“Are you here to see Axel or me?”
“Both. Are you hanging around, or have you got places to go?”
“I need to head out. I’m taking Mom to her favorite Italian place later, so I’ve gotta get a few things done first.”
Vince smiled and clapped Splice on the arm. “I just went by Tammie’s place to give her a gift.” Slipping a hand into his front pocket, Vince pulled out a wad of cash and found a few hundred-dollar bills; he pushed them into Splice’s jacket pocket. “Buy your mom a good bottle of champagne.”
“Vince, I’ve got it covered. I can get Mom what she wants.”
But Vince wouldn’t hear of taking the cash back. He was generous to a fault; even though Splice didn’t need anyone’s money, he didn’t argue further.
He parted from his uncle minutes later with a promise to visit once he was back from his travels, and Splice climbed onto his low-slung bike, his mind shifting through the things he needed to check on first.
His route was nowhere near Lisa’s, yet he rode by her house, checking if she was home. What the fuck was he gonna do if she was? Invite him in for a coffee?
While she’d been friendly the last time, she wasn’t exactly showing signs she wanted to spend time with her old flame.
He increased his pace and left the neighborhood, turning towards town, as he shook his head at his own foolishness.
He had to knock a few heads together before he could eat the fattest steak tonight.
His days were never dull.
TEN
Lisa
She wasnoton a date.
So, why was the guy sitting opposite her in Luciano’s restaurant acting like they were on a sixth date?
Lisa knew right away, when she saw his eyes sparkle, that meeting Keir at Luciano’s restaurant was a poor decision.
“That’s very fattening, you know? It’s made with heavy cream. Are you sure you want to order it?” Keir dared to comment after Lisa ordered the tagliatelle.
Lisa dropped the menu book and stared aghast. The server looked equally embarrassed.
Lisa almost swore at him but was diplomatic and remained silent. She had dealt with difficult clients before, but those instances were usually work-related. This was personal.
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“Ah, okay.” He nodded with a smile. “You must keep in shape to eat such calorie-laden food.”
Whoa. Who the hell was this guy? Was he raised in a swamp, devoid of basic common sense?
Lisa received an email from Keir, a Utah-based horror author, requesting her services to translate his five-book series into multiple languages for audiobook production. She had suggested meeting locally; she didn’t anticipate he would select a romantic restaurant.
She was ill at ease in his presence, questioning her decision to collaborate with him due to his inappropriate comments since their meeting began.
“If you don’t mind me saying, you’re slimmer than I imagined someone in your line of work.” Before Lisa could drink, he tittered, thinking he had complimented her.
“I imagine you don’t earn a lot translating.” It was another of his stellar lines.
If she’d been feeling petty enough, she would have whipped out her banking app to show how well her work paid.
What a prick. She was two breaths away from swilling no-filter Keir with water.
“I’ve sold twenty thousand copies of my e-books already; they’re huge in Japan, and I want to have them translated ASAP for a European audience. Would that be too much work for you?”
