Kissing with Fangs (12 page)

“That doesn't surprise me. Did you get a license number?”

“By the time I got over the shock and remembered to look, I only saw a couple numbers and one letter.”

“Even a partial might help. What were they?”

“13O.”

“Are you sure the
O
was a letter and not a number? Could it have been one thirty?”

Angie hesitated. “Damn. I'm not sure anymore.” Her voice shook. “I was so scared. I'm still scared…for him.”

Nick's voice gentled. “Angie, it'll be okay. You know I'll do everything I can to help.”

“And so will I,” Anthony said. “I'm a pretty skilled hypnotist. If I hypnotized you, would you see more of the license number?”

“Maybe,” she said softly.

“Nick, can you hold a few minutes while I do that?”

“I'd rather make a couple calls right away and have you get back to me.”

“Of course. I'll talk to you soon.”

“Will do,” Nick said and clicked off.

By that time, Angie was crying. Claudia had an arm around her and guided her to the sofa. Then she said, “I'll get you some tissues,” and hurried toward her bedroom.

Angie sniffed, wiped at the tears, and looked up at Anthony. “I had just told my family that it was too damn bad if they didn't like it. I'm going out with him anyway.”

“Are they prejudiced?”

“Yeah, but not because he's black. They can't stand the fact that he's from New York. My father, grandfather, and brother all hate the Yankees and the Giants.”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “I've heard of crazy Boston sports fans, but that's ridiculous.”

Claudia returned with tissues and handed the box to Angie.

“Tell me about it.”

“Do you think you can handle hypnosis right now? Maybe we should wait until you're feeling a little—”

“No. Do it right now. I want to help Nick find him, and the sooner the better.”

***

Claudia had gone down to the tea room to make Angie a pot of chamomile tea, per Anthony's request. He seemed to want to be alone with Angie while he hypnotized her. Claudia wasn't about to fight with him about it. Maybe he was afraid of hypnotizing her at the same time. Or maybe he thought Angie would relax more if she didn't have an audience. Yeah, that was probably it.

She made the tea and stepped out onto the sidewalk. As she was locking up again, someone called her name with an incredulous expression in his voice.

“Claudia?”

She glanced over her shoulder and recognized her old boyfriend Maynard. “Hey, Maynard. Nice to see you. How are you doing?”

“I'm great,” he said and puffed up his chest under his brown leather jacket. “I'm working in Cambridge now.”

“Oh? Where in Cambridge? I used to live there.”

“Central Square.”

“Really? That's where I used to live. It's funny that I bumped into you over here instead of in Cambridge.”

“Yeah. Well, I was just in the neighborhood. What are you doing here?”

Claudia tipped her head toward the tea shop. “This is where I work. I'm the manager.”

“Just the manager? I thought you'd own your own business by now.”

Claudia didn't know how to take that. Was it a compliment about her intelligence? Or a slam for her lack of success. “Uh, well, the business is brand new. We've only been open a few days. I designed it, hired and trained the staff, created the menu, found suppliers…the whole nine yards. I get to call the shots since the owner is rarely around.”
Why
am
I
bragging? Oh, yeah. When I did AA's fourth step, I discovered one of my worst character defects is pride.

“Cool. Sounds like my kind of boss.”

“Yeah, he's great. Are you still into science?”

“More than ever. I'm head of a research lab.”

“Cool. I know that's what you wanted. What are you researching?”

“Oh, you know…a lot of stuff.”

Was he being evasive or did he remember how bored she'd gotten with his long, drawn-out scientific explanations?

“So, I guess you graduated from MIT.”

“Nah. I went three years, then a friend of mine offered me this opportunity and I never looked back.”

“Well, good. I'm glad you're doing well.”
Especially
since
I
dumped
your
ass. Now I can stop feeling guilty.
“Uh, I need to get this tea upstairs before it gets cold.”

“Oh? Do you deliver?”

She laughed. “Not usually. I have a friend up there who's a little upset. There's nothing like a good cup of tea with honey to comfort someone.”

“That or a good cup of rum.” He winked.

Ugh. He remembers how I used to cope with…everything.

“Yeah, well, I gotta go.”

“Hey, maybe I'll stop by when you're open.”

“Sure. And tell your friends about us.” She hoped he was just being polite. Bumping into Maynard on the sidewalk was one thing, but being buddies wasn't something she wanted to do. She edged away and hoped he took the hint.

“Well, bye. It was good to see you.”
But
not
really.

“Yeah, same here.”

By the time Claudia returned to her apartment, Anthony had uncovered the rest of the license plate number and was on the phone with Nick. She passed by without looking at him but felt his eyes on her.

“What do you take in your tea, Angie?”

“Honey and lemon, if you have them.”

Claudia poured Angie a generous cup and stirred.

“Is everything all right, honey?” Anthony asked Claudia.

Angie's brows lifted.

“Uh, yeah. Fine.” Claudia handed Angie the tea and felt her cheeks heat.

Angie looked from Anthony to Claudia. “So, are you two…”

Claudia looked over at Anthony, wondering what had possessed him to call her “honey” in front of their employee. He slipped his arm around her waist and warmed her with a side squeeze.

“Yes,” he said. “We are.”

A glow of pride fought with her better judgment, but eventually her sentimental side won. She wrapped her arm around him too. “We've been keeping it quiet.”

“I hope you will too,” Anthony said.

“Hell, yes,” Angie said. “Does Ruxandra know?”

Anthony closed his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“Jesus! Aren't you afraid she'll try to harpoon Claudia like she did Brandee when she thought you were into her? What's to prevent raging Ruxandra from becoming a bull in a bone china shop?”

Claudia tried not to smile. It was a serious concern, but Angie's spin on it…well…

“She's been warned. You're both safe. If you weren't, I'd hire another bodyguard.”

Angie and Claudia glanced at each other. “Another?”

Anthony sighed. “You might as well know. Remember how Kurt and Tory hung out at the bar all the time? I had asked them to keep an eye on the place.”

Angie set her tea down and folded her arms. “I thought Tory was there to see me. Are you telling me he was working there?”

“I'm sure seeing you was a major bonus, Angie.”

She muttered something under her breath, but Claudia decided to leave it alone. The girl had been through enough for one night.

The following evening at the tea room, Angie seemed a little better. Apparently Nick had found out who owned the van and was hunting him down. Claudia had just been thinking about her accidental meeting with Maynard yesterday when the bell over the door tinkled. She looked up.

Speak
of
the
devil.

“Maynard. I didn't expect to see you so soon.” She kept her feet firmly planted on the other side of the counter in front of the cash register.

“I couldn't resist your invitation. I even invited some friends as you suggested.”

Angie peeked up from her order pad as she wrote.

“Sit anywhere you like,” Claudia continued. “How many friends are you expecting? We can push together a couple of tables if you're a party of seven or more.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that. Just two others.”

“Okay. Can I get you something while you wait for them?” She handed him a menu.

“Just a glass of water…unless
you're
on the menu, of course,” he said, and winked.

Oh, gross.
A smooth operator Maynard was not. Claudia chuckled anyway, much like she'd seen her waitresses do when the place was a bar.
Must
be
nice
to
the
customers.
“Sorry.”
Not
in
this
lifetime.

He shrugged. “Oh, well. I had to try.”

Angie seemed to be glaring at them.
Oh, no. She doesn't think for a minute I'd cheat on Anthony…

Maynard surveyed the room and headed toward the table Sadie used. She had taken a dinner break but would be back to read tea leaves within the hour for her six o'clock appointment.

Angie blocked his path. “Not that table. It's reserved,” she said a little too abruptly.

“Oh? I think
your
manager
said I could sit anywhere I liked.”

Typical
Maynard.
He took things literally and seemed to do it on purpose. That was one of the things Claudia remembered she didn't like about him.

Angie looked to Claudia. “It's okay, Ange. If he wants that table, we can move one for the party that requested privacy.” She sent a pointed expression Maynard's way and hoped he'd get the hint. Either he didn't or didn't want to. He sat at Sadie's table and made himself comfortable by stretching out his legs and leaning back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head.

Stubborn
ass.
Claudia made a mental note to put a “reserved” sign on that table when she knew Sadie would be reading.

The bell tinkled and a young couple entered. They spotted Maynard and joined him at the table. “A tea room, eh?” one of them said. “Since when do you drink tea?”

He smiled at Claudia. “Since I found out the manager is an old friend of mine…and maybe a future friend if all goes well.”

Gack.

The couple turned and looked at Claudia for the first time.

“Oh,” said the male. He lowered his voice and said something to Maynard that made him smile. It made Angie's eyes widen and she almost stomped off to the kitchen.

Whoa.
Claudia didn't want Angie getting the wrong idea, so she followed her.

“Angie.”

When she turned around, Angie's lips were so thin that she looked like she was trying to hold back a barrage of words.

“Maynard's an old boyfriend who makes me uncomfortable. Would you mind waiting on him and his friends? I really don't want to give him the wrong idea.”

Angie let out a deep breath. “Only if I can dump hot tea in his lap.”

Claudia laughed. “If that was allowed, I'd do it myself.”

Angie smiled for the first time since Maynard walked in. She must have finally realized Anthony's heart was safe.

As
if
there
were
any
comparison.

“Okay. I'll try not to spill it directly on him.” Angie's evil grin would have given Claudia pause if she didn't know her so well. Angie would be professional…to their faces.

“I'll be in my office for a few minutes. Knock if it gets busy, okay?”

“Will do,” Angie said.

Claudia knew she was hiding. So what? Maynard
did
make her uncomfortable. Her sponsor's voice was in her head. Gaye would tell her to remove herself from unnecessary stress, and that's exactly what she was doing.

While she was in there, she pulled out the menu to see if anything they ordered regularly could be adapted for children's fussy taste buds. Her latest brainchild was having tea parties for kids.

Chris, the cook, was working out well. Not just on time, but often early. She'd felt badly about his waiting on the sidewalk for her to come down and open the door, so she'd given him his own key.

Let's see…starting with the brunch menu. Kids would probably like quiche, but not the ones with asparagus or broccoli.
She tapped her lower lip with the eraser end of her pencil and thought about what would please both kids and their parents. She ruled out hot dogs the minute that idea popped into her head. A. Choking hazard, and B. She wanted to keep the high-end integrity of the…
Wait. Mac and cheese?
She scribbled it down and planned to talk to Chris later about the feasibility of adding it to the menu.

The office door opened and in walked Maynard, like he belonged there.

“Is something wrong, Maynard?”

“Not at all. I just thought we should visit while I'm waiting for dinner.”

“I'm kind of busy, and I thought you had friends to visit with.”

Maynard plunked himself onto one of the chairs opposite her desk. “I won't take much of your time. I just wanted to ask if you were busy Saturday night.”

“Yes. I'm afraid I'm quite busy every night now.”

“Oh, come on. I'm sure you can find a hole in your schedule.”

She was about to protest that “no,” she really couldn't, when a knock sounded on the door and someone peeked his head around the corner. It was Maynard's male friend.

“The indicators just went off like crazy out here,” he said.

Maynard jumped up and strode to his friend who showed him some kind of handheld equipment.

Claudia rose and was about to ask what the device was when the pair returned abruptly to the tea room. Curious what sort of “indicators” they had been looking for, she followed.

As soon as she exited the office, Anthony and Nick spotted her and waved her over.

“Hey, guys. How are things going?” Just for good measure, she stood on tiptoe and gave Anthony a peck on the lips.

He smiled…and so did Nick. The PI didn't look surprised, so either Anthony had told him they were a couple or he'd figured it out for himself.

Claudia glanced over at the trio of geeks and all of them were frowning. Surely they couldn't
all
be upset that she had a man in her life. Something wasn't adding up.

Angie exited the kitchen, carrying a tray with a large teapot and three plates of salad. She grinned in their direction and called out, “Hey, Nick. Hey, Anthony.”

“Hey, yourself,” Nick called back.

Claudia lowered her voice and asked Nick if he'd located the van.

“Not yet. But they've got an APB out for it. I expect someone will spot it soon.”

She focused on Anthony. “Can I talk to you in the office?”

“Of course. Is anything wrong?”

She worried her lip as she glanced over at the party of three, all of whom were still staring in her direction. “I don't know. Maybe.”

“Do you need my help?” Nick asked.

“No. It would be better if you could hang out here and talk to Angie. I'm sure she'd appreciate knowing what you just told me.”

“Sure,” he said and took a table near the front door.

“Angie, I'll be in the office if you need me. Get Nick whatever he wants…on the house.”

Anthony smiled but didn't say anything as he followed Claudia into the office.

As soon as she closed the door, he swept her into a strong embrace and angled his lips over hers. After a long, breathless kiss—even though most of his kisses were nearly breathless—he tucked her head under his chin and stroked her hair.

“Is everything all right?”

“I don't know.” She took a step back and looked him in the eyes. “One of those guys at Sadie's table is an old boyfriend of mine. Not that I'm still interested or anything,” she was quick to add.

Anthony's eyebrows lifted before he could stop his surprised expression.
Of
course
she
has
old
boyfriends. She's a beautiful girl and could have several.
Still, a twinge of jealousy stabbed his heart, and for a split second he wanted to rip the guy's throat out.

“I'm just telling you this because he asked me out, and I want you to know that will never happen. Even if he was the last man on earth, I'd want nothing to do with him.”

Anthony chuckled.
I'm far more apt to be the last man on earth.

“What's so funny? You don't think I'm attractive to other men?”

“No! Not for a minute.” He cupped her face. “I know how beautiful you are, believe me. The thing is…I trust you.”

She smiled and her posture relaxed. After a brief hesitation she said, “I trust you too.”

Was it time to say,
I
love
you?
It seemed like a golden opportunity. But would she say it back?

As he was pondering, she moved on to another subject. He didn't hear her at first and had to drag his attention back to what she was saying.

“His friend handed him some kind of metal instrument and they've been frowning over it ever since. What do you think it could be? Some kind of air-quality thingy? Maybe they're measuring our dust mites? I try to keep the place clean…”

“Whoa. What did you say?”

“Dust mites?”

“No, before that. The first thing you said.”

“I said his friend was upset that his ‘indicators were going crazy.' At least that's what I think I heard. Now they're all acting pissed off.”

“Is he a health inspector?”

“No. He's a research biologist.”

Anthony scratched his chin. “Hmmm… Let me go talk to them.”

Claudia nodded. “Thanks. I'll wait here, if you don't mind.”

“I think that's a good idea. They might not want to say anything if you're right there.” He grinned. “Especially if he's trying to charm his way into your pants.”

Claudia rolled her eyes. “So not possible.”

“Good.” He winked and left the office, closing the door behind him.

The three people sitting at Sadie's table were crowded around some kind of instrument. It must have been the item Claudia had mentioned. It was about the size and shape of a brick, but made of metal. He saw a light and a dial, and the device did seem to be reacting to something. One of the guys muttered, “Off the charts,” under his breath.

“Is everything all right here?” he asked the trio.

One of the men smirked, while the other guy and the woman looked uncomfortable. “Depends on what you call ‘all right.' The food is edible, if that's what you mean.”

“Just edible?”

“I assume it's great. I haven't eaten yet. I've been…distracted.”

“Oh? Does your distraction have to do with that little box you're studying?”

He grinned. “You could say that.”

“May I ask what it is?”

The other guy gave him a head shake, but the cocky one kept on talking.

“It measures paranormal activity, and this place is a hotbed of it.”

Anthony straightened. “I don't know what you mean. Are you saying our building is haunted?” He leaned over the object, and it made a
ping
sound.

“Oh really? You really don't know what I mean?” He moved toward him and lowered his voice. “Does Claudia know?”

“Know what?”

The guy folded his arms. “You can drop the innocent act.”

But Anthony couldn't. His only defense was denial, or blaming his abilities on something else. “I'm not acting. I really don't know what—”

“Let me spell it out for you. You and your friend over there”—he nodded toward Nick—“set off our EMF device the minute you walked in.”

“Hmmm.” Anthony tipped his head and tried to look confused. “I'm sorry. I think your machine that goes ‘ping' must be broken.”

The guy snorted.

***

Anthony rejoined Claudia in the office, and as soon as he'd shut the door, he leaned against it.

“What's wrong? You look like…well, like you're nervous. I've never seen you nervous before.
Ever.
What did he say?”

Anthony held up one finger.
How
the
hell
am
I
going
to
explain
this? I need to talk to Nick, but not while Claudia's in here. On the other hand, how can I let her go out there, knowing the “researchers” might tell her something that will scare the daylights out of her? Shit. I knew I'd have to tell her someday, but they've just forced my hand.

“Claudia, honey. There's something I need to tell you, but this isn't the place. Maybe we can close early tonight.”

“Close early? But Sadie has a client scheduled. Not to mention it's bad for business—”

“I don't give a shit about the business!” Anthony paced and raked his fingers through his hair. At last he took a deep breath and dropped into one of the chairs.
If
only
we
hadn't given up the extra office space for the kitchen. I'd still have the couch and maybe I could get her naked on it. At least it would keep her from leaving the office.