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I was pleasantly surprised to see that my room was furnished with a queen-sized bed, two bedside tables, and a full dresser. The sheets on the bed even looked fresh. Luke August may have only been twenty-two years old, but he at least lived like a real adult. I spent a few minutes meticulously unpacking my suitcase, then found Luke in the kitchen.
“I’d like to hear all the details of the attack,” I said while opening the Notes app on my phone.
Luke was scooping protein powder into a blender with his back to me. The broad muscles of his back and shoulders were pressed tight against his T-shirt. “I already told the police.”
“The police are useless. I need the information, too.”
“Even though you’re only going to be here a week?”
I nodded at his back. “If I’m going to do this job, I’m going to do it right. Start from the beginning and tell me everything you can remember.”
Luke had an attitude about it, but he answered my questions. The attacker was shorter than him, maybe a hair under six feet tall. He wasn’t scrawny, but he wasn’t muscular, either. Deep voice, brown eyes. When he ran away, he was fast.Another athlete, maybe?
“It probably doesn’t matter, anyway,” he said while gulping down his protein smoothie. “It was just a one-time attack. A mugging gone wrong, like the police said.”
I frowned. “That’s the opposite of what you told me. You said he was focused on breaking your arm.”
He shrugged. “Who knows? Either way, I doubt it will ever happen again. In a week, you’ll be back in Los Angeles guarding people whoreallyneed protection.”
Does he really believe that, I wondered,or is he lying to himself?
5
Cazzie
One good holdover from being an Army MP was that it was impossible for me to sleep in. My body woke up automatically two minutes before my five-thirty alarm, and I hopped out of bed full of energy. It was the first full day on the job, and I had a lot of work to do.
Despite being a famous NFL rookie, Luke had a twenty dollar Mr. Coffee machine that anyone could buy at Wal Mart. The sludge that dripped out of it was worse than the brew at Fort Bragg.I was spoiled by having Kaylyn’s fancy espresso machine, I thought with a grimace.I’ve gotten soft.
Luke’s balcony faced east, and I went outside to watch the sunrise while reading the news on my phone. That gave me a chance to meet the neighbors, who were also up and drinking their coffee outside. In the apartment to the left were Janice and Jimmy Michaels, a retired couple who now volunteered at the public library. A twenty-something woman named Lexi lived in the apartment on the right. Lexi with an I, she made sure to emphasize. She was wearing a babydoll nightie that was practically see-through, and her hair and makeup was already perfect even though it was six-thirty in the morning.
Looks like someone’s trying to impress Luke, I thought.
When my coffee mug was empty, I took a stroll around the apartment complex. Roof, gym, pool. On the way back, I took some notes about the other neighbors on Luke’s floor. When they walked the dogs, and when they left for work. I liked patterns. Patterns made sense. When patterns were disrupted, that’s when alarm bells went off in my head.
When I went back inside, Luke was awake and in the kitchen. Before I could say good morning, he blurted out, “Why were you interrogating Lexi?”
He was wearing a pair of loose boxers, and the muscles in his chest and shoulders strained against a gray tank top. I forced myself to maintain eye contact rather than checking him out. That would definitely ruin myI only date womencover story.
“Interrogating?” I snorted. “I was getting some basic information about her. Same for the Michaels on the other side. This is all standard protocol.”
“I don’t want the neighbors all freaked out,” he replied. “I’m new here. I want them to like me.”
I refilled my coffee mug from the pot. “I’m concerned with your safety, not your popularity.”
He crossed his bulky arms over his chest. “I just don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about you.”
Something clicked in my head.Ah, that’s it. He doesn’t want Lexi thinking I’m a date that stayed over. “I’ll make sure I explain the situation next time I see them.”
“No. You’re not getting it. I don’t want you explaining anything to anyone. Just try to blend in or something, all right?”
I took a sip of coffee and grimaced. “I don’t know how you drink this stuff. When you get your first big NFL paycheck, you should buy a nice coffee maker.”
He grumbled something under his breath and then went out onto the balcony. A few minutes later, while I was eating a bagel, I heard him chatting with Lexi.Flirtingmore than chatting. I rolled my eyes and went to take a shower.
When it was time for practice, I packed my own workout bag and then followed Luke out to the front of the apartment. “Uber will be here in five,” he said.
“Uber?” I smiled. “Too good to drive yourself now that you’re a big shot?”
