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“Oh, now you’re quoting James Bond?”
“There’s no winning with you.”
“Men. It’s always about the win.”
“That remark wasn’t directed at me, so I’m going to ignore it. You should redirect all that pent-up anger to the asshole who did you wrong.”
“You know nothing about me!” she says.
“You’re right.” There must be a way of cracking this tough nut. “Maybe we should get to know each other a little better since we’re roommates. My name is Beckett. And you?”
“I’m not giving my name to a complete stranger,” she says.
“I give up.”
Did she sweeten her coffee with battery acid? Nah, I bet she laced it with hydrogen peroxide.
A few short minutes tick away and although I know I should shut the hell up and leave her be, I don’t. Instead, I try a different approach.
“Are you going to chew my balls off if I ask where you come from?”
Silence.
“My name is Ari and I’m from Philadelphia.”
I’m sure it’s a nickname, but at least it’s something.
“Pleased to meet you, Ari,” I say. “First time in LA?”
“No.”
“Do you live here now?”
She sighs. “Are we playing twenty questions?”
“What’s wrong with a pleasant conversation with a stranger?”
She doesn’t answer.
“Don’t you want to know anything about me?” I ask.
“Not really.”
I should be licking my wounds right now, but you know what they say about a dog with a bone. Backing away from a challenge isn’t something I’m capable of and right now winning this woman over would be like climbing Mount Everest barefoot.
Challenge. Accepted.
“Why not? I’m a loveable guy.” I deliver the line with my trademark charm and panache, adding an extra lightness in my voice since she can’t see me.
“They all say that, don’t they? Then, the truth slaps you across the face and knocks you off your feet… and not in a good way.”
I guess that fell on an unimpressed audience.
I allow her words to hang heavy around us.
“If you give me his name and address, I can get someone to take care of him,” I say. “Not even the elite police force will be able to find the body.”
I expect another smart retort but she surprises me.
