Just Kidding (SWAT Generation 2.0 #1)(3)

I barely refrained from gritting my teeth.

“I drink,” I answered.

Then lifted my margarita glass that was half-filled now.

“Is it good?” Tillie asked curiously. “I’ve never really liked margaritas.”

I thanked Tillie from the bottom of my heart for asking me that question, because it meant I could safely look away from Theo without looking like I was intimidated.

“It’s okay,” I admitted.

And it was.

That was all alcohol ever was to me. Just okay.

I could live with it or without it.

But I’d rather spend the same amount of money on a piece of cake or two cupcakes from my favorite cupcake place.

Absently I started to fuss with my hair, something that I always did when I was nervous, and Shondra’s attention turned to me.

Her eyes evil, she said, “You know, Macy has some hair products that would work wonders on your hair.”

Macy, hearing her chance to pitch a sale, jumped at the chance.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about this hair product,” Rachel, my other co-worker who’d shown up at one point while I was at the bar, said.

I blinked, surprised.

I hadn’t actually heard anything about it except from these ladies.

In fact, the only thing that I’d heard at all was the name.

Macy was also making a ton of money selling it.

Yet I hadn’t heard one positive review outside of Macy since she’d started selling it.

One would think that if a product really was that great, then someone somewhere would’ve been talking it up.

But they weren’t.

Sadly, Macy had a really good sales pitch, and I couldn’t stop myself.

Thanks, Shondra.

Which was how I offered to buy shampoo and conditioner from her.

“You’ll love it. I promise!” Macy clapped her hands in excitement.

Shondra rolled her eyes.

“Oh, okay,” I said, blinking. “Yeah, sure.”

Macy stood up to clap, her eyes lit with excitement.

“I’ll go get…”

“No, I can go get it.” Shondra stood up, looking considerate. “I have to run out to the car for my wallet anyway.”

Macy easily handed over her keys, and fifteen minutes later, I was the new owner of shampoo and conditioner that cost me fifty-seven bucks per bottle. A bottle that was so small in size that I was curious if it’d even last me past ten washes.

Because Jesus, I had a shit ton of hair, and the bottles sure were small.

“Thanks,” I said, eyeing the bottles. “I appreciate it.”

The rest of the night went a little like the first half.

Shondra rolled her eyes a lot and monopolized Theo’s time. Theo kept glancing at me consideringly.

The rest of the office ladies talked back and forth with each other.

And I texted back and forth with my sister until it was time to leave.

I would’ve snuck out completely, too, had Theo not walked out at some point behind me without me knowing it.

I was almost to my car, keys in my hand, when Theo’s dark voice stopped me.

“You’re not going to say goodbye?”

I swallowed hard and tried not to get pissed.

Instead, I waved my phone in the air and said, “Sorry, gotta return a call from my sister. Have a good one.”

With that, I bleeped the car unlocked, got in, and tried to slam the door.

Only Theo’s hand on the door’s metal frame stopped me.

I gritted my teeth and placed the call to Katy.

“You’re never going to guess where I have my hand right now!” Katy cried out excitedly.

Thank God I had her on speakerphone so she could hear my side.

“Have a good one, Theo,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Hello, Katy,” Theo said.

“Oh, who’s that?” Katy said. “Hey, did you guess where I had my hand yet, Row?”

I loved my sister. I loved her to death.

“Theo,” I answered.

I wasn’t sure if I was saying ‘Theo’ to Katy or to Theo, but either way, it worked on both accounts.

Theo let go of my door and stepped back, a look of surprise on his face at my anger.

I finally closed and locked it, then started it before Katy said, “Are you ever going to guess?”

“In a dead person’s rectum,” I guessed.

Katy snorted. “No, silly. Down her throat!”

I rolled my eyes heavenward.

“Damn, Katy,” I said. “That’s morbid.”

Katy was a medical examiner. She’d graduated from school and had decided that dead people were her jam and hadn’t looked back ever since.

“It’s not morbid,” she said. “There was a note down the woman’s throat. I had to see if I could get it without causing much damage. I did. Thank God I have long fingers.”

“Was she killed?” I asked curiously.

“No,” she said. “Well, not that I’m aware of. She killed herself. She swallowed her suicide note accidentally when she hung herself.”

That was sad.

Really, really sad.

“Damn,” I said. “That’s sucky.”

“Yeah.” Katy sounded distracted. “What the hell was Theo doing there?”