Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
The man at the door looks at the floor, blinks, and shakes his shaggy dark hair. When his gaze flicks back to mine, and he stares at me through lowered lids and thick dark lashes, it’s as if I imagined everything. Warm chocolate brown irises are in place of glittering gold. In a sweep, I glance at Evan and then twist to Robert, finding the same. I blink in a flutter of confusion, awaking from a dream.
“Hunter, Goldie’s leaving,” Robert barks.
“Leaving, but she—”
“Not now,” Robert snaps. He practically pushes me out the door, and when I’m on the step outside, I turn back, dazed, and confused, desperate to understand what the hell just happened.
“Thanks again,” Robert says quickly and closes the door in my face, locking it behind me.
4
GOLDIE
The job after the Bjorn’s takes a couple of hours, and then I lie in bed for at least another hour, churning over the most perplexing night I’ve had in my career as a locksmith. The room. The triplets. The strange eye phenomenon. I shake my head, blinking in the darkness. I must have imagined the golden eyes and the static. I was tired, exhausted really, and it was gloomy in the hallway. It must have been that or a trick of the light. The alternative… well, there’s no alternative that won’t render me some kind of paranormal conspiracy nut-job.
I don’t wake up until after ten a.m. and head to my kitchen with a rumbling stomach.
I make myself a big bowl of porridge, adding a knob of salted butter and a spoonful of honey like my momma used to do, making it taste just right. I’m going to need lots of energy to clean my apartment from top to bottom and deal with over a week’s worth of laundry. I wear headphones to listen to a thriller audiobook. I hope it’ll keep my mind from wandering back to strange places, but the eerie story sends fear creeping up my spine, forcing me to put it aside.
When I’m done with the chores, I take a shower and dress in tight black jeans and a yellow top that drops from one shoulder. It’s cute but sexy and a perfect day-to-night outfit. I’m meeting my friend, Rosie, for a late lunch that will most likely involve mimosas, and she’s eager to visit a new bar in the adjacent town. Whenever we go out, I always end up returning home a lot later than I expected.
I take a cab to the little diner we love. They serve the best burgers and onion rings. The fries come loaded with cheese, spicy salsa, avocado, and jalapenos, and the milkshakes are to die for. At least, with a belly full of delicious food, any alcohol I drink later won’t affect me too much.
Rosie’s walking up to the diner as I arrive. I settle the bill with the cab driver while Rosie waits on the sidewalk. Her short flowery dress gets caught in the wind and she clutches her denim jacket around herself. The wind is high and the weather unseasonably cold, and I’m grateful for the warm black coat I grabbed at the last minute.
“Hey, girl,” Rosie says, pulling me into a big hug as the cab driver signals into the traffic flow.
“Hey, yourself.”
We draw back and grin at each other. “Looking good, Goldie. Something has put a glow on your cheeks.”
I frown and shake my head. “Must be my make-up.”
She threads her arm through mine, and we approach the door to The Shake It Up diner. Rosie pushes her way inside, and we’re immediately hit with the scent of grilling meat. My mouth waters, but then I realize we’re going to hit the bar later, smelling like barbeque. Oh well. Men love grilled meat. They’ll probably end up clustered around us with mouths dripping saliva.
We slip into our usual booth and glance over the menu even though nine times out of ten we order the same thing. Rosie tucks her auburn hair behind her ear, biting on her bottom lip. “I feel like steak,” she says.
“Seriously? You’re mixing it up?”
“Hell yeah. I feel like a change. Life’s been boring.” She drops the menu onto the white table between us and settles back against the worn, red faux-leather seat. “So, what’s got you glowing? There has to be a man involved.”
“I’m not glowing,” I scowl.
Rosie narrows her eyes and grins. “Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. Who is he?”
I roll my eyes, but the smile that tugs at my mouth is a total giveaway. I fold my hands in front of me and lean forward. “Just a customer.”
“A customer?”
“Yeah, a guy who needed a locksmith.”
“And you fixed more than his lock?”
“No.” I snort as the server interrupts us. He’s new, and his eyes linger on us a little too long. I order a burger and fries with a vanilla milkshake, and Rosie selects a steak with fries and a strawberry milkshake. He pours us water from a glass jug and leaves it on the table. We both watch him go.