Page 31 of Too Much In Common
“Does everyone drive an SUV?”
“Most of us. I think we all have SUVs because we all keep an extra go bag and things on hand. We never know where we’ll end up working, even if they assign us to a dedicated team.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I could be enjoying a nice, lovely night off, having dinner with a new friend, and in the middle of it, my phone will ping and say there’s been an emergency somewhere, and I have to leave to trade out with a crew.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Often enough that my last girlfriend dumped me over it.” Oversimplification, but he wasn’t willing to share everything yet. “I changed positions in November and now my schedule is more predictable. Not 9 to 5, but I won’t get a call to hop on a plane to join some musicians’ security group at the last moment.”
He pulled into a parking space in a lot two buildings down from the restaurant. “What about your schedule?”
“My schedule is pretty laid out by the beginning of the month. In the winter, it gets bumped around a bit more because of the weather. The FAA rules, flying hours, and too long on a tarmac here or a delayed flight there can mess things up. For example, the Seattle thing gave me an entire extra day of flying, and if I hadn’t taken time off at the beginning of the month for my aunt’s funeral, I would have had to give up some of my flight time later. Which reminds me, thank you for making sure I had a bed to sleep in the other night.”
“No problem.”
“I’m still a little embarrassed that you had to have Mrs. Ogilvy move her situation around.”
“Don’t be. I didn’t want you to have to awkwardly share a room with me.” They entered the restaurant, ending the conversation. He wanted to tell her he wouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation if they had shared rooms. Probably just as well he couldn’t. She might not believe him anyway.
They only had a five-minute wait for the next table.
“Did you grow up around here?” she asked.
“Yes and no. Mom grew up here, so summers with grandparents were here. We moved a lot. Then I lived with my grandparents here for my last two years of high school because my dad had an overseas position. My older brother and sister were at college. As for the rest of the family tree, I am an uncle to three adorable niblings. And you?”
“I’m an only child on my mom’s side. On Dad’s, I have six siblings that I know of.”
Chris wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Brit seems cool.”
“She is. We try not to blame the siblings for Dad’s philandering... but it is always this game of when-is-another-going-to-show-up. How did you get into personal security? Military?”
“No. Not fond of being a nomad. In high school, I was a C student and studying for another four years wasn’t my thing. I wasn’t scholarship worthy in sports, but I figured I had size and speed on my side, so I fulfilled my kindergarten dream of becoming a policeman.”
“How did you end up here?”
“After eight years in the force...” Chris struggled with how to word the next part. “The political atmosphere changed—correction, theatmospherechanged. In six months I was shot at three times because of my uniform. The last time, they didn’t miss. After I got out of the hospital, I decided I needed a safer job, and my brother Zane convinced me that private security was the way to go—better benefits, better hours, and frankly, a whole lot less chance of being shot.”
She winced. “How badly were you hurt?”
“Nothing a few stitches didn’t fix.”
“So in other words, it was either life threatening or a graze, and you have no intention of telling me which one.”
“Worse than a graze and not life threatening.” The small scar was barely noticeable.
The waiter brought their pizza.
Tian stirred her root beer with her straw. “Funny, the only time I drink root beer is when I have pizza. Must be one of those childhood things. I’m surprised you didn’t order a beer.”
She was fishing. Chris let her steer the conversation in hopes she would feel like moving the friendship along..
“I don’t drink. I’ve seen alcohol mess up way too many lives.”
“Another thing we have in common. I don’t drink either.” She didn’t elaborate on her reasons any more than he did.
If only he hadn’t pinned her at their first meeting. Just his luck to meet someone he could have a relationship with and to blow it before he knew her name. This called for a long game. An endless game. Could he go all in?
