Page 20 of Remember That Time

"You're under no obligation to say yes to me," Janos said. "I'd like you to be my date for the evening. If that makes you uncomfortable, just say no. Believe it or not, I can take rejection."

I set my sandwich down because eating right now didn't seem like a good idea. The food already in my stomach was threatening a return.

"It's not that I want to reject you...Under normal circumstances, I'd be all over that invitation." Who wouldn't? The guy was gorgeous. "But my life is really chaotic right now. I'm not in a place where I can start dating someone."

Janos's face grew pensive for a moment before he smiled. "Okay, then how about as a friend? Everyone could use a friend."

Man, this guy was trying hard. I did have to give it to him, though, he wasn't being overly pushy about it. He was just asking.

"Two conditions." I held up one of my fingers. "One, you really need to understand that I can't start dating someone right now. There are things going on in my life that I can't discuss and it's taking all of my energy not to go stark raving mad. Dating isn't even on my scope right now. I'll only go if you accept the fact that we can only be friends."

"Understood," Janos said. "And the second condition?"

"You can't wear anything around me that smells like cigar smoke." If he did, he'd learn real quick why I couldn't start dating.

"Agreed." Janos smiled wickedly, his brown eyes sparkling with delight. He was looking way too handsome. "The auction is at seven. What time should I pick you up?"

This was a really bad idea.

Chapter Six

~ Janos ~

"Sir," Lester said as soon as I walked into my office. "You received a small package this time, but it looks like it came from the same sender."

Damn.

I had been in such a good mood after attending the auction with Gianni last night. Even if we'd only gone as friends, I'd been floating on cloud nine since the moment I had picked him up for our non-date date.

"Let me see it."

Lester handed me the small white box. I cut the tape holding it closed and the pulled the lid up. The first thing I spotted was a folded piece of paper. I felt a bit of trepidation when I opened it up and read what it said.

"For use in a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test (NIPP)."

I set the note aside and looked into the box to find a small plastic baggy with what looked like several bloody cotton swaps inside.

I frowned, confused. "Lester, what is a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test or NIPP?" I don't think I'd ever heard that term before.

"Let me look, sir."

I could hear Lester typing away on his tablet as I stared down at the bloody cotton swabs. I wasn't sure what to think of them. Whoever was behind this was obviously persistent that I was the father of this baby, but was that to be believed?

Just how far would they go to blackmail me?

"Sir, a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test uses a blood sample from the mother and a cheek swab from the father to doa paternity test. It's a bit expensive, but is considered the safest method for the fetus and it only takes three to five days for the results."

"Set up an appointment with the lab." I wanted this test done as soon as possible. Maybe that would give us some ammunition to use against whoever was doing this. "And have them put a rush on the results."

"Yes, sir."

"How in the hell do I do a cheek swab?" I asked absently. "Do we need to call a lab guy down here or something?"

I had no idea how these things were done. My knowledge lay in making money out of mud holes, not paternity tests. Although, as often as people accused me of knocking them up, maybe I needed to learn.

"That would probably be best, sir," Lester replied. "It'll lessen the possibility of the sample being contaminated."

"Call whoever you need to call and get it done."

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