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“Now, I didn’t say that I wouldn’t do you a favour, just that there may be terms involved.”
Davina resisted the urge to tell him to go boil his head. She actually needed the scumbag.
“Well,” she said with forced patience, “can you help me?”
“For you,” he leered, “I’d do just about anything.”
“Good.”
She stepped around him as she plastered a friendly smile on her face.
“I’ll see you at my house after work tomorrow.”
“Yes,” he drawled with icky meaning, “you will.”
As Davina tottered away on mile-high heels, she wondered if she had done the right thing. Just talking to the guy made her want to bulk-buy hand sanitiser and spread it all over. Unfortunately there was no way she could get the movie finished in thirteen days without him.
She glanced at him over her shoulder. Derek winked and she threw herself into the safety of the ladies room.
Jack soon discovered that it was easier to follow someone when you had police credentials. No one at the TV station would let him in. They let a woman with an alpaca sail through the door, but he had to sit on the bench outside and wait patiently. It grated.
He spent his time staring down the hill, past the shopping centre to the clear blue sea behind it, wondering what he was doing with his life. It wasn’t a pleasant morning.
At midday the glass doors swung open and Davina tottered out. She looked like she’d stepped out of 1950’s Hollywood. Jack was so mesmerised by the black pencil skirt that was tight to mid-calf and the spiked black patent heels that he almost forgot he was on surveillance duty. At the last minute he dodged behind the bus shelter and peeked out at her.
She hung a matching black leather bag in the crook of her arm and held her red trench coat in the other hand. A tight-fitting cream sweater finished the outfit. Just looking at her made his mouth water and with one glance around the crowded street, he could see he wasn’t the only one. Guys were turning to stare at her backside. One or two made a comment as she passed which made her smile politely. She was a walking, talking fantasy. And the whole thing made him mad. Against all reason he wanted her to put on her coat and cover up.
She turned a corner into the Lanes. Jack ducked into the crowd behind her. She didn’t stop at any of the touristy shops, or linger over the jewellers’ windows. Instead she dodged through one of the narrow alleys lined with tiny curio shops, which were squeezed into old ill-fitting buildings. In a flash she disappeared around another corner. He thought she was heading for one of the popular cafes and he hurried to catch up. He frowned. How did she run in those shoes?
As he turned into the crowded lane a hand grabbed the shoulder of his jacket and pulled him into a doorway.
“Stop following me,” Davina told him.
Jack’s heart sank. He used to be a lot better at this. Five months off the job was all it had taken for him to lose his touch.
“What makes you think I’m following you?”
They were standing so close he could smell her perfume. Vanilla and something spicy. Did she always have to smell so edible?
“You’re joking, right? You’re denying it?”
Jack folded his arms over his old Star Wars T-shirt and vintage biker’s jacket.
“Fine, at least tell me how you spotted me.”
Her smile was so wide it lit up her whole face.
“You really don’t know?”
Jack growled. Davina spun him around to face the shop window on the other side of the alley.
“Look at yourself,” she commanded. “Now look around. You don’t exactly blend.”
Jack saw what he always saw. A guy. Maybe a guy who could use a shave, but that was it. In the reflection he could see Davina shake her head at him.
“It’s the middle of the day. There are women out shopping, kids bunking school and lots of wimpy guys in business suits – and then there’s you. Six foot of muscle, bad attitude and leather. And what’s with the spiky hair, don’t you own any product? Is it even possible for it to lie flat?”
He looked at his hair. He couldn’t see anything wrong with it. He turned back to Davina.
