A Risky Proposition (10 page)

“I still don’t see the point.”  He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back until the plastic chair groaned.  “What exactly do you think you’re going to get out of Balthus that trained investigators and magic haven’t already?”

“Who knows?  He won’t be threatened by me, so maybe he’ll slip up and say something he wouldn’t say in front of you.  Or maybe I can appeal to his sense of fair play and get him to admit that I didn’t really make a ‘death wish’.  Maybe he’ll cancel my contract as a gesture of good faith since he’s in such a legal tight spot with the unaligned soul you found.”

A range of emotions played across Sparrow’s handsome face as he stared at me.  “Balthus doesn’t have your sense of fair play, Sydney.  He’ll try to trick you, and he’s exceedingly good at what he does.  If you slip up and make a wish in front of him, I won’t be able to help you.”

“Please, Sparrow,” I pleaded, sensing that I almost had him convinced.  “I have to do this.  I’m well aware of the stakes, and I promise I’ll be careful.”

He closed his eyes and his jaw tightened.  Then he let out a long breath and said briskly, “Fine.  It’ll probably be about a week before I can get you approved for a visit.”

I smiled in relief.  “Thank you, Sparrow.  It’ll be okay, I promise.”

He gave a resigned chuckle and said, “How did we end up with you trying to reassure me?  And it’s Patrick, by the way.  But you can call me Pat.”

“Syd!  There you are—I’ve been looking all over for you!  Oh…”  Sunny skidded to a halt as she realized that I wasn’t alone.  “Sorry.  I didn’t know you had company.  Who
is
your company?” she eyed Sparrow with interest.

“Sunny, this is Agent Patrick Sparrow.  He’s the one who arrested Balthus last weekend.  Sparrow, this is my best friend since high school, Sunny.”

Sparrow snorted.  “Great.  Just how many people have you told about our world?” he asked with futile amusement.

“Only Sunny,” I said, trying not to sound defensive.  “Was I really supposed to keep the most unbelievable thing that’s ever happened to me a secret from everyone I love?”

“No.  Of course not,” he sighed.  “Nice to meet you, Sunny.”  He extended his hand.

Sunny accepted it, shooting me a sideways look that clearly accused me of not mentioning how hot he was.

“So, what are you doing about this Balthus guy?” she asked. 

Her voice was friendly, but Sparrow didn’t mistake it for anything other than a demand.  He stiffened and switched back into policeman mode as he answered her.  It made me miss the more relaxed Sparrow from moments before.

“Sydney and I have just been discussing that at some length.  I am currently conducting an investigation into certain allegations against Balthus.  I have agreed to give Sydney the opportunity to interview him, as she feels that his incarceration may allow her some leverage over the status of her soul contract.  I’m sure she’ll be glad to tell you all about it,” he said, rising.

“However, right now I’m afraid I’m pressed for time and must return to the office.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Patrick.  And we’ll be counting on you.” She grinned, clearly unfazed by his official demeanor.  “Cool tattoos, by the way.”  

“Much appreciated.”  He nodded at Sunny and then winked at me.  “Sydney, I’ll be in touch.”

“Bye, Sparrow.  And thanks.”

His lips twitched with humor.  “I said you could call me Pat.”

I cocked my head and smiled up at him.  “I think I’ll stick with Sparrow.  It feels better, somehow.”

“Stubborn little witch,” he whispered.  Then he turned away and was gone.

“That man is no sparrow,” Sunny muttered.  “A falcon or a hawk, maybe, but definitely no sparrow.”

I nodded, nibbling my lip with a wistful sigh.

Chapter 7 – Monday Blues

The haranguing buzz of my alarm jerked me from sleep and I groaned, nearly sobbing in frustration.  Not only was 8 am an ungodly hour to be awake, but a quickly fading dream—involving Sparrow, and me running my fingers over his magically glowing tattoos—left me wanting to smash the evil, unrelenting piece of machinery to bits.

Even in the best of circumstances, I’d never been a morning person.

I forced myself into a sitting position before sliding the alarm switch to ‘Off’, knowing that I ran the risk of drifting back to sleep if I lay down again.  The thick aroma of coffee wafted through the closed door of my bedroom, along with the sounds of Sunny puttering around in the kitchen.  I angrily swiped at an unexpected tear, realizing those simple morning rituals reminded me of Jeremy. 

I told myself I’d feel better after a quick wash in the sink and my usual double-decker mug of hot tea with honey.

As I passed through the kitchen, Sunny grunted and gave me a weak semblance of a smile in response to my weary, “Morning.”  She then returned to watching the coffee pot’s progress, one hip resting against a cabinet.  She folded her arms across her chest and her black silk robe drifted open to reveal a crisp cotton tank top and shorts in a pretty shade of melon beneath.

I dropped a tea bag into my favorite mug and filled it from the hot water dispenser to steep.  I glanced down with a grimace at what passed for my own customary sleeping ensemble:  a ratty old Grateful Dead t-shirt and boxers whose material had been washed into perfect softness, but whose elastic had disintegrated.  The swell of my hips was the only thing that prevented them from falling down around my knees. 

I shuffled forward into my dining room/office to turn on my computer and blinked numbly at the screen as it booted up.  Sunny and I knew each other well enough to appreciate that attempts at conversation were futile before caffeine. 

An hour later we were both more coherent as we sat in companionable silence, working on our laptops, with Salsa music pounding through the flat-screen’s speakers.  Sunny was writing a syllabus for the medieval history class she would be teaching next semester at Boston College, and I was plugging away at my usual data entry after having gone my morning rounds with Cindy. 

Jasper was curled up on a chair by the sliding glass door, basking in a patch of late morning sunlight.  Nothing supernatural here—just your ordinary every day Monday.  Thank Goddess for small favors.

I could get used to this
, I thought with a twinge of regret.  I was going to be lonely after Sunny left.

The phone rang and I saw on the caller ID that it was Angelica.  It had only been a week and I could barely contemplate the thought of returning to a life without maid service.  I was really becoming spoiled. 

“Good morning, Angelica,” I said brightly.

“Good morning, Sydney!  Shall I come by now or later?”

“Now’s good.”

“Who was that?” asked Sunny as I hung up.

“That was Angelica, from the hotel’s cleaning staff.  She’s on her way up now.  And just to prepare you, she’s about six feet tall, looks like a supermodel, and wears one of those French maid outfits.  She’s really sweet, and she’s amazing at cleaning.  Oh—and she likes to talk about sex.”

I snickered at Sunny’s bewildered expression as I got up to answer Angelica’s soft knock.

“Hello Sydney!  Just the usual today?” she asked, glass cleaner and duster in hand.

“That would be great.”  I smiled as I stepped to the side so she could enter.

“Salsa music—what an invigorating way to begin the day!  Oh—do you have company?” she inquired, glancing at one of Sunny’s suitcases on a nearby chair.  “I hope it’s a handsome man,” she whispered conspiratorially.  “It would be a shame not to properly break in that bed.”

“Nope, just me,” Sunny commented.

“Oh, I beg your pardon!” Angelica colored, the rosy tint making her even more lovely.  “I didn’t see you there.  And I didn’t mean to presume you required a man to break in your bed, either,” she told me with a wicked grin.

I laughed.  “Angelica, this is my best friend, Sunny.  She’s visiting from Boston for the week.”

“Nice to meet you, Angelica.  And believe me, I would be just as pleased as you to see Syd break in her bed with a handsome man,” Sunny teased.  She dodged as I swatted at her.

“Lovely to meet you, Sunny,” Angelica replied as she continued into the sitting room to begin her cleaning routine.  “Maybe, then, your combined powers of attraction will draw a pair of beautiful men to you before the week is out.  Or at least one for you to share—when approached correctly, that can be a truly bonding experience between friends, you know.”

I swallowed and shook off the unbidden image of Sunny, Sparrow and myself sharing my new bed.  Sunny’s snort of mirth mirrored my own, and I said, “I’m not sure our friendship has a need for that type of bond, Angelica.”

She shrugged as she bent over to dust one of my frogs.  “Suit yourselves—a pair of men it is, then.”   She grinned suddenly as she added, “Maybe hot Latin lovers, who’ll appreciate your taste in Salsa music.”

“I like the way you think,” Sunny said. 

Angelica continued about her work as Sunny and I returned to our own.  I couldn’t help but envy her unconscious sex-appeal as she matched her movements to the beat of the music.  If I hadn’t liked her so much, I probably would have had a hard time not hating her.  I was willing to bet that men fell helplessly at her feet wherever she went.

She disappeared into the back rooms for a while and then began returning supplies to her cart.  “Thursday?” she inquired cheerfully.

“Yes, please,” I agreed.

“See you then, Sydney.  It was nice to meet you Sunny.  I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Thanks—we’ll let you know how it goes with the Latin lovers!” Sunny called.

Angelica paused and pursed her lips thoughtfully.  “The angle and depth of that couch might be conducive to some interesting seated positions, especially if you enjoy being on top.”  She gave it an appraising once-over and nodded before turning to push her cart into the elevator.

“You know, I think she might be right,” Sunny mused a moment later.

I shook my head and went back to work.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

 Later that afternoon Sunny came for a ride with me as I made my rounds to pick up paperwork from my employers.  Mr. H appeared at the back door to scream obscenities at Cindy for taking too long to talk to me.  I grimaced and slammed the car door to drown him out.

Sunny whistled.  “That is one nasty little man.”

“Ugly inside and out,” I agreed.

I snapped up an empty parallel parking spot right in front of Haute Hannah’s on crowded Worth Avenue, and made a mental note to ask Lorien if she was responsible for my good parking fortune again.

“You should come in with me.  Hannah has a really nice shop, and you’ll get a kick out of her,” I told Sunny.

“Sure, why not?” she agreed with a shrug.  “She won’t try to get me to buy anything though, will she?  I doubt she’s in my price range.”

“I don’t think you have to worry,” I replied.  “Hannah’s a consummate saleswoman who knows her clientele.  She generally saves her sales pitch for the ladies in Chanel suits—or at least
designer
jeans.”  I glanced down pointedly at our casual attire as we crossed the sidewalk.

“Hey!  I paid thirty dollars for these at The Gap,” Sunny argued with a laugh.

“Twenty bucks at Ross,” I countered smugly, indicating mine.

“Nice.”

The spotless glass door glided open with the tinkling of a bell, and we stepped into the cool, bright interior of Hannah’s shop.  Soft French jazz drifted over us, and brilliant shimmers of light dazzled our eyes as they reflected off of the precious metals and gemstones displayed throughout the store.  The glittering intensity was relieved by pastel blue and white walls, delicately sponge painted to resemble a tranquil sky.

“Oh!  Hello, Sydney!  I am so happy to see you!”  Hannah rushed forward, a compact force of nature, sparkling with jewels and floating in a cloud of rich perfume.  I leaned down so she could kiss me once on each cheek. 

She took my hands in the manicured fingers of her own, spreading them out to get a look at me.  “You are looking good, no?  You have lost weight!  And who is your lovely friend?”

I grinned, always a little overwhelmed by Hannah’s enthusiastic personality.  “This is my good friend Sunny.  She’s visiting from Boston for a few days.”  

“You look beautiful as well, Sunny!” Hannah complimented as she reached to squeeze Sunny’s fingers in greeting.

“Why thank you,” Sunny smiled, reclaiming her hands just in time to stifle a sneeze.

“À vos souhaits!” Hannah called out in response to Sunny’s outburst, as she bustled back behind a display case of multi-hued crystal perfume bottles to retrieve my paperwork.

“So, you girls will hit the town tonight and paint it
rouge
, yes?” she continued, a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she glanced up from gathering files.  “
Les
hommes
, they will find you irresistible!”  She spread her arms in a grand gesture as she sashayed forward to hand me my work.