Page 44 of A Labor of Hate
Colt shrugged.“Besides the job offer?I liked the thought of being so close to Canada, since I’ve always wanted to visit.”He nodded at Charles, the resident French-Canadian.“And then there’s the fact Michigan is absolutely gorgeous.Detroit really isn’t the slum people say it is.Not anymore, at least.And then there’s the pizza that—” He cut off, looking at me with a horrified expression.“What on earth are you doing?”
I paused, holding a couple fries aloft from where I’d just dipped them into my milkshake.“What?It’s delicious.”
“It’s certainly many things, but ‘delicious’ wasn’t one of the adjectives that came to mind.”He watched with a mixture of disgust and morbid fascination as I popped the fries in my mouth.
“The sweet, chocolatey cold balances the hot, salty fries out perfectly,” I explained.“They may be opposites, but together they’re so much better.”As far as I was concerned, the best dipping sauce for fries was a Wendy’s frosty, and I was willing to die on that hill.“Here” —I thrust a milkshake-dipped fry in his direction— “try it.Andthenyou can pass judgment.”
He gingerly took the fry, looking at it like it was about to sprout wings and breathe fire.He met my eyes again, uncertainty written across his brow.“Is this even safe?”
“Yes, now come on.Don’t be a chicken.Just” —I guided his hand to his mouth, like feeding a belligerent toddler— “pop it in your mouth before you can overthink it.”
As he chewed, Vivienne leaned toward Charles, her voice barely carrying across the table.“Aw, he’s trying her pregnancy craving combinations, too.Just like when I convinced you to try the Oreos dipped in peanut butter.”
Nowthat, I’d have to try.
Colt chewed slowly, canting his head to the side in thought.“You know, it isn’t nearly as bad as I thought.I’m not sure it’s my preferred way to eat them, but I can see the appeal.”
I fist-pumped in triumph.No shame in my fry eating game.And for Colt, that was a compliment if ever I’d heard one.
After his seal of grudging approval, Vivienne tried the combination, though Charles refrained.She also wasn’t completely sold on it, but I didn’t mind.My weird quirk had helped convince her I had pregnancy cravings, so I was riding the high.
Plus, the ever-present Bulldog and Pro Bodyguard Boy aside, the lunch date was going swimmingly.Conversation flowed, touching on neutral topics unlikely to raise Charles’s hackles.Even when we asked about his line of work, we kept the conversation light.He gave us the bare minimum information about being in the restaurant business, and when he changed the topic from there, we didn’t press him on it.The touchy subjects would come later—when and if we were able to get closer and gain more of their trust.
“This was so great,” Vivienne sighed in contentment, fingering her to-go box of salad.“I’d really like to get together again.Maybe for dinner?Or” —she gasped, her eyes lighting up with her smile— “Lex, we should go to the spa together!They have prenatal massages that are to die for and all kinds of pampering.Since we’re growing humans, I’d say we deserve that, right?”
Spa day with massages?Sign.me.up.“Definitely.That soundssogood.”
“I’m going on Tuesday if you want to join me?”Instead of looking at me, though, she looked to Charles for confirmation.
Moment of truth: did we pass his first tests?
He briefly checked his phone before nodding slightly.
I had to consciously stop myself from sighing in relief.“Tuesday it is, then.Should we?—”
My question got cut short.An unfamiliar voice from behind us turned my blood to ice.“Colt?Is thatyou?”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
I TURNEDTO locate the source, dread sinking down my legs to pool in the soles of my shoes.The fact that anyone recognized Colt couldn’t be good.I didn’t run much of a risk of that, since I’d only recently moved here and didn’t even have any friends outside the squad yet.And, foolishly, I’d thought Colt would be too much of a homebody stick-in-the-mud that no one would recognize him aside from his dry cleaner, let alone strike up a conversation.
A tall, leggy redhead stood behind us, eying the bodyguards warily.Between her baby-blue eyes and flawless complexion, she would look right at home next to Vivienne.
One glance at Colt sank that dread inside me straight into the floor.His face had lightened a few shades, his eyes wide and jaw slack.For all his planning—and there had been copious amounts of it—he hadn’t planned for this particular contingency.
The woman continued her advance, apparently deeming the bodyguards to be less of a threat than most people would.Already not a good sign.
Charles watched with interest, his guard fully raised once again.Vivienne’s brow furrowed.
For someone who’d supposedly just moved to the city, no one should be able to recognize Colt.And, judging by her determined stride and the gleam in her eyes, something told me the woman wasn’t just his apple juice barista.
Crap.Crap crap crap crap.Whowasthis woman?Time for preemptive damage control.Control the narrative.
I stood, not having to dip much into my acting skills for the anger showing on my face.I didn’t know who this woman was or how she knew Colt—she could be perfectly nice and innocent for all I cared—but she could so easily blow the top off this whole operation.Of all the places and times to run into someone who knew him, it had to be now.And a woman.
A freaking gorgeous woman.
I shoved back the weird emptiness spreading in my chest and stomach.No time for whatever that was.Colt was currently catatonic, so he wouldn’t be any help.
