“So, you and Adrienne really hit it off, huh?” I asked as I pulled off my wig and slipped my fingers into my hair to shake it out with a sigh.
He nodded, watching me. “She’s kind of a legend. Jack’s been working with her for a few years, ever since she was promoted. He’s got nothing but good things to say.”
I folded the fake hair in my lap and combed through it with my fingers, still feeling strange. “I’ve known Sarah for a long time. She told me all about Adrienne, and she really lived up to the hype. I have a good feeling about her.”
He smiled over at me. “I’m glad you like her.”
“I’m glad you like her too.” I smiled back, wondering how deeply I meant that.
He gave me a look, topped off by a smirk. “Listen, don’t go getting any ideas, trying to set us up, okay? I can seal the deal without your help.”
I put up my hands innocently. “Of course you can. No one would ever deny your ability to close. Because you are a closer.” I pointed at him for impact.
“That’s right,” he said with a nod. “I’m a closer, and I know how to ask out pretty girls in Catwoman costumes.”
I raised a brow. “And did you, Mister Closer-man?”
He smirked. “Nah.”
I pouted, though I breathed a little easier. “Well, why not?”
Tyler looked out the window. “I dunno. I just didn’t feel it, you know?”
“Well, maybe you just need more time to hang out. Like, with no pressure. I bet I can get Sarah to bring her to singles night next week.”
“I bet you could too. We’ll see, Cam. I’ll be in touch with her about work all week.”
“Did you at least get her number?” I asked, resolved, already making plans to text Sarah and get Adrienne in the bar again.
“I already have her number.”
I made a don’t be a smartass, Tyler face, and he laughed, pulling a slip of paper out of his pocket.
“She gave this to me before she got in the cab.”
I slapped him on the arm. “Well, look at you, player.”
He chuckled and slipped the paper into his coat pocket. “How about you? Find any guys you had a hankering for?”
I snorted. “A hankering. Like a steak.”
“Sure, why not,” he said and shrugged. “Man-steak. A beef slab.”
“More like pot roast. No, I was too busy to really look for myself, but I’m all right. I don’t feel the urge to date anyone these days.”
“I know what you mean. I keep telling myself it’s just because I got myself hurt, but it’s been a year. It can’t be that. I’m just … I don’t know. Content, I guess. I wouldn’t turn down the prospect, if it arose. But I’m not trying to hunt it down, if that makes sense.”
“Perfect sense. Everyone wants companionship, you know? But I don’t want to waste my time. I’m twenty-five and I already feel like I’m too old for that shit.”
He chuckled. “So true.”
The cab pulled up in front of our building, and Tyler paid him. I’d learned long ago not to protest — it was a fight I’d lose. He’d forced my feminist soul into accepting his chivalry. What made my feminist soul really twitchy was that I enjoyed it.
“So, what’d you think of Martin?” he asked as we made our way inside.
“He’s nice,” was all I could muster.
He looked down at me, raising a brow. “That bad?”
I shrugged. “He’d make a perfectly wonderful boyfriend for somebody.”
“But not Bayleigh.” We climbed the stairs.
“Bayleigh’s got a thing for Greg.”
“Really?” he asked. “Because she sure did spend a lot of time talking to Martin tonight.”
“She was just working the crowd, that’s all. It’s part of her job, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just saying that it seemed to me there was a little something there, that’s all.”
“Maybe for him,” I pressed.
“Maybe,” he answered noncommittally and let it go.
We fell into content silence, quiet and weary from the long night, dreading the morning that would inevitably come too soon. At least I’d get to sleep in a little, which reminded me to set the coffee for him so he’d still have it when he woke.
He unlocked the door, held it open for me, locked it safely behind me. We moved through the apartment in automatic motions — first changing, then into the bathroom to brush our teeth, side by side, taking turns at the sink. I set up the coffee for the next morning as he turned off the lights. And we parted ways outside my door with smiles and promises to see each other in the morning.
But once my door was closed and I lay in bed, my thoughts teetered between plotting how to get Tyler and Adrienne together, all while fighting the urge to keep them apart, which was silly. Because they could be perfect for each other. And Tyler … he deserved someone like her.
GATEKEEPER MEETS KEYMASTER
Tyler
THE NEXT MORNING WAS RUSHED after my snooze a few too many times. I wondered as I poured the coffee Cam set up for me whether or not I was getting too old to try to work a full day on only five hours of sleep, which I thought was a really old thing to wonder.
I hurried to work in a haze, and when I got there, Cathy already had a stack of messages for me to sort through, including calling Jack. None of the work I had looked easy — nearly all of them were going to be demanding answers I didn’t have.