“You need to go back to the station for anything?”Archerasked.
“No.TerryandIwere able to write out, track, and plan the edits so that he could finish it up back at the station and send it off to the producers,”Ireplied asIbegan slipping out of the dinosaur costume and into my regularT-shirt and shortsIhad on underneath. “Oh,God, it feels good to get out of that hot monstrosity.”
I sighed in relief at feeling some cool air brush over my heated body.Itwas morning inOctober—it shouldn’t be this hot, but it was.Andbeing in that costume only made me hotter.
I looked up to seeArcherstaring at me with a peculiar look on his face.
“What?”Iquestioned.
He stared back and paused before he finally replied. “Nothing.”
He got into theSUV, andIfollowed suit.
“Do you want to eat before your trainer comes over or wait until after?” he asked me.
I was torn becauseIwas starving, butIalso hated running on a full stomach.KnowingSarawould likely have a lot of questions when she arrived—like why we had to run at a random man’s house and whyIwas currently living with said random man—IfiguredIhad some time whereIcould digest my food.
“Let’s eat first,”Itold him. “I’llhave her take it easy on me in the beginning soIdon’t puke.”
* * *
We went to a burger and wing place not too far from the race.Wewalked in, and the hostess took us to a booth near the back corner of the restaurant.
“Do you mind ifIsit on that side?”Archersaid, standing next to me afterIslid into the booth. “I’dlike to be able to see the door and all possible exits, and the other side of the booth doesn’t allow me to do that.”
He may not be a cop anymore, but he clearly still had cop tendencies ingrained in him.
“MaybeIwould like to see the exits too,”Iresponded, wondering how far he would push it.
I should have known better.Hejust shrugged and slid into the same side as me, pushing me over to the edge up against the wall.
“Together it is, then,” he said with a grin, clearly enjoying this.
I just rolled my eyes and turned back to my menu, studying it as though my life depended on it.
Our server came and took our drink order right away, clearly not thinking anything was amiss about us both sitting on the same side.Shecame back with drinks a few moments later, and we ordered our food.
Archer checked his phone and then turned and looked at me.Hedidn’t say a word, just stared as though he was deep in thought.Itmade me uncomfortable, soIdid whatIdo best—talk.Ichose to look forward, though, and not at him, soIdidn’t have to crane my neck.
“Diego andDeliaare both nice,”Itold him, trying to make casual conversation that wouldn’t be awkward, even though everything about having lunch with my ex-husband should be awkward.Especiallysitting next to him in a small booth.
Plus,Archerhad filled out over the years.Hewas good-looking whenI’dmet him, but he was bigger now, bulkier, especially in the chest and arms.Itwas things like this that made me dislike people like him.Nobodywanted their ex to age better than they had.NotthatIhad aged poorly, butIjust didn’t want him to have aged well, but the jerk clearly had.
“Yeah, they’re great,” he replied, taking a sip of his drink. “Bothof them worked over atDobbingtonAirReserveBaseand ended up in the pub we own, which was how we connected with them.”
“You own a pub?”Imust have somehow missed that—and did he saywe?
“Yeah,Wade’suncle used to own theWateringHolewhich is a pub and restaurant.Hewas ready to retire and sold the whole building to us.Thefirst floor is the pub and restaurant on the right, and our main reception lobby on the left.There’salso a lobby area with elevators that go up to the other floors.Weown those, too.Thesecond floor is the security company—our offices, camera and security room, a small gym, and a weapons area.”
Wow, that was a lot to take in, and quite a bit more of a large-scale operation thanIoriginally gave him credit for.
“The third floor has two small apartments,” he continued. “Wadeand his wife,Ellie, live in one.Vince’ssister-in-law lived in the other, although she recently moved out, so they just started renovations to combine the two apartments into one larger one.Wadesolely works with us at the security company now, but he also managed the bar and worked a few bartending shifts from time to time.HeandTammyare good at recruiting for us from former military folks who come into the pub.”
“Tammy works for you, too?”Iasked, having not heard that name before.
“No, she works at the pub.Wadeis listed as the manager on paper there, butTammyruns the place.Sheused to work there underWade’suncle, so she knows that place better than anyone.You’dlike her.She’sa hoot.”
“I’m happy for you,”Itold him. “Youseem to have a great crew to work with.”
