Part 22 (1/2)
”Hey, I'm available,” Gavin said.
”And you're a gem!” Shanna a.s.sured him quickly.
”But you're busy Friday nights,” Gavin said, laughing.
”Gavin, you are a doll and a gem and-”
”And you're gorgeous and twenty-four and I'm ... I'm not,” he said after a moment, grinning. ”Oh, well, if you ever get desperate ...”
”A girl would not need to be desperate,” Shanna a.s.sured him quickly and sweetly.
Jade felt a deep surge of affection for her sister. For all of her cynicism, Shanna was almost always compa.s.sionate and kind.
”To tell you the truth, I'd have grabbed you for a movie tonight-if we'd had this conversation just yesterday.”
Jade looked at her sister curiously. ”What happened since yesterday?” she asked her sister.
Shanna's eyes widened teasingly and she grinned. ”I met someone.”
”This morning?”
”Yep. At a coffee shop, on my way over to your place.”
”You didn't tell me!”
”Well, I didn't get married or anything. I agreed to go on a date.
Well, actually, I didn't even really agree to go on a date. I suggested that I'd be at a movie. Although, you know, this flu thing is going around. He was sick, too. He could be a no-show.”
”Still, you didn't tell me you had met someone.”
”Well, I was anxious to hear about your life at the moment.” She grinned at Gavin and Al, who were watching the conversation between the sisters with interest.
”Her life is just far more interesting than mine. At the moment.”
”We need to leave,” Jade said firmly, ”and let these gentlemen get back to work. Gavin, thanks again. Al, thank you, too.”
”My pleasure,” Gavin a.s.sured her. ”I'm delighted to help in any way. And listen. Although I have to say Sean is one good cop-” He broke off, shrugging. ”You're sure there's nothing else I can do for you at the moment, other than contacting New York law enforcement?”
”Nothing, thanks.”
”Good,” Al interrupted quickly, drawing a puzzled glance from Gavin. ”I saw the girls here and nearly forgot-we're needed at the morgue.”
”What's up?” Gavin queried.
”The M.E. has made a curious discovery regarding the college kid in the accident the other night. You ready?”
”Yeah, sure, let me grab my jacket. Hey, great October, isn't it, ladies?”
”Beautiful, brisk, pleasant, great,” Shanna agreed. ”In fact, let's pick up a few pumpkins to carve, Jade, eh?”
”Sure. Well, thanks, guys, thanks very much,” Jade said.
Twenty minutes later they were at one of the street markets, looking at pumpkins. Jade wanted to know about the guy Shanna had met.
Shanna said he was just a guy.
”But you're going on a date with him.”
”Not really. I'm meeting him for a movie. And that's a maybe.”
”That's a date.”
”I'm not having him pick me up or bring me home. We 're just meeting for a movie.”
”Tell me more.”
”That's all,” Shanna said, irritatingly evasive.
”Does he have a name?”
”Dave.”
”Great. He has a name.”
”He's cultured, cute, and charming. That's all I know right now. I'll tell you more later.”
”I should go with you.”
”No, you should stay home and sleep with your cop.” She sighed, shaking her head with disgust. ”The price on these is outrageous. You'd think these stinking pumpkins were made out of gold.”
”We could drive out of the Quarter and buy a few along the roadside. They'd be much cheaper.”
Shanna made a face. ”No, thanks. I don't feel like driving anywhere.” ”I'm going to take that one.”
”Fine-I'll do that fellow over there.” They bought the pumpkins and went back to Jade's place. Coming up the stairs to enter by the living room on the second level, rather than through the courtyard and casual area below, they pa.s.sed Renate's door. Shanna grinned. ”Boy, I sure would like to know just how things did go for good old Matt last night.”
”He's not Renate's type-and Renate never minds telling him that.''
”Ah . . . but if she had enough champagne and caviar . ..”
”Well, she didn't.”
”She should have. The poor boy was trying to celebrate.''
”Go tell her that she should have given him a celebration one-night stand.”
”All right,” Shanna said, staring down the hall.
”Don't you dare!” Jade said, dragging her sister back.