not be undercover. And if I weren’t undercover, they would never let me in, and if I didn’t blend in and experience the club like a member, well then how the hell would I report on it?
Okay, a lot of reporting was done by observing. I didn’t have to play in the Little League to cover their season. I didn’t have to belong to the Garden Club or even have a garden to write about those old blue-haired ladies.
I suppose I could go to Club Silk and just sit in the corner and watch. Was that what I should be doing?
By the time I reached my stop at the end of the line, the lurching of the bus and my nerves left sweat pouring down my temples. I’d never been so happy to step into the blustery San Francisco fog. Time to get in the house and get ready for a night out.
“Hey there,” my dad hollered when I slammed the front door.
I poked my head into his study. He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head.
“Hey, Dad.”
“How was work today?” he asked.
“Good. You know, just starting to work on my story about that…club.”
“Oh yeah. How’s that going?”
I hated lying to my dad. “Well, the story is different than what I initially shared with you. It’s…a bit more involved.”
“Oh? Tell me.”
I looked down at my fidgeting hands. “I can’t really share much. It’s kind of undercover.”
“Wow. Exciting. I can’t wait to read it.”
“Dad,” I asked, looking up at him, “do you miss Mom?”
He gave me a small smile and rocked his head back and forth. “Every day. Why do you ask? You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just hope she’d be proud of me.”
“Are you kidding? I know she would. I think she’d be proud of both of us, and how we kept each other moving forward after she passed.”
The lump in my throat choked my words. “Thanks. I think so, too.”
“Hey, do you want to go out for a bite to eat? You hungry?”
I cleared my throat. “Oh, thank you. You know, I’m going out in a bit. Gonna…meet some friends.”
“Okay, then. I might get a burger.” He stood and grabbed his jacket. Walking around his massive desk, he gave me a kiss on the head. “If I don’t see you later tonight, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Thanks, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Saffron.”
Only my mom had ever called me by my full name.
Mom, are ya with me on this?
Chapter 21
Saffi
A couple hours later I headed across town in the direction of Club Silk. My nerves were firing at full speed, suggesting that bailing on the evening seemed like it might be a good way to go.
But I couldn’t do that.
No. I had to go. If I didn’t, I might be stuck as the office gopher for eternity, covering “breaking news” from Little League and the Garden Club. I might get stuck doing those things anyway, at the rate I was going. But at least if I tried, could come away with a new friend. Or two.
G’s mask flashed across my thoughts.
A replay of Miss M’s kiss of the previous night sent a shiver down my spine. She was mysterious, even scary. But I had to admit, the kiss had been hot as hell.
Then there was G. Why was I eager to see a man whose face I’d never laid eyes on? Sure, he was sexy and knew his way around a woman’s body. And yet, he kept wandering in and out of my thoughts.
I left my car in the closest spot I could find to the club’s front door. I was already tempting fate enough—why risk trouble in a dicey neighborhood?
As usual, Miss M answered the door in all her dramatic glory.
“B. My beautiful friend.” She welcomed me with a broad sweep of her arm. “So good to see you tonight.”
“Thanks M,” I said as I pulled on my mask. I was beginning to understand why G wore his. It really was like a security blanket. Or a wall, depending how you looked at it.
“You’re not going to cover that pretty face of yours, are you?” she asked.
“First of all, only half my face is covered. As you’ll see, my lips are still available.”
Damn, I was getting good at this.
I stepped closer to her. Time to lay it on. “And second, I like being somebody different for a moment in time.”
She smiled and ran a hand around my waist. “I know exactly what you mean.”
I