I’d picked a table that would allow me to keep my back against the wall of the small restaurant. In the corner. So I could keep an eye on anybody who looked at me a little shifty. Which, when you’ve become totally paranoid like me, was pretty much everybody.
I hoped this would be a quick lunch.
Janie glanced at her menu. “I’ll have a cheeseburger with fries, and a Diet Coke.”
Yeah. Those were the good old days. Solid food. Now a distant, fading memory.
“You don’t mind if I eat like a pig in front of you, do you?” she asked, handing the waiter her menu.
I waved my hand. “Nah. I’m strong. I can take it. You don’t mind if I drink like a fish in front of you, do you?”
“Have at it. Hey, are you okay?”
I glanced out of the window. Lenny was waiting outside with the car. He’d wanted to come inside, but
Janie insisted that he “monitor the exterior.” It was easy to tell who wore the pants in their bodyguard partnership. And it wasn’t the one with the bigger muscles.
I sighed. “Let’s just say I’m really looking forward to those self-defense lessons I’m forcing you to give me to let out some of my pent-up frustrations.”
“Yeah, it must be tough to be a wanted woman. But just chill. We have it under control. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“It’s not just that.” I shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m having personal problems.”
She leaned back in her seat. “Oh, I see. The cell phone call in the car, right? Trouble with your love life?”
“Is it that obvious?”
The drinks arrived and she took a sip of her Diet Coke. “The double tequila sunrise gave you away. So what’s the problem? Maybe I can give you some sage advice. Or maybe I’m just being nosy. You decide.”
I smiled at that. “Well, let’s see. First off, my boyfriend—the guy who hired you—is much older than me.”
“How much older?”
I pressed my lips together for a moment. “Let’s just saysignificantly and leave it at that.”
She nodded. “Okay. So, a little age difference doesn’t mean anything.”
“He’s also married.”
Her eyebrows went up at that. “Hmm. That could be a problem.”
“The wife is fine with our relationship.”
“Well, that’s . . .friendly . Okay, what else?”
I chewed my bottom lip for a second. “I think he might have a little substance abuse problem. When he drinks too much he gets a little crazy.”
She nodded. “That is an issue. I had a boyfriend back in high school who smoked up every day. He wasn’t abusive or anything, just really lazy.”
I stared at her for a second. “This is a little different than that.”
“Okay, so you have a much older, married boyfriend who has a drinking problem.” Her lips twitched.
“Sounds like a catch.”
I looked at her sharply. “It’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. Just when I think my life sucks, I find somebody who has it worse. Though, frankly, I’m still not convinced.”
I thought about it. “Thanks to the hunters blowing up my apartment the other night, I’m currently homeless and living with a friend, since my boyfriend Thierry didn’t invite me to stay with him.”
“You’re aiming for the blue ribbon in sucky life, aren’t you? Well, I’m still in the running.”
I watched a man take his toddler son to the bathroom. They looked fairly harmless, but you never could tell. “Your life is so bad? Go ahead and compare notes with me.”
She played with her drink, absently pushing the ice cubes down with the end of her straw. “First of all, I have a boss from hell.”
“Who, Thierry?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t even met him face to face yet, so no. I have lots of jobs, lots of bosses,
I’m afraid. A girl has to make ends meet somehow.”
I played with the rim of my glass. “I’ve had lousy bosses, too.”
“Yeah. Lousy. That’s one way to describe him. Anyhow, I’m sort of in debt to this boss so it’s not like I can just quit, but he makes me do things I really hate. And my jobs are taking up so much of my time I can’t have a personal life. Which sucks. Plus, I have personal issues up the yin-yang, too. Family issues
I’m dealing with as we speak.”
I nodded. “You mentioned your brother who taught you self-defense.”
“Yeah.” She took another sip of her Diet Coke.
I grinned, not afraid to show off my fangs anymore since she already knew I was a vampire. “You know, maybe if things don’t work out with me and my boyfriend, you can hook me up with your brother. And I’m only half joking.”
She smiled, but it looked forced. “Sorry, but . . . he’s dead.”
I closed my big mouth and felt a chill go down me. “Shit. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, me, too.” She took another shaky sip of her drink. “You have no idea. He was murdered.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Nobody usually does. But I’m dealing the only way I know how.”
“Was the guy who did it caught?”