Page 47 of A Labor of Hate
“Why areyoustill single?”he countered.
I ticked the reasons off on my fingers.“One, because I just moved here and had no prospects back in Pennsylvania.Two, because I work insane hours—which you know.Three, I’m abrasive and insufferable, according to you.Four, my best friend is my sister who has the sleep schedule of a senior citizen and I have no other friends to go out with and thus no chance of meeting guys.Five, I haven’t found any guy who’s as good a listener as my fish?—”
I stopped abruptly, acutely aware I was giving him substantial ammo against me.Our truce, tenuous as it was, was temporary.After this assignment was over, we’d go back to hating each other, and the last thing I needed was to arm him with personal information to use against me.Instead, I redirected it back to him, the one who was supposed to be answering in the first place.“You’re avoiding the question.”
“And it has been incredibly enlightening to do so.”He smirked, eyes twinkling in the early afternoon sun.“You have a fish?”
I looked away, unable to watch his smug features as he basked in my lame-ness.“Yes, okay?Now answer the question.”
“What’s your fish’s name?”
Oh no.There wasnoway I was going to admit that I had a goldfish named Gill-bert to him.If he wanted that information, he’d have to earn it.“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours.”
His lips twitched, eyes scanning me from head to toe like he could see into my soul.Talk about unnerving.“Fine.I’m still single because, like you, I work insane hours sometimes.”
“Okay.And…?”
“And that’s it.”He shrugged, clenching his jaw and looking left—one of his tells.There was no way that was all.But evidently, it was all he was willing to tell me right now.“Now what’s your fish’s name?”
I closed my eyes with a resigned sigh.Served me right for trying to talk to Colt about anything that wasn’t directly related to the assignment.I didn’t know if hetriedto derail any chances to get to know him, but he certainly succeeded at it.Maybe that was why he was single.Hard to have a relationship with someone who wouldn’t let you get close.Heck, it was hard enough having afakerelationship with the guy.
“His name is Gill-bert.”
When I opened my eyes, I was met with a grinning Colt.And it was stunning.“You have a fish with a pun in its name?”
I huffed, hating the fact that I felt embarrassed about it in the first place.Or maybe it was the fact that he’d been listening enough to catch the fact that I had a fish, which meant he’d also caught all the reasons I was the lamest, singlest person in Detroit.“Yes.Now let’s get back to our bug hunt.”
I breezed away from him and got halfway back to the house before his voice stopped me.“Lex, wait.”
I entertained the idea of walking away faster just to spite him but ultimately decided against it.More for the fact that there was no dignified way to speed walk with a seven-months-along belly than anything else, but I’d let him think whatever he wanted.
He placed himself in front of me to block my escape indoors, all smugness wiped away.In its place, his jaw flexed, eyes looking anywhere but at me.A faint pink blush colored the skin under his freckles.“How you handled the situation at lunch… it was very admirable.Tiffany wasn’t even a blip on my radar, so I hadn’t planned for her arrival.And so, when she showed up, I… froze.”
Yeah, no kidding.
But he was complimenting me for possibly the first time ever, so I didn’t interrupt.
“I used to hate how you flew by the seat of your pants during interrogations, investigations.Everything, really.And yet you were unfazeable, and it worked, and I’d spend hours planning, abiding by the rules, following procedure, only for you to crack the suspect like it was nothing.”
I blinked, unsure how to respond.And, again, Ialwayshad a comeback.Except when it came to Colt.This didn’t just reveal more of why he hated me.It also revealed more about himself.Whether he’d intended for me to read into it or not, I couldn’t tell you, but either way, my picture of Colt just became a little more three-dimensional.
He was jealous of me.Hewas jealous ofme.The newbie.The messy one.His polar opposite.And all this timeIwas the one thinkinghewas perfect.Not in every way, mind you, but in everything I struggled with.
“But today, it was your ability to wing it that saved our cover.Not my planning.”He took a deep breath, eyes still scanning the expanse of the backyard.“So, I guess what I want to say is thank you.”
He thanked me.Coltthankedme.And he’d admitted he’d needed me, even if he hadn’t said it in so many words.It was so entirely unexpected based off my perception of him and his high-and-mightiness that I couldn’t find the words to respond for an embarrassing amount of time.
“You’re welcome,” I finally squeaked out.Then, in an effort to lighten the tension that had my pulse fluttering, I added, “So, have I convinced you of the magic of winging it, yet?”
He snorted.“Hardly.I’ll admit I see the value in it, but I’m not about to abandon my plans.”
“Of course you’re not.”That would be too much to ask for.“I take it you’re already working out an itinerary for my spa day with Vivienne, too, huh?”
“Well, yes, obviously.”His brow furrowed, like planning his fake spouse’s spa day he wasn’t invited to was an everyday occurrence for him, and I should already know that.“Massages don’t typically allow for clothing, so keeping the fact your belly is fake a secret will be a challenge.And that’s assuming you don’t sit in any hot tubs, saunas, or any other location that would risk you being found out.”
My hackles raised.Here he was, finally,finallyoffering me a genuine compliment and sincere thanks, only to follow it up with his incessant planning.As if I wasn’t smart enough to figure out a solution on my own.Did he raise valid points?Yes.But was Vivienne going to be a Peeping Tom at me?Probably not.If I was careful, I wouldn’t need the additional straps that helped secure the stomach in place.Sure, the masseuse would know something was up, but I could try bribing her to keep her quiet or ask her to massage everything but my back.Surely there were requests like that, right?I’d think of something.I always did.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied curtly.“But your concern is noted.”
