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Heather Lewis, it appears, is much more than meets the eye. A photo from her file in my car comes to mind. She may look plain, but there must be more to her personality than that. Her luscious mahogany hair conceals a sharp mind, and her soft, round face could get away with murder.
Heather’s got the body most women spend thousands of dollars for; she's busty, curvy in all the right places, and tall. Tall enough to wear her firm build with grace and ease. I tense when I hear what sounded like Jimmy punching the roommate to silence his muffled cries. I shake off my thoughts, clear my throat, and redirect my mind.
No point in fantasizing about Heather until after I’ve already met her.
“Her clothes are nice, well-worn,” I open each drawer, searching for more hidden items, but there are none. “If Jimmy's search was thorough, she doesn't have any lockboxes. If there are any hidden assets...”
I stroke my jaw thoughtfully as I look around the room. Everything I see is nice but old; Heather takes care of her possessions and is willing to invest in what will last. It shows forethought for the future as well as the attention required to care about that kind of shit.Heather seems like an adventurous lady, but not excessively. She is a teacher, so she can probably handle a lot at once.
“I’m getting excited about this woman,” I mutter with a slight grin. I step out of the room and open the door across the hall. Clothes are strewn across the floor, and a small coffee table in the center of the room has a pile of paper plates with old food on it. “Roommate,” I mumble with disgust.
Heading back downstairs, I find Jimmy walking up from the basement, and he throws his thumb over his shoulder. “Nothing in the kitchen or dining room, Boss. What about you?”
“You know, Jimmy,” I start, leaning against the back of the sofa to cross my arms over my chest. He arches a brow quizzically. “The problem... with the innocent-looking is that most of the time, they’re not so innocent. There is much more to this woman than a plain face and a nice rack.”
“Aye?” He questions with a slight smirk. I nod, inhaling deeply through my nose and holding my breath. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with your uncle, does it? Thinking that just to spite him?”
“My uncle was a bleeding heart for innocent faces,” I growl, with a disgusted grimace. “He might’ve taught me much of what I know now, but the most important lesson was unintentional. No matter the debt, no matter the crime... everyone is an opportunity. Despite all he was, my uncle didn’t understand that no one is innocent if we’re involved. The Irish Mafia isn’t something you simply stumble upon.”
“Feels like you’ve got a plan in mind for this... Heather Lewis,” Jimmy alludes, and I nod again with a soft sigh. He runs his hand through his hair, looking around the house in admiration. “I’d buy up this place in a heartbeat if you wanna wrest it from her. I’d pay her whole debt for it, and I have no doubt it’s worth multiple millions.”
“I don’t,” I answer, and Jimmy’s face falls in obvious disappointment. “I have something else in mind, though. Maybe you’ll get the chance to negotiate if Heather can’t hack it.”
“She’ll be back in about twenty minutes, that is if what the roommate said is accurate,” Jimmy replies, checking his watch. “So, I guess we’ll find out.”
CHAPTERTWO
Heather
“Hey, Google. Call ‘Carrie.’” I demand, and my phone in my lap buzzes briefly before replying in a mechanical voice.
“Hello? Aren’t you up a little late for a school night?” Carrie asks, her voice bright and happy.
I ball up the used pad. Tossing it into the cup holder, I tap the ‘speaker’ button on my phone. “Oh, Mike’s back tonight, right?”
“He broke up with me,” Carrie squeaks in surprise to my flat response. Sighing and rubbing my brown eyes with my fists, I lean back in my seat with a thud. “He wasn’t even gonna tell me if I hadn’t shown up. He was just gonna ghost me! That lying, cheating jerk said he fell in love with someone else while in Spain for only two months!”
“Wow, no way!” Carrie exclaims, and I nod to myself with a grimace. “What happened?”
“I just— I wanted to punch him so badly, but I just turned and walked away,” I answer, clenching my hands into tight fists in my lap. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and let out a bleak groan. “Carrie!”
“I don’t blame you. That’s a dick move. What a jerk!” says Carrie, anger and revolt visible in her voice.
“But you know, not to be harsh about it, you two weren’t exactly in the throes of passion, Heather,” Carrie points out, and I pull my seatbelt over me with clammy palms.She never fails to see both sides of things, I am so grateful for her at times like this.
She’s got a point.I glance at my reflection in the vizor before pushing it up and turning over my car.
“Mike was a safe option. I’m not saying you two didn’t care about each other, and Mike trying to screw you over is wrong, but... are you being honest with yourself about why it sucks?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, twisting to back out of my space and weave my way down through the parking structure. “I liked him well enough, Carrie. And maybe we did lack a little in the passion department, but that was fine with me.”
“It obviously wasn’t fine with him, though,” Carrie’s remark hits me in the chest, and a grim scowl forms on my face. “You’re not even heartbroken about it. I can hear it in your voice. Yeah, you’re mad and feel betrayed, but you’re not sad.”
“I’ll get sad eventually,” I whisper, and Carrie snorts in disbelief. My mouth dries as I shake my head, taking a wide turn to the ground floor. “Anyway, you’re not helpful, so I’m gonna hang up now.”
“Wait!” she shouts, and I clench my jaw as my attention splits between her and the signs directing me out of the concrete maze. “Just eat some ice cream and watch Schindler’s List or something. You’ll be okay, Heather.”
Cracking a smirk at Carrie’s soft tone, I inhale as much air as I can through my nose as affection worms through my veins. “Thanks, Carrie. I’ll call you tomorrow?”
