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“Your life has been complicated since you were fifteen. You can’t keep postponing it.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Ladies, join me for a drink,” Ash insisted, as they approached. “I just had a business lunch and have some time to kill before I head back to the office.”
“We’d love to,” Randi answered before Jenna had a chance to decline. They ordered drinks, and Ash placed his hand, warm and easy, against Jenna’s back. He nattered on about his country club, detailing the particulars to Randi as though she was a potential investor. In turn, she hung on his every word while nodding her approval. Jenna stood silently by with a half grin on her face. Her interest in Ash was quickly waning.
“Ladies, you’ve made a lonely bachelor’s day brighter, but I’m afraid I do have to get back to work.”
His hand remained comfortably assigned to Jenna’s back as the threesome exited the bistro. Outside, looking as untroubled as the valances fluttering at the bottom of the window awnings, Eric stood leaning against a small white car.
“Isn’t that yourfriendover there?” Ash’s tone was so abrupt his teeth clicked together.
Jenna sent Eric a wide-eyed glower that he returned with a quick wink and lopsided smile. He was dressed in jeans, mud caked at the hems, a plaid flannel shirt, sunglasses, and a dusty Tractor Warehouse cap.
Ash’s stride was a deliberate march as he crossed the lot to Eric resting against the subcompact. “Do you have business here?”
“Nothing that’s any ofyourbusiness.”
Ash swept one arm wide in a suggestive piss on his territory. “On the contrary, I own this building, the whole block to be exact.”
Eric lifted his shoulders. “Am I supposed to care?”
Two knotty lumps formed below Ash’s ears as he gnashed his teeth. “You’re a 911 call away from being removed from my street for loitering, so yes, you should.”
“Standing on a city road isn’t a crimeoran emergency as far as I know.” Eric crooked his head in the direction of the restaurant. “I was thinking about going in for a bite.”
Ash’s stormy gray eyes sparked pleasure. “I doubt if you can afford the place.”
As Eric opened his mouth to respond, Jenna put an end to the chest thumping. “Okay, boys, put them back in your pants.” She tugged Eric away so they were out of earshot. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I saw your car and wanted to say hello.”
“Didn’t it occur to you,” she asked, aiming her gaze at Ash’s convertible, “that I might be with someone?”
Eric coughed as if to suppress a laugh. “Um…no, no it didn’t.”
“I’m late for a meeting,” Ash called out brusquely. He started his car and made a sharp U-turn, screeching to a halt inches from where they stood. “There’s a town ordinance that prohibits cars from parking curbside overnight. This is an upscale town, and we don’t want rinky-dink economy cars littering our streets. You might want to rethink hanging around where you don’t belong.” After waving to Jenna, he revved the motor and sped away.
She watched the car’s departure, then turned to face Eric. Smiling, she offered him a limpid gaze, and sighed. He responded with an easy grin, but as he was about to reach for her, she slammed her hands into his chest. “Are you out of your fucking mind!”
He blinked and burst out laughing. “I seesomeonehad wine with lunch.”
Seething Jenna brought her fingers up close to his face as if she might claw at it. “Now I’m convinced you’ve been blasted with flashbulbs too many times. What the hell was that?”
“Jen, I was just—”
“Just what? Stopping by to ruin my afternoon? Maybe announce your presence to a few more of my neighbors?”
He rocked on his heels, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I was just going to turn this car back in to the rental place.”
Jenna made a sound like a growl. “Here’s an idea. Keep it and drive it back to Los Angeles.” She grabbed Randi’s arm, stormed over to her own car, and drove away.
****
After his lunch, Ash went directly to the weight room at his club and bench pressed till his shoulders and lats bunched tight. Once done, he went to the steam room to wait for his cronies to arrive for his meeting.
A town board member, whose ancient muscles were withered by time, sat swathed in terry cloth and gasping for breath. “I can’t stay in here for very long.”
