Uncovering Officer Smith (The Discovering Trilogy #2) (16 page)

Meggie left me that Monday. I helped her pack most of her stuff, which consisted of three suitcases of clothes, and one solely of shoes. Then we said our goodbyes until the Fall semester.

The dorm is empty without her. It’s creepy almost, but above all, it’s lonely. Her room is a hollow reminder that something is missing. Her furniture and pictures are still around, but her laugh, her upbeat spirit, those funny jokes, and the endless parade of different guys, are all absent from my life. Without her, my life actually is somewhat boring.

Well, more than it was before.

My daily routine consists of attending my two summer classes and then sulking around an empty apartment. It’s Wednesday and I don’t think I can take another day of this moping around. Instead, I find the guts to text John. We had a great weekend, but I haven’t heard from him since he dropped me off on Sunday.

I whip out my phone: Excuse me, Officer. I need to file a missing person report. This guy is about six-feet tall, muscles, blue eyes, brown hair, and nice ass – have you seen him? If you do, can you tell him it’s really rude to rock a girl’s world and then leave her hanging like that?

With a content smirk, I place the phone back down on the table. It immediately lights up with a response.

Doesn’t sound familiar. I’ll keep an eye out for him. He sounds like a real jerk. Maybe he’s just been working a lot.

Immediately followed by another: Maybe he feels like a real asshole.

I type back: He should. A girl actually had to do homework. It’s summer and she should be either blissfully intoxicated or being seductively seduced.

A minute or two passes before I receive: Those are some highly specific terms. Challenge accepted: I’ll be there in an hour.

I stare at the phone in disbelief. That was easy. Placing the phone on the counter, I glance around. My homework is splayed all over the coffee table and my bowls fill the sink. I really got comfortable trying to feel at home since Meg left.

Slowly, it hits me. “Holy crap, this place is a mess!” I’m immediately on my feet and picking up pieces of loose-leaf paper from all over the living room. I shove them into a textbook before heading to my bedroom. Throwing the covers in the air, I shoot a spray of air freshener through them before making the bed. The clothes scattered throughout the room I shove into my arms and throw them into the closet before shutting the door. My shoes are kicked under the bed.

“The bathroom!” I gasp. It hasn’t been cleaned since before Meggie left. We’ve had more company in this apartment than the bathrooms at a football stadium. I practically run into the bathroom and begin wiping it down, tossing everything under the sink. I close the shower curtain because I just don’t have time to tackle that mess.

Next up, those dishes in the sink.

I’ve just begun opening windows and wiping the floors, when there’s a knock at the door. I toss the broom into Meggie’s room and shut the door.

By the time I finish, there’s a second knock. I wander over and open it. John Smith is standing in my doorway in all of his sexy officer glory. His uniform is slightly wrinkled from a day’s work. His gold-rimed aviator style sunglasses are covering those perfect eyes and a case of beer is in hand.

He lifts his sunglasses to the top of his head. “I figured we could knock out both things off your list.”

Leaning on the door, I respond, “That’s only a case. What do you take me for, a
girl
?” With a playful look, I relieve him of the beer and hold the door open for him to enter. “So this is it.” I twirl around, indicating the dorm living room.

“Wow, they are a lot smaller than I remember.”

“Well, this is how the other half live. Would you like a tour of the mansion?”

He glances around. “No, I think I’ve got it.”

“Suit yourself, if you get lost just holler – I’ll send a butler to find you.”

“I’ll be sure to leave breadcrumbs.”

I nod, smiling like crazy. “Are you hungry? I think I have stale chips or cereal or something.”

“As much as that sounds appetizing, let’s order from Frankie’s. I haven’t had their wings in years.”

“I’ve never had them.”

He glares at me. “You’ve never had Frankie’s wings?”

I shake my head. His mouth drops open. “Oh my God. That’s it.” He slips out his cell phone and starts plugging in numbers. “Amazing, I still remember their phone number. – Oh. Hey, I’d like to place an order for delivery—Bucket of Frankie’s famous wings and waffle fries. – North Common’s dormitories, South end, Room 304. Thanks.” He hangs up the phone.

“A whole bucket?”

“You’ll thank me later,” he states, putting the phone back into one of his uniform compartments. “I came right from work. Do you mind if I change?”

Only now do I realize he has a backpack strapped to his back. “No, go ahead – the bathroom is right there.” I point to the door behind him. He disappears inside.

Turning back to the living room, I bite my nails. John Smith is in my apartment right now. He’s naked in my bathroom at this very moment.
Be cool, Becca, be cool
.

The knock at the door comes. John rises from the couch beside me to open it. That snug tee shirt and jeans he has changed into are a sight to watch while he opens the door. The smell of Buffalo wings wafts into the room, stomach now rumbling with excitement. John hands the guy money before shutting the door and turning around.

“Are you ready to have your world rocked?”

I giggle, pushing the coffee table closer to the couch. “Ready!”

“Okay.” He sits on the couch beside me again. “Let’s do this.”

“I have to warn you.” I gleam at him, attempting to be serious. He meets my eye, pausing slightly for a second. “This isn’t going to be pretty.” 

He nods. “Understood.”

With that, we dig into the delicious goodness of Frankie’s famous wings. John was right: it is the perfect sauce with just the right about of spice. The fries are perfectly crisp and covered in cheese. I don’t know how I even lived before these. Every wing after Frankie’s will be nothing short of a disappointment.

I think I’ve wolfed down like five by the time I come up for air. John glances over, does a double take, and begins to laugh.

“What?” Instead of answering, he laughs harder. “What is it?”

“You got a little something here, and here.” He points to both my cheeks.

I giggle, reaching for a napkin. “I told you this wasn’t going to be pretty.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Hey, you have some on your nose.”

“No, I don’t.” He wipes his nose on his sleeve.

“Right here.” Reaching out, I dab some sauce on the tip of his nose.

“Oh, you want to play like that.” He slides his finger across the dirty plate and leans toward me.

I screech, stumbling to my feet. “Truce, truce!”

“Oh, no, you started this.”

“No.” I giggle as we rotate around the coffee table across from each other. He tries to reach me from there, and I lean back so far I fall into the couch. He’s on me in seconds—His dirty nose wiping across the tip of mine. I giggle, struggling to get away, to no avail. I’ve only managed to have sauce spread over my entire face.

The giggling dies down, the sauce stinging my pores, but it seems like a distant tinge. John Smith is on top of me, his blue eyes serious again as they peer into mine. He blinks and the moment is lost. But it was there, if only for a second. I feel him withdrawing, his eyes hardening slightly. His body tenses.

“You’re right, these wings bring people together.” I grab a napkin and wipe the sauce from my cheeks.

His voice seems distant somehow. “They are the best.”

“I agree. You are introducing me to a whole new world.”

He smiles, and his eyes finally soften. “Well, you aren’t living until you’ve had Frankie’s.”

“I agree.” I slip back to the floor and pop a waffle fry in my mouth.

“What do you want to do?” He makes himself comfortable on the couch beside me.

“I have some movies recorded,” I offer.

“I never have time to watch movies anymore. Which ones?”

“That new comic book one that was just released, and I think a few comedies.”

“Romantic comedy?”

“I don’t think so…”

“Then let’s go with one of those.”

The movie is playing. We’ve cracked open the pack of beer. Sitting beside him, my fingers tap the side of the couch. I’m debating how close to sit or if I should cuddle up to him. We haven’t exactly discussed what we are. I’m still assessing the situation when an arm goes around me; pulling me closer as the movie begins.

The longer the movie plays, the more we laugh. A few more beers are opened. We begin to get more comfortable with the other. I’m openly leaning on him now, his arm unmoving around me.

By the time the last beer is opened, he leans in to kiss me. Bubbles are still on his tongue but I don’t mind. The movie continues to play, but I’ve suddenly lost all interest. I don’t know how long we remain lip-locked, but it doesn’t seem nearly long enough.

There’s a knock at the door. I pry away from John’s lips. “Must be someone looking for Meggie.”

Reluctantly, I climb to my feet and wander over to the door. Feeling John’s eyes on me the entire time, I swing it open only to be met by Tom. His dark-rimmed glasses hide whatever it is behind his eyes. Damn, seems like I can’t escape this guy.

“Hey, Becca, I heard a raucous…” His eyes explore inside the dorm.

“Everything’s fine.”

“Whose this guy?” His finger points toward John on the couch.

“This is my friend, John.”

“Yeah.” Tom sighs. “I’ve heard of
him
.”

“Heard of him?” I whisper.

“I’ll tell you later.” He snickers before wandering back down the hall.

I shut the door and turn around to see John right behind me. I walk into his chest. “Oh.”

“I don’t like that guy.” His tone is unyielding, protective.

“Well, from the sound of it, he doesn’t like you, either.” I walk around him, heading back to the couch. “You know, you should really try and be more approachable.”

“I don’t need to be approachable. I need to be feared.”

“Well, he’s a little odd to begin with so—”

“He lives right next door?”

“Yeah, Meggie calls him our next-dorm-neighbor.”

John’s not amused. “You should stay away from him.”

“How am I supposed to do that? We live right next to each other.” I point through the wall.

He shrugs, returning to the couch. “I get a bad vibe from him.”

With one last glance at the door, I nod and settle beside him again.