“Not really, Jane. Look where it got me.”
“You wouldn’t even know they were cops and firemen if Jack hadn’t mentioned it. Geeze, you can’t judge all men by your little boy toy.”
“My what!”
“See. I got your juices flowing. They’re hot. You know they are.”
“Whatever happened to your ‘we don’t need a man’ mantra?”
She gave me a devilish grin. “A girls’ gotta have fun some time, and besides you’re not looking for a relationship, right? Just a little action if you know what I mean. That’s what you need, Ame. That’s what you always needed.”
I blew out a breath knowing she was right but… How could I act flirty when my heart was broken in so many pieces? I was a mess, plain and simple. “I don’t know, Jane. Maybe this is too soon.”
“Hold that thought. One of the hotties is coming over right now.”
Oh god.
I forced myself to look up when all I wanted to do was crawl beneath the table. When he reached my side, I swallowed hard and adjusted my dress, hoping I didn’t look too slutty. He introduced himself as Mr. Robinson. He was tall, and dark as black coffee. He also looked scared, but that didn’t concern me in the least. I wasn’t feeling very charitable tonight.
He smiled shyly. “My pals and I want to know if we can buy you a drink.” He glanced back toward the table of men. “You see, I’m getting married and they sort of…dragged me out here.”
“And made you do their dirty work huh?”
Robinson was silent and he didn’t crack a smile, just looked at us glumly, like he was waiting for a bus.
“This one is serious,” whispered Jane in my ear. “Cut him some slack. It’s not his fault they put him up to it.”
“No,” I snapped and then Jane kicked me under the table. “Hey!” I kicked her back.
“Owe!” Then I burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry. What I meant to say,” I continued in a mock Southern accent. “How very gallant of y’all. Ya’ll really want to buy drinks for little old us?”
Jane’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Why, that’s just the sweetest li’l ole thing I ever heard of. Jane, Isn’t that the sweetest li’l ole thing you ever heard of?”
Jane turned away quickly. She grabbed her napkin, smothering her laughter with it.
“Actually, we already have drinks,” I said. “Maybe later though?”
Looking utterly defeated, Robinson shifted foot to foot, apparently not knowing what to say next. Geeze, how the hell did this guy propose marriage? He glanced behind him at the table where his comrades sat, then back in my direction. Then he shoved his hands in his pockets and left, head hung low.
When he was out of earshot, Jane burst out laughing. “So now you’re Scarlett O’Hara?”
I shrugged. “You said to have fun.”
“Well, you could have let them buy us more drinks. When I said have fun I meant with company.”
“Oh.”
After we’d finished our drinks, one of the men sent us appetizers. I glanced back to see if they were watching, but only one was looking our way. There was lots of hooting and hollering going on, and I almost regretted my rude behavior. As if they knew I was watching, a few of the men waved their drinks in the air as if inviting me over. I looked in the other direction, pretending I hadn’t noticed.
“What is the matter with you?” Jane finally said. “Snap out of it, woman. Can’t you at least try to have fun? For me?”
“Sorry and you’re absolutely right. I’ll try.”
“When?” She rolled her eyes.
“The next guy that comes over, I’ll give him my name and number.”
Jane looked at me suspiciously. “You will?”
“Sure. I can always ignore his calls when he calls me. Will that do?”
She gave me her pouty face. “It’s a start. I guess.”
Thirty minutes later, I still wasn’t having fun. After five drinks and not enough sleep the night before, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I wondered if I could convince Jane to take me home. Before I could ask however, the lights dropped low, a cue that that floor show was about to begin. I jerked my head at Jane in a ‘let’s get outa here’ gesture but she glared back at me, holding up a hand.
“Only five more minutes,” I mouthed.
After twenty minutes of half-naked women dancing and sliding around poles, the lights came back on. A woman in a gold lame dress announced an intermission. I blinked hard, trying to adjust my eyes, which smarted like hell.
Soft music drifted over the dance floor and two men from the fireman’s table approached ours.
“Hi,” said a man about my own age. His long black hair swept back in a pony tail. He had olive skin and deep-set eyes brown eyes. “I’m Garcia.” He chuckled. “Sorry. I meant to say, Mateo Garcia but everyone calls me Garcia.” He glanced from me to Jane. “You ladies having fun tonight?”
“She owns the place,” I blurted, tipping my head in Jane’s direction.
Mateo smiled at Jane. “I see. Well, thanks for the drinks earlier.” He looked back at the table and then back at the two of us. “Listen, we’ve been trying to pay you back all night. Twice we tried to send drinks over but that guy over there wasn’t having it.” He motioned to the bouncer by the door. “I thought…maybe we offended you? I’d really hate it if we offended you.”
“Oh noooo. No, not at all,” said Jane rising to her feet. “Please, sit. Sit with us and I’ll explain.”
What the f…! We were just about to leave. I stared at Jane like she just had her head amputated, but she refused to glance in my direction.
Mateo slid into the booth, slapping his palms happily on the table. I caught the scent of rich spicy hops and oiled leather as his knee brushed up against my bare thigh. I frowned.
“Hi, I’m Mateo,” he repeated holding his hand out to shake mine.
“Amy. Amy Lynn.” I gave Jane an “I’ll kill you later,” glare. Then I shook Mateo’s hand.
“Listen, Mateo,” Jane began. “My friend here just came off a terrible breakup.”
Mateo perked up. He tried not to smile but I could see the corners of his mouth quirking up.
“And her boyfriend just happened to be a firefighter too so you see…”
“I understand. Bad Karma huh?”
“Sort of.”
“Hmm, well… I guess I’ll leave you ladies alone. I’m sorry I—” He slid his body across the leather seat toward the edge, clearly about to leave before Jane grabbed him by the hand. “Don’t! Amy wants to give you something?”
Damn.
Mateo gave me a wide grin. “Wow, it’s my lucky day then, huh? What is it you want to give me?”
“Um…”
“Give it to him, Amy.”
I’d never picked up a man in a bar in my life but then again I’d never hijacked a man in his office either. “Okay,” I said. “I was going to text you my number but... You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to. I mean, you don’t know me and I don’t know you. After all we just met each other and…”.
“Of course I want it,” he said eagerly.
A lump formed in my throat. I wasn’t even attracted to the guy, but a promise was a promise. This was what I got for being a good girl all the time.
I reached into my sequined clutch on the seat on the seat between us and took out my cell. I froze. My heart hammered in my chest and for a moment I couldn’t breathe. Brock’s last text message stared back at me. It was sexy and all kinds of wrong. The kind of wrong that make a gal’s nipples harden into sharp painful peaks. The kind of message you don’t share with another human being. Below the scandalous one was: You’re mine and no one else’s. Part of me wanted to text him back, to remind him of that promise. The other part of me wanted to scream, ‘fuck you, Brock Fitzgerald!’ I took a deep breath, willing the tears to stay at bay.
“Ame,” Jane asked in a concerned tone of voice. “You all right?”
My head was still lowered, gazing into my purse. I erased the messages and then took out my phone.
I turned to Mateo. “Give me your number. I’ll text you and then you’ll have mine.”
“Right.”
And that was that.
I was officially back on the market.
***
Two days later, Mateo called me. Even though I was at my lowest, I was glad to have someone to talk to. I’d just received the second notice from the bank, the one that said I had only two weeks to pay the very high mortgage payment. To make matters worse we were already in default and it wasn’t the first time. Apparently Penelope had begged, borrowed and pleaded for an extra six months. The broker said he couldn’t give me any more time. I didn’t just owe this month’s payment but all six months in arrears as well. I was at my wit’s end and I didn’t know what to do so I did the only thing I could do. I unloaded the whole pitiful story onto the shoulders of a perfect stranger.
“I shouldn’t be telling you all this. It’s not your problem,” I told Mateo over the phone.
“Nonsense,” he said, kindly. “That’s what friends do. They tell each other their problems.”
“Maybe.” Were we friends? I’d never had a male friend before. I let out a breath, trying not to let him know how pathetic I was feeling. I had no money, no college fund and pretty soon my family home would be repossessed. What an idiot I was. No, I was the queen of idiots.
“I could lend you the money,” Mateo said.
“Oh Mateo, that is so sweet, but no. I have to figure this out for myself.”
“But it’s a lot of money, Amy and two weeks isn’t a long time to pay it back.”
“I’ll think of something,” I lied. Actually, I was out of options.
“Well, if you do need a place to stay, you can always come stay with me.”
“Um.”
“I can get a cot or sleep on the floor. I only have one twin bed but it’s all yours if you want it.”
In the back of my mind I thought, ‘you’re offering me thirty thousand dollars to save my house, but you don’t even have a decent apartment?’
“It’s okay, Mateo. You’re very sweet but I’ll find a way. And Jane can put me up if I’m really desperate.”
“Jane? Oh yeah, the chic at the Thirsty Turtle. She’s cool. She can come too.”
“That’s not such a good idea.”
He sounded disappointed, probably just wanted a threesome. My heart fell a little. I really wanted to like this guy.
“Listen,” I said. “Can I give you a rain-check on that date? I need to figure this out first and then I promise I’ll call you. I’m not very good company right now anyway.”
“You know two heads are better than one,” he countered.
“Mateo…”
“Sure. Sure, we can go out any time, but if I don’t hear from you in a few days, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you away.”
I laughed. It was nice to have someone care about me that much. Or at least want me that much. “Okay, Mateo.”
As I hung up the phone I realized Mateo was my friend. I doubted it would lead us anywhere romantically, but I’d been wrong before. I could be wrong again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Brock
All I could think about was Amy.
What she was doing.
How she was getting on.
Whether she missed me as much as I missed her.
I pictured her sleep-moistened eyes, her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail, her salmon-colored cleavage that peeked from beneath my Dallas Cowboys tea-shirt as we teased each other over a late night game of chess.
Her ass was delicious and I loved watching it while she cooked. They were pleasantly round and sat high upon her hips—her long loose curls reaching them like willow trees bending in the breeze.
I missed her smell, so fresh and clean. The way her sharp teeth sometimes drew blood in my lower lip when I kissed her during orgasm.
I missed everything about her.
Would I ever be the same again, I wondered.
I’d decided that the only way to get Amy out of my system was to go back on the job. Immerse myself in the danger all over again. I’d let that little angel divert me from my purpose for far too long. Like a needle under a fingernail, she’d wriggled under my skin—made me feel what I’d worked so hard to keep hidden all these years. The hard-worn emotions I’d worked desperately to bury came flooding out in the most inopportune moments. Feelings of longing and relaxation, the chance for comic relief now and again. And the sex! Brilliant mind-blowing sizzling sex. There had been other women but not like Amy. In the past I just went through the motions, but this time I let my defenses down. None of that did me or anyone else any good I told myself. It made me weak. Downright useless I thought. I needed to keep a lid on that. A firefighter who couldn’t control his emotions wasn’t worth a damn.
I handed the keys to my office over to Williams who would be taking my place behind the desk.
His grey wiry brows formed into a scowl. “You sure about this? I mean, I’m not the cold-hearted bastard you are—not sure I can fill those big size thirteens of yours. These men might walk all over me and then where would the company be?”
“Williams you’re just as big an asshole as I am and you know it.”
“Seriously, you’re sure this is what you wanna do?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, well take care out there. All right?”
“I always do.”
He took the keys and dropped them in his pocket. Then he left.
I continued to load my things: the bust of my grandfather, photos of my parents, and various paintings I’d accumulated over the years into four cardboard boxes. I planned on selling my small flat soon, I never stayed there anyway, and moving back to the cottage as soon as I had a day off. Then I would live at the station when I worked and spend my free days working on the charities I set up. When my parents died, they’d left me a sizable fortune and with the economy doing so well, the interest increased at a phenomenal rate. I had more money than I could spend in two lifetimes. It was time I made sure my charities were going to the proper people. I wanted to set up a few new ones as well. One for kids needing college funds for starters. I didn’t know why I hadn’t thought of that until now.
There was a knock on the door and when I yelled, “enter” my annoying sidekick these days, Garcia strolled in.
“Chief, I mean…um… what do we call you now?”
“Mr. Fitzgerald.” My jaw set, I leveled a hard gaze on him. He was the last person I wanted to see for no other reason than he was a reminder of my past. I knew it didn’t make sense, but then I was a cold-hearted bastard like that. I liked Garcia all right but he was young. All cocky and headstrong. Like I used to be.
“Uh, right,” he said unscathed. Everything bounced off his back elevating my guilt for the way I treated him some time. That was good.
“Anyway, I need some advice and I thought… well, you being older and all—”
Ouch.
“Get to the point, Garcia and then get the fuck out.”
He just stood there, half-in and half-outside the door. Looking like a lost puppy, he ran a hand over the back of his head. “See it’s like this…”
“Come in, Garcia. I assume by your awkwardness we don’t want the rest of the company listening in on our conversation.”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, right.”
“And shut the fucking door!”
“Uh, yeah.”
Slamn!
“Have a seat. Now, what’s the problem?”
He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms, which made me grin a little. Definitely not intimidated, I thought. That pleased me.
“You know that bar we went to? The night you said you had a…headache?” He gave me a sly grin.
“Yeah, what of it?”
“Well, I met a woman and well…I think she likes me but�
�”
I’m the last one to give you advice, kid. “So you met a girl, did ya?”
Garcia lit up like a Christmas bulb. “Man, she was hot! Had this cute li’l number that went down to about— ” He pointed to the middle of his chest. “You should have come with us, chief…er, I mean…Mr. Fitzgerald.”
“It’s all right if you wanna keep calling me chief.”
“Oh. Oh okay. Anyway the minute I saw this girl it was like wham! Hit me over the head with a sledgehammer. Know what I mean? She has the most amazing smile, well that is when she did smile, which was only the once.” He frowned. “She was sort of depressed because her boyfriend dumped her.”
I frowned even further.
“Yeah, well I knew she’s on the rebound and I tried to stay away, really I did but eventually….”
“The point, Garcia.”
“I want to do something special for her and I wondered if you might know how to do that?”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Why are you asking me? Get her some flowers or something kid.”
“Flowers. Huh. Nah, too conventional. I was thinking about something specific. Actually, you’re the only person I can ask about this.”
“What the hell are you getting at?”
“You know that fund we have? The one for homeless people after their houses burn down?”
“Her house burned down?”
“No. No, nothing like that but I thought you may know some people at the bank. They’re trying to repossess her house and well…I thought since you may know some of those people maybe you could um….get them to extend her deadline a bit?”
“I don’t know.”
“Just for another six months say. Until she can figure out how to re-mortgage it or something.”
“You’ve known this girl how long?”
“It’s not the time that counts, chief. It’s the connection, man.”
“Hmmmph.”
I took a pad of paper and a pen out of the desk. I slid it toward him. “Write down her address. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Oh great!”
“No promises, Garcia. I’ve no idea how I’m going to pull this off or if I can even help her. And don’t breath a word of this to anyone. Got it?”
Pikeman: A Billionaire Romance Page 15