Authors: Marianne Stephens
SecondSightDating (17 page)
Dan’s acceptance of the evening’s unplanned ending needed no
discussion.
He’d already evaluated the situation and commented on Jason and
Ramona’s interest in each other.
Was he being very accommodating, hurting inside, or
relieved, not wanting to waste time with someone unsuited to his goals?
After an almost tasteless meal, Serena thanked all for
attending and rose to make her exit.
Dan got to his feet, made his goodbyes to
the two remaining table guests and backed away to allow Serena to precede him
out of the hall.
They traversed through rows of tables, wandering around
yelping dogs and seated humans.
As they exited the hall, the host for the
evening’s gala announced the upcoming best-dressed categories.
Serena and Dan
glanced at each other and quickened their steps.
Once outside, Serena inhaled deeply, grateful for a calm
night sky and head-clearing air.
Faint noises from the hall broke through her
thoughts.
Faster, determined steps took them further away from the building,
the sounds from inside fading away.
Dan kept pace with her, only once reaching for her arm but
never touching her.
She’d pulled her arm closer to her body, then hugged both
arms near her chest.
No contact with Dan was vital to her sanity.
“I’m sorry about tonight.
We still have one more match for
you to try.
Look, Dan.
If this doesn’t work, I’ll refund your money.”
Dan frowned, then said with a shrug, “I don’t blame you.
You
said I was different.
I’ll try once more.” His look turned serious.
“Look.
About last night…”
Serena interrupted.
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
Embarrassed, she looked away as her cheeks heated.
“You’re a client and I will
keep the boundaries straight from now on.
I forgot that last night, but it
won’t happen again.”
She looked at his face and willed herself to meet his stare
without flinching.
“Maybe I should let you meet this next date alone.
Maybe
four isn’t a lucky number for you on a date.”
“And maybe it’s a good thing you and two others have been
with me.
Could be I’m a catalyst for you matching the others somehow.”
Taken aback, Serena quipped, “I never thought of it that
way.” Could he be right?
Was he only there for her to match the others?
Had her
sight moved to a different level, one that required help or channeling through
a virile, sexy, charming man like Dan?
Dan broke through her mind’s wandering.
“Who knows?
Perhaps
there’s not really a match out there for me.” He gave her a half-smile, nodded
and walked away.
I thought I was last night
.
Serena couldn’t help the
words flashing in her head, over and over again.
How stupid could she be?
He
didn’t want her.
Made it very clear the night before after their lovemaking
session.
They’d shared a night of sex, incredible and full of
passion.
They hadn’t shared a night of love, the one thing Serena craved.
He hadn’t asked more questions about her business, but she’d
more or less quashed further discussions about that until he’d finished his
dates.
Perhaps Dan was content with just soaking in the inefficient way she
seemed to be running things since his appearance.
Could be he figured he’d come
up with some plan of action to organize Second Sight Dating, using his
financial backing as a huge, motivating incentive.
After becoming her partner, Dan might think he’d run the
operation his way, possibly using it as a means to carry out whatever ulterior
motive was firmly lodged in the back of his mind.
Something helpful?
Innocent?
Sinister?
Illegal?
She’d have to be careful.
Dan wasn’t the man for her.
Why
couldn’t she shake off her desire for him?
Any relationship other than a
legitimate business one would only lead to heartache.
He could very well be someone she’d have to turn over to the
police.
Chapter Fourteen
Serena kicked off her shoes as soon as she entered her
apartment, weary after a night of dogs and doubts.
She eased her body back to
lean against the wall closest to the door.
Curling and uncurling her toes, she
hoped to ease the cramps that had settled in.
Dragging herself to a cushiony armchair, she plopped down
into its softness.
Minutes later, Serena looked up as the door opened.
Michael
strolled into the apartment, followed by a smiling Annemarie.
“Hi, sister of mine.
How’d it go?”
Cautious about how much to divulge at the time, Serena
replied, “Very noisily, actually.
Be grateful you weren’t there.
What should
have been a quiet dinner for four turned out to be a mismatched foursome dining
with dogs event.”
Her brother and friend laughed, despite the evil looks
Serena assumed she glared in their directions.
“What about your matchmaking?
What happened?” Michael wasn’t
about to let her slide over his question with some witty comment.
“Let’s just say two of the four people at our table hit it
off and the other two of us went home.
Alone.
As in, separately, to our
individual abodes.” She dropped her head behind her to the high back cushion.
“I get the feeling our night couldn’t compare in a ‘fascinating
details’ category with yours.”
Serena closed her eyes.
“You never can tell.
Any dogs
yelping along to music where you went?”
Michael snorted.
“Uh, I can’t say we had that pleasure, did
we, Annemarie?” He glanced at the woman next to him and she shook her head no.
He continued, “Want to know how our evening went?”
“Sorry.
I’m still suffering from high-pitched ringing in my
ears.
I’ll be lucky if the blaring racket from tonight hasn’t left any hearing
loss.
Lots of dogs howling and people yelling at each other or for their mutts
to quiet down.”
Serena’s eyes widened as she straightened her head and
attempted to focus her attention on the two other people crowding her living
room.
“So, you two.
What’s new?”
“We had a pleasant dinner—very quiet I might add—and we’ve
done some serious talking.” Michael winked at Annemarie and grabbed her hand.
“I think he finally realized I’m not going to wait forever
for him to come to his senses,” Annemarie added.
“And?” Serena questioned, hoping for some happy news.
Michael grinned.
“You’ll be happy to know we
can’t and won’t live without each other.”
With a broad smile overtaking her face, Serena ventured to
ask, “Are congratulations in order?”
Michael pulled Annemarie into his arms and kissed her.
“See,
sweetheart?
My sister really is psychic.”
Serena grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Michael.
“Very
funny.
It didn’t take any special abilities to see you two should be together.
If you weren’t so pigheaded, Michael, you guys wouldn’t have wasted so much
time.
Count your blessing that Annemarie never gave up on you.”
“I know, I know.
Anyway, we’re together now and we’ll go
from there.”
Annemarie joined in, saying, “We’re thinking of getting
married in June.
Nothing really big, just family and some friends.”
Serena caught the sparkle in the woman’s eyes as she spoke
and the look of pure joy on her brother’s face.
“Can I do something to help?
Tie my brother down so he doesn’t change his mind?”
Michael let go of Annemarie and approached his sister.
Towering over her where she sat, he teased, “Not very nice, Serena.
Hmm.
What
can I do to convince you I’m serious and get you to handle your own love life?”
“I believe you.
Really I do.
Now, you two lovebirds, go
away.
I need to collapse and gather my strength again.
I’ve had a crazy night.”
“Annemarie and I are heading to see her parents.
I’ll be in
later.
I’ll wake you so we can talk.”
His comment and the look on his face left Serena with no
snappy comeback.
She would have to discuss Dan and the evening’s disaster.
Déjà
vu.
That’s all she seemed to be doing lately.
She couldn’t stop a yawn from escaping.
“I love you dearly
but please go away.
I’m exhausted and need to space out for a while.
I promise
we’ll talk later.
And, congratulations.
It’ll be nice having a sister in the
family.
We’ll be able to gang up on Michael when he’s bad, Annemarie.”
With a smile and a wave, Serena watched the two lovers leave
her apartment.
It took monumental effort to get out of the chair and drag
herself into the bedroom.
But, after the night she’d had, she’d earned some
self-pity time and a good cry.
* * * * *
Dan watched from his car as Gino and a woman left Serena’s
apartment building.
He’d planted himself within view of her door from a
location across the street after following her home.
He knew she’d entered the
apartment earlier and assumed she’d been alone until Gino and friend had
waltzed in without knocking but by using a key.
So, now what?
Who was the woman appearing so chummy with
Gino?
They’d kissed a couple of times before entering Serena’s apartment.
Only
stayed a few minutes, then left like lovebirds again.
Gino had smiled and laughed at the brunette all the way to
what Dan figured was his car.
They’d practically tumbled in while still
embracing and let loose with more passionate smooches once inside.
Dan eyed Serena’s door and the windows he could see.
Lights
were being turned off one by one and from his glimpse of her apartment’s inside
the other night, he figured she was heading for the back rooms.
Maybe even
going to bed while Gino hit the town with—whom?
His date?
Someone Serena set
him up with?
Making a snap decision to follow the man parading around as
Gino Conti, Dan started his car’s engine and pulled out of the parking lot,
planning to tail the lovers.
He knew enough to stay within sight but well
behind the tan Mazda.
Too many nights of surveillance work keyed his brain to
act on instinct.
After a twenty-minute ride, the Mazda pulled off the highway
and onto residential streets in Leawood.
Dan followed them into an older
subdivision, one called Twin Timberlake Estates.
They parked outside a modest
two-story home so he drove down to the corner to avoid suspicion.
Dan turned the car around and drove past the house, keeping
his speed low so he could copy the license plate number and view the house
number as well.
He then turned the car around once more so he could park behind
the Mazda but a few houses down and facing in the same direction.
Hunkering down for comfort and to stay out of sight, Dan
planned to stay put for however long it would take for the lovers to emerge.
He
hoped this wouldn’t take all night.
Sleep beckoned him as a means of escaping
the howling dog sounds still echoing in his head.
Dan grabbed his phone and called his department.
He needed
to convey the license plate and house numbers so names could be revealed.
He
hoped to find out Gino’s true identity.
What the hell was going on inside?
Some type of love fest?
Innocent fun?
Was Gino trapping an unsuspecting Second Sight Dating client into
a sinister game, or was the woman baiting him as one of Serena’s sex-for-money
beauties?
A call from Johnson in his department interrupted his
thoughts.
The house belonged to a family named LaRosa.
And, the car was not
registered to Gino.
The car’s owner, Annemarie LaRosa, had to be related to the
occupants of the house.
Hmm.
Wasn’t there a LaRosa in Napoli’s organization?
Was the LaRosa family actually mob members living/hiding out under the guise of
average residents in a quiet suburb of Leawood?
Maybe they carried out Serena’s true business modus operandi
from a modest home in a thirty-year-old housing subdivision.
Sure.
Could be.
Gino and Annemarie could get info from Serena, relay it to the LaRosas in the
house and either they called the shots, ran the scam, or reported to Napoli and
the mob.
Dan’s brain accelerated into high gear.
What if the real
Gino relinquished his name to phony Gino under mob pressure?
Could be Napoli
wasn’t too happy with Gino’s getting involved with the mayor’s daughter.
Maybe
he figured putting in a replacement, a smooth character the new Gino appeared
to be, would tone down any ripples of trouble that could develop.
Napoli wasn’t stupid.
He’d been around long enough to know
that skirting the law, staying under the radar, made his operation run more
easily.
The real Gino threatened his business.
Shit.
This Gino, the one he’d been tailing, could be anyone.
After waiting an hour for the lovers to emerge, Dan finally
noticed them coming out of the house, arm in arm and get into her car.
He
followed them back what appeared to be the reverse route they’d taken before as
they headed for the highway.
Dan did likewise.
Confused, Dan found himself right back at Serena’s
apartment.
Both got out of the car and glued themselves together body to body
and mouth to mouth for what seemed like forever.
Gino opened the driver’s door
for Annemarie, she got in and then drove off while Dan and Gino watched.
Gino then walked to Serena’s door, took out a key and let
himself in.
Huh?
Frustrated, Dan sat for a solid minute wondering what
the relationship could possibly be between Gino and Serena.
He’d never seen
them kiss like lovers would, but, did the guy live with her?
Gino lip-locked
with Annemarie like a desperately in love couple would, but she’d let him leave
her car to return to Serena’s apartment.
Did Gino have two affairs going?
One?
None?
What had his
high-school-aged niece called it?
FWB?
Friends with benefits?
Sex but no
strings?
Nothing?
Totally open arrangements for his ménage á trois?
“I need sleep.” Dan spoke out loud, trying to keep himself
awake for the ride home.
He rubbed both hands over his face.
Exhaustion was
taking its toll.
Maybe in the morning his head would clear and he could fit the
puzzle pieces together.
Or, they’d multiply into triple the amount of pieces and
screw with his brain even more than before.
Damn her.