen to me.”
“I hope you never do.”
He looked down at the table. “You’re right. Sometimes I say stuff out loud before I really think through how it’s going to sound to other people.”
She offered him a small smile. “It’s okay. I do that too.”
“It’s just that I can’t help wondering how she looked when you found her. Was she on her stomach or her back? How did you know she was dead? Did she leave any kind of clues as to who her killer might be?”
Seriously? “I really don’t want to talk about it.” She made a show of looking down at her watch. “In fact, I should probably get going. I promised my mom I would have lunch with her, and I don’t want to be late.”
Her relationship with her mom might be iffy lately, but she sure came in handy as an excuse to get out of a date.
“Already? Can’t you stay a little longer? We’ve barely had any time to talk.”
You mean I’ve barely had time to answer all your questions.
“Yeah, sorry. I really do need to go. But this was fun.” She swallowed the last of her coffee and grabbed her backpack, making her escape before he had a chance to stop her. She waved as she weaved between the tables. “I’ll see ya in class.”
Thoughts of the murder filled her head as she walked home, and her anxiety was high as she approached the apartment.
At least the door wasn’t partially open today.
She hated to think it, but she was actually thankful, for the moment, that her mom was her roommate. At least someone else was in the apartment with her, and even if she didn’t like to admit it, it was kind of nice to come home to someone.
But her mom wasn’t there. And neither was the little dog.
“Hello?” she called out as she pushed the door shut behind her. But the apartment was empty.
Too empty, she thought as she dumped her jacket and backpack on the kitchen table. She’d made an odd habit of walking around the area where she’d found Brittany. The throw rug her mom had bought to cover the spot helped, and she wasn’t sure she really even thought that much about the section of floor anymore.
But now her mind was swimming with the details of the murder.
Why hadn’t they caught the guy yet? Did they have any leads? Any suspects in custody? Any suspects at all?
Or was the killer just walking around free, thinking he got away with it, and looking for another victim?
That thought sent a cold chill down Piper’s spine.
A knock sounded at her door.
She jumped, letting out a tiny shriek and automatically scanning the room for a weapon. Where was the Mace Edna had given her and all the other book club members for Christmas last year?
“Who’s there?” She grabbed a knife from the kitchen and approached the door warily, her imagination filling with all sorts of images of the killer coming back to finish off the other roommate.
Mac hadn’t told her much, but he had said they thought Brittany had known her assailant.
Had the murderer knocked at the door and Brittany unknowingly let him in and offered him a cup of tea?
She shook her head. That was stupid. She didn’t think they even had any tea. And who offered someone a cup of tea anyway? It’s not like they lived in Downton Abbey.
“It’s Fitz. I brought you a sandwich,” a voice called through the door.
Fitz? What was he doing here?
Bringing her a sandwich, apparently.
She leaned over, checking her teeth in the mirror which hung by the door—a trick her mom had taught her. They’d always had a mirror by the front door to do one last glance before heading out. A memory of her mom at that mirror, laughing and dabbing on lip gloss as she readied to leave on a date with her dad flashed through her mind. She pushed it away, not needing to add one more distraction to her already anxious nerves.
She pulled the door open, and her breath caught at the sight of Fitz standing in the doorway, a white bag from her favorite sandwich shop held aloft in his hand.
“Surprise,” he said.
Was it ever.
“What are you doing here?” She stepped back and let him in.
He crossed the room and set the bag on the kitchen counter. “I told you. Bringing you a sandwich.”
“But why?”
“Because I knew you had a couple of classes this morning, and I thought you might be hungry.”
“Wow. That was really nice of you.”
“So, are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Hungry?”
“Oh, yeah.” She blinked. “I mean yes, I am. Hungry.”
He eyed the kitchen knife still clutched in her hand. “I hope you’re going to use that to cut the sandwich.”
“Sorry.” She dropped the knife on the counter then flinched at the loud clatter it made. “I’d been thinking about the…about Brittany. And I guess I got spooked.”
He took a step closer and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry if I scared you. This whole thing has got to be really rough on you. I should have called or texted you or something.”
“No. This is perfect.” She looked up at him, losing herself in the navy blue of his eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.” Her voice came out as a whisper.
He kept his gaze locked on hers, not moving and not shifting his hand.
She could feel the heat of his palm through the thin cotton of her sleeve.
Hell, she could feel the heat of his body as he stood close to her. Only a few inches separated them, and she wanted to reach out and touch him—to press a hand against his chest or brush her fingers across his perfect cheek.
She swallowed, afraid the click in her throat echoed in the quiet room.
He leaned his head toward hers, just the slightest movement, but it was enough to have Piper’s heart pounding in her chest and her mouth go as dry as a cotton ball.
Her lips parted, anticipating—hoping, praying, dying, for a kiss.
His gaze dipped to her mouth as his grip tightened on her arm.
That one quick glance sent a flurry of flutters through her stomach and caused her head to swim with dizziness. She was thankful he was holding her arm because her knees had suddenly gone weak.
She wet her lips and held her breath, thinking if he didn’t kiss her in the next two seconds she might faint.
He leaned closer still, and she could smell the spearmint scent of his gum.
Closer still…then the front door banged open, and the little dog raced into the room, circling her legs and crying as she pawed her feet.
Claire burst into the room, her arms filled with shopping bags. She stopped, eyed Fitz, then a slow grin crossed her face. “Sorry. Did I interrupt something?”
“No.” Piper took a quick step back and knelt to pick up the dog. She buried her face in the dog’s fur, feeling the heat in her cheeks. “This is my friend…er, I mean my boss, Fitz. From the coffee shop.”
Fitz winced. “I’m both, I think. And I’m not really your boss. I’m just the shift leader.”
“Well, whatever you are, how about you help me with these bags?”
“Of course.” He rushed forward, taking the bags from her hands.
“What is all this stuff?” Piper asked, tilting her head to read the logo on the side of the bag. It was of the pet superstore, and she spied colorful food bowls through the plastic.
Claire blew up her bangs. “I don’t know. I went to get a bag of food and ended up buying half the store. I made the mistake of telling the floor guy we just got this dog, and he started listing off all the things we would need. Before I knew it, my cart was full of food and water bowls, a collar, a leash, and some dog treats. Oh, and I got some real doggy shampoo and some weird thing called a Kong.”
Piper pulled an assortment of stuffed animals and squeaky toys from one of the bags. She held up a plush alligator. “Was this on the requir
ed list of things a dog needs?”
Her mom grinned. “No, I just thought it was cute. I’d brought the dog into the store with me and had her in the cart, and when I stuck that in there, she laid her head on it. So, I had to get it.” She held up a small pink dog bed with a glittery silver tiara embroidered on the front. “This however, might have been a bit overboard.”
“I didn’t know you had a dog,” Fitz said, reaching out to pet its head.
“We didn’t,” her mom answered. “Until yesterday when Pip decided to rescue this one from under the porch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Pip?”
Piper rolled her eyes. “It’s a mom-thing. Don’t you dare call me that.”
He laughed then scanned the array of bags. “Well, it looks like she’s your dog now. What are you going to call her?”
“I haven’t even thought about it.” She shook her head, still in awe of the fact her mom had done all of this. She’d figured she’d come home and find the dog curled up on her bed and her mom anxious to pass doggie-duty back to her. Never did she expect her mother to embrace the scruffy little mutt. Claire had even said ‘we’ when she recounted how she’d told the sales guy they got a new dog.
Still, leave it to her mom to take the dog out on a shopping spree.
And what a spree. She must have spent a fortune.
“I can help pay for some of this with my next paycheck.” She peered at the bags again then looked over at Fitz. “And by the way, can I have a raise?”
He chuckled. “It looks like you’re going to need it.”
Her mom waved a hand away. “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t really that much. Most of this stuff was on sale, and besides, I had a coupon.”
Hmmm. It must have been some coupon.
“I also got her a crate and a bag of food. Would you guys mind grabbing those from the car?” She held up the keys.
“I’ve got it,” Fitz said, taking the keys and heading for the door.
“Thanks, hon. It’s that fancy blueish Toyota parked at the curb—the one with the dog crate in the back.”
“He’ll find it,” Piper said. “I’m sure he can deduce the right car. He’s an engineering major.”
Claire sauntered toward Piper, a knowing grin on her face. “He looks like he’s majoring in Hottie-Town 101.”
A warm flush heated Piper’s neck, and she turned her attention to the bags on the counter. “Don’t be weird. He’s just a friend.”
“According to you? Or him?”
Before she could answer, the subject of their conversation walked back into the room, holding the dog food in one hand and the handle of the small hot pink crate in the other. He set them against the wall and shut the front door.
Piper turned to her mom. “You got her a hot pink crate and a pink fluffy bed?”
Claire shrugged. “What? You’ve always loved pink.”
“Did you get her a tiara and a dog tag that says Princess too?”
“Close,” she answered, digging through the bags then holding up a pink sparkly rhinestone collar.
Piper rolled her eyes again, but she secretly loved all the things her mom had bought. And she really loved the fact her mom was spoiling the dog. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. “It looks like you thought of everything.”
“Not everything. I should have picked up lunch. I’m starving.”
“I’ve got that covered,” Fitz said. “I brought over sandwiches, and they’re huge. We can easily split them into thirds.”
“That’s nice of you, but I can heat up a can of soup. I don’t want to impose on your lunch.”
“You’re not imposing. And really there’s plenty of food in that bag.”
“Okay, if you insist. Piper, you want to grab some paper plates from the pantry. Fitz, I’ll get some sodas if you want to grab some glasses.” She pointed toward the sink.
Fitz stepped into the kitchen and pulled out the drawer by the dishwasher. A funny look crossed his face, then he closed the drawer and reached up to open the cupboard next to the sink. He grabbed three glasses and set them by the refrigerator then turned to wash his hands. “What else can I do?”
Piper had been heading toward the pantry when she’d noticed Fitz’s movements and had stopped to watch him. A look passed between her and her mom, then she turned back to the pantry to search for the paper plates.
“I’ve got it from here,” Claire said. “You can sit down.”
He pulled the sandwiches out and grinned at Piper as she set the plates on the table. “Any chance you’ve still got that knife?”
“Uh, yeah.” Piper picked up the knife from the counter and passed it to him.
He cut the sandwiches in three equal portions. “I wasn’t sure what all you liked but I know you’ve brought turkey sandwiches to work before so I got turkey and cheese and had them wrap some fixin’s on the side.”
“It’s perfect,” she said. You’re perfect. Or at least she’d thought he was. Up until about a minute ago. Now she wasn’t so sure.
“Let’s eat,” Claire said, motioning them all to sit down. “Piper, how was your morning? Anything exciting happen?”
“She went on a date,” Fitz said.
“A date? With who?” Her mom raised both eyebrows. “I didn’t know you had a date.”
Piper glared at Fitz. “It wasn’t a date exactly. I just met someone for coffee.”
“And you’re meeting someone else ‘for coffee’ later tonight, aren’t you?” He shook his head. “That seems like a lot of coffee for one day.”
Was he really talking about the coffee or was he implying something about her and the fact she was seeing two guys in one day. Well, three if you counted Fitz. And she had been counting him. Although now she wasn’t sure. Especially since he’d just thrown her under the Too Much Information For Her Mom Bus.
“That’s a funny statement coming from a guy whose job depends on people drinking a lot of coffee,” she countered.
“Wait, back up,” her mom said. “I didn’t even know about one date, let alone two. And you already met with one? I hope it was in a safe place.”
“It was. And it wasn’t a date. We have English class together, and we walked from the lecture hall to the student union. It was no big deal.”
“Is that where you’re meeting the guy tonight?”
“No. We’re meeting downtown at Java & Jams. Not that it’s any of your business.” She’d already said more than she’d wanted to.
“Okay, sorry. We’ll drop it.”
Sure she would.
“This is good.” Piper held up the sandwich in an effort to change the subject. “This is actually from one of my favorite sandwich shops.”
“I know,” Fitz said. “I pay attention.”
So did her mother. And she was paying a little too much attention to her conversation with Fitz. “I really appreciate you bringing the food by,” she told him. “But I should probably get going. I’ve got class in half an hour.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure. I’ve got class this afternoon too.” He shoved the last bite of sandwich in his mouth, then carried his trash to the bin.
“I’ll walk you out.”
“It’s okay,” he said, leaning down to scratch the dog’s head. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Thanks again.” She pushed up from her chair, but he’d already slipped through the front door.
Her mom was watching her as she sank back into her seat. “How well do you know this guy?”
She shrugged. “Pretty well, I guess. We work together, and he went to my same high school. He was friends with Drew, my old boyfriend. They played soccer together.”
Which reminded her of why she shouldn’t even be thinking about the guy. Mixing work and friends of old boyfriends seemed like a recipe for disaster.
Claire tapped her finger against her chin. “Has he been over here before?”
“Not with me.”
“What about with your roommate? Brittany? Di
d he know her?”
“Not that I know of.” She searched her mind for anything he might have said that would have given her that implication. “I’ve talked about her several times, and he’s never said anything about knowing her.”
“If he’s never been here…” Claire started to say, and Piper knew she was going to say before the words came out of her mouth. Knew it with a foreboding sense of dread and apprehension.
“…then how did he know to look for the glasses in that weird spot next to the dishwasher?”
Piper walked into Java & Jams promptly at seven o’clock. She peered around, searching for Aaron, both praying he was already there and that he wasn’t going to show up at all.
If he wasn’t there, she’d have to sit alone in the coffee shop and wait for him, which totally sucked. She hated going to places and sitting at tables alone. No one probably took notice of her at all, but she always felt like everyone around her figured she couldn’t even find one friend to come out and eat with her.
If he didn’t show up, she could chalk this up to another dumb idea then go home and cuddle on the sofa with the dog. Who she still hadn’t thought of a name for.
Add that to her list of things to do.
Along with stop accepting random coffee requests from guys who came into The Perk.
A single guy sitting at a table in the back raised his hand and waved.
Shoot. He did show up.
I mean yay, he’s here.
She pasted on what she hoped looked like an enthusiastic smile and made her way to the table.
He watched her approach and smiled as she dropped into the seat next to him. “Hey, you made it.”
Wait. Did she have a choice? Could she have backed out at the last minute?
Ugh. This dating business was tough.
But she was here now so she might as well make the best of it.
And who knew, maybe this date would turn out to be fabulous.
She just had to think of something clever and witty to say to start the conversation ball rolling. “So, it turned out to be a nice day today.”