Part 16 (1/2)
”You've come a long way from then, huh?”
”To say the least,” Audra replied with a roll of her eyes.
”So, you seemed a little frazzled when I picked you up. Is work always this crazy for you?” he asked, changing the subject. He needed to nail down those initials. It was better to focus on the case than on the fact that Audra was the sweetest woman he knew wrapped up in the s.e.xiest packaging he'd ever seen. d.a.m.ned if this wasn't a confusing night.
”This is way overboard on the crazy times. Things are definitely not business as usual for me,” Audra told him. ”With Natasha in China and all the complications we've run into, I've been stuck with a lot more responsibility for the boutique than normal. I'd like to say I'm handling it well, but that'd be a total lie.”
Perfect opening to grill her on the China connection.
”I'm sure you're doing great,” Jesse heard himself saying instead. She seemed so a.s.sured in most things, it was weird to hear her sound less than confident.
”No. Not great. Barely decent. If it was just the boutique, I'd be fine. Or just the fall deadline. But now there are custom designs, and my own special project.”
Special project? As in the triad?
”What kind of project?”
She shot him a look and pursed her lips as if she were trying to decide if she was going to share or not. He tried to look trustworthy and encouraging.
”It's kind of, well, personal.”
”Audra, I've had my hand down your panties. I think we can share personal information, don't you?”
She laughed, but he could tell she was surprised at the a.n.a.logy. What? She didn't think s.e.x was personal? Special?
Jesse vowed then, when they had s.e.x-and once he helped her straighten out her life, they d.a.m.ned well would be having s.e.x-he'd make sure it felt both personal and and special. special.
”Well,” she said, for the first time since he'd known her, her tone shy, ”I've been sketching up some new designs. I call this line Twisted Knickers, Twisted Knickers, mostly because that's what will happen when Natasha sees it, get her panties all twisted.” mostly because that's what will happen when Natasha sees it, get her panties all twisted.”
”I don't get it? You're the designer, right? So that's your job.”
”Technically, my job is to design lingerie in keeping with Simply Sensual's target market,” Audra said, her dry tone making him laugh. ”In case you didn't notice, the boutique caters to the sweeter side of s.e.x. These designs are anything but sweet.”
”Is that a problem?”
He caught Audra's shrug from the corner of his eye.
”It could be. I mean, it's reaching a point that I have to make a choice. I love working with Natasha, and she gave me my start. But the more I work on these, the more I want...need to see them realized. If she won't go for them, I'm going to have to find another outlet.”
From the sound of it, that was a bad thing.
Jesse tried to figure where this might fit in with the triad and his case. No matter how he replayed her words, they didn't seem to have any deeper meaning.
Her voice, normally so upbeat and sensual, drooped with exhaustion. Jesse looked over to see her leaning her head against the window with her eyes at half-mast.
”You must be worn out. Not just worrying about the designs, but all the rest of the boutique business. Tiring, huh?”
”Yeah. I wish Sharon could have come in to help more, but she hasn't been feeling good. Add keeping that from Natasha to my list of irritating duties.”
”Why would you be hiding this person's illness from your boss?”
”Sharon is her aunt. She's a total sweetie, a great lady. She'd actually sold Natasha the boutique and Simply Sensual a couple years back when she was diagnosed with M.S. She usually clerks in the boutique a few days a week.”
Audra went on to explain about the health issues Sharon was dealing with and how crazy the work week had been as a result, but Jesse barely heard her.
Sharon? Natasha's aunt, as in Sharon Stover? Sharon Stover? S.S.? Jesse reviewed all the information he'd ama.s.sed on Simply Sensual and Audra, and had a giant S.S.? Jesse reviewed all the information he'd ama.s.sed on Simply Sensual and Audra, and had a giant aha aha moment. moment.
That money wasn't connected to the Larson/Du Bing Li case. Not at all. It was simple coincidence. There was absolutely nothing to connect Audra to this case, other than the fact that Dave Larson had supposedly given her something in the club and that large sum of money in her account. Now that he knew the money was clean, that meant Audra was, too. He felt like yelling his triumph out the window of the car. He felt like pulling off to the side of the road, getting out and dancing on the hood. More than anything else, he felt like grabbing Audra to hug her close and kiss her. case. Not at all. It was simple coincidence. There was absolutely nothing to connect Audra to this case, other than the fact that Dave Larson had supposedly given her something in the club and that large sum of money in her account. Now that he knew the money was clean, that meant Audra was, too. He felt like yelling his triumph out the window of the car. He felt like pulling off to the side of the road, getting out and dancing on the hood. More than anything else, he felt like grabbing Audra to hug her close and kiss her.
She was innocent. Oh, sure, there were still a few i i's to dot and t t's to cross, but this information, along with his gut instinct, was enough to a.s.sure him she was one hundred percent innocent.
Of any crimes, at least.
AUDRA relaxed in the pa.s.senger seat of her car and watched Jesse navigate the streets to her apartment. relaxed in the pa.s.senger seat of her car and watched Jesse navigate the streets to her apartment.
This had been one interesting date. Not one thing they'd done had fit into her realm of experience. First, she'd taken him to her childhood home. He'd watched her give in to sentiment and sing to an old man. Then she'd spilled her guts, not just about her childhood, but her design dreams.
Then? If that all hadn't been weird enough, they'd gone to the movies. A romantic comedy, complete with an extra large b.u.t.tered popcorn, soda and, of all things, M&M's.
”You know,” she told him in a contemplative tone, ”I don't think I've gone to the movies with a guy since I was ten years old.”
”Your dad?”
”Nah, a date. But that's the last one that took me to the movies.” She laughed at the mock glare he sent her.
”After your barside serenade, I couldn't think of a lot of options,” he said defensively.
”Really? I can think of a bunch. Clubbing. s.e.x. A fast drive to the ocean. s.e.x. Music at one of the jazz clubs. s.e.x.”
”I think I'm seeing a theme there.”
”Oh, yeah?”
”Yeah. They're all things that would keep us up late.”
Audra snorted. ”Especially the s.e.x.”
”That's an all-nighter for sure,” he agreed.
His husky tone sent s.h.i.+vers down her back. Audra could picture them, wrapped around each other's naked bodies as they tore up the sheets. From his clenched jaw, so could Jesse.
”So what's wrong with an all-nighter?” she asked.
”Besides the good boy thing?” he asked, reminding her of his stupid getting-to-know-her plan. ”You're exhausted and we both have to work tomorrow.”