He climbed back into the car and shut the door, hurriedly buckling his seatbelt as he eased his way into the now-moving traffic. His heart beat a little harder, a little faster, and he wasn’t sure why. Because of the car that had been following Nicole? Because he was worried about her? Or because she was finally here, sitting next to him?
He didn’t let himself think about the other option—that she had gotten in his car only to get away from whoever was following her. Mat didn’t think he possessed an excessive ego, not even on the ice, but the idea that he was the lesser of two evils didn’t sit well with him. So no, he would try not to think of it that way.
He glanced over, noticed that Nicole was sitting up straight, maybe a little stiff. She faced forward, her arms wrapped tightly around the backpack, like she was afraid of losing it or something. He cleared his throat, afraid of startling her, then motioned to her lap when she looked over.
“You, uh, forgot your seatbelt.”
“Oh. Sure, no problem.”
And Christ, he was a fucking idiot. He’d been thinking about the woman next to him for a month and the first words out of his mouth were about her seatbelt? Yeah, maybe the guys were right for calling him Saint Mat.
He cleared his throat and tightened his hands around the steering wheel. “So. Was that guy giving you a hard time or something?”
Nicole didn’t answer right away, just gave him a quick glance before turning her attention straight ahead again. Mat knew she heard him, though, because she stiffened just the slightest bit. A full minute went by before she shook her head.
“No. I mean, not really. Um, no, it’s all good.”
She was lying. Or maybe she just didn’t want to tell him. Maybe she thought it really wasn’t his business. If that was the case, she was right—it really wasn’t. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to know, didn’t mean that he couldn’t help her if she needed it.
“Was he your ex?”
Nicole whipped her head around so fast that Mat was surprised she didn’t hurt her neck. He still couldn’t see her eyes, not behind those large sunglasses, but he could tell she was definitely surprised. Her mouth dropped open, forming a small O, and he heard the swift intake of her breath in the silence that followed his question.
The silence that filled the car with a heavy weight, bearing down on him. He probably shouldn’t have said anything.
“You, uh, know about him?” Her voice was just above a squeak, hesitant and surprised. Mat looked away, forcing himself to study the traffic in front of him instead of the woman next to him. Maybe if he didn’t look at her, she’d be more comfortable. Yeah, he definitely shouldn’t have said anything.
“Bridget mentioned something about him. Um, that next morning. In New Orleans.” Smooth. Real smooth. He hadn’t meant to bring that night up, didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. Like maybe he was looking for another night. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind once or twice or a hundred times. But that’s not why he tried looking for her. And great, now she was shifting in the seat, like she was suddenly uncomfortable. And was her face turning just a little pink? He couldn’t tell—
“The light’s green.”
Mat jerked his attention back to the traffic and muttered to himself before hitting the gas. Maybe a little too hard, because the car shot forward a little too fast. He eased off the gas and readjusted his grip on the steering wheel.
“Yeah, that was my ex. I’m not sure how he—” Nicole’s mouth snapped shut and she shook her head, obviously thinking better of saying whatever she had been going to say. She shifted again, tossed a quick glance his way, then looked out the window. “I guess I should have told you. That night, I mean. I didn’t think it made a difference, though—”
“No. No, it didn’t. Doesn’t.” Mat shook his head and cleared his throat. No, it didn’t make a difference, not anymore. Not when he knew the mystery guy was really her ex and not actually still married to her.
Some of the tension seemed to leave her. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part. But she shifted in the seat once more, turning the smallest bit so she was partially facing him now instead of staring straight out the window. He glanced over and gave her a smile, then looked back at the traffic crawling forward in front of them.
“Thank you, by the way. For the ride.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“I guess that was pretty lucky for me. You showing up like that, I mean.”
Mat nodded but didn’t say anything. Better for her to think it was just luck. He sure as hell didn’t want her to find out he’d been stalking her, trying to get a chance to see her again.
“So what are you doing in this neighborhood, anyway?”
“Oh. I, uh—I mean…” Great, now what? He didn’t want to lie to her, but how could he tell her the truth? He frowned, trying to come up with a good answer, but she kept talking.
“Did you have a doctor’s appointment or something?”
“Um—”
“That was too personal, I’m sorry. It doesn’t matter. It was just lucky that you were there.”
Mat released the breath he’d been holding, grateful that he hadn’t been forced to answer, grateful that Nicole had kept on talking. Although he didn’t quite remember Nicole being such a fast talker before. Of course, they hadn’t been doing much talking in New Orleans. Not really.
“You can let me out the next block up, if you don’t mind.”
Mat heard the words but didn’t understand them, not at first. He must have missed something because what she said didn’t make any sense. He eased to a stop at the traffic light then looked over at her.
“Let you out?”
“Yes please. The next block up.”
“Why would I do that?”
“That’s the next bus stop.”
“And?”
“That’s where I can catch the next bus.”
“But—” Mat snapped his mouth closed, not wanting to sound too eager. Too disappointed. He cleared his throat and relaxed in the seat, trying to look casual and nonchalant. “I can take you wherever you need to go.”
“No, you’ve done enough, thank you. You can just let me out the next block up.”
“Where do you need to get the bus to?”
Nicole shifted again, turning away from him as she looked out the window. He sensed the slight discomfort and wondered if maybe he had pushed too hard, maybe gotten a little too personal.
“Just to work.”
“I can take you.”
“I don’t want to impose—”
“No, really, it’s not a problem. I don’t have anything planned. And, well, I thought—” Mat cleared his throat and hoped the heat he felt at the back of his neck wasn’t a blush. “I thought maybe we could use the time to talk, get to know each other.”
He glanced over at her then muttered when the car behind him blew on the horn. Mat eased his foot off the brake and moved forward, driving as slow as he dared. The bus stop was coming up but he didn’t want to reach it, didn’t want Nicole to leave just yet. If she did, he had no idea when he might see her again. If he could convince her to let him drive her to work, maybe he could get her number. Maybe he could even get the chance to ask her out.
But she still didn’t answer. In fact, she looked uncomfortable, more than she had when he first picked her up. And she wouldn’t look at him. That bothered him for some reason.
And maybe he should just drop her off and let it go. He was probably worrying her, probably coming on too strong. Yeah, knowing his luck, she probably thought he was being too pushy, too aggressive.
He blew out a quick breath and pulled his shoulders up to his ears, trying to ease the knots, the tension, that suddenly gripped his neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push. I’ll drop—”
“No.” Nicole said the word so fast, louder than he expected, that he almost jumped in surprise. She looked over at him, just a quick glance, her teeth nibbling on her lower lip. Mat t
ried not to focus on her mouth, tried not to remember what her mouth felt like on him.
All of him.
She turned away and Mat bit back a sigh, wondering if maybe he had been too obvious, if he had stared too hard. Wondering if she could read his mind and knew exactly what he was thinking.
The bus stop was coming up, two car-lengths away, but traffic was still moving slow. He figured he only had a few more minutes left, if that. He glanced over at her but she was still facing front, still chewing on her lower lip.
“Did you, uh, want me to drop you off here? Or take you to work? It’s not a problem, really.”
Silence. The bus stop was closer now, just in front of them. Mat tried to hide his disappointment as he maneuvered the car closer to the curb, out of the way of the traffic behind him.
Just a few more feet and Nicole would be getting out of the car, disappearing. He should ask for her number, should say something—
“Work.” The word came out in a rush, like she was afraid it wouldn’t come out at all if she said it any other way. Like she was afraid to accept his offer—which didn’t make sense to Mat. It was just a ride to work, not a big deal.
Except it was, because it meant he could spend more time with her.
“You can take me to work.” Nicole repeated the words, still looking uncomfortable. “If it’s not a problem, I mean.”
“No. No problem. I, uh, I’d like that.” And why did he have to sound like such a moron around her? It was like every last conversational skill he possessed completely disappeared in her presence.
Mat smiled, trying to reassure her, then eased away from the curb and back into the slow-moving traffic. He stopped at the light then looked back at Nicole, wishing she would at least look over at him. Maybe smile. Or at the least, not look quite so uncomfortable.
“So where do you work?”
There it was again, the slight shifting and the nibbling on her lower lip, like she was already regretting her decision. Mat tightened his grip on the steering wheel, wishing he could say something to put her at ease.
“Um, Pulaski Highway.”
Mat frowned. That wasn’t exactly an answer, not really. And it was further away than he thought, especially if she had planned on taking a bus. But he didn’t say anything, just moved into the left lane so he could change directions to get on the highway.
“Where on Pulaski Highway?” His mind was mentally travelling the long highway, trying to imagine where she might be working. It ran from the city to the county, a long stretch of questionable neighborhoods, industry, trucking companies, and clubs. He wasn’t completely familiar with the area, though, so he was having a difficult time trying to figure out where she might be working.
“Um, I’ll let you know when we get closer.”
Was it his imagination, or was she still uncomfortable? More uncomfortable than before? Which made no sense so maybe it was just his imagination. He leaned back in the seat, hoping he looked relaxed and confident, something he wasn’t exactly feeling at the moment. Which was ridiculous. He wasn’t normally like this, so hesitant and uncertain. What was it about this woman in particular that made him feel so inadequate? Maybe it wasn’t her, maybe it was the comments from all the guys that morning in New Orleans, from the jokes and ribs he’d had to endure the rest of that trip.
The jokes and ribbing he was still enduring.
It didn’t matter. At least, it shouldn’t matter. And he should really try to find something to talk about, because he didn’t want this entire ride to be done in silence. Especially if he wanted to find some way to see her again.
“So how was your flight?”
“My flight?”
“Yeah. Last month. Um, from New Orleans?” And now he just felt like an idiot again for even bringing it up. He hadn’t meant it as a reminder of their night together but he got the feeling she was taking it that way because he could see a small flush paint her cheeks a pale pink. Or maybe that was just a reflection of the sinking sun.
“It was fine. I guess. I’ve never really flown much before so I don’t know if all the jumping and bouncing was normal or not.”
“Turbulence. Yeah, I’m not a big fan of that myself.”
“I guess you fly a lot, huh?”
“Yeah. During the season, especially.”
Nicole nodded. Silence settled over the interior once more, still heavy but not as oppressive. Maybe she was feeling a little more comfortable. Or maybe Mat was just being a little too optimistic.
She looked over. Was it his imagination, or was that a hint of smile teasing her mouth? “Did you enjoy the rest of your trip?”
Mat wanted to tell her the truth: no. Because he had been worrying about her, thinking about her, dreaming about her. But he couldn’t tell her that, not without sounding like a complete fool, so he nodded and gave her a small smile. “Yeah, it wasn’t bad. I was glad to get home though. I can only take so much of New Orleans. It’s a great city, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes the crowds get to me.”
Nicole nodded but he got the impression she didn’t exactly agree with him. Great. Nothing like putting more distance between them by pointing out their differences. He cleared his throat and glanced over at her. “How about you? Did you enjoy your stay?”
A bright smile lit her face as she looked over at him. Really looked, not just a quick uncomfortable glance. “I had so much fun. It was my first time there and oh my God. The people, the smells, the tastes. It was so much better than I imagined. I’d love to go back again when I can stay longer, spend more time there and really get to know it.”
“That’s right, you didn’t stay long, did you?”
“No, just two nights. That was all I could aff—I mean, all I could swing. With work, I mean.”
He caught the word, mentally finished it even though she didn’t. She was going to say ‘afford’. Mat suddenly wondered if maybe she was embarrassed by that and he wanted to tell her not to be. But he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable again so he just nodded.
“You’ll have to let me know when you go back. Maybe I can tell you some different places to go or see.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
But she didn’t look convinced, like she already knew she wouldn’t be going back. And Mat suddenly wanted nothing more than to prove her wrong. To turn the car around and go straight to the airport and take her away, right back to New Orleans so she should could explore it for as long as she wanted. Anything to see her face light up the way it had just a moment ago.
Except some people would probably call that kidnapping.
“Well, I’m glad you had fun.” He cleared his throat and offered her a grin, wondering if he sounded as idiotic as he felt. She glanced over at him and smiled but just a small one, not nearly as bright as before.
“I did. And I got some great pictures so it was definitely worth it.”
“You like that? Taking pictures, I mean.”
Her smile came back, bright and enthusiastic. “Oh yeah, definitely. That’s what I do at the hospital: take portraits of the kids and finesse them, show them how cute they are. It gives them hope, you know? To see that they’re not just hospital gowns and IVs and machines. I’ve always loved photography. That’s what I really want to do. Not just portraits but everything. I love it.”
Mat found himself smiling back, wrapped up in her enthusiasm and excitement. “Maybe you could show me some of your stuff. I mean, if you want.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” But her smile faded, more forced now than genuine, and Mat didn’t understand what he’d said to make it dim. He opened his mouth, thinking maybe he should apologize, but she shook her head and pointed ahead of them. “You can just drop me off up there.”
‘Up there’ was in front of a row of fenced-in storage units, the kind where people could rent them by the month. It looked run down, dilapidated, with an air of desperation surrounding it. He could imagine, for just a second, what it must feel like to be forced to keep all your possession
s in one tiny unit, locked away and then abandoned. No, he took that back. He couldn’t imagine, didn’t want to imagine.
“Is that where you work?”
Nicole shifted in her seat, not looking at him. “Um, no. But I can walk the rest of the way.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I can drive you. Just tell me where to go.”
“Really, it’s not that far—”
“Nicole. I am not dropping you off on the side of Pulaski Highway and making you walk to wherever. It’s not safe. Just tell me where to take you.”
She didn’t answer right away. And when he passed the storage area, she glanced over at him with a look of surprise. And something else. Desperation? Panic? And shit, he didn’t want her to panic, even though he couldn’t understand what caused it. Unless she thought he was just going to keep going, not drop her off anywhere. Shit. He should have thought of that, should have realized that maybe he was giving her the wrong impression. She was a woman alone in a car with someone who was essentially a stranger. Never mind that they’d met already, that they’d slept together. They were still really nothing more than strangers.
And he’d just driven past where she asked to be dropped off. He could only imagine what thoughts were going through her mind.
Mat cleared his throat again and started pulling the car over to the side of the road. He could turn the car around, take her back to where she asked to be dropped off. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“No.” She glanced over at him, then looked back out the window, her jaw tense. “No, it’s okay. Um, you can drop me off up ahead. That’s where I work.”
Mat squinted, looking up the highway to see where she meant. There really wasn’t anything he could see, at least not any place he could imagine she’d be working. Nothing except a strip club, the neon lights bright and garish in the shadows of the evening sun.
He slowed the car, glancing first at the single story concrete building then at Nicole. He cleared his throat, not sure what to say, and pulled the car into the gravel parking lot.
Shoot Out (The Baltimore Banners Book 7) Page 5
