Rolodex.
Annoyance overcame her intimidation, and she rushed over. “And you are?” She picked up the Rolodex and slid it into a drawer.
“A friend of Alex’s.”
Friend, as in boyfriend? Doubtful. He looked too scruffy, even for Alex Lovell. The navy blazer and gray slacks were probably meant to make him seem civilized, but they didn’t quite do the job. Maybe he was a loan shark. Or some angry husband whose wife’s PI had caught fooling around, and now he was out for revenge on Alex—
“Place is looking good.” He stepped over to Alex’s office door and stood there listening, as if wanting to confirm that no one was behind it.
Sophie crossed her arms. “May I take a message for you?”
But the man was more interested in checking out the reception room. His gaze drifted over the results of Sophie’s last two days of work: the two bookcases, which she’d unpacked and assembled from the dusty Ikea boxes leaning against the wall; the newly organized file cabinet, which now doubled as a table for the coffeepot.
“Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“Yes, well…”
He smiled, which went a long way toward calming her nerves. He had a nice smile. “Relax,” he told her.
“Excuse me?”
“You seem kinda jumpy.”
“I’m not, really. I just—”
“I bet she’s a tough boss, huh?” He stepped closer. “She’s good, though. At what she does. You’re lucky she hired you. She’s a pretty quick judge of character, so you must have made a good impression.”
Sophie felt herself smile, even though something told her she should stay on her guard.
“Listen,” he said smoothly, “I really need to find Alex, and she’s not answering her cell. Where is she, exactly?”
“I’m not sure.” Sophie perched on the desk and took a sip of coffee, then casually placed the cup on top of the note she’d made earlier. “But I’ll be happy to get her a message.”
He plunked his hands on his hips, revealing a gold shield clipped to his belt. “You know where she is, but you don’t want to say. Is that right?”
“I’m not at liberty to disclose—”
“Honey, I’m a cop. And I need to talk to Alex. You can tell me.”
She gazed up at him, warmed by a sudden wave of trust. “She’s doing surveillance all day,” she told him. “That’s all I can tell you. But I’ll be happy to get her a message for you, if you like.”
“Thanks.” He smiled again, a flash of perfect white teeth. “Just tell her I stopped by.”
And then he was across the office, pulling open the door. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Good luck with the new job.”
Sophie smiled as the door whisked shut. He was cute. Sexy, even, if you overlooked the dings.
A thought struck her.
“Wait!” she rushed to catch him. “You never told me your name!”
She pulled the door open and poked her head out, but he was already gone.
CHAPTER SIX
Alex had never ruptured a disk in her back before. But she was pretty sure that if she had , she wouldn’t be eager to heft a kayak eight feet in the air.
“Lying liars who lie,” she murmured, zooming in on her subject. This was well worth the thirty-plus hours she’d sat roasting in a car, waiting for this guy to emerge from his girlfriend’s apartment. Standing on the running board of his Nissan XTerra, the subject centered the kayak on the luggage rack. He pulled a bungee cord from his pocket and tossed it down to his pretty female helper. Together, they started securing the boat.
Alex zoomed in closer, making sure she got a shot of his smiling face as he reached over the roof to hook the cord. What a faker. He hopped down and went back inside the apartment. Five minutes later, he returned with a huge cooler. Alex got a shot of his carefree grin as he loaded the ice chest into the cargo space. When the XTerra pulled away, Alex followed.
A little sunset kayaking? The SUV turned south, toward Town Lake, and her suspicions were confirmed.
Alex hung back discreetly,
Annoyance overcame her intimidation, and she rushed over. “And you are?” She picked up the Rolodex and slid it into a drawer.
“A friend of Alex’s.”
Friend, as in boyfriend? Doubtful. He looked too scruffy, even for Alex Lovell. The navy blazer and gray slacks were probably meant to make him seem civilized, but they didn’t quite do the job. Maybe he was a loan shark. Or some angry husband whose wife’s PI had caught fooling around, and now he was out for revenge on Alex—
“Place is looking good.” He stepped over to Alex’s office door and stood there listening, as if wanting to confirm that no one was behind it.
Sophie crossed her arms. “May I take a message for you?”
But the man was more interested in checking out the reception room. His gaze drifted over the results of Sophie’s last two days of work: the two bookcases, which she’d unpacked and assembled from the dusty Ikea boxes leaning against the wall; the newly organized file cabinet, which now doubled as a table for the coffeepot.
“Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“Yes, well…”
He smiled, which went a long way toward calming her nerves. He had a nice smile. “Relax,” he told her.
“Excuse me?”
“You seem kinda jumpy.”
“I’m not, really. I just—”
“I bet she’s a tough boss, huh?” He stepped closer. “She’s good, though. At what she does. You’re lucky she hired you. She’s a pretty quick judge of character, so you must have made a good impression.”
Sophie felt herself smile, even though something told her she should stay on her guard.
“Listen,” he said smoothly, “I really need to find Alex, and she’s not answering her cell. Where is she, exactly?”
“I’m not sure.” Sophie perched on the desk and took a sip of coffee, then casually placed the cup on top of the note she’d made earlier. “But I’ll be happy to get her a message.”
He plunked his hands on his hips, revealing a gold shield clipped to his belt. “You know where she is, but you don’t want to say. Is that right?”
“I’m not at liberty to disclose—”
“Honey, I’m a cop. And I need to talk to Alex. You can tell me.”
She gazed up at him, warmed by a sudden wave of trust. “She’s doing surveillance all day,” she told him. “That’s all I can tell you. But I’ll be happy to get her a message for you, if you like.”
“Thanks.” He smiled again, a flash of perfect white teeth. “Just tell her I stopped by.”
And then he was across the office, pulling open the door. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Good luck with the new job.”
Sophie smiled as the door whisked shut. He was cute. Sexy, even, if you overlooked the dings.
A thought struck her.
“Wait!” she rushed to catch him. “You never told me your name!”
She pulled the door open and poked her head out, but he was already gone.
CHAPTER SIX
Alex had never ruptured a disk in her back before. But she was pretty sure that if she had , she wouldn’t be eager to heft a kayak eight feet in the air.
“Lying liars who lie,” she murmured, zooming in on her subject. This was well worth the thirty-plus hours she’d sat roasting in a car, waiting for this guy to emerge from his girlfriend’s apartment. Standing on the running board of his Nissan XTerra, the subject centered the kayak on the luggage rack. He pulled a bungee cord from his pocket and tossed it down to his pretty female helper. Together, they started securing the boat.
Alex zoomed in closer, making sure she got a shot of his smiling face as he reached over the roof to hook the cord. What a faker. He hopped down and went back inside the apartment. Five minutes later, he returned with a huge cooler. Alex got a shot of his carefree grin as he loaded the ice chest into the cargo space. When the XTerra pulled away, Alex followed.
A little sunset kayaking? The SUV turned south, toward Town Lake, and her suspicions were confirmed.
Alex hung back discreetly,
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