Page 5 of Austin
Chapter Two
Like Vegas, Renowas a city that never slept, but the sidewalks were relatively empty as Austin passed under the Biggest Little City in the World archway. Empty enough that he noticed the car slowing behind him. The traffic light ahead of him was green. No reason to slow, unless…
He shot a quick look over his shoulder. A Ford Escort came to a stop and the driver leaned over to look at him through the tinted passenger window. Austin shoved his hands deeper into his jacket pocket and kept walking. The window whirred down.
“Austin.”
Did he really want to continue this?
“Austin…please…”
He rolled his eyes skyward, then reversed course. Stepping over to the car, he braced a hand on the edge of the doorframe as he leaned down to look through the open window. “Do we know each other?”
Kristen’s mouth tightened. “Yes.” He said nothing and her expression faltered. “Would you get in the car?”
He wasn’t certain if it was curiosity or the uncharacteristic note of desperation in her voice that made him reach for the door handle, open the door and settle into the cramped seat. Once he was inside, Kristen focused on the green light beckoning her to move forward, presenting him with a stiff profile.
“Where are you staying?” she asked.
“The Legacy.” Only a few blocks away.
“Maybe we can circle the block a few times.” Her knuckles were going white on the steering wheel.
He gave a careless shrug. “Circle away, Kris.”
She put the car into gear, moving back out onto the street. “I pretended I didn’t know you because my family is unaware that I’ve encountered a few roadblocks.”
She sounded like she was reading from cue cards.
“You might work on your inflection, so that you sound more genuine.”
She shot him a look. “I am being genuine.” She jerked her gaze forward again.
“No, you’re being curt and impersonal.”
She was also desperate—that was more than obvious. Something was wrong in Kristen Alexander’s life and, even as he tried to tamp it down, his protective instinct rose. He tamped harder. “Roadblocks. That’s why you’re slinging drinks?”
She nodded, and then, instead of circling the block, she pulled into an empty parking spot a couple of blocks past the Legacy. Austin was relieved she was no longer trying to drive—her mind was obviously not on the road.
“Why be ashamed of moonlighting?” He knew the answer. People like Kristen didn’t dress up in costumes—especially a costume like this. His gaze slid from the bejeweled feather thing in her hair to the cardigan sweater she wore over the satin corset that barely contained her breasts, down to the super short skirt. Not Kristen’s normal style, unless she’d changed one hell of a lot since high school.
Her chin lifted. “I’m not ashamed.” The words came out a little too casually. “I just…I didn’t want Whit and my folks to worry about me.”
It was a legitimate concern. Reno wasn’t an easy town in many regards, but his gut told him it wasn’t the entire truth.
“I’m asking you not to tell them, Austin.”
He cocked his head. Studied her as the traffic light a few yards away turned first yellow, then red. He didn’t know her that well. He’d fancied himself wildly in love with her once upon a time, only to discover that having a crush didn’t mean you knew someone. Or that they wouldn’t humiliate you in public.
When he didn’t answer immediately, she swallowed nervously, but kept her gaze glued to the street in front of her. “Allow me to keep my private life private.”
“From your sister?”
“Yes.”
“Who can finish sentences for you?”
Her jaw muscles tightened. “I told you—I don’t want my family to be nervous on my account.”
