Awaken (Divine Hunter Series) (6 page)

“Hey. You look like you could use a drink too,” she said as she walked into the room.

Michael slowly closed the file in front of him, making sure all his clippings were tucked away inside. “It’s that obvious, huh?” He grinned up at her, glad to see her smiling face behind a slender pair of black rimmed reading glasses that he hadn’t seen her wear before. “You wear glasses?” Not really a question, more an observation. They made her features even more striking.

“Ah. . . yes, but usually only in class.” She removed them as though she felt a little embarrassed. “Tough day?”

“Not the best.” And not for any reasons he could talk to her about.

“I was thinking of grabbing a coffee and a bite to eat before I head home, care to join me?” She fidgeted with her glasses before sliding them into her purse.

Michael smiled as he watched a shyness in her that just positively melted him−which wasn’t good. The last thing he needed right now was any complications, so beginning to like a colleague a little more than he should was really not an option. But he did like Lacy. And besides that, it
was
just coffee and a bite, and he was in the mood for some food. What harm could it do?

“Sure. That’d be great.” He noticed her
shoulders relax in that instant.

* * *

L
acy had insisted on driving them out to a small Italian cafe bar called Carlito’s on the other side of town, a small place set back from the road. Inside, the welcoming cream and red décor felt warm, and the heavy scent of roast coffee and Italian cuisine made Michael’s stomach groan with anticipation.

They were seated at a small table in the corner by the window. The lighting was dim and there was a tea-light in a red colored glass holder flickering in the middle of the table.

This is not a date.
He thought as he reassured himself that everything about this was okay.
It’s just dinner with a colleague.
He looked up at Lacy, who smiled back at him, the glow of the candle light on her face enhancing her features and creating shadows that made her eyelashes appear twice as long. She was. . . beautiful.

Oh, H
ell.

They ordered food and while they waited, the waitr
ess brought their drinks over: cappuccino for Lacy and a whiskey for Michael. He only wished that the alcohol would affect him in some way so he could relax a bit. Even just a little fuzzy would be great right now. One day he was going to drink and drink as much as he could to see if he could actually get drunk at all. But for now, he’d have to make do with sober-as-a-judge no matter how much of the brown stuff he drank.

Realizing
they were both sitting quietly, Michael pulled himself away from his thoughts and tried to look a little more relaxed about the whole situation. “Nice place,” he said, breaking the awkward silence.

“It is, isn’t it? I come here once in a while, nice atmosphere and no students. It’s nice to relax here after work.” She took a sip of her coffee. “How’s life for
you on campus then? I don’t envy you having to live as well as work there. I think I’d go insane.”

“It’s not so bad, but I haven’t really been there long. I’m not sure I’d be happy with a permanent situation.” And it
did beat some of the musty motel rooms he was so used to. “My place is bigger than I expected actually. I have my own kitchen, albeit small, and the living area is plenty for me. I’m in a quiet part of the building which is good. There’s just me and another sub on our floor and the other rooms are empty. So you see, I can’t complain.”

Lacy cocked an eyebrow “I didn’t
realize it was so luxurious over there.”

“Oh, it is. You should see the size of the bedroom.”
Shit!
He held his breath and shook his head slightly as he realized what he’d said. Thankfully, when he looked at Lacy she was grinning right at him. They both laughed. “I’m so sorry, I never meant for−”

“It’s fine. I know you didn’t,” she interrupted. After that, there was no more awkwardness or silence. The ice had been broken and they both began to feel much more relaxed as the night went on.

An hour passed easily. Michael was feeling well fed after polishing off a large Penne Arrabiata and a tomato and onion salad. He watched Lacy intently as she finished off the last of her tiramisu. “I enjoyed that so much,” she said after swallowing her last mouthful and dabbing at her mouth with her napkin.

To his chagrin, he’d enjoyed it too, watching her eat the little slice of coffee flavored, cream dessert. He had to stop it. He grabbed the attention of a passing waitress and called her over. “Another coffee?” he asked
Lacy, who hesitated for a moment before turning to the young girl waiting with her order pad at the ready.

“Hey. Sarah. Would it be ok
ay if I left my car in the parking lot tonight? I just really fancy a beer.”

Michael spoke before the waitress had time to answer. “I can drive back.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.” He turned to the waitress
, “A beer for the lady and,” he smiled back at Lacy, “a coke for me, please.” Lacy mouthed the word thank you so he waved his hand in dismissal, “I was fed up of the whiskey anyway.”

The rest of the evening consisted of more drinks and plenty of conversation. Michael had done a good job of keeping it mostly about Lacy, wanting to know more about her and her life and figuring now was as good a time as any. Luckily she didn’t mind and, to his surprise, she was actually quite open about things. How her life had been since moving to Maryland, even past relationships. She spoke more about her mother and how they’d never really seen eye to
eye, which is why she’d come to live with her Grandmother in the first place. She told him how her mother cared more about her job than anything else and she couldn’t stand it anymore. He was quite content to leave her to do all the talking and was sitting back in his chair, pleased that he’d managed to avoid her asking any questions about him.

Until. . .

“So, how about you?” Lacy said, catching him off guard for a second. “You must miss your family when you work away like this.”

He should have expected it, been more prepared for it, but the truth was, he was so fixed on listening to the soft tone of Lacy’s voice that he hadn’t really been paying attention to everything she’d said. He cleared his throat, buying himself time to prepare his answer which shouldn’t have been a problem. Lying was a big part of his existence now and it usually came naturally to him. But somehow, now that he was sitting in front of her, it didn’t feel right.

“I’m actually kind of a loner.” Wasn’t a lie. So far, so good.

Lacy’s eyebrows lowered. “Oh. . . I don’t believe that.”

“It’s true, honestly. I don’t have any family around and I’m an only child. So. . . yeah, just me.” He said it matter-of-factly as though it didn’t bother him and the truth was it didn’t anymore, not really. Perhaps it was just because he’d been so wrapped up in his quest to find whoever had killed him that loneliness no longer played a part in his existence. Or maybe he just hadn’t allowed it to.

“
Okay then. . . Girlfriend?”

He grinned and shook his head. “No.”

“Um. . . Boyfriend?”

His eyes widened and so did hers. “No! Definitely not my thing.” He could have sworn she looked relieved for a moment. She took another swig from her bottle of beer.

“What about friends then? You must know someone.”

Michael inhaled deeply, pleased that the four beers she’d drunk had given her more courage and that it had somehow made her think that she was hosting an episode of
Twenty Questions.
He was strangely amused by it nonetheless.
“Just work colleagues mainly
.
”

Her shoulders slumped and her tone of voice changed to something slightly more dejected than before. “I’m sorry to hear that. It must be bloody miserable being on your own.”

He smiled. “It’s really okay,” he said reassuringly, wanting the silly, relaxed, slightly drunk Lacy back even if it did mean more questions. “I have plenty of work to do to keep me occupied. I don’t have time to feel alone.” Thank God that seemed to lighten the atmosphere again.

Lacy sat upright, her mouth curling up into a warm smile. “Well, Michael, in Oakland you have a friend.” She held her hand out to him over the table. He shook it and hesitated before letting go.

“I think I can live with that.”

As the evening went on, and the place filled with diners at the tables and drinkers at the bar, Michael had managed to switch the subject back to Lacy. She was pretty tipsy and he didn’t even need to ask questions anymore; information was just pouring out of her and he found it hard to keep a straight face. He sat listening to her talk about her ex fiancé, Simon, who’d had an affair
for over a year with a colleague from his work. She’d only found out about it because she’d become friends with a woman at her weekly spinning class; neither of them knowing that they were seeing the same guy until they went for coffee one afternoon, and her friend had pulled a picture of Lacy’s fiancé from her wallet claiming him to be her long term boyfriend.

“I seem to be as unlucky with men as my wonderful mother is. . . ”
She went on, getting more and more animated much to Michael’s amusement. In fact, he wasn’t even sure what she was saying anymore. He was lost in his thoughts. What was it about the tone of her voice that warmed him so much? He felt like he could listen to her talk forever. She was fascinating to him and he couldn’t help feeling a connection between them that maybe they both shared. They seemed to have at least one significant thing in common: they were both alone.

Instead of listening to her
talk, he studied her face, noticing how smooth her skin was. Her large green eyes looked darker in the soft hue of the candle light. Then he realized what he was doing and snapped himself back to a reality he needed to make damn sure he clung on to.

“. . .
and thinks it’s acceptable for a forty seven year old woman to date a man who’s four years younger than her own daughter−”

Michael leant his mouth on his hand and tried to stifle his laugh.

Lacy blinked and focused her eyes on him. “Oh dear, I’m waffling aren’t I?” Her words were beginning to slur a little. “And you haven’t spoken for a very long time.”

“I’m enjoying listening,” he said before asking for the bill from the passing waiter, “but I do think I should get you home.”

“I think you’re right.” Lacy began to rummage through her purse as though she’d lost something. Michael stood and reached for her jacket from the back of the chair and retrieved her car keys from one of the pockets.

“Are these what you’re looking for?” He grinned, dangling them from is finger.

She reached for them. “Yes. Thank you−”

Michael snapped them away. “I’m driving remember?”

“Yes. Of course you are.”

Michael helped her into her coat.

* * *

L
uckily, Lacy was just about sober enough to remember how to get to her house. With only a couple of wrong turns along the way−and plenty of laughs about it−Michael eventually pulled into the driveway of her quaint, one story home in a small suburb just on the edge of town. He got out and hurried to the other side of the car to help her.

She giggled as he took hold of her arm to steady her. “Quite the gentlemen aren’t you?”

“Just don’t want you falling on my watch,” he replied as he guided her from the car to the front door. She rooted through her purse for her house keys under the glow of the porch light, cursing under her breath until she finally pulled them out and attempted to unlock the door. Michael assisted.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked as she stepped inside and turned to face him.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. I’m feeling a little dizzy, that’s all.” She brushed a stray hair from in front of her eye and tucked it behind her ear. “I had fun tonight.” She smiled.

“Me too. Good night Lacy.” He began to walk away down the narrow garden path which cut across the grass. The crisp fall air left his mouth on a cloudy
exhale as he prepared for his brisk walk back to campus; the walk that would clear his head and bring him crashing back down to reality as he berated himself for nearly letting his feelings rule him for the very first time since he’d been Michael Warden. He was about to unhook the small gate when Lacy shouted from behind him.

“Wait!”

He turned back to see her still standing in the open doorway, the glow from the hall light silhouetting her slim frame.

“How will you get back?” she asked as she took a couple of steps towards him.

He held his hands out and looked up at the clear night sky. “It’s a great evening. I’ll walk.”

“But it’s right across town.”

“I’ll hail a cab or something. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” Again, he went to open the gate.

“Why don’t you stay here?” His hand froze on the catch at the same time his breath caught.
No. Definitely not a good idea
. He turned back to face her as she started to walk towards him. “Look. . . I have a spare comforter. You can sleep on the sof−” She stumbled, but Michael hurried and managed to catch her by her arm.