As she stood in the entryway looking around, it occurred to her that she didn’t have a key to his place, although he had a key to hers. She was tempted to ask him for one, just to see his reaction. But as always her fear of rejection held her back. If he said no, she didn’t think she would be able to take it right now.
“Why do you look like you’ve never been here before?” He emerged from the kitchen after depositing the groceries and took her hand. “Come here, I have something for you.”
Her heart beat fast in anticipation as she trotted behind him to the kitchen. He took a scrap of material off the counter and shook it out.
“An apron,” she said.
He nodded. “I know you wear them when you cook, and now you’ll have one to leave here.”
She debated with herself for a second. On the surface of things, an apron could be an insulting gift, but she liked aprons. The fact that he had bought her one proved how well he knew her, and it was pretty. The blue paisley print would be the only touch of color or femininity in his drab, white kitchen. It felt like putting her stamp on things, and she liked that.
“Thank you,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him an exuberant kiss that sent him reeling back into the counter behind him.
“Wow, you really like aprons,” he said when the kiss was finished. She smiled at him and turned her back so he could tie the apron. He stood back to watch her bustle around the kitchen until she put him to work cracking peppercorns and scrubbing potatoes.
“Saved by the bell,” he commented when the doorbell rang. She snapped a dish towel at his backside and his laughter echoed down the hallway as he went to answer. She finished up supper while the two men talked in the living room. She couldn’t make out their words, but every few seconds they laughed, so she figured they were joking with each other.
When she finally finished with the food, she took off her apron and looked around for a place to hang it. There was nowhere visible, so she opened the door to the pantry, looked inside, and stopped short with a stifled gasp of surprise. There, sitting on the shelf across from her, was a gun.
Her father had owned guns when she was small. Occasionally he and her uncle went hunting on Thanksgiving, but none of his guns had looked like this one. This looked…professional somehow. It was sleek and polished. She leaned in for a closer look.
“Are you thinking of going on a rampage?”
Liza squealed and spun so quickly she fell backwards into the pantry. Sal’s arm shot out to keep her from collapsing onto the floor. She quickly righted herself and sidestepped to get out of his embrace.
“What’s going on in here?” Dirk entered the room and tried to peer over Sal’s shoulder.
“Your girlfriend was rifling through your things,” Sal said. “I think she’s spying on you.”
“I was not,” Liza said. She smoothed her hand over her hair to tame a flyaway and eased past Sal to stand next to Dirk.
“Did you find anything interesting?” Dirk asked. He and Sal looked at each other over her head, clearly amused.
She didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Sal, but she had to know. “When did you get a gun?”
“Which one?” Dirk asked. He reached behind her and plucked a piece of cheese off the salad, popping it in his mouth.
“There’s more than one?”
He shrugged. “I like guns. You knew that.”
“No I didn’t.”
He frowned. “I thought we’ve talked about it before. I’m sort of a collector. Is this ready?” He pointed to the food.
She nodded. “Where is your collection? I’ve never seen it.”
“I keep it at my parents’ house except for that one. People steal guns. Their house is safer than my apartment.” He cocked his head at her. “Does this bother you?”
“No, I…” What could she say?
I’m disconcerted because, after a message was found in the pajamas you bought me, a guy was shot in the head.
“I’m surprised. I’ve never heard you mention hunting before.”
“I don’t hunt.”
“Then why do you own guns?” she asked.
He shrugged “Babe, I’m starving. Can we talk about this later?”
She nodded and began gathering the food to carry to the dining room. Dirk carried the salad, leaving her and Sal alone in the kitchen together once again. He gave her the searching look that was becoming his trademark, and all of a sudden she was fed up.
“Was there something you needed?” she asked.
His amused smile returned. He shook his head slowly. “I’m just trying to figure you out, Liza.”
“What’s so confusing about me?” Was he teasing her? She was probably the simplest and most transparent person she knew.
“Not many girlfriends are so…accommodating.” Now it was his turn to pick up a platter and leave the room.
What did that mean? Accommodating about what?
She carried the last of the food into the dining room and began to serve. She almost dropped Sal’s steak in his lap when she realized he was once again watching her with an amused, searching look.
“You’re incredibly efficient, Liza,” Sal said. He made a show of checking his watch. “Dirk told me supper would be at six and it’s six on the dot.”
“Thanks,” she said uncertainly. Somehow she didn’t think it was a compliment.
He turned his attention to Dirk. “Did she come well trained, or did you do this to her?” He waved his hand to indicate Liza as she served the salad.
“This is what people in relationships do. They take care of each other,” Dirk said. He patted Liza’s hand. “Sit, relax.”
“And do you take care of her?” Sal asked.
“As much as she lets me,” Dirk said, somewhat ruefully.
“I can take care of myself,” Liza insisted. She was becoming annoyed with this whole evening.
“See what I mean?” Dirk said.
“You should let Dirk fix you up with a new car,” Sal said. “I’ve seen what you drive.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my car,” Liza said peevishly. She was quickly losing patience with Sal and whatever game he was playing.
“It’s half your age,” Sal said. “If you won’t let him pay for it, then you should at least use his discount. With your credit score you could get a low loan rate.” He took a bite of his steak while Liza’s mouth dropped and Dirk’s hand froze halfway to his mouth.
“What do you know about my credit score?” she asked.
Sal shrugged and waited to answer until he swallowed. “I had you checked out when you guys first started dating. Don’t be offended. I do it with the girls I go out with, too. You’d be surprised how often bad credit reflects bad character.”
Liza wasn’t sure what made her angrier; the fact that he had dug around in her personal life or his blanket statement. “That’s not true,” she said. “My best friend has a bad credit score, but only because a couple of her ex-boyfriends opened cards in her name.”
“
Marion
?” Sal guessed. Dirk choked on a bite of potato.
“How extensive was your background check?” Liza asked.
“Extensive,” Sal said with another ingratiating smile. “But I heard about
Marion
from Dirk. She sounds like a trip. I’d like to meet her someday.”
Liza looked at Dirk. “You told him about
Marion
?”
“He tells me everything,” Sal said. “
Everything
.”
And that was the exact moment Liza snapped. “I’m beginning to see why you’ve never had a lasting relationship.” She cut into her steak with so much force her knife squeaked on her plate. “Pompous pig,” she muttered under her breath. She took a bite and looked up to see Sal and Dirk laughing. At her.
“You said she didn’t have a temper,” Sal said.
“No, I said she doesn’t have a temper unless you push her into a corner,” Dirk corrected.
“Are you going to look at my teeth and check my hooves?” Liza said. This only increased their laughter.
“You were right. She’s funny,” Sal said.
Liza was not amused.
The conversation turned to the dealership and she concentrated on her food for a while. When Dirk reached under the table she thought he had dropped his napkin, but then he grasped her ankle and laid her foot in his lap before popping off her shoe. He began to gently massage her foot while she looked at him in surprise.
“Thanks for supper.” He gave her a wink before turning his attention back to Sal. It was difficult to maintain her earlier irritation at him when he was being charming. Instead she relaxed and enjoyed his unbidden pampering for a few minutes before she stood and began to clear the table.
“I’ll clean up,” Dirk volunteered. He usually helped her clean, so his offer wasn’t unusual, but Sal’s offer was.
“I can drive Liza back to the dealership for her car.”
Liza didn’t want to go with him, but of course there was no way to convey that to Dirk.
“That would be great, thanks,” Dirk said. He walked her to the door.
“I’ll meet you in the car,” Sal said, closing the door behind him.
Dirk leaned down to kiss Liza, but she backed up against the wall to escape him. “I think I might be mad at you.”
“What did I do?”
“Supper tonight was like a frat party. You and your cousin ganged up on me.”
He smiled. “Turnabout is fair play, Babe.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Do you know how many meals I’ve suffered through while you and Marion speak your own coded language? Half the time I think you’re talking about me, and the other half you’re talking about some inside joke I’m not a part of.”
“So tonight was about payback?”
“Of course not.” He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Tonight was about getting to know Sal and him getting to know you. But he and I are close the way you and Marion are close. Sometimes it’s hard to remember to let other people in.” He leaned down to kiss her. “Don’t be mad at me. We were just teasing you.”
“You know I can’t stay mad at you,” she said.
He smiled. “A fact that comes in handy more and more.”
What did that mean? She didn’t have time to find out before he kissed her and pulled away. “You should go. Sal’s waiting.”
She almost asked him if it was safe to be alone with Sal, but she didn’t. They were cousins and best friends. Of course Dirk trusted him.
Sal already had the car running when she met him in the parking lot. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
“That was a long goodbye,” he said, but he was smiling.
She never knew how to respond to him. Was he criticizing her or simply making an observation?
“I don’t feel that we made much headway in getting to know each other tonight,” Sal said. “So tell me about you. What makes Liza tick?”
“This sounds like the beginning of a therapy session,” she said. She didn’t understand what he wanted from her.
“Have you ever been to therapy?” He sounded serious.
“No. Have you?”
He smiled but didn’t answer.
“Do you have other interests besides my cousin?”
“I have a job,” she said. “And friends.”
“No pets? Nice girls usually have pets.”
What was he talking about? Was that a put down or a compliment? “No pets,” she said. “Do you have pets?”
He shook his head. “So you have Dirk, your job, and your friends. Is that the sum total of your life?”
“I have a brother.”
“Dirk said you never see him.”
“I still love him. I’m involved in my church.”
He laughed.
“Why is that funny?” she asked.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Liza, if it seems like I’m studying you like a science experiment, but the truth is that I am. You’re very different from the girls I know, and I find you fascinating.”
“Me? Fascinating? Why?”
He shrugged. “When I first met you, I thought you were possibly the most boring person on the planet. I had no idea what Dirk saw in you, but you’re turning out to be something altogether different from my first impression. So it’s starting to make sense why he’s crazy about you.”
Dirk? Crazy about her? “Are you sure we’re talking about the same guy?”
Before she could get an answer they arrived at the dealership. Sal pulled up next to her car. “This was fun. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
Absently she nodded and stumbled to her car. Shell-shocked was a good word for the way she felt. For most of the night she hadn’t understood what was happening. She felt like someone who had been dropped into the middle of a play without a script. She shook her head to clear it and waved to Sal as he drove off.
When she pulled onto the street another car started and pulled out of the dealership. She took two right turns and so did the person behind her. She fumbled in her purse for her phone, then scrolled through and dialed with shaking fingers.
“Link, I think I’m being followed again.”
“You are. It’s me. Why are you whispering?”