Page 95 of The Innocent

“I had a meeting a few days ago with that client I was telling you about in Lawry.” She paused but he kept his eyes locked on the screen, steeling his features. “I told you we were getting together at The Quick Cup. After the meeting ended, I saw a motorcycle take off down the road. It kind of looked like yours.”

Jekyll drew in a breath, lifted the bottle to his lips, and took a long swig.

“Was it you?”

Jekyll took another sip and placed the bottle on the bar, angling his head as his brows dipped.

“Yeah.”

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she leaned closer. There was barely a foot of space separating them.

“You were there?”

When he didn’t respond, she inched closer, her fingers grazed his forearm, and he clenched his teeth.

“Why?”

Jekyll could have brushed it off as coincidence. The right place, right time. He could’ve given her any excuse, and she probably would’ve bought into it. He opted for the truth.

“I don’t like your fucking job.”

Her bottom lip fell open, and her brows shot up.

“It’s not safe. So yeah, I fucking showed up.”

Her tongue slid over her bottom lip. “To make sure I was okay?”

“Yeah.” His tone was gruff.

Her lips spread in a smile. “Thank you.”

Jekyll jerked his attention back to the tv and inhaled a deep breath. There was a long stretch of silence. He could feel her eyes on him, but he remained focused.

“So” —she paused— “Apparently, I’m coming back next weekend for a yoga class.” She giggled. “Maybe we can get lunch or something, if you’re around.”

It seemed like a normal request. Sweet and unsure but testing the waters to see if he was open to seeing her again. Imogene was ignoring the obvious truth right in front of her. He was here because of her. He slyly glanced down at her lap. She clasped her hands, twisting her fingers.

“Do you have plans for this afternoon?” she asked.