impression of the Delphi Center, and she liked them to picture her sitting serenely in the lobby, directing incoming communications. When she did her job right, callers to the lab didn’t have to know about absentee employees, or upheaval from construction projects, or petty office politics—all of which could undermine the center’s credibility. Image was important.
Sophie waited for a break in the noise before fielding the calls, one by one. Jonah stood at her elbow, observing her every move.
“You’ve got a knack for that,” he said when she finished. “If I tried to do it, I’d probably hang up on half of them and piss off the rest.”
She smiled. “I’ve been told I give good phone.”
His just looked at her, and another call came in.
“So, did you need something?” she asked. “Because I have to get back to work—”
Pop
.
Sophie flinched and glanced anxiously down the hall. The nail gun continued, and she bit her lip.
Jonah followed her gaze toward the constructionnoise. Then he looked back at her. “You know, no one’s going to think less of you if you take some time off.”
“Why would I take some time off?”
“You had a pretty crappy day yesterday.”
She tipped her head to the side. “And what sort of day did you have?”
His jaw tightened and he looked irritated. Good. She didn’t need a sympathy pass any more than he did.
She
wasn’t the one stuck in some hospital with a bandage around her head or a shattered elbow or a leg she could never walk on again.
“Look, Sophie …” He glanced at the elevator bank, probably looking for Ric, before settling his attention on her. The buzz saw started up again, and for a moment they stared at each other. When the noise abated, she waited for whatever words of advice he was going to dole out next.
“You want to have dinner later?”
She couldn’t keep the surprise off her face. The saw screamed again, saving her from having to respond.
He wanted to have
dinner
? She wasn’t sure what to do with that. Men hit on her all the time—one of the side effects of a job that required her to be friendly with the public all day long. A lot of guys interpreted her ready smile as a neon sign that said,
Ask me out, I’m easy
. Cops were the worst, because they tended to have big egos and didn’t need much encouraging. But she sensed there was something else behind Jonah’s invitation.
Then again, maybe the kiss had been the neon sign. Duh.
“We ready?”
They both turned to see Ric standing there. Hisgaze went from Jonah to her, then back to Jonah again. Sharp detective that he was, he seemed to realize he’d interrupted something.
“Give us a sec,” Jonah said.
Ric pulled off the visitor’s badge clipped to his pocket and put it on the reception counter. “We’re due at TCMEO in thirty,” he told Jonah, before nodding goodbye to Sophie and heading for the door.
TCMEO was the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. Sophie knew because she paid attention and had picked up on all the clever little codes people used around here.
Jonah was on his way to an autopsy, and she felt a pull of sympathy for him.
He handed over his visitor’s badge. He was frowning now, and she realized her silence was becoming rude.
She also realized it was Thursday.
“It’s just dinner,” Jonah said. “It’ll probably be late, too, because I’ve got about a hundred things to do before I knock off today. I can call you when I get off, or—”
“No.”
His eyebrows went up.
“I mean,
thanks
and everything, but I can’t. Not tonight.”
He waited for an explanation, and for some reason she gave him one.
“I have a date already.”
This seemed to surprise him even more, and she felt a surge of annoyance.
“Well.” He tapped his knuckles on the counter. “Good enough. Guess I’ll see you around, then.” He glanced at the door where Ric was waiting on the other side of theglass, then back at her. “Take care of yourself,
Sophie waited for a break in the noise before fielding the calls, one by one. Jonah stood at her elbow, observing her every move.
“You’ve got a knack for that,” he said when she finished. “If I tried to do it, I’d probably hang up on half of them and piss off the rest.”
She smiled. “I’ve been told I give good phone.”
His just looked at her, and another call came in.
“So, did you need something?” she asked. “Because I have to get back to work—”
Pop
.
Sophie flinched and glanced anxiously down the hall. The nail gun continued, and she bit her lip.
Jonah followed her gaze toward the constructionnoise. Then he looked back at her. “You know, no one’s going to think less of you if you take some time off.”
“Why would I take some time off?”
“You had a pretty crappy day yesterday.”
She tipped her head to the side. “And what sort of day did you have?”
His jaw tightened and he looked irritated. Good. She didn’t need a sympathy pass any more than he did.
She
wasn’t the one stuck in some hospital with a bandage around her head or a shattered elbow or a leg she could never walk on again.
“Look, Sophie …” He glanced at the elevator bank, probably looking for Ric, before settling his attention on her. The buzz saw started up again, and for a moment they stared at each other. When the noise abated, she waited for whatever words of advice he was going to dole out next.
“You want to have dinner later?”
She couldn’t keep the surprise off her face. The saw screamed again, saving her from having to respond.
He wanted to have
dinner
? She wasn’t sure what to do with that. Men hit on her all the time—one of the side effects of a job that required her to be friendly with the public all day long. A lot of guys interpreted her ready smile as a neon sign that said,
Ask me out, I’m easy
. Cops were the worst, because they tended to have big egos and didn’t need much encouraging. But she sensed there was something else behind Jonah’s invitation.
Then again, maybe the kiss had been the neon sign. Duh.
“We ready?”
They both turned to see Ric standing there. Hisgaze went from Jonah to her, then back to Jonah again. Sharp detective that he was, he seemed to realize he’d interrupted something.
“Give us a sec,” Jonah said.
Ric pulled off the visitor’s badge clipped to his pocket and put it on the reception counter. “We’re due at TCMEO in thirty,” he told Jonah, before nodding goodbye to Sophie and heading for the door.
TCMEO was the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. Sophie knew because she paid attention and had picked up on all the clever little codes people used around here.
Jonah was on his way to an autopsy, and she felt a pull of sympathy for him.
He handed over his visitor’s badge. He was frowning now, and she realized her silence was becoming rude.
She also realized it was Thursday.
“It’s just dinner,” Jonah said. “It’ll probably be late, too, because I’ve got about a hundred things to do before I knock off today. I can call you when I get off, or—”
“No.”
His eyebrows went up.
“I mean,
thanks
and everything, but I can’t. Not tonight.”
He waited for an explanation, and for some reason she gave him one.
“I have a date already.”
This seemed to surprise him even more, and she felt a surge of annoyance.
“Well.” He tapped his knuckles on the counter. “Good enough. Guess I’ll see you around, then.” He glanced at the door where Ric was waiting on the other side of theglass, then back at her. “Take care of yourself,
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