Page 44 of Bulletproof

“What?”

“Being with you? It’s crazy. Like being at the circus, bouncing all over the place.”

“How do you mean?”

“Like you’re working without a net?”

I was pretty sure it was not a compliment.

SEVEN

Iwas surprised when my phone rang early the following morning and even more surprised to find that Shane McGill, Fallon Strauss’s boyfriend, was on the other end, inviting me out to lunch.

“I want to apologize for how I acted the other night, Jory, so if you would … could you meet me?”

“I would love that.”

And it wasn’t that we were going to be best friends, but he wanted to know me because he knew Fallon was going to be spending a lot of time with me, and he knew, too, that making it impossible for his boyfriend to mesh his work life and his private life would be dangerous for the relationship.

At lunch, he said, “I want to share everything with Fallon.”

I sighed deeply. “He has no idea how lucky he is.”

“How do you mean?”

When I was all done explaining about being the husband of a detective, away on a task force, working undercover for the last four months, Shane’s eyes were huge, and there was no more jealousy there, only sympathy.

Later that afternoon, Fallon called me and told me he was so thankful that I had been receptive to Shane’s overture.

“Of course,” I told him. “I want us to be partners, and that means Shane too.”

“I feel so much better.”

And so did I. When I got off the phone with him, back on track for dinner on Saturday, I felt lighter. It was nice that Shane had made the effort for the man he loved; it was refreshing. I was surprised when I turned down my block to see the same Rolls-Royce Phantom from the night before. As I closed in on it, Hayes Fisher got out.

“Hey.” I smiled and jogged over to the car.

“You gotta have dinner with me tonight,” he told me, almost frantic.

“Why?”

“Because it’s my mother’s birthday, and if I don’t show up at my brother, Dave’s, house to celebrate with them, my father and everyone else will never forgive me, and I need a buddy to go with me and not take a date, and just come with me,” he ended with a rush.

I was confused.

“What?”

“Take a date.”

“I don’t have one, and going on a first date to your mother’s birthday party in your brother’s home is awkward.”

“So, take one of your buddies.”

“I don’t want to. I need someone they’ve never met so they focus on getting to know you and don’t ask me questions.”

I squinted at him. “Why don’t you wanna answer questions?”

“Just come on and get in the car.”