Read Online Ink Flamingos by Karen E. Olson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen E. Olson
Ads: Link
us he was a blackjack dealer.”
“As far as I know, he never worked a casino. I wouldn’t go out with him, if I were you,” Jeff said.
Despite my newfound misgivings about Harry, I didn’t like it that Jeff was deciding now whom I should date and whom I shouldn’t. I stood up a little straighter, so I was even taller than he was, and said, “I can date whomever I want.”
Jeff chuckled. “Okay, right, Kavanaugh. I forgot you’re all grown up and can take care of yourself.”
“That’s right.”
“Does he know about me?” Jeff asked.
The tone in his voice made it sound like there was something Harry should know, which of course there wasn’t. Jeff and I didn’t have that kind of a relationship. Granted, I wasn’t quite sure what kind of relationship we did have, but it hadn’t ever veered into any sort of romance.
He started to laugh. “You make it way too easy, Kavanaugh. You know what I mean, right?”
“He must know we’re friends,” I said. “He’s probably been here when you’ve called, or someone’s mentioned you. So yeah, he must know about you.” Although I couldn’t be sure. He spent most of his time talking to Bitsy, and sometimes I’d run across him with Ace at that oxygen bar. Until today, he hadn’t really spent too much time with me, but that was usually because when he was here, I was with clients.
“So there would be no reason why when he saw me in here talking to you that he’d take off, right?”
Chapter 11
I instinctively looked out the glass door. “You saw Harry?” Jeff Coleman had powers of detection I hadn’t been aware of, because I certainly hadn’t seen him.
“He came around the corner, spotted me, and started back in the other direction,” Jeff said.
So maybe he didn’t know about Jeff, after all.
Jeff cocked his head at me again. “Ready to go? Maybe we can catch up with him, find out what his problem is.”
I grabbed my bag off the front desk, and we scooted out the door. I locked it, Jeff pulled down the gate for me, and we turned left, the direction Harry had run in, according to Jeff. I couldn’t see Harry anywhere, though, so I took one of the footbridges two steps at a time and stood at the top, scanning the canal and the walkway up ahead. I spotted Harry skirting around a couple of last-minute shoppers. I bounded back down the steps and grabbed Jeff’s hand, pulling him along with me.
“He’s up ahead,” I said, then realized I was holding Jeff Coleman’s hand and instantly dropped it.
Despite having shorter legs than me, Jeff kept up easily beside me, our strides in sync. It seemed that Harry didn’t think we’d come after him, because he’d slowed down and we weren’t that far behind him when he pushed open the door to the outside.
The door swung halfway shut by the time we reached it, but Jeff shoved it open farther and we went out into the night.
It was a crisp February night, the lights on the Strip making it seem almost like twilight.
We were right behind Harry now.
“Harry,” I called out.
He stopped and whirled around, sheer shock crossing his face, his mouth open in a wide “O.” He shut it again, clearly trying to get his bearings.
“Brett,” he said flatly as his eyes slid over to Jeff. “Jeff.”
“Why’d you take off?” I asked, standing in front of him now, my hands on my hips. “I thought we had a date.” So maybe I had been preparing to cancel that date, but he didn’t have to know that right now.
“I, um, well . . .” His eyes flicked from Jeff to me and back to Jeff. “I saw him in your shop. I figured three’s a crowd.”
“Three’s a—” I stopped, looking at Jeff, wondering why he wasn’t saying anything, but he was looking at me, as if I was supposed to take care of this on my own. Okay, fine. “Harry, Jeff and I are friends. He just stopped by. He does that sometimes, like you stop by the shop. He did tell me, though, that you’ve been a little creative with your
“As far as I know, he never worked a casino. I wouldn’t go out with him, if I were you,” Jeff said.
Despite my newfound misgivings about Harry, I didn’t like it that Jeff was deciding now whom I should date and whom I shouldn’t. I stood up a little straighter, so I was even taller than he was, and said, “I can date whomever I want.”
Jeff chuckled. “Okay, right, Kavanaugh. I forgot you’re all grown up and can take care of yourself.”
“That’s right.”
“Does he know about me?” Jeff asked.
The tone in his voice made it sound like there was something Harry should know, which of course there wasn’t. Jeff and I didn’t have that kind of a relationship. Granted, I wasn’t quite sure what kind of relationship we did have, but it hadn’t ever veered into any sort of romance.
He started to laugh. “You make it way too easy, Kavanaugh. You know what I mean, right?”
“He must know we’re friends,” I said. “He’s probably been here when you’ve called, or someone’s mentioned you. So yeah, he must know about you.” Although I couldn’t be sure. He spent most of his time talking to Bitsy, and sometimes I’d run across him with Ace at that oxygen bar. Until today, he hadn’t really spent too much time with me, but that was usually because when he was here, I was with clients.
“So there would be no reason why when he saw me in here talking to you that he’d take off, right?”
Chapter 11
I instinctively looked out the glass door. “You saw Harry?” Jeff Coleman had powers of detection I hadn’t been aware of, because I certainly hadn’t seen him.
“He came around the corner, spotted me, and started back in the other direction,” Jeff said.
So maybe he didn’t know about Jeff, after all.
Jeff cocked his head at me again. “Ready to go? Maybe we can catch up with him, find out what his problem is.”
I grabbed my bag off the front desk, and we scooted out the door. I locked it, Jeff pulled down the gate for me, and we turned left, the direction Harry had run in, according to Jeff. I couldn’t see Harry anywhere, though, so I took one of the footbridges two steps at a time and stood at the top, scanning the canal and the walkway up ahead. I spotted Harry skirting around a couple of last-minute shoppers. I bounded back down the steps and grabbed Jeff’s hand, pulling him along with me.
“He’s up ahead,” I said, then realized I was holding Jeff Coleman’s hand and instantly dropped it.
Despite having shorter legs than me, Jeff kept up easily beside me, our strides in sync. It seemed that Harry didn’t think we’d come after him, because he’d slowed down and we weren’t that far behind him when he pushed open the door to the outside.
The door swung halfway shut by the time we reached it, but Jeff shoved it open farther and we went out into the night.
It was a crisp February night, the lights on the Strip making it seem almost like twilight.
We were right behind Harry now.
“Harry,” I called out.
He stopped and whirled around, sheer shock crossing his face, his mouth open in a wide “O.” He shut it again, clearly trying to get his bearings.
“Brett,” he said flatly as his eyes slid over to Jeff. “Jeff.”
“Why’d you take off?” I asked, standing in front of him now, my hands on my hips. “I thought we had a date.” So maybe I had been preparing to cancel that date, but he didn’t have to know that right now.
“I, um, well . . .” His eyes flicked from Jeff to me and back to Jeff. “I saw him in your shop. I figured three’s a crowd.”
“Three’s a—” I stopped, looking at Jeff, wondering why he wasn’t saying anything, but he was looking at me, as if I was supposed to take care of this on my own. Okay, fine. “Harry, Jeff and I are friends. He just stopped by. He does that sometimes, like you stop by the shop. He did tell me, though, that you’ve been a little creative with your
Similar Books
