Page 31 of Out of Sight

She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t speak.

“Do you think I’m completely useless, or do I have any talents or redeeming qualities that you can think of?” Claire stifled a laugh, holding a hand up in surrender and turning back to her book. Jim also raised an eyebrow, but had the decency to give it some thought before he answered.

“Truthfully, I still don’t know you that well, just what’s been in your file to prepare me to take your case. You’re friendly. Obviously smart since you spout off those clever comebacks so quickly.”

“Wow, no one’s ever called me smart before. Think I should go back to school and be a college professor or something?”

He ignored me, which was probably the right thing to do. “You’re determined enough to do right by your past actions that you’re going through this mess, so that counts for something.”

“Maybe I should join the police force instead then!” He knew I was fucking with him at this point. If I wasn’t allowed to possess a gun I couldn’t be a cop.

“Aren’t you a gym rat or something? Good at working out and keeping fit?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said. It didn’t really help with what I wanted, but it was something that I was good at and was important to me.Speaking of…“Is it safe to go out on a run? Like, just around the block a few times, maybe? Doing the stairs seventy-times in a row would get tiresome.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll sit on the porch and you can run up one side of the street and down the other over and over again. Fair compromise?”

“That determined not to get a workout in, old man?” I smirked.

“I had enough of that in the Air Force. I like living a leisurely life now,” he joked. “Who needs to actually go for a run anyway?”

“You could use it. Don’t you Marshals have to stay in shape to do your job?”

“Nah, I don’t need to recertify my physical fitness for another year or so. I’m good.”

“Are you trying to find a job—on the straight and narrow—when we’re free again?” Claire was looking up at me with interest. I nodded tentatively, wondering where she was going with this. Was she going to make fun of me? “If you know all that gym-type stuff, why don’t you just become a personal trainer?”

Well, damn.That could be a good idea. Except… “Who would hire a felon with a violent record to work closely with other people?”

“Why don’t you just go into business for yourself? Make a website, get a business license, show close-up pictures of all those chiseled muscles…” She waved her hand indifferently at my abs, but the blush on her cheeks said more than her casual words.

“I can take a few selfies, but I don’t know shit about all that paperwork or computer stuff,” I admitted after a moment. It was a nice thought, but I wasn’t good at the other parts.

“I do,” she said, setting her book aside and shifting to face me directly. “Those applications are always a breeze, and I have a computer science degree. I was working as a web developer before a round of layoffs got me signed up for a temp agency and working for the mob.”

She rolled her eyes at her misfortune, but my heart started pounding.

“I could set up your website and get it ready to launch once we’re out of here. Or maybe even before; people work these kind of jobs remotely all the time.”

“I’m good at the gym stuff for myself. I don’t know if I’d be good at teaching other people.” I probablywouldn’tbe any good. Those guys had special training figuring out how to talk to clients, right?

“Jim could be your first client to help you practice,” she offered, not sparing him a glance.

“Jim could not,” Jim grunted. “Jim does not want to look like a dog chasing his tail around the block just to boost a smug little fucker’s ego.” He offered a smile with the last bit so I wouldn’t take any offense.

“Okay, firstly, I thought we settled this: there is nothing little about any part of me. Secondly: I’ll just work with Claire then.”

“Speaking of chasing tail,” Jim muttered, giving me a wink out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh no,” she backtracked, shrinking back into the armchair and picking up her book again. “I don’t do gym things and I don’t run.”

“Maybe you should start since we’re, you know, on the run now,” I joked. “Plus this was your idea. I gotta know if I’d beany good at this before you waste your time helping me with a website or some shit.” Maybe I could have been more eloquent, but I knew my words were on point.

“Getting in shape is always a good idea,” Jim said, reaching for a bag of chips on the coffee table.Hypocrite.Claire blushed.

“You’re already in good shape,” I told her as sincerely as I could. And she really was, if a little skinny. She had to have a great metabolism if she could eat the way she did and be underweight. Maybe this would also give me a chance to sneak some high-calorie protein into her diet as well. “But it never hurts to get in better shape and improve strength and stamina. Hey look, I even talked about stamina without hitting on you. I’m doing great!”

She let out a little giggle. “Alright, Will. I’ll practice with you since I think it’s a really good idea to help you get on your feet, but you’ve gotta keep little Micro-Willie in your pants.”

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