I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(22)

Satisfied enough with my response, Elliot let us keep walking in silence. I knew he was still irritated with me. He didn’t want to have to deal with anymore of my girlfriend crap. Not that Dani was my girlfriend. That part didn’t seem to matter though. The need to spend more time with her burned within me. I wasn’t ready to walk away. My curiosity was piqued. I had heard Elliot though and I did mean what I said. If she got all creepy on me, I’d back away. I just hoped I hadn’t fallen for her by the time it came to that.

*****

The burger in front of me was stacked so high I didn’t think I could get it in my mouth. I smiled at the waitress before she turned and rushed back into the cafe. This place was always busy, because it was the best. We’d managed to snatch an outside table and I was enjoying sitting against the railing, just a little higher than the sidewalk traffic.

Mom and Dad were discussing the merits of risotto over pasta as they compared meals, which quickly morphed into a conversation about how divine the food in Italy would be. Man, they were so excited about Europe. It was cute.

I started to dissect my burger. Flipping off the lid, I grabbed for the ketchup and thought of AJ with a grin. Lucky he didn’t work here. I’m sure whatever restaurant he owns won’t even have ketchup available.

I banged some on and used my finger to smear it over my meat patty while Mom wasn’t looking, then stuck my finger in my mouth and licked off the remaining sauce. That’s when a dark haired girl caught my eye.

She was crossing the street, her short cropped hair looking shiny and perfect. She was wearing big shades that made her look like Jackie Onassis. Her little mini skirt and tight tank top hugged her figure beautifully and I wouldn’t have been a guy if I didn’t stop to admire it.

The boots she was wearing looked a little worse for wear, but well loved. The brown leather needed a good polish, but the scrappy look suited her ensemble.

She glanced both ways as she jogged across the road. Her gait reminded me of Dani a little. I frowned. I really had that girl on the brain today. This was a chic brunette, hardly Dani, and yet there was something very Dani-esque about her.

In her hands was a small, cardboard box, tied in a neat bow. She held it carefully as she ducked through the human traffic. She didn’t look my way as she walked past, but my eyes followed her. Mom and Dad were still talking, I think they’d moved on from Italy and were now dreaming about France. I’d tuned them out and they hadn’t noticed.

The brunette girl’s hips swayed slightly as she weaved around a couple of kids and she turned back to glance at them, only to barrel into a Mr. Suit who was so busy talking on his cellphone that he didn’t even notice her. His large body knocked her from her feet. The box went flying, hitting a tree and rolling across the concrete.

My instinct was to leap the railing and go help her, but Mr. Suit said a quick goodbye and was offering her his hand.

“I’m so sorry, Miss. I didn’t even see you.”

She shook her head, wiping the graze on her elbow. It didn’t look bad, but it probably stung a little.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” her voice was shaky. “I just…” She looked behind her, whipping off her shades. “Where’s the box!” Panic swept over her expression.

“Oh here.” The man pointed behind her. She scrambled towards it, collecting it up and gently shaking it.

“No,” she whispered. “No, no, please no.” With trembling fingers she unwrapped the bow and opened the lid. “It’s broken.” Her lips wobbled.

The man beside her felt awful as she pulled out a headless porcelain statue.

“It’s a gift for my grandmother. She’s wanted one of these forever and I’ve been saving up.” The girl sounded so wistful, I felt sorry for her.

“Oh Miss, I feel awful.”

“It’s okay.” She shrugged. “Accidents happen.”

“But I should have been watching the street more closely. I’m so sorry.”

The girl shook her head. “I’ll just have to buy her something else I guess. I don’t think it can be repaired, can it?”

She held it up for the man to inspect and he shook his head in dismay. “These things are so delicate.”

Placing it back in the box with a heavy sigh, she whispered, “Four months of savings wasted.”

I don’t know what it was about the way she said it, but something inside me flinched. Was she trying to con this guy? She sounded so genuine, but…. Damn, if she was lying, she was one good actress.

I licked my bottom lip, leaning closer to the railing, not wanting to miss a second of the interaction.

“Well, let me help you.” The man reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet, riffling through the billfold. “How much was it?”

“No.” The girl shook her head and took a step back. “I can’t take your money.”

So no con there, just my overactive imagination wishing for drama. I still didn’t turn away though. The girl was mesmerizing, shaking her head as Mr. Suit pulled out a couple of hundred dollar bills. “But this was my fault and I’d hate for your grandmother to miss out on account of me.”

“I—” The girl pressed her lips together. “I feel weird about that. It was just an accident, you didn’t mean to.”