Page 40 of Lovetown, USA
“I’m aware.”
She studies me for a beat, then leans forward slightly. “You were a lot more fun last time I saw you.”
“Last time you saw me, we were both naked.”
There it is. The loud, melodic laugh that tells anyone in the vicinity that the mayor is at the function. That she’s at thecenterof the function, and you better not forget it.
“Touché,” she says. “But that was then.”
“Ancient history,” I agree.
“I’ve always loved history. EspeciallyBlackhistory.”
That gets a small twitch of a smile out of me before I smother it, but I can’t control the images my brain inconveniently conjures—her office, after hours, shadows on the walls, her skirt bunched at her waist, pins hitting the floor as her hair fell out of her bun…
“Let’s talk business,” I say, eager to leave the past in the past.
“Fine. Monica gave me an overview, but refresh my memory.”
“My clinic.”
“Ah, yes,” she says with a finger snap. “The clinic. You’re having trouble getting permits.”
I nod.
“Well…” she trails off, clasping her hands together on the desk. “I could look into it for you.”
She lets that dangle in the air, her voice lilted just right to let me know there’s something lurking behind that offer.
It worked. I’m intrigued. “Yeah, that would be—“
“But,” she interrupts smoothly, “I’d need something from you.”
“I figured.”
She gives me a sly smile. “Rumor has it you’ve been spending some time with a certain beautiful journalist.”
My eyes narrow. “Where are you going with this?”
Because I know wheremymind just went. I’m sitting here wondering if this is the second woman in Lovetown who wants a taste of Lane.
She rests her chin on her hand, tapping her perfectly manicured nails against the side of her face. “I’m concerned about what she’s writing about our city.”
“Oh. So pull her up. Talk to her.”
Daphne sighs. “I’d prefer it ifyoukept an eye on things. Since you’re so often in her company.”
I laugh at that, short and sharp. “What are you worried about? One little exposé isn’t enough to hurt business.”
That earns me two raised eyebrows. “Exposé?”
Fuck.
Maybe I wasn’t supposed to mention that.
So I try to steer us back to the purpose of this little parlay. “About the clinic—“
“Back up, back up.” She takes a deep breath. “I’m still stuck on exposé.”
