If anything, they’re probably the least likely criminals to make a move on me right now.
At least, that’s what I try to convince myself.
Maybe I should start carrying my gun in public even though handling firearms makes me so nervous I’d probably end up shooting myself before I put a bullet in an attacker…
“Is everything okay, Kirsten?” Natalie sticks her head in my office, startling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I huff. When the woman continues to stand in my door, I lift a brow. “Why?”
“Sorry, I just, I heard the rumor about the mob families wanting a hitman to take you out.”
“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” I say as I gather up my files into my briefcase, even though I know it’s not just gossip.
“Right. It’s just…never mind.”
“What?” I snap when she starts to leave.
“I would be scared, if I were you. If you ever want to talk or get a drink, just let me know.”
“Maybe. I appreciate that,” I reply since she sounds sincere.
“Great! And I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but…”
“Go on.” I encourage her to spit out whatever she wants to say while I shoulder my briefcase.
“But it sounds like you could really use an escape, a way to blow off smoke and forget the stress of the job for a night.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I was just, I go to this club that’s very exclusive.”
“I don’t dance,” I tell her. “And I’m way too old to go clubbing or whatever it is people call it nowadays.”
Natalie smiles. “Right, no, it’s not that kind of club.”
“Then what kind of club is it?” I ask, curious.
“Um, it’s an adult one. You know, like where you can meet people with similar interests or opposite, if that’s your thing…”
“You’re a member of a sex club?” I guess. “They have those here in the city?”
“Yes, but it’s all underground. Invitation only from a current member. And there’s like an application and all to get accepted. Even a waitlist. Once you’re in, though, it’s completely anonymous.”
“How can it be anonymous if you have to apply using your legal name?”
“Oh, right, well that’s just to make sure there are no criminals sneaking in, you know. But everyone wears cute littlemasks, and there are different themes each night. Nobody’s allowed to ask anyone’s name either.”
“Wow. Well, that doesn’t sound like anything I would want to be a part of,” I tell her. “No offense.”
“None taken. And I’m sorry I assumed. I just thought that since you had a thing for Detective Daughtry that you were into like, handcuffs, or whatever.”
Well, shit.
Unfortunately, she’s not wrong. And she’s much more perceptive than I initially gave her credit for.
The thing is, despite always carrying the cuffs around, Detective Daughtry, Bryan, refuses to ever put them on me. Or do anything that could accidentally hurt me.
The forty-year-old prude doesn’t even like having sex in my office. But since I refuse to go to his place or invite him over to mine, I can usually convince him to give in. The face-to-face sex on the edge of my desk is…fine, not great. It certainly never lasts long enough for me to get off.
