Page 7 of Suddenly Sexy

Asia rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. That is why I quit the      police force. They always wanted me to work for Vice and dress up as a hooker      when I wanted to solve cases.”

It sounded as if they both couldn’t get the assignment they      wanted because of the way they looked. Julie never thought of it that way. She      always assumed her friend eventually got what she wanted, but maybe Asia’s      appearance was a disadvantage as well as a benefit.

Asia gathered her pen and notebook. “So, what are you going to      do now?”

Julie shrugged. “Before or after I crawl into a hole and lick      my wounds?”

“Come on, Julie,” Asia said with a hint of exasperation in her      voice. “There is no need to roll over and play dead at the first sign of      opposition.”

Julie pointed at the open door. “He thinks I can’t be a      seductive woman.” She hated how her voice hitched in her throat.

“He didn’t say that.”

“Then he thinks I can’t do detective work.” That hurt almost      just as much.

“He didn’t say that, either.” Asia leaned her elbow on the back      of her chair and gave her a hard, direct look. “In fact, he didn’t make any      comment whatsoever. It’s up to you to face him and find out why he won’t let you      be a decoy.”

“You’re right.” She obviously wasn’t going to be handed a plum      assignment just because she asked for it. Life never worked that way. She needed      to find out why Eric was against her and show how wrong he was about her      abilities.

Asia rose from her seat and gestured to Julie. “So march into      his office right now and find out.”

Julie nodded as she reluctantly got up from her seat. As much      as she wanted the job, she wasn’t ready to find out exactly what Eric thought      she lacked. The answer was going to be personal. Whatever it was, she didn’t      think she could put on a brave face and take the criticism on the chin.

Asia crossed her arms and rested her hip on the conference      table. “Yeah, go in like that and he’ll snowball you.”

“Sorry,” she said with a wry smile, “my confidence is a little      shaken.”

But it was more than that. All of her wild and sexy fantasies      about Eric died a quick death during the meeting. How many times had she      fantasized that he was so overwhelmed with desire that he couldn’t control      himself? Her daydreams of being a sexy siren to Eric were never going to come      true. The reality was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Of course your confidence is shaken. It got knocked around a      bit,” Asia said. “But you have to appear stronger and more daring than you      feel.”

“I don’t think I can.” She was never a      fake-it-until-you-make-it kind of person. She was more of a      what-you-see-is-what-you-get girl.

“Fine,” Asia said. “Then accept Eric’s decision with no      questions asked and stick to keeping track of uniforms.”

Julie shuddered. “Forget that. I want this assignment.”

“Good.” Asia pointed at the door. “Now go into Eric’s

office with guns blazing and don’t take no for an answer.”

Guns blazing. Right. Because that was so how she approached      life. “This is going to be a complete waste of time,” Julie muttered as she      pushed her seat in.

“Show him that you can be just as fierce and tenacious as he      is,” Asia said with a pump of her fist.

“So he can bodily lift me and toss me out of his office?”

Asia’s jaw tightened with annoyance. “If you want to be a      decoy, you need to show that you can face any situation and not get rattled when      everything goes wrong.”

She was absolutely correct. “The police force really lost out      when you quit,” Julie said as she took a step toward the door.

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