Read Online Snoops in the City (A Romantic Comedy) by Darlene Gardner - Free Book Online Page B

To Tori, she said, "Ring me up."
    He stood silently by while Tori completed the sale, patiently enduring Elaine's incessant chatter. Tori didn't look at him until her customer had finally gone. Her dark eyes locked on his and he felt the heat, the same way he had the night before.
    She quickly lowered her lashes before he could determine whether she felt it, too. "You didn't have to talk her into buying all those products.”
    "It didn't take much persuasion.” He rested his hands on the glass counter. "Besides, I wanted you to get the commission."
    She backed away from the counter and busied herself straightening jars of makeup on a shelf behind her that already was perfectly in order. "Nobody at Frasier's works on commission.”
    "You should find a place where you can," he said. "You did a good job."
    She shrugged her slim shoulders. "It's just something I do to earn extra money. There's not much to it."
    Judging by the number of makeup-impaired women in the world, Grady didn't agree. Lorelei, who applied her makeup with a paint roller, could certainly use Tori's expertise. However, he hadn't come to Frasier's to talk about his sister.
    "How was the play last night?" he asked abruptly, hoping to get a reaction from her. He succeeded, but he hadn't counted on bewilderment.
    "The play?" she asked, a blank look on her face.
    " Grimm Tales from the Reaper ," he supplied and saw the light of remembrance enter her eyes. She'd told so many lies, she probably had a hard time keeping them all straight.
    One of her hands kneaded the other. "Really, really scary.”
    "I thought you said it was a spoof.” His gaze dropped to her hands to show he'd noticed her edginess.
    She abruptly stopped rubbing them together and hid them behind her back. "You must have heard me wrong," she said, biting her bottom lip. "I said the play was spooky. Not spoofy."
    The bottom seemed to fall out of his stomach, causing him to feel vaguely nauseous. And disappointed in himself for hoping she'd come clean about the play. Now that he'd re-established she was lying, he needed to get to the purpose of his visit.
    He gave her his most charming smile. "I came to apologize."
    She shuffled her feet. "You have nothing to apologize for."
    "Yes, I do," he said. "Instead of cross-examining you, I should have gotten down on my knees and given thanks that a woman as beautiful and interesting as you is attracted to me."
    Her lips parted. "Are you serious?"
    He might have laid the compliments on too thick. There was no turning back now. "Dead serious. Let me make it up to you by taking you out tomorrow night."
    She hesitated in giving her answer. "I sort of have plans tomorrow night."
    Grady swallowed his disappointment. "Don't tell me you're going to another play.”
    Her auburn hair swayed when she shook her head, catching the fluorescent lights overhead so that it shone. "I promised my neighbor I'd stop by her church carnival. It's for charity." She paused, then seemed to fight an internal battle before she added, "I don't suppose you'd like to go with me?"
    "I'd love to," Grady said quickly even as the irony of the setting registered upon him.
    A carnival, bound to be full of wide-eyed, excited children, represented innocence. The term didn't apply to Tori, no matter how angelic she looked.
    "Good," she said, but her smile wavered.
    "I'll look forward to it," he said.
    Much later, after he called the FBI agent working on Operation Citygate and asked him to run a background check on one Victoria Whitley, Grady realized at least part of his conversation with Tori had been truthful.
    He did look forward to their date.
    He didn't intend to probe his subconscious to discover the truth of why that was. He had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer.

CH A PTER TEN
     
    The bundle in the oversized, canvas bag she passed off as a purse squirmed, diverting Tori's anxiety over her imminent return to the Roseate Spoonbill.
    Careful to support the bottom of the bag with the flat