She glanced out the window and then back at him. “Okay, I’m parked at the far end of the third row.” She opened up her purse, took out the key fob, and handed it to him. “It’s on the floor behind the driver’s seat. Thanks.”
Smokey nodded, then headed toward the front of the restaurant. He didn’t want to talk business, but Ashley was right, they weren’t out on a date. He had to stop acting like a pussy and stop thinking about her in that way.
It was a dark, moonless night. The chilly wind tugged at his jacket and whipped loose strands of hair about his face. Trees lined one side of the parking lot, their branches dusted in white. In the distance, everything was dim and indistinct: shadowy outlines of mountain peaks, splashes of yellow from the vague cluster of buildings, and strings of streetlights blinking from green to red.
With hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, Smokey made his way toward the Buick, the hard-packed snow crunching under his boots. He squinted and stopped for a moment. The white glow from a light in the parking lot shone down on a figure who seemed to be standing by Ashley’s car. The person was tall and wore a hoodie pulled down low, but any other details were impossible to discern in the darkness.
Smokey’s stomach clenched tight and that sixth sense so prevalent in him went into high alert. Something wasn’t right. He picked up his pace, and the figure turned toward him then started running. Smokey bolted after him, but the person had a head start and soon disappeared into the blackness.
“Fuck.” Smokey hissed under his breath as he stood in the middle of the street, straining to see past the bushes and trees. “Where the fuck did you go?”
After several minutes, he slowly walked back to Ashley’s car. Why the hell was that asshole by her car? He turned his phone’s flashlight on but nothing seemed amiss; then he dropped to his knees and bent down to look under the vehicle while he shined some light on the undercarriage. After scrutinizing the area thoroughly, he stood up and wiped the snow off his pants, then unlocked the doors, grabbed Ashley’s briefcase, and hit the locks again. Reluctantly, Smokey headed back to the restaurant with the occasional glance over his shoulder to scan the lot.
When he got back to the table, their dinner was already there. He handed Ashley the briefcase and sat down.
“Did you have trouble finding my car?” she asked before picking up her knife and fork.
“No. Uh, do you know anyone in town?” he asked.
“Not really. I mean … I know you and the people at work. Why?” She chewed on a morsel of steak.
“I was just wondering. Did you meet anyone at Blue’s Belly?” He cut into the strip steak.
Ashley scrunched up her face for a split second, then shook her head. “No. I guess I talked to a few people, but I didn’t give anyone my name, if that’s what you mean.”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean.”
“Wait, I did give the bartender, Whitney, my name. She gave me her card, and we talked about maybe getting together for lunch sometime.”
“Whitney’s cool. So, no dudes bothered you?”
“Just one,” she said, her gaze fixed on him. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Smartass,” he mumbled.
“What?”
“Nothing. Are you gonna go out with Whitney?”
Ashley shrugged. “I don’t know. It would be nice to get to know someone outside of work. It’ll depend on whether I have any free time.”
“You will. I work hard and expect my staff to do the same, but I’m not a taskmaster.”
She smiled. “I tend to be my own.”
“I’ll have to change that,” he said as he put some mushrooms on her plate. “Try these—they’re fuckin’ delicious.”
“How long have you known Whitney?”
“A few years. She’s a good person who has shitty taste in men. Whitney has a big heart, but most of the time it squeezes out her judgment.”
“Did you two ever date?” Ashley put a bite of mushroom in her mouth.
Smokey laughed. “Nah, we never hooked up. I’m good friends with Eric—he owns the place. I wouldn’t feel right about screwing around with one of his employees.”
She threw him an incredulous stare. “You actually have some ethics.”
“Of course. Fuck, lady, give me some credit.”
Ashley laughed. “You’re right about the mushrooms—they’re the best I’ve ever had.”
“Take some more.” He slid a healthy portion onto her plate,