Mad, Bad and Blonde - Cathie Linz [63]
No inappropriate touching from Caine either. Both he and Buddy behaved with gentlemanly manners.
But Faith still couldn’t let her guard down. What if her grandmother told her dad about this dinner with Caine? What if Gram told him that Faith and Caine seemed to be spying on him? What if Buddy took Gram out on a date? Faith would have to do a background check on him as soon as she got home. Unless she checked her BlackBerry now and did a search. The disapproving look Gram shot her when Faith reached for her phone had her putting it back in her new leather tote. No more Golden Book tote bags for her.
You are a confi dent, competent professional investigator, she silently told herself over and over again. You know what you’re doing and are good at it.
Too bad Faith didn’t believe a word she was silently saying, no matter how many times she said it.
Faith considered the fact that Abs had invited her to the newest trendy hot spot for drinks after work on Thursday to be a positive sign. Ever since Abs had given Faith the Haywood case, Abs had seemed increasingly suspicious of Faith’s motives for working at West Investigations. Maybe Faith was just being paranoid. She really did want to be more like Abs, who had the ability to remove any emotional attachment to a case. Abs had the kind of natural cynicism that came in very handy in this line of work.
Abs held the door open and motioned Faith inside, where the bold lime green, hot orange and azure blue light panels against the walls provided a colorful backdrop to the curved bars. Given the cutting-edge decor, Faith was surprised to hear classy crooner Frank Sinatra singing about doing things his way.
Abs was clearly no stranger to the place. “It’s cocktail night,” she said before leading Faith to a small table along one wall beneath a lime green light panel. “You’ve got to try their Mounds martini.”
“What’s that?”
“A chocolate martini with coconut rum.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ve had their Kobe beef sliders, if you’re hungry,” Abs said.
Her comment reminded Faith of Caine telling her he wouldn’t have pegged her as a slider girl. She hadn’t heard or seen Caine for two days now, not since her grandmother had caught them in the corner and Buddy had joined them.
“I’m not hungry.” Liar, liar. She was hungry for Caine—for his kiss, for his touch. She crossed her legs and uncrossed them again at the erotic memory of his under-the-table moves.
“You okay?” Abs asked.
Faith nodded before turning the spotlight onto Abs. “So, where do you see yourself five years from now?”
“Why?” Abs asked suspiciously.
“No reason. Just making conversation.”
“Then where do you see yourself five years from now? Married with kids?”
“Surely you’ve heard that I didn’t have very good luck in the marriage department. I’m focusing on my career now.” The firm statement was meant as much for herself as for Abs.
“Me too.”
“You’re very good at what you do,” Faith said. “I’m really envious of the way you’re able to stay so focused. You don’t seem to hesitate or question yourself.”
“Hesitation is for wimps, and I’m no wimp.”
“Right. I’m not a wimp either,” Faith said.
Abs didn’t appear convinced about that.
“I’m not.” Faith took a large sip of her Mounds martini. “Mmmm good.”
“Nice girls don’t get the corner office . . . unless they are the boss’s daughter.”
“I didn’t take the corner office. I turned it down.”
“Which proves my point,” Abs said. “Nice girls don’t get the corner office.”
“I’m not always nice.”
Abs’s expression was skeptical.
“I’m not.”
“Name one time when you were mean.”
“This afternoon I didn’t hold the elevator for a guy.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I know it was mean.”
“Not even in the ballpark of mean.”
“You’re not a Cubs fan are you?”
Abs shook her head. “Baseball is too slow for me. I’m a hockey fan.”
“I’ll have another one of these Mounds martinis,” Faith told the server as she walked past. “I can be tough,” she told Abs.
“Yeah right.”
“You