Page 33 of Two of a Kind
“Yes. We went to high school together. It was a long time ago. We’re not close.” All true statements, however misleading.
“I thought she was from Georgia.” This was from Sue Ann, who told anyone who would listen that the best chefs hailed from the south. “That’s where she met up with Aidan Harrison and they came up with the idea for the Celtic Goddess.”
“Oooo, Aidan Harrison,” crooned Carly. “That man is smooth, creamy chocolate on a stick. Do you know him, too?”
“It’ssex on a stick, notchocolate on a stick. No, I don’t know Aidan Harrison. And Lexi moved south before she graduated.”
“Why did she come to see you?” Annette asked, her nose twitching as if she smelled a potential prestigious client.
This was where things got tricky. “She saw my write-up on Sate and recognized my name. She decided to stop in to say hi and get some more information.”
It was partially true. Lexihadseen her review and asked her about it as they had walked to Franklin’s Deli. If Kayla had to guess, she would bet Ian had been skulking around the internet, looking for some hidden agenda or ulterior motive on her part.
“Did she say anything about booking?”
“No. Anything else?”
They shook their heads. “Good. I’m going home.”
“But it’s only six o’clock.”
Kayla shot Annette a withering glance. “I’ve cleared my desk, and I have no appointments scheduled for tonight. I’ve also already logged more than sixty hours this week.”
Annette’s mouth snapped closed as Kayla gathered her things and left.
The ride home was relatively uneventful. As planned, she picked up a tub of ice cream on the way. She couldn’t wait to change into her stretchy pants and spend the rest of the night lounging on her sofa and binge-watching something to get her mind off her shitty day.
It was as she was unlocking her door that she heard something out back. Reaching into her purse, she grabbed her pepper spray and cell phone, and eased around the corner. She didn’t see anyone, but the door to her shed was ajar.
“Damn it,” she muttered.
Scowling, Kayla approached and found the padlock hanging open, but there was no evidence of tampering. Had the kid been by to mow the lawn? She hadn’t even noticed. Chances were, he had and had just forgotten to lock it up again. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Because she worked such crazy hours, she left the key to the shed in one of those fake-rock things on the back porch. She would have to remind himagainnext time he came to be paid. It wasn’t exactly a high-crime neighborhood, but things did occasionally go missing. Even worse, some curious kid could come along and end up hurting himself or ingesting chemicals or something, and it would somehow beherfault.
A quick look inside revealed some disarray, but nothing obviously missing. Apparently, the kid didn’t like taking the time to put things away properly any more than he liked locking up.
With a few colorful mumbles, she secured the shed. Instead of putting the key back in the fake rock, she took it inside. She didn’t mind letting the kid use her equipment and tools, but she did expect him to do so responsibly.
She had no sooner dropped her purse on the counter when her cell phone chimed. When she saw the number flash on the caller ID, she ignored it. She didn’t have the strength to deal with her mother, not until she had a long, hot shower, a tub of ice cream, and at least two episodes under her belt.
She turned off her cell and plugged it into charge. For the rest of the night, she was officially unavailable.
Kayla put the ice cream in the freezer then headed for her bedroom. The landline phone rang before she made it.
“Kayla? Are you there? Why aren’t you answering your cell? Are you screening? Pick up the phone. This is your mother.”
Glad her mother couldn’t see her, Kayla began to undress. Chances were, things in Denver weren’t going as smoothly as Patricia expected and she was calling to vent. Kayla had been through it enough times to know. When it was just Patricia and Charles, Patricia got her way and things were quiet. But Charles’s daughter was not the type to stand idly by when Patricia started flashing the wife card and throwing her weight around. Charles inevitably got stuck in the middle and, not wanting to upset either woman, tried to compromise. Kayla could have told him that Patricia didn’t do compromise, but he would figure it out eventually. Either way, Kayla wasn’t about to get involved.
An irritated exhale sounded over the machine. “Fine. When you get this, call me.”
Kayla added that to the list of things she wasnotgoing to do.
Twenty minutes later, she was showered and in her PJs, curled up with a pint of chocolate chip mint and her finger onPlaywhen her house phone rang again.
“Hey, baby. We still on for tonight? I’m down here at the Beef and Brew, and you’re not,” the rough, gritty male voice broadcast from the machine’s small speaker, making Kayla groan.
She had forgotten all about her date with Dax. They had a standing agreement to meet up on Thursdays if they didn’t have any other plans, kind of a “friends with benefits” thing.
