Blood and Sand
Page 16
Her heart sped as she imagined all the ways she’d be happy to have him guard her body. And there went the blush again. “It’s not really—I mean, I don’t need a bodyguard. Thanks.”
“No harm in offering.”
“You—” Natalie cleared her throat but couldn’t hide the smile. “How did you get started in security? Are you from LA?”
He let out some sound that was amused and irritated all at the same time. Interesting.
“No.” He did the thing with his finger on the glass again. And again, it looked like the ice followed it. It had to be a trick of the light. “No, I’m from San Francisco. Well, I was born in China, but lived most of my life in the US. My boss hired me in San Francisco. Trained me. Put me to work in his business. He does international work too, so having someone who speaks as many languages as I do is useful.”
“You don’t have an accent.”
He shrugged. “I don’t consider myself Chinese. I became a citizen long ago.”
Natalie laughed. “Well, not that long ago.” He couldn’t have been any older than her. In fact, if it wasn’t for the serious expression and knowing gaze, she’d say he was younger.
“I’m older than I look.” He slid closer. “I just have one of those faces. And how did you become a reporter? Did you always want to be?”
She pulled back a little and took a sip of beer. “Yeah. Ever since I was a teenager. I grew up in Oakland. Went to journalism school at UCLA.”
“No kidding?”
“Yeah. Moved down to San Diego for work. But I like it. You?”
He gave a rueful laugh. “Some nights I miss LA. Other times…” He looked at her. “I don’t.”
“I miss Northern California.” She frowned. Why had she told him that?
George blinked, obviously surprised. “I do, too.”
“Do you have family?”
He looked confused. “What?”
“In San Francisco?” She cleared her throat. “My dad still lives in Oakland, but we’re not close.”
“I… I do have family there, but I’m the same way. We’re not close.”
“Just a couple of strangers in a str Cgertheange land, then.” She squinted out the windows of the bar. “It’s so bright here. I miss fog sometimes. Miss the smell of the ocean. It smells like the ocean here, but not the right way. That probably doesn’t make much sense.”
He was looking at her, his mouth hanging open a little. “That makes complete sense.”
Natalie shrugged, feeling strangely exposed.
“May I call on you?”
“Uh…” She almost spit out the beer she’d been drinking. “Call on me?”
“Call. Call you. I’d like to see you again, if you would like.”
And there was the blush again. Damn automatic reaction. Curse her Scottish ancestors and their milky-pale skin. “I’d… Sure. You can call me.” She tried not to be flustered as she reached for her mobile in her purse. George leaned away as soon as he saw it. “Why don’t we just exchange phones? I’d… like your number, too.”
“I can give you my phone number, but I don’t have a mobile.”
She frowned. “Don’t have a mobile what?”
“Phone.” He looked amused. “A mobile phone.”
Natalie blinked, confused. “Y…you don’t have a mobile phone?”
George smiled. “Nope.”
“Are you… a time traveler? Alien?” She shot him a crooked smile. “Unexpectedly hitching a ride in a blue police call box?”
He burst into laughter. Thank God he was a Doctor Who fan. “No. I just don’t have one. Landline only, I’m afraid.”
“But your work… How do you get by without one for work?” She clutched her iPhone like it might run away into the attractive, phone-less man’s hands. “Mine is practically glued to me.”
“I can see that.” He was still laughing. “It’s probably because of work. Mobile phones are unsecured lines. Anyone can listen to your phone calls if they know what they’re doing. People store too much sensitive information on them. Especially smart phones.”
“Paranoid much?”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not paranoia if they’re actually after you, Natalie.”
She tried not to smile. “You know… you’re kinda weird.”
For some reason, that was really amusing to him. “I’ve been told that before.” He laughed, and something about his smile, the angle of his head, jostled her memory.
You’re kinda weird.
You have no idea.
“Natalie!” Kristy called her name from the door. She’d almost forgotten she was supposed to meet her friend for the movie later. “What are you—Oh, hi there.” Kristy’s eyes bugged out when she saw George. “Hi. You’re not Marty.”
“Hey!” Marty yelled from a few seats away.
Kristy yelled back, “Not that I don’t love you, Marty! Hi. Natalie, introduce me to the pretty man.”
George cocked an eyebrow. “Pretty?”
“Oh, sexy eyebrow. Can I just call him sexy eyebrow?”
Natalie snorted. “George, meet Kristy. Kristy, George.”
“George…” She frowned. “…does not do you justice. I think I’m going to stick with Sexy Eyebrow.”
“No harm in offering.”
“You—” Natalie cleared her throat but couldn’t hide the smile. “How did you get started in security? Are you from LA?”
He let out some sound that was amused and irritated all at the same time. Interesting.
“No.” He did the thing with his finger on the glass again. And again, it looked like the ice followed it. It had to be a trick of the light. “No, I’m from San Francisco. Well, I was born in China, but lived most of my life in the US. My boss hired me in San Francisco. Trained me. Put me to work in his business. He does international work too, so having someone who speaks as many languages as I do is useful.”
“You don’t have an accent.”
He shrugged. “I don’t consider myself Chinese. I became a citizen long ago.”
Natalie laughed. “Well, not that long ago.” He couldn’t have been any older than her. In fact, if it wasn’t for the serious expression and knowing gaze, she’d say he was younger.
“I’m older than I look.” He slid closer. “I just have one of those faces. And how did you become a reporter? Did you always want to be?”
She pulled back a little and took a sip of beer. “Yeah. Ever since I was a teenager. I grew up in Oakland. Went to journalism school at UCLA.”
“No kidding?”
“Yeah. Moved down to San Diego for work. But I like it. You?”
He gave a rueful laugh. “Some nights I miss LA. Other times…” He looked at her. “I don’t.”
“I miss Northern California.” She frowned. Why had she told him that?
George blinked, obviously surprised. “I do, too.”
“Do you have family?”
He looked confused. “What?”
“In San Francisco?” She cleared her throat. “My dad still lives in Oakland, but we’re not close.”
“I… I do have family there, but I’m the same way. We’re not close.”
“Just a couple of strangers in a str Cgertheange land, then.” She squinted out the windows of the bar. “It’s so bright here. I miss fog sometimes. Miss the smell of the ocean. It smells like the ocean here, but not the right way. That probably doesn’t make much sense.”
He was looking at her, his mouth hanging open a little. “That makes complete sense.”
Natalie shrugged, feeling strangely exposed.
“May I call on you?”
“Uh…” She almost spit out the beer she’d been drinking. “Call on me?”
“Call. Call you. I’d like to see you again, if you would like.”
And there was the blush again. Damn automatic reaction. Curse her Scottish ancestors and their milky-pale skin. “I’d… Sure. You can call me.” She tried not to be flustered as she reached for her mobile in her purse. George leaned away as soon as he saw it. “Why don’t we just exchange phones? I’d… like your number, too.”
“I can give you my phone number, but I don’t have a mobile.”
She frowned. “Don’t have a mobile what?”
“Phone.” He looked amused. “A mobile phone.”
Natalie blinked, confused. “Y…you don’t have a mobile phone?”
George smiled. “Nope.”
“Are you… a time traveler? Alien?” She shot him a crooked smile. “Unexpectedly hitching a ride in a blue police call box?”
He burst into laughter. Thank God he was a Doctor Who fan. “No. I just don’t have one. Landline only, I’m afraid.”
“But your work… How do you get by without one for work?” She clutched her iPhone like it might run away into the attractive, phone-less man’s hands. “Mine is practically glued to me.”
“I can see that.” He was still laughing. “It’s probably because of work. Mobile phones are unsecured lines. Anyone can listen to your phone calls if they know what they’re doing. People store too much sensitive information on them. Especially smart phones.”
“Paranoid much?”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not paranoia if they’re actually after you, Natalie.”
She tried not to smile. “You know… you’re kinda weird.”
For some reason, that was really amusing to him. “I’ve been told that before.” He laughed, and something about his smile, the angle of his head, jostled her memory.
You’re kinda weird.
You have no idea.
“Natalie!” Kristy called her name from the door. She’d almost forgotten she was supposed to meet her friend for the movie later. “What are you—Oh, hi there.” Kristy’s eyes bugged out when she saw George. “Hi. You’re not Marty.”
“Hey!” Marty yelled from a few seats away.
Kristy yelled back, “Not that I don’t love you, Marty! Hi. Natalie, introduce me to the pretty man.”
George cocked an eyebrow. “Pretty?”
“Oh, sexy eyebrow. Can I just call him sexy eyebrow?”
Natalie snorted. “George, meet Kristy. Kristy, George.”
“George…” She frowned. “…does not do you justice. I think I’m going to stick with Sexy Eyebrow.”
