Page 24 of Greed
“Mmm.” Grace squinted at Lilo’s forearm and plucked a tiny stone out with tweezers.
“Ow.”
“Sorry. You want to talk about what happened? It was your cousin, right?”
“How did you know?”
“Griff told me,” Grace added.
“Griff?”
“That’s what the family call him.”
“Huh. I think I like Griffin better. Much more regal and mysterious.”
Grace dropped her tweezers on the metallic tray. “Oh my God. Regal and mysterious? You have the hots for my boyfriend’s brother!”
“No I don’t.” A flush crept up Lilo’s neck.
“Well, why not?”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s a lot better than Donnie.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“So, what’s the problem? I know he can be a bit stand-offish and stiff, and maybe he uses spreadsheets too much, but he’s an impressive man.” Grace picked up a bottle of saline and began irrigating Lilo’s wound. “Very clever, loyal, reliable.”
“Reliable? That’s like saying a ramshackle house has ‘character’ in an attempt to sell it. I’m onto you, lady.”
Grace laughed. “It is not. He’s also assertive… brave, and well, he’s a good man.”
He was brave. He jumped in front of Lilo, knowing full well he could get shot. He also tried to save her cousin, despite the fact he had no conscionable reason to. Nathanial was a criminal stranger, and still Griffin had tried to help him. But…
“He’s too confident. I tried that with Donnie, and look where I ended up.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You won’t let another person walk all over you like he did.”
“Well, Griffin doesn’t want anything to do with me, so it’s a moot point.”
Grace assessed Lilo for a long moment. “I find that hard to believe. You’re a smart, beautiful woman.”
“I also ruined his cashmere sweater by accidentally popping gum on his chest.”
“Naw. C’mon. It can’t be that bad. Maybe it was your blueberry gum. He’s a bit sensitive to strong smells.”
That was an interesting point Lilo filed away for later introspection. Just another clue in the mystery that was Griffin Lazarus. And she didn’t know why she was considering solving his puzzle because he didn’t like her. So, stop it, Lilo. Stop fawning.
“He was so angry that he crushed his metal mug,” she pointed out. No arguing that.
“Serious? That doesn’t sound like Griff. He’s always in control.”
“Yeah, his sister Liza said he needs to loosen up.” Lilo shrugged. “Well, it happened. Whatever. I have more trouble in my life than chasing a man like that, even if he does smell amazing.”
“Smell amazing?”
Lilo waved her down. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just this weird thing.”
