Brainy and the Beast (4 page)

“Don’t get me wrong. I like a bow tie as much as the next guy. Course, I usually like ’em with a tux. But, you’ve got to admit, they are a little old-fashioned.” Good thing Henry was a brainiac and out of my league, because I’d sure as hell shot myself in the foot with that.

Henry made a humming sound. “I hadn’t realized. Perhaps I’ll have to wear my dinner jacket around you.”

While I was trying to decipher the meaning behind that, I heard another line ringing in the background.

“Sorry. I’ve got to get that. I’m waiting for a call.”

“Oh. Sure. I’ll drop off your car by the end of the day on Friday.”

Henry hung up quickly.

Maybe I’d imagined the innuendo. But what if I hadn’t? Now I could see him in a James Bondish white jacket and some high-end pants to go with it, plus those shiny shoes. Uh-huh. I could tug that bow tie loose…

“Boss!” Wilmer waved, catching my attention. He was standing near the side door, one of the equipment sales reps by his side.

Sighing, I pushed up from my desk. Man, my day job interfered with my fantasy life. “Hold your horses.”

* * * *

The guys and I pushed through our work, managing to get everything done just before three on Friday afternoon, except for one rim I was trying to get for an older Cadillac. The owner was fussy and wanted original manufacturer equipment, so I’d had to order it from a supplier in California. When I talked to the car’s owner, though, he was cool.

“Nick, I don’t like waiting, of course, but since I have to have original parts, I’ll make myself be patient.” Howard was a good guy. Kind of kooky for an oldster, but still, he was a good guy.

“Sweet. We should get it in on Monday, and we’ll drop the car off by your place in the afternoon.” After I hung up, I typed the drop-off instructions into the computer.

The last job of the day was about thirty feet from my office. Through the glass I could see the Mercedes, the shop lights reflecting off one of its fintails.

I moved to the doorway, trying to think. Who should I have drive the car over? Much as I wanted to do it, I’d already been enough of an idiot with Henry. As Jake strolled past, wiping his hands on a paper towel, I gestured. “Where’s Jose?”

Shrugging, Jake tossed the paper into a nearby trash can. “He left just after lunch for something at his kid’s school, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” Sarita had dropped Jose at the train on her way home. “Hey, I need you and Wilmer to take the doc’s car over to his office, okay?” That way, I wouldn’t be tempted to say something stupid if I was standing in front of Henry.

“Sorry, Nick. Don’t you remember Wilmer and I are getting out of here a little early? We have fantasy football tonight, and there’s a special dinner first. Plus, I’ve got to stop at my kid’s soccer game on the way home.”

Soccer game.
Shit
. I thought Grant had said something about soccer last night. When the kid had tried out for the team, I’d been kind of shocked. It sounded so…normal. When he’d made the team, Dad and I had been pretty happy. It would keep Grant busy after school most days with practices and games. He was a goalie on the freshman squad, and he’d gotten a little bit of play. Dad usually went to his games, since I had to be at the shop.

Today Dad had left at two thirty for a doctor’s appointment. Lee had left to meet his wife for date night. That left me to go to the kid’s game.
Guh
. Well, the soccer fields were kind of close to Henry’s office. I could suck it up, act like a grown man and drop the car off, then hustle over to the fields.

Whoa-kay.

Dr. Henry Travis, here I come.

I parked the fintail in the visitor lot next to the entrance at Renton Technologies. Renton was a world-famous research and development company and one of the biggest employers in Lake County. Any business guy worth his salt knew about Renton and about the amount of money the company spent in the county. They had thousands of people working at the campus, plus their national and international locations. From what I’d heard, the big bosses had the ear of the governor. They could make a call and get what they needed, anytime.

Unlike us small-business guys. I frowned automatically at that.

Taking a deep breath, I got out of the car, then carefully locked it. I grimaced when I spotted a mark on the rear door.
What the frick?
“That better not be—” Using my sleeve, I wiped at it, relieved when it turned out to be just a grease smudge.

A security guard stopped beside me. “May I help you, sir?” He was giving me the once-over, and not the kind I occasionally got in bars. I still had on my coveralls with my Carhartt jacket over them, so I guess maybe that wasn’t up to Renton standards.

I sniffed, wiping my nose on my hand for effect. “Nick Shelton. I’m here to see Dr. Travis. He’s expecting me.”

“Uh-huh. Let me call the desk.” The guard, with a name tag showing James Anderson, was a big, hulking guy who probably worked weekends at the WWE. He spoke into the microphone attached to his earpiece, keeping an eye on me as he waited for a response.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and leaned my ass against the fender. Fuck all if Big Jimmy was going to intimidate me. Didn’t matter that I could feel the smartness oozing from the building just fifty feet away—or that I’d started to get nervous just being in the vicinity of so many active brain cells. So much smartness surrounding nonsmart me. I was positive some brains were looking out the windows at me right then, wondering how I had the gall to show myself here.

“Oh. Okay. Sure. I’ll send him up.” The guard had a surprised look on his face when he turned back to me. “They said to go on up.” Raising an arm, he motioned to the main entrance. “You’ll have to check in there.” The surprise had morphed into displeasure as Anderson frowned. “Watch yourself.”

Don’t know why, but Jimmy’s attitude made me feel at ease again. “Don’t like letting the hired help upstairs, do you?” Putting on my best swagger, I grasped the lapels of my jacket and tugged them, setting the cloth straight across my shoulders. “Thanks, Jimbo.” Ignoring the snarl that generated, I plastered on a smile as I headed inside.

Going through the security check to get to the upper floors of Renton was like going through TSA at O’Hare—except these Renton guys knew what they were doing. In fact, some of them reminded me of the intel boys I used to see around Barksdale, back when I was doing my four-year stint in the air force. Those boys didn’t fuck around, and neither did the crew here. I had to go through the magnetometer
and
get a pat down. I’d like to say I enjoyed it, but I was once more too nervous at the thought of seeing Henry Travis again.

I was escorted in the elevator up to the third floor and checked in again at the reception area there. There was a guy sitting behind the counter, which surprised me. I kind of thought receptionists were women. Huh.

“Hi, Mr. Shelton. Dr. Travis left your name in case you came by today.” The twentysomething button-down was nice enough, smiling at me.

The kid led me along a wide corridor. The offices and workrooms we passed were visible through thick glass and metal partitions, but every door was closed.

Sheesh. These guys were serious about nobody hearing was what going on. The exception was a cube farm midway down, where about half a dozen workstations pumped a bit of noise into the area. Two offices from there, the receptionist stopped, knocking on the glass door.

My stomach was in knots. I’d been practicing what I was going to say when I saw Henry in person again. I was going to be cool. I wasn’t going to trip over my tongue or say anything beyond talking about the fintail. I could do that, right?

Just then the door was yanked open, and I smiled. Uh, wait. No. That was not Henry Travis.

The blonde bombshell in the doorway looked a little harried. Still, even I could appreciate her: tall, long hair, pretty face. Oh, and big tits. “Yes? What is it, Brad?”

Ole Brad smiled, showing shark teeth as he eyeballed the skirt. “Hi, Miranda. How are you?”

When Miranda rolled her eyes and sighed, she went up a few notches in my estimation. “I’m just swell, Brad. What can I do for you?” She flicked a glance at me as she fiddled with her white lab coat.

I spoke before Brad could, hoping the kid would take the opportunity to wipe the drool from his lip. “Dude. Show some respect,” I grumbled at the little wannabe stud, then turned back at Miranda. “Hey. I’m dropping off the doc’s car. He’s expecting me.”

With what looked like a genuine smile, Miranda pulled the office door all the way open. “Oh! Oh, yes. Dr. Travis mentioned you might come by.” She held out a hand. “I’m Miranda Greene.”

I must have looked a little blank when I gripped her hand. “Nick Shelton.”

“I’m Dr. Travis’s assistant.” She cocked her head to the side, and the messy golden hair she’d pulled to the back of her head slid along her shoulder.

“Uh-huh.” The doc worked alongside this all day? Maybe I’d have to rethink my gaydar report. I wasn’t
positive
the man was gay, after all. Just pretty sure. “Is he here?”

“No, I’m sorry.” She did sound regretful. “Dr. Manfred called him into a meeting downstairs. He said if you came by that I should accept the keys and the invoice.”

Well. That was that, apparently. All righty, then. “Sure. Here they are.” I dug them out of my pocket. “Just tell the doc we’ll mail the bill to him. It will have a record of the work we did.”

My shoulders were a little slumped as I got in the elevator, my escort once again joining me.
Damn
. I’d really wanted to see Henry again. Maybe the spark I’d felt before had been in my imagination. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I rested my butt against the rail on the back of the elevator wall.

Now what? The elevator cab was trudging along in the shaft, and I rolled my wrist up to check the time. “Uh-oh.” I needed to be at Grant’s game, and the park was a good fifteen-minute hike from the Renton campus. Not that I didn’t need the exercise, because I did. I hadn’t been down in the man cave working out for a few days.

Time to forget the doc. He’s obviously not interested
. The guard standing next to me had his eye on me, but I ignored him. I stood up straight and yanked the visitor badge off my collar.
Get your head in the game, Nicky Boy
. I had a nephew who wasn’t exactly my biggest fan. I really couldn’t afford to fuck up by missing his game.

Resolved to make the best of the afternoon, I strode out of the cab while the doors were still opening—and ran smack into Dr. Love.

“Ooomph!” The poor guy bounced off me, tottering on his heels for a moment. He was a couple of inches taller than me, but I’d had a head of steam going when I left the elevator.

Shit
. “Doc! Christ, I’m sorry.” I reached out to yank him upright, and the firm muscles in his upper arms caught my attention.
Whoa.

“Mr. Shelton. I do seem to have a hard time staying on my feet around you. First it was your dogs, and now you nearly creamed me.” Henry Travis didn’t
look
too annoyed. He was busy straightening his lab coat and checking his tie, though, and that sideways glance was kind of hard to read. “Where in the world is the fire?”

“Huh?” God, his eyes were beautiful.

The tight biceps bulged ever so much when he crossed his arms over his chest. And it was a very nice chest, by the way. “You seemed to be in a hurry.”

I nodded, not really paying attention. I just wanted to look kind of intelligent. Not sure it was working, but whatever. With a snort, the security guard nodded at Henry and headed back to the desk.

“And?” Henry drew out the word, and now that I was paying attention again, I could have sworn there was a tiny twinkle in his eyes. “You’re going somewhere, I take it?”

Wake up
. “Oh. Um, yeah. I have to get over to a soccer game at the high school.”

“Are you the coach?” He actually sounded interested.

“No. God, no. I don’t know anything about the game, no matter how much Jose tries to tell me about it.” I was pretty sure I’d suck at coaching anyway, even if I could figure out what the fuck a corner kick was. And I knew for sure Grant wouldn’t want me to be bossing him around.

“So why are you going there?” Henry reached out one long-fingered hand and directed me to the side as two secretary-looking women slid past us into the elevator.

Over Henry’s shoulder, I could see my buddy Jimbo watching me from the desk, a sour look on his face. “Uh, my nephew is playing at three forty-five.” I checked my watch again. “Shit.” It was just past that. I sighed. I couldn’t seem to get anything right with Grant.

“Do you need a ride over there?”

“What?”

“I don’t see any of your workers around. How were you getting there from here?”

Guh
. “I, uh, I was going to hike over to the school. It’s about a mile from here.” I could do it in less than ten if I jogged it. Maybe.

“Let me drive you there. It’s the least I can do.”

I frowned. He’d surprised me with that.

“Did you leave the keys with Miranda?” At my wide-eyed nod, he raised a finger. “Why don’t you wait here, and I’ll run up to get them?” He poked the elevator call button. “I’ll be just a moment.”

The elevator doors obligingly opened, and Henry disappeared before I could say anything else.

“Guess the boyfriend doesn’t want you around after all, does he?” That was big Jimmy Anderson again. The guy had sidled over while I stared at the doors.

Did I have
gay
tattooed on my forehead? “You got a problem, Jimbo?” I bumped his chest with mine. Or, actually, I bumped my chest against his rib cage. The guy was at least six-four.

“Not as long as you leave Dr. Travis alone, we don’t.” Jimbo didn’t back up an inch.

Ding. A bell went off in my head. “You jealous?”

Now the guy was right up in my face. “What are you talking about?” He was practically growling, and his cheeks were reddening.

“Jimmy. Dude, seriously. Back the fuck up. Now. Or I’m going to have to hurt you.”