a good move.”
Hmm. A cryptic response. She kept her eyes ahead so he was unable to read anything in her gaze.
He suspected someone was having trouble accepting her decision to quit. How far should he pry?
“Had you been with them a long time?”
She took her time pulling her keys out of her purse before answering. She looked up at him, although the angle of the streetlight caused much of her face to be muted in shadow.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” He wanted to know everything about this woman, but her response had him fearing he’d pushed beyond the boundaries of this topic.
“Things were pretty chaotic in the athletic office between the time Annie Marcum left and you came.”
“They must have been. I can’t believe how quickly the office deteriorated. Annie only left town a couple of weeks ago.”
“How do you know she left town? Is she a friend?”
She quickly turned to unlock her car.
“ Gigi ?” He drew out her name, certain she was hiding something.
With a resigned slump of her shoulders, she opened her door between their bodies and turned to face him.
“Me and my big mouth. She told me not to mention it to anyone.”
Without even trying, he’d stumbled upon another mystery surrounding Gigi . “Annie asked you not to tell anyone that you know her?”
“At least for a while.” Gigi paused to toss her purse and bag across to the passenger seat. Then she rested her forearms along the top of her door. Glints of light flickered off her nail polish.
“Annie lives in the apartment across the hall from mine.”
“So that’s how you know she left town.” Sean slowly nodded.
“Does Al know she’s your neighbor?”
“No. At least I don’t think so. I don’t think he looked at my personal information too closely. He seemed more interested in discussing my qualifications and skills.” Gigi swiped an errant strand of hair from her eyes. “Annie told me one evening that she’d quit her job. That’s why I applied. She encouraged me to, actually. She said Mr. Matthews was a fair boss and he’d be hip-deep in paperwork within a week.”
Sean could attest to that firsthand.
“Did she tell you why she quit so abruptly?”
“I have my suspicions, but that’s all they are.” Gigi rested her chin on her stacked hands and glanced over his head, her thoughts clearly someplace else.
“Care to share?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she met his gaze. “I don’t think so.”
Her knowing grin guaranteed further questioning another time.
“Are you planning to tell Al?”
“I haven’t decided. I won’t lie to him, but if the subject doesn’t come up, I’m not sure.” She straightened. “You won’t mention it, will you?”
“No way. The guy hasn’t exactly warmed up to me yet anyway. I’m staying out of his business.”
“You men.” She sounded exasperated. “I think underneath that gruff exterior, Al Matthews is just a big teddy bear.”
“Teddy, no. Grizzly, yes.”
She laughed, making Sean seriously regret he’d promised not to lay a hand on her.
Her eyes widened and she straightened. His expression must have been telling enough for her to sense the direction of his thoughts, so he took a step back.
She gave him a little wave. “You’d better get home and get some rest. Tomorrow is game day, and it would be pretty embarrassing if you fell asleep on the sideline.”
“True enough. I’ll follow you home and make sure you get in all right.”
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I’ll see you in the morning.” Little did she know it would be much sooner than that. Odds were she’d play a starring role in his dreams tonight.
Fifteen minutes later, Sean’s headlights still reflected in Gigi’s rearview mirror. The stubborn man had followed her all the way to her apartment. Why did he have to be so chivalrous? And hot.
Hmm. A cryptic response. She kept her eyes ahead so he was unable to read anything in her gaze.
He suspected someone was having trouble accepting her decision to quit. How far should he pry?
“Had you been with them a long time?”
She took her time pulling her keys out of her purse before answering. She looked up at him, although the angle of the streetlight caused much of her face to be muted in shadow.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” He wanted to know everything about this woman, but her response had him fearing he’d pushed beyond the boundaries of this topic.
“Things were pretty chaotic in the athletic office between the time Annie Marcum left and you came.”
“They must have been. I can’t believe how quickly the office deteriorated. Annie only left town a couple of weeks ago.”
“How do you know she left town? Is she a friend?”
She quickly turned to unlock her car.
“ Gigi ?” He drew out her name, certain she was hiding something.
With a resigned slump of her shoulders, she opened her door between their bodies and turned to face him.
“Me and my big mouth. She told me not to mention it to anyone.”
Without even trying, he’d stumbled upon another mystery surrounding Gigi . “Annie asked you not to tell anyone that you know her?”
“At least for a while.” Gigi paused to toss her purse and bag across to the passenger seat. Then she rested her forearms along the top of her door. Glints of light flickered off her nail polish.
“Annie lives in the apartment across the hall from mine.”
“So that’s how you know she left town.” Sean slowly nodded.
“Does Al know she’s your neighbor?”
“No. At least I don’t think so. I don’t think he looked at my personal information too closely. He seemed more interested in discussing my qualifications and skills.” Gigi swiped an errant strand of hair from her eyes. “Annie told me one evening that she’d quit her job. That’s why I applied. She encouraged me to, actually. She said Mr. Matthews was a fair boss and he’d be hip-deep in paperwork within a week.”
Sean could attest to that firsthand.
“Did she tell you why she quit so abruptly?”
“I have my suspicions, but that’s all they are.” Gigi rested her chin on her stacked hands and glanced over his head, her thoughts clearly someplace else.
“Care to share?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she met his gaze. “I don’t think so.”
Her knowing grin guaranteed further questioning another time.
“Are you planning to tell Al?”
“I haven’t decided. I won’t lie to him, but if the subject doesn’t come up, I’m not sure.” She straightened. “You won’t mention it, will you?”
“No way. The guy hasn’t exactly warmed up to me yet anyway. I’m staying out of his business.”
“You men.” She sounded exasperated. “I think underneath that gruff exterior, Al Matthews is just a big teddy bear.”
“Teddy, no. Grizzly, yes.”
She laughed, making Sean seriously regret he’d promised not to lay a hand on her.
Her eyes widened and she straightened. His expression must have been telling enough for her to sense the direction of his thoughts, so he took a step back.
She gave him a little wave. “You’d better get home and get some rest. Tomorrow is game day, and it would be pretty embarrassing if you fell asleep on the sideline.”
“True enough. I’ll follow you home and make sure you get in all right.”
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I’ll see you in the morning.” Little did she know it would be much sooner than that. Odds were she’d play a starring role in his dreams tonight.
Fifteen minutes later, Sean’s headlights still reflected in Gigi’s rearview mirror. The stubborn man had followed her all the way to her apartment. Why did he have to be so chivalrous? And hot.
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