Read It's A Crime for Free Online Page B

possible, and of course closing the deal, so to speak.” He spoke slowly, confidence oozing out of every pore.
    Michelle came back in, once again breaking the building tension. She looked back and forth between us and decided this was something she wanted no part of. She turned toward me and said, “Jeff is coming to pick me up. He’ll be here in a few minutes. He wants to ‘talk,’ so he said.”
    She made quotation marks with her fingers in the air , something she did often when telling me the other side of a conversation. “You know, explain things, apologize. I’m going to run outside to grab a fast smoke before he gets here.” I hated that she smoked, but she took my faults and loved me regardless, I could do no less. “I’ll be back in a few, if he walks in before I get back.”
    She grabbed a cigarette and her lighter from her coat pocket and made a beeline for the side door, the “smoking section” as we jokingly referred to the small patio on the side. Thanks to Mayor Bloomberg, a very small amount of space in the City remained where you were allowed to smoke. I applauded his Honor’s efforts—Michelle not so much.
    We remained seated both sizing the other up in total silence until Michelle came back. The intense allure he radiated was built in strength, developing into a near-physical impression of his inexorable power over my libido.
    “Everything okay here? I’m getting a weird vibe.” Her concern was obvious. “Listen, I can tell Jeff I’ll see him later.” She leaned in between us, blocking Cole’s view and spoke directly to me. “Really, I don’t mind.”
    “No, everything here is fine.” My voice sounded strange, even to me. “You go and see Jeff, straighten his ass out.”
    “I plan to.” She was looking at me worriedly. “Are you going to be okay here?”
    “ I’m fine, really, go take care of Jeff.”
    Cole sat there looking back and forth , following our conversation. Taking it all in stride.
    “Um, I see Jeff outside ,” she said. “I’m gonna go, if you’re okay with that.”
    When she received no response, she continued, “You WILL call or text me later so I know where you are.” She leaned in toward my ear and said, speaking low, “Don’t do anything stupid. You don’t know a thing about this guy. The City is full of creeps and you know that. Jon-a-than, ” she said sing-song like.
    “It’s fine , Michelle. I’ll be fine, Michelle,” I reassured her. “I’ll call you in a little while. Go and don’t take any shit from Jeff. I’ll be fine…really,” I repeated once again for emphasis.
    I stood and gave her a quick hug. Cole stood when I did.
    Michelle looked right at Cole. “I love her just the way she looks now.” Pointing up and down, she indicated my body. “Do not let anything happen to her that may change that.” Without warning, she raised her cell to her face. The flash of the camera blinded us both. I stood there, mouth agape, Cole shook his head and laughed.
    “ Michelle, I am nothing if not a gentleman.” He bowed mockingly toward her, still blinking from the flash.
    “Then don’t forget she is a lady ,” Michelle said, the tenacity in her voice coming through. It took all I had in me not to laugh out loud. Lady.
    “Nothing will happen to her that she doesn’t want to happen.”
    “That’s what I’m afraid of.” She was admonishing me.
    “She’ll look just as happy when you see her next, if not happier.” His voice remained pleasant and soothing,
    She hugged me again and walked out, turning once more to get another good look at Cole, sizing him up and down slowly. I assume to make sure she would have a good description to go along with the picture she took, to give the police should they need it.
    I sat down, drained. Smiling, looking relieved, Cole sat and looked directly into my eyes.
    “Yeah, she will do that to you, drain you.”
    “She is just worried about her friend. I can’t fault her for that.” He smiled. “But