Page 15 of A Smooth Operator

Is that what she thought about me? "You fucked anyone at your lab?"

She seemed to consider that and then nodded. "You're right. I would never do that, and this is your place of work. I'm sorry I insinuated you can't keep it in your pants and be professional at the nightclub."

There was a disarming honesty about her that was charming. I could see why Dad liked her so much. He liked how smart she was and how non-judgmental. If it were anyone else, especially someone who Marina had bullied as Echo had been—they'd have called my soon-to-be-ex a bitch and a whore. Not Echo.

"Well, I have gone out of my way to build that playboy reputation," I interjected in self-deprecation.

"You know what they say about you?"

"What?"

"That you're a smooth operator. Remi Drake can get any woman to drop her panties for him."

"Is that what they say?"

She laughed then and got comfortable on the couch. "Yeah."

"Have you ever wondered who they are?"

"In sociological terms, they include anyone from cultural critics, policymakers, and influential thinkers to religious leaders and celebrities," she answered seriously. "In more defined units, such as a tribe or a subculture, they are the leaders, the elders, and those who hold power and influence."

Yeah, so she was a bit of a geek, but for some reason, that appealed to me. She didn't just spout bullshit. She was a well-rounded person who made informed statements. After all the mindless blathering I heard from everyone around me, speaking to someone who was honest and also smart was a huge turn-on.

What the fuck? Was Echo Devlin turning me on? Since when the fuck did hell freeze over?

Chapter 6

Echo

"I'm sorry, Echo." Lani had tears in her eyes, but I knew she could do that on command.

It took her a week to come to my place to apologize. It wasn't the first time, and it was probably not the last time that she would do so. But I always forgave her. I owed Lani a lot. As a kid lost on the Drake estate with no one but Aunt Fern, who literally hated me, Lani had been my friend. As we grew older, she remained my friend—but maybe not the best version of it.

"Why on earth would you want me to be with that guy?" I was still baffled. Apparently, Jer was not divorced or separated; he was just an adulterous jerk. Worse than him was Tommy, who had suggested Lani hook me up with him.

"He's fat," Lani muttered.

"That's not what bothers me. What bothered me was that he's married." I couldn't believe this girl sometimes. "How people look isn't important, Lani. But he's much older, and he was wearing his wedding ring."

She moaned. "Can we let this go? The Spaldings are having a barbecue tomorrow. Why don't you come?"

"No, thank you. I'm done with your parties, double dates, and barbecues." I wasn't going to ruin a perfectly good Saturday to make Lani feel less guilty for trying to use me. I had plans. I was going to spend my day listening to The Code Breaker, an excellent book about gene editing, offering insights into CRISPR technology, while I hiked the Chickasaw Bluff Trail at the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. It was a perfect eight miles of challenging terrain with great views of the Mississippi River.

"You sure?" Lani asked. "My MIL puts on a real good spread."

Lani's MIL, Barb Spalding, was the perfect Memphis Society Mama. She doted on her loser younger son and kept up appearances in front of society. How did she feel about her future DIL's half-black friend? Not great.

"I'm going hiking," I told her, and she shrugged. It wasn't her thing, but she knew it was mine.

My love for hiking started with a need to get away. The Drake estate was vast, and I used to go on long walks alone, talking to myself. Yeah, it was really healthy! At least I didn't have imaginary friends.

As I grew older, I began to hike. All my vacations, which I tried to take at least once a year, were connected to hiking in some way. Last Fall, I went to Sedona and fell in love with the beauty of its nature—the red rocks, the mysticism of the twisted trees, and the quaint old town.

While at home, I took advantage of having a national park literally at my doorstep, giving me plenty of opportunities for hikes. Of all the trails, I loved the Chickasaw Bluff Trail the most. I was excited as I set off on a mild spring morning, the gravel crunching under my boots.

The air was cool, with a hint of dew that hadn’t yet burned off.

The forest canopy was lush, verdant, and bursting with life, offering mottled shade that danced across the trail. A mockingbird chirped high in the branches as I adjusted my backpack and pushed my earbuds into place, ready to delve back into the fascinating world of The Code Breaker.

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