Page 35 of Liar & Champion
I smiled back. “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”
“Exactly.”
“Wood and diamonds could be very cool.”
“The wood would shatter around the diamond, but before that happened, yes, it could be very cool. What pointless things do you know how to do, like wood carving and stitching people up?”
“Neither one of those are pointless.” I raised my knife to demonstrate the point.
She snorted. “That was an evasion. What do you know, Mr. Honey?”
I thought for a moment. I didn’t really want to get into all the things I did for work. She wanted pointless stuff. “I know Greek.”
Her eyes widened. “Thatispointless.”
I laughed. “Incredibly. During high school I took the least practical classes I could. My mother wanted me to go into politics, like my father, naturally, but I’m not interested.”
“Politics would be rough, so much lip service and so little actual service. You were made for better things, to solve more immediate problems.”
“As a home health care specialist.” Did she actually not know who I was?
“Or a self-defense instructor.” She smiled shyly up at me, and I was almost totally convinced.
I smiled and played the part of sweet and steady boyfriend. It was the most enjoyable role I’d played in a long time. I needed her to be comfortable thinking I was on her hook so she’d stay on mine. “I know a lot of different martial arts. I wanted to learn every one in the whole world, but that’s a lot. I still take as many as I can hoping that someday, I’ll get to all of them.”
“That’s high aspirations right there. I personally hate violence, but I like the art part of the martial. Do you play any instruments?”
She hated violence? No kidding after having a stalker like Dupre. I definitely wasn’t mentioning my day job in case she really didn’t know.
“I have had years of piano and guitar lessons, but I wouldn’t say I play them. It was practice, not playing. What about you, any instruments I should know about?”
She gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Just the radio. I took piano lessons when I was little, but it didn’t work out.”
“Why not? You make it sound like an abusive relationship.”
She smiled brightly. “Pianos are bullies, as everyone knows. What is your favorite food?”
She was changing the subject. There was a story behind her piano playing? “Trout, of course. You?”
She leaned over her knees and stared into the flames. “I don’t know.” She sounded sad for a moment before she smiled and turned to me. “I can’t choose between tacos and pizza.”
“You really are a classics kind of girl. Yellow Camaro, fifties hits, and tacos and pizza. I suppose you like banana sundae’s too.”
“As a matter-of-fact, I haven’t met a Sunday I didn’t like. What’s your favorite Bible story?”
“David and Goliath. He’s smart, he’s determined, and he takes down the giant, in spite of bringing a rock to a sword fight.”
“Like bringing a blanket to a gunfight.”
I shook my head a brushed her cheek. “Didn’t you say that you have to have multiple guns for it to be a gunfight?”
“Maybe Michael had multiple guns.”
“Plus the ones in his arms.”
She gripped my hand. “Do you really think that he won’t be able to find us in Las Vegas? He has a lot of resources at his disposal.”
I gently squeezed her hand back. I could smell the fear on her. “I am as sure as I know how to be.” And if he found her, I’d make sure it left an impression. Even more than a cactus.
