Unauthorized Affair (Unauthorized #1)(25)
Lost in thought and work, he barely noticed when Sadler arrived. He did notice when Jen arrived and opened the shop. He paused for a moment to check her mood, her attitude. She looked happy and relaxed, so he turned back to what he was doing.
Their day started.
With one eye he worked with Ivy’s program, and with the other eye he watched Jen get into a groove, taking care of customers. She was getting good. She pacified angry people, uplifted sad people, and joked with the few happy people. She bought everything that came in. And a lot of stuff was coming in. Lots of guns for some reason. Hunter was just about to walk to the bat phone to tell Ivy to start entering those guns into her database when the door opened one more time and Coleton Savoy walked in.
Damn! Hunter flicked his eyes to the clock and saw it was only 11:30. He watched as Jen’s eyes went to Savoy, then back to her current customer with a new, tense posture. He watched as Savoy stood in Jen’s line patiently. He seethed as Savoy finally sauntered up to Jen and asked her out to lunch, right now. He saw Jen look uncertainly to Ivy, then to the bat phone, and then to the camera on the ceiling. He swirled his chair around, intending on running to the bat phone and telling her no way, tell him to wait till tomorrow! But Sadler had beaten him there. Ivy picked up the phone, listened, then hung up and walked by Jen saying, “You can take a lunch now if you want to.” And then Jen was following Savoy out the front door.
Goddammit! Now they had to divide surveillance! And Hunter’s chances at warning Jen off before she had her first date were gone forever. Anger boiled over inside of him. “I’m taking Mansko,” he growled in Sadler’s general direction, his voice making it clear Sadler better not argue. He ran to the computers they had set up for Jen’s operation and flipped on all the switches, dialing in to her phone.
He couldn’t see or hear anything. The phone must still be in her purse! “I don’t have a line on her — turn on the outside cameras, quick!” Hunter ran down the line of monitors, waiting for one to show Jen and Savoy. Were they getting in a car? Hunter felt close to a panic and stuffed it down. If something happened to Jen, he’d never forgive himself. He’d kill Sadler. He’d kill the Chief. He’d kill Savoy. The outside cameras clicked on the monitors and he studied them, looking for Jen. And as he realized the couple walking down the sidewalk towards the nearby Lounge was them, his own cameras started showing a picture: the sidewalk swinging back and forth from Jen’s pocket. He sank into his chair and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. A small voice spoke up in his mind. Nah, you don’t love her. Heck, you don’t even like her, right?
Chapter 13
Jen walked into the lounge behind Coleton, her mind a cool blank. She was just going to let this be what it was. She was determined not to second-guess herself, not to fake anything, and not to push too hard to be perfect. She wouldn’t think about what would happen if he wanted to kiss her. She would decide in the moment. If she had the choice whether or not to take this assignment, then surely she had a choice of whether to kiss him or not. And if he wanted to kiss her, and she wouldn’t kiss him back, he wouldn’t ask her out for another date. Problem solved. But for now, a little conversation. A little digging. A little glimpse into his life. That wasn’t hurting anyone. And if he wasn’t a criminal, he had nothing to worry about. And she had nothing to feel guilty about. She wondered if Sara ever felt guilty. If Sgt. Foley ever felt guilty. Probably not.
The waiter led them to a quiet table along the back wall. Coleton held out her chair for her, then sat across from her and flashed her that killer smile. Jen carefully put her phone on the table next to her plate, wondering what the cameras were catching. His water glass? The side of his plate? She’d look at the video later for future corrections.
“Thanks for coming to lunch with me,” he said.
“Sure. Thanks for asking me.”
“How long have you been a … what are you, a pawn broker?”
Jen laughed. “Not me, I’m just a worker-bee. Only a few days. It’s my first job since I moved back to Westwood Harbor.”
Coleton leaned back in his chair. “Funny, I would have pegged you as a professional surfer or maybe a DJ.”
Jen laughed to herself, thinking that he hadn’t even come close to what her profession really was, but still couldn't restrain herself from responding to his first guess.
“I love to surf! I’m no professional, but I’ve been surfing for four years now, whenever I can. How did you know that?”
Coleton shrugged. “You look the part. You’re tan. Your hair looks sun-kissed blond under the dye — which I love, by the way. You’re athletic. Do you surf Bowls?”
Jen shook her head, still feeling the glow of his compliment. “Is that here in Westwood Harbor? Because I haven’t ever surfed here. Only in San Francisco.”
He nodded. It’s the best spot here. Or at least it was four years ago, the last time I went. I could take you …” He raised his eyebrows.
Jen nodded eagerly. She had wanted to get back into surfing but was looking for a buddy. California surfing could be dangerous if you didn’t know the lay of the riptides and undercurrents in each spot.
“How about Saturday?” he asked, that smile back on his face. The one she thought might be arrogant but she wasn’t sure. But right now it didn’t look arrogant.