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been slow lately.” Anatoly stuffed his hands into his leather jacket and smiled wryly. “I don’t suppose you know anyone who needs a private detective.”
    Shit. This was the moment of truth. Was I a good person or a selfish bitch who would rather avoid a potentially uncomfortable social situation than give a man in need the opportunity to make a living? “I don’t know anyone who needs a P.I.” Selfish bitch it was.
    “Not a single person?” By the tone of Anatoly’s voice I could tell he wasn’t really asking a question but underscoring the desperate state of his finances.
    “Not a soul. All of my friends’ significant others have been annoyingly faithful lately.”
    “Ah, well.” Anatoly shrugged and then looked me over carefully. “You look good.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Really good.”
    And here comes that self-esteem again.
    “There’s one more thing I’ve been wondering about.”
    “Oh?”
    “Last time we talked you said you wanted more of a commitment.”
    “I did say that.”
    “That was two months ago and we’ve both had some time to think.”
    I felt my heart pick up in speed. He had reconsidered. He wanted to be in a relationship with me. Suddenly I saw my future and it was filled with emotional growth!
    “I’ve missed you, Sophie,” he said, taking a step forward. “If you were willing to let go of this idea of improving on what was already a good thing, we could go back to the way things were.”
    And we were back to feeling like shit. I stepped forward and ran my finger across his pecks. “Anatoly?”
    He smiled his sexy half smile and leaned in closer. “Yes?”
    “Take your front fairing and stick it up your ass.”

4
I don’t mind asking the tough questions. I just don’t want to hear the answers.
—C’est La Mort
    “SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT,” DENA SAID SLOWLY. “MELANIE WANTS a private dick and Anatoly wants more clients, but you’re not going to get them in touch with each other.”
    “That’s right,” I said. We were sitting in the back room of Dena’s store, Guilty Pleasures, and I had just finished telling her about everything that had gone down with both Melanie and Eugene and my little run-in with Anatoly and his front fairing. Beyond being my favorite supplier of sensuous flavored body oils, Dena was also my best friend in the world and had been since high school. Normally she’d be the first person I’d call after an awkward exchange with an ex or if, say…the husband of my old mentor was shot right after I made a pass at him, but she had been off attending a bondage-wear trade show in Amsterdam.
    “Sophie, this is insane. It was one thing to play detective when your own life was at risk or when your sister was falsely accused of killing that asshole husband of hers, but to do it just so you don’t have to answer a few casual questions for Anatoly…”
    “Nothing’s ever casual when it comes to Anatoly. Every exchange I have with the man is emotionally volatile and nerve-racking. Except for the sex, and according to Anatoly the sex we’ve had has been nothing but casual.”
    “So this is about avoidance?” Dena crossed her toned lambskin-clad legs and ran her fingers through her short dark hair. “Are you sure the real reason you’re not telling Anatoly about this gig is because you’re pissed at him and you don’t want to help his business?”
    “Of course not,” I shot back, but Dena’s brown Sicilian eyes were skeptical and I knew I couldn’t carry off the lie. “Okay, fine. Maybe I’m a little pissed. Why should I refer clients to him or help him in any way after what he did?”
    “You know, I’m still not really clear on what exactly he did that was so wrong.”
    “Are you kidding me? We had been dating for almost a year, Dena. A year! And it wasn’t like I was looking for a ring. You know I don’t want to get married again. I don’t even want to live with someone. I like my space too much, and besides if I moved a guy into