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Nick chuckled. He glanced at Rodney, the old man he had hired three years previously. Rodney scratched his overhanging belly seriously as he studied the battery. "Sure ain't no 'Die Hard', is it?"
While they were replacing the battery, three young teenagers strolled into the garage and Nick acknowledged them with a smile. "Be with you guys in a second."
Jimmy spotted the kids and motioned to Rodney to shut-up.
"Hey Filipe, where'd the black eye come from? You been messing' with the Hoods again?" Jimmy laughed.
"Somethin' like that." Filipe nodded.
Nick moved towards the young man. "What happened?"
"They caught him with Chino's sister." Another youth laughed.
Just great, Nick thought. Kids getting beat up, maybe even killed, because they couldn't keep their hormones under control. He'd been working with these teenagers, trying to teach them how to stay alive, and out of trouble. Obviously, he hadn't shown them enough, by the looks of Felipe. He playfully punched Filipe's shoulder. "Okay, Romeo, I think you need another lesson in offensive defense."
~~~
Kelsey was just biting into a tuna sandwich when the phone rang. She had been relaxing on the patio, in her sleek new peek-a-boo bathing suit, trying to decide if she wanted to go over the McGregor stock reports, or just lie there and sunbath.
Dorothy, her housekeeper was out shopping so Kelsey answered the phone herself. "O'Sullivan residence."
"Hello, Ms. O'Sullivan, please."
"This is she," she ignored the quiver running down her spine from the deep drawl of Nick Leonetti's voice, which she recognized instantly. How could a man's voice have such an affect through a telephone line? And when was the last time a man's voice had affected her at all?
"I didn't recognize your voice," his reply was throaty.
"Mr. Leonetti, how nice of you to call. I hadn't expected to hear from you. Have you reconsidered, perhaps?"
"Let's just say I'd like to talk to you about this deal a little more. I've been talking with some of the guys down at the garage, and they say this is really nothing at all. That it's more scientific than anything else. But I want you to know up front, that if I do it, I want to do it, and get it over, clean and dry, you know what I mean? The less personal, the better."
Kelsey felt a disappointment she couldn't explain. However, Nick had reconsidered. She couldn't dwell on her attraction. This was business, and he seemed to be coming around to her way of thinking. Perhaps Jackson had been right. There would have to be sacrifices on both
parts. So he wasn't attracted to her? Had she wanted him to be? She had down played her looks intentionally. No complications, she reminded herself sternly.
"Hey, are you still there?"
"Uh, yes, I'm sorry. I'm here. Look, why don't you drop by this afternoon and we'll talk about it," she suggested.
"Sure, I guess I could do that."
Her heartbeat quickened. "Great, in an hour then?"
"Okay, but I'll need directions on how to get to your place."
After giving him her address and directions to her Morningside Heights apartment, she hung up the phone. Immediately, she flew out of her chair, glancing at herself in the hall mirror. The bathing suit would never do, even if something deep inside of her wanted to show off. Now was not the time. Especially since she felt so vulnerable with Nick. She'd change into something more conservative.
While showering she debated what to wear. And then she needed the glasses. Oh, dear, the glasses. She'd left them at the office, when she put her contacts in. Those glasses had become a shield for her, and she wanted them on when she faced Nick.
She'd just have to phone Jackson and have him drop them off. If Nick saw her looking like this, he might get other ideas, and she wanted this to be strictly business—didn't she? Yes, she told herself firmly, of course she did. So why was her heart racing?
Half an hour later, Jackson brought her glasses by. Dorothy had returned and answered the door. When Kelsey heard the door bell, she went to meet him.
Jackson handed her the glasses, his skepticism obvious from his expression.
"Stop fretting Jackson," she reassured him. "I know it seems ridiculous, but I don't want to confuse the whole issue here. If I represent myself one way, I've got to play it out that way. Besides, it's for my own protection. He's too good looking. Too nice! He let me know he wanted this finished as quickly and discreetly as possible. No hang-ups. He's agreeing to this because someone has convinced him it is scientific. Thank God for whomever."
"You think he might want to see you and the baby later?"
