“Yep.”
His leather jacket flashed in my memory. I’d gotten an eyeful of his jeans too. They screamed nonconformity and all-around bad boy.
I whistled. “You had me all fooled. Thought you’re an artist through and through. You sure rock that leather jacket and scruffy jeans.”
His laughter was so unexpected that I couldn’t help but laugh with him. “I assure you I rock a suit just as well.”
Come to think of it, I had no idea what he’d been wearing that first night.
“Full of yourself, are you?”
“You can say that. I called to ask if you want to come to another set next week. I can lure you here with music, drinks, and a few other things I won’t mention, or you’ll call me imaginative again.”
Something in the way he said those last two words made my skin sizzle. I couldn’t go, though. It meant missing out on an evening with Avery again. I wanted to say yes but knew I shouldn’t. I wanted to talk to the manager anyway about a job, but I could do that over the phone.
“Let’s talk about that on Monday.” Apparently, I couldn’t bring myself to say no either.
“Music to my ears.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m even better at... being imaginative in person.”
Chapter Five
Heather
On Monday, I was a little giddy as I headed to the address Ryker had texted me. Did I have an actual reason to be happy? I did not. Was I determined to stay positive? Yes, I was.
My editor had told me the chances of my bonus being paid out early were slim, but if I brought in a great story and the response to it was enthusiastic, it was possible. The ten ideas I’d pitched weren’t what they were looking for, so I was back to the drawing board.
Just in case I could not come up with a story idea to their liking, I checked into plan B. Unfortunately, the manager of the Northern Lights said they didn’t need any additional personnel at this time. So although I could look for other waitress jobs, I’d decided my time was better used coming up with a good story.
I stepped out of the subway at the corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. The second week of March was already much warmer than the first one. Somehow, through the exhaust and leftover garbage on the sidewalk the air smelled fresh, as if the city was preparing itself to go from gray to green any day now. My fellow New Yorkers seemed to share my opinion; I noticed a few more joggers than usual coming out of Central Park. I preferred the gym, where I was safe from the whims of the weather.
When I stepped inside the guitar shop, I told myself that my giddiness had nothing to do with the fact that I was seeing Ryker again. Except, my heartbeat intensified when I saw him at the far end of the room, talking to the green-haired guy behind the counter. My breath caught when our gazes locked. The intensity in his eyes made me burn.
He smiled at me, wiggling his eyebrows. Laughing, I made my way to them.
“How much are the repairs?” I asked.
“Zero,” said Ryker.
I glanced at green-haired guy. “He already paid, didn’t he?”
“He did.”
Placing my hands on my hips, I shook my head at Ryker. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Give me shit?”
“I’ll let you get on with that while I pack the guitar away. I’m Arlo, by the way.”
Arlo disappeared behind a curtain, leaving me alone with Ryker.
“I came a few minutes earlier, thinking you might do this,” I said.
“That’s why I came even earlier.” He grinned, and I took stock of his appearance. He must be coming straight from work. He was wearing a fancy black coat, and I could see the bottoms of his suit pants beneath.
“So, Rose said you asked if she has any openings at the bar,” he said.
I nodded. “My landlord wants proof that I can afford the apartment on my own. My base salary is low and most of my money comes from a bonus. But I want my daughter to have her own room.”
Oh... I hadn’t told Ryker about Avery until now. I hadn’t meant to keep it a secret... I’d just got so caught up in our flirting that I didn’t get a chance to mention her.
“You have a kid?” Ryker asked.
I nodded, my stomach tightening in a knot. “A seven-year-old girl. Avery.”
“And that asshole is her dad?”
“No. Her dad was an even bigger asshole. But Gerald was supposed to move in with us, and the lease was in both our names. Anyway... I asked him to hold off telling the new landlord he’d changed his mind, so I could have time to get my ducks in a row. Instead, he informed him right away.”
“He had to know you’d have a huge problem on your hands. This is New York. It’s hard finding apartments even in normal circumstances.”
Ryker’s eyes were feral.
“I know.”
“Why don’t we grab some burgers and you tell me more?” He flashed a smile that revealed sexy as hell dimples. Wow. I’d noticed them on Thursday too, but in the dim lighting of the bar they didn’t make an impact. Now, under the neon flash, things were different.
“I only have forty minutes.”
“I know a small bistro a few blocks away. They serve excellent burgers, and they’re quick.”
I was sold. What harm could forty minutes in a bistro do?
“Okay.”
Arlo returned with the guitar, and after Ryker strapped it to his shoulder, we left the store.
“It’s a ten-minute walk. We can grab a cab if you like,” Ryker offered.
“No, it’s fine. I want to stretch my legs a little.”
We walked side by side, with him occasionally placing a hand on my lower back to steer me into a side street. Every time he touched me, my body temperature seemed to rise.
The bistro wasn’t what I expected. I felt as if I’d walked into a tiny vacation cabin. Everything was wood paneled, and the seating area consisted of long tables with padded benches. They were so crowded that I couldn’t find a single spot to sit.
The woman manning the counter seemed to be in her late seventies. She lit up when she saw us.
“Ryker, finally decided to share your secret eatery with others?”
He’d brought me to his secret place?
“No, Mary. Promised I won’t bring Wall Street in here, and I’m sticking to it. Heather is... special. We need to take good care of her, or I risk her not wanting to see my face again.”
“Pretty face like yours? Tut-tut. I don’t think so. Besides, those dimples are to die for, aren’t they?” She directed the last question to me.
Ah, his dimples were a national treasure, clearly. Ryker looked at me as if expecting me to actually answer. Instead, I proceeded to order the house specialty: garden burger and chili fries. He ordered the same... and watched me even after Mary started preparing our food. I became hyperaware of every breath I took. When I couldn’t stand the tension anymore, I glanced at him. He wasn’t just watching me. He was studying me.
“What?” I whispered.
“You didn’t contradict her.”
“About what?”
“The dimples.”
“It’s rude to contradict someone older than you.”