Page 87 of Man Cuffed
We both crack up.
“Copper,” she says, sliding her bare foot up my ankle. “I have a couple of key questions about your promotion.”
“Shoot.” I take a gulp of the wine. It’s a nice, crisp white. The guy at the store did me a solid.
“Does your schedule change much?”
“Yup. I’ll work more normal business hours.” Honestly I’ve never minded the weird hours I had on patrol. A single guy doesn’t care as much, I guess.
“Cool. More importantly, though, if you’re out there helping victims all day, you won’t have much need for your handcuffs.”
I shrug. “Guess not.”
“Huh.” Her smile widens. “Might need to find other uses, then.”
“Really,” I say slowly. “You’re into that?”
“I’m into you. And they’re part of your persona. So...” She shrugs. “I guess I am.”
The ladies always like the handcuffs. Meg never brought ‘em up before, though, and for some reason I don’t like this development. I guess I thought Meg saw me as more than just a cop.
But I try to shake it off. Restraining her would be fun, right? Who am I kidding. “More wine?”
“Thank you.” She accepts another half glass. “I have some news, too, by the way.”
I can tell by the tone of her voice that she’s super excited with what she’s about to tell me, and that adds a little more charm to a pretty good fucking day.
“You know how I’m going to Chicago to finally filmPierson of Interest?”
“Of course,” I say. She talks about it every day. Every hour, really.
“This is so unreal, I almost can’t believe it! Guess who they just cast as the evil dude who seduces me?”
My smile stays in place. But inside I feel suddenly cold. I don’t like the idea of anyone seducing Meg but me. “Who?” I ask. If my luck holds, it’ll be someone who’s married. Or gay. Or both. Yeah, both married and gay. And even then I won’t be able to watch the seduction scene.
This is very unsettling. I never used to be a jealous man. Where the hell did this come from?
“The actor is Peter O’Hare! Can you believe it?”
Peter O’Hare. “You mean...Danny fromDowntown Blues?”
“Yes!” she squeaks. “The network is casting him against type, you know? It’s a bit of a publicity stunt. They’re trying to pull in new viewers. On my episodes! In a decade of acting I have never been so lucky.”
“Lucky,” I spit. My reaction to this news is full-on primal. If Meg had physically punched me in the gut, it would hurt less than what’s just happening to me now.
Meg keeps going. “Can you just imagine that I’m going to get up close and personal with Danny...Mr. Playboy himself? Now we won’t have to ask What Would Danny Do? We’ll know!” She laughs. She actually laughs.
And that’s the final kick. Straight to my groin this time. Perfect shot.
I don’t just see red. Red floods my entire body.
Because I know how this story plays out. I’ve seen it all before. Meg will meet Danny, act with him,kisshim. And she’ll realize he’s like a better version of me. Same handcuffs, prettier face. Better connections.
I mean, she’s told me that sometimes acting can feel very real and intense. So what Meg and I have had will pale in comparison. Hell, she won’t even think about me at all. Because she’ll be with someone who doesn’t have to pretend to be charming. Someone she can’t stay away from. Some famous dude who can give her everything she most desires, including love.
It’s Julie and Morris all over again, because of course it is.
“You in there, Mac? You’ve gone ridiculously quiet, even for you.”
