not his.” Goddamn it, why did it have to hurt so much to admit that out loud?
Susie leaned back on her stool. A half smile quirked her lips and she shook her head. “Talia, Talia, Talia, can you really tell me you didn’t see how he was looking at you?”
Talia froze in the act of reaching for a corkscrew as hot color flooded her cheeks. “What do you mean?”
“Well, if he’d been a cartoon, his tongue would have been hanging out and little hearts would have been floating around his head.”
Talia’s own heart started to thud inside her chest. Could he really—She stopped herself short. There was no way. “My relationship with Jack is complicated, to say the least.”
Susie’s expression turned serious. “I can only imagine, after what you went through, that it’s hard to open yourself back up like that.”
Talia nodded, her chest tight. When she had first started working here, Susie had made no secret of the fact that she’d Googled Talia and knew all of the details—the ones that were printed, anyway—of what had happened. “So you understand, given the circumstances of how we met, and what happened after, that doesn’t really lend itself to any kind of romantic involvement. That’s not something I’m ready for, with any man. Especially Jack.”
“If you say so,” Susie said, a little exasperated. “And if you’re cool with it, I’m going to get his number from Alyssa.”
“Go for it,” Talia said, the words scraping her throat like sandpaper.
Why shouldn’t Susie and Jack have some fun? she told herself as she watched Susie walk away. Better he hooked up with someone Talia knew and actually liked than some random skank.
But the thought of them together… She turned on the TV over the bar to distract herself.
As she finished stocking the bar, something the talking head on TV said penetrated her consciousness.
There are reports today of yet another victim of kidnap and sexual assault, and police believe the perpetrator is the same man who has raped at least two other women in the last month. The man abducted the victim in the parking lot on Broadway and took her to an unknown location where she was repeatedly assaulted.
Talia swallowed back a surge of bile and tried to force back the images of herself, of the other girls Nate had brutalized and murdered.
This has nothing to do with any of that
, she reminded herself. Nate’s dead, over and done. But the world was full of evil assholes, and she couldn’t let herself dwell on them.
Police are not releasing certain details about the crime, but the victim, who was found unconscious near her car in the same lot early this morning, sustained serious injuries and is currently listed in critical but stable condition. In a statement given earlier today, Lieutenant Kortlang of the Redwood CityPolice warned area women to be on guard while out at night, to park only in well-lit areas, and to stay in groups of two or more if possible.
Talia grabbed the remote and snapped off the TV.
“Creepy, isn’t it?”
Talia gave a little shriek and dropped the glass she was holding as she spun around.
She held her hand to her heart to slow its pounding and recognized Frank Everett, one of their regular customers. A retired professor in his sixties, he and his wife came in several times a week for an early dinner and a glass of wine.
His dark eyes under bushy brows were full of apology. “I’m so sorry for startling you, Talia. I thought you heard me come in.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Talia said with a shaky smile. “I was distracted.” She waved in the direction of the television.
“It’s awful, what people are capable of doing to each other.” Frank shook his head.
You have no idea
, Talia thought. “Let me clean this up and then I’ll get you something.” She quickly swept up the glass shards.
“Don’t worry about me, dear. I know you’re not officially open yet.” It was four forty-five and technically they didn’t open for
Susie leaned back on her stool. A half smile quirked her lips and she shook her head. “Talia, Talia, Talia, can you really tell me you didn’t see how he was looking at you?”
Talia froze in the act of reaching for a corkscrew as hot color flooded her cheeks. “What do you mean?”
“Well, if he’d been a cartoon, his tongue would have been hanging out and little hearts would have been floating around his head.”
Talia’s own heart started to thud inside her chest. Could he really—She stopped herself short. There was no way. “My relationship with Jack is complicated, to say the least.”
Susie’s expression turned serious. “I can only imagine, after what you went through, that it’s hard to open yourself back up like that.”
Talia nodded, her chest tight. When she had first started working here, Susie had made no secret of the fact that she’d Googled Talia and knew all of the details—the ones that were printed, anyway—of what had happened. “So you understand, given the circumstances of how we met, and what happened after, that doesn’t really lend itself to any kind of romantic involvement. That’s not something I’m ready for, with any man. Especially Jack.”
“If you say so,” Susie said, a little exasperated. “And if you’re cool with it, I’m going to get his number from Alyssa.”
“Go for it,” Talia said, the words scraping her throat like sandpaper.
Why shouldn’t Susie and Jack have some fun? she told herself as she watched Susie walk away. Better he hooked up with someone Talia knew and actually liked than some random skank.
But the thought of them together… She turned on the TV over the bar to distract herself.
As she finished stocking the bar, something the talking head on TV said penetrated her consciousness.
There are reports today of yet another victim of kidnap and sexual assault, and police believe the perpetrator is the same man who has raped at least two other women in the last month. The man abducted the victim in the parking lot on Broadway and took her to an unknown location where she was repeatedly assaulted.
Talia swallowed back a surge of bile and tried to force back the images of herself, of the other girls Nate had brutalized and murdered.
This has nothing to do with any of that
, she reminded herself. Nate’s dead, over and done. But the world was full of evil assholes, and she couldn’t let herself dwell on them.
Police are not releasing certain details about the crime, but the victim, who was found unconscious near her car in the same lot early this morning, sustained serious injuries and is currently listed in critical but stable condition. In a statement given earlier today, Lieutenant Kortlang of the Redwood CityPolice warned area women to be on guard while out at night, to park only in well-lit areas, and to stay in groups of two or more if possible.
Talia grabbed the remote and snapped off the TV.
“Creepy, isn’t it?”
Talia gave a little shriek and dropped the glass she was holding as she spun around.
She held her hand to her heart to slow its pounding and recognized Frank Everett, one of their regular customers. A retired professor in his sixties, he and his wife came in several times a week for an early dinner and a glass of wine.
His dark eyes under bushy brows were full of apology. “I’m so sorry for startling you, Talia. I thought you heard me come in.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Talia said with a shaky smile. “I was distracted.” She waved in the direction of the television.
“It’s awful, what people are capable of doing to each other.” Frank shook his head.
You have no idea
, Talia thought. “Let me clean this up and then I’ll get you something.” She quickly swept up the glass shards.
“Don’t worry about me, dear. I know you’re not officially open yet.” It was four forty-five and technically they didn’t open for
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