lip gloss and my favorite earrings before I grab my purse to head out the door. Dane is in for a surprise when he gets here. I’m sure as heck not going to be here. It’s time to explore this town. There has to be a restaurant or bar I can hang at and get some dinner. I smile, thinking I won this round.
5
Dane
Khloe’s place is empty when I swing by in my squad car. I knocked, but she didn’t answer. Concerned for her safety, I let myself in and did a sweep. The place was clean with not a box in sight. She must’ve worked through the night to unpack and get situated. In the corner of the living room is a large desk with two big computer monitors. Next to the keyboard is the busted microphone. There’s no camera, so whatever she’s doing on the internet doesn’t require pictures—as far as I can tell. She doesn’t seem like the cam girl, demon hour online stripper type. We have a few of those in town and we do what we can to support them because it’s a decent way to earn a living.
If horny men on the internet want to give some of my citizens their money, more power to them. Show up on their doorstep and you’re spending a few nights in our jail.
No, Khloe’s not that type and if she was, I’d have to shut it down. Not because I don’t believe she has the right to do that shit, but because I’d have to gouge out the eyes of everyone who had an internet connection, which would be hard on our future home life.
I don’t know when I decided that Khloe would be mine. It was somewhere between when she opened the door and when she smiled a welcome greeting. In that half second, I was a goner, but I had enough sense to realize she wasn’t fully ready to climb on board with me.
That’s all right. There’s no hurry. She lives in my town, eating at the restaurants owned by my friends. There’s no place that Khloe can go to escape me.
Before I leave, I take a picture of the microphone and order a replacement. Whatever she’s doing here requires the use of this thing but we don’t have a handy electronics store where she can pick it up.
In the garage, I find the discarded boxes in a pile and dismantle them for the recycling bin.
That completed, I give the diner a call.
“Yes, Chief? Do you need an order of the special to go?”
“No, Len, I’m coming in. You have a new customer tonight?”
“Sure do. Mae’s niece came in about a half hour ago and I put her in a booth toward the back, just like you asked. She’s got plenty of visitors, though. Couldn’t keep them away.” A hint of anxiety creeps into Len’s voice.
“Don’t worry about it, Len. Thanks for babysitting her for me. I’ll be over in five.”
Len’s sigh of relief puffs through the earpiece. “Good. Good. See you soon.”
The diner’s crowded when I arrive. Word has spread we have a new arrival and everyone’s come to check her out. The noise level mutes when I walk in. Several nod their head and all eyes are on me as I make my way to Khloe’s solitary booth. She’s warming her hands around a cup of coffee when I slide into the seat across from her.
“What are you doing?”
“Having dinner with you.”
Len drops a coffee in front of me. “The special?”
“The special,” I affirm.
“You may not have noticed, but I’m sitting here,” Khloe tells me when Len leaves to put my order in.
“The special looks good today,” I say peeking at her dish. “Len makes the noodles by hand.”
“It is good, but that’s not the issue.” She leans over the table. “You’re at my table.”
“Technically this is my table.”
A line in her forehead appears. “What do you mean this is your table?”
“It’s the table I sit at every night for dinner. I’d planned on bringing you here, but you must’ve read my mind and came over on your own accord. I like that.” I grin at her. “Since our minds are working in the same direction, we won’t have many misunderstandings.”
“Mis-misunderstanding?” she sputters. “I’m having dinner. Alone.”
I tilt my head. “You’re not alone. You’re with me.
Her jaw drops and I feel like it’s good timing because Len is back with my plate of rib tips and noodles. He replaces the old gravy boat