Sparks & Drops by Susan Laine

Author:Susan Laine [Laine, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2014-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

A HALF hour later they stopped at the Devoted Kiss Cafe overlooking Gig Harbor. It was after the lunch-hour rush, but well before the dinner crowd, so they got a table in a few minutes. The view was gray and dull, and the sea windy with white wave crests, but inside it was warm and cozy.

Gus ordered a Mediterranean quiche of sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach, and feta cheese, all served in a hash brown crust with fresh-cut fruit. Niall sneered, shook his head, and ordered a sandwich of roasted prime rib, caramelized onions, and havarti cheese, served with rosemary au jus.

“Aren’t you afraid if you eat that you’re going to have a heart attack before you turn forty?” Gus joked.

“Nope.” Niall winked shamelessly and settled back in his chair, looking laid-back and gorgeous. Gus felt his jeans tighten as his cock perked up, and he had to shift in his seat.

To get control of his wayward libido, Gus quickly changed the topic. “What’s it like being a PI?”

Niall shrugged. “Not like people imagine. It’s mostly a lot of paperwork, like vehicle locates and background checks, or a whole bunch of legwork that doesn’t amount to much at the end of the day, or long, boring stakeouts in crappy cars. Not exactly Bogie style.”

“Cool. Well… you know what I mean.”

Niall chuckled. “Yeah. So, what’s it like being a shopkeeper?”

Gus returned the smile. “Exactly like people imagine. Endless paperwork, mostly official forms, and bureaucracy. There’s the stocking when new stuff comes in or when old stuff gets too old. And finally there’s a lot of standing around behind the counter. Not to mention the face-hardening smile for the benefit of customers who saunter around the place for an hour—and end up buying a tiny crystal worth $1.99. It’s disheartening.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Niall sounded sincere, and he was smiling at Gus’s commentary.

“Those are the bad days. On good days I can keep the door open and let the sunshine and fresh air in, and eager tourists wander the streets, searching for those small souvenirs to fit in their luggage, and friends and colleagues drop by, pleased to see me.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It is.” And it was. On those days, Gus never regretted taking over the responsibility of the shop, even though it meant longer hours for less pay and a lot of work to keep the place afloat. Seattle wasn’t exactly short on occult shops, and there were bigger places to order online. Gus had created a website and business cards for the shop, even though online ordering was still out of his reach, financially anyway. But all in all, he wasn’t doing poorly, and he was immensely proud of his achievements with The Four Corners.

He wondered if Niall felt the same way about his vocation. “Why did you choose to become a PI?”

“My dad was a cop. Homicide. Old school. I didn’t want that, so I went into the army. When I got out, I had all these skills that were better served on the battlefield than anywhere else.

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