The Peyton Brooks' Mysteries Box Set, page 174
Marco shifted to look at Stan. Damn him!
“Wow, Stan, that is so neat. I love it. Mulan’s my favorite Disney movie.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She settled it back in the box and went to him, kissing his cheek. “Thank you so much. What a thoughtful gift!”
“Smooth,” said Ryder with a wicked smile for Marco’s benefit.
Marco glared at him again.
“You look beautiful, Peyton,” said Stan a little breathlessly.
Peyton beamed at that. Marco felt his gut tighten. Damn the little geek, he was making him look bad. He wanted to tell Peyton she was beautiful too, but it would sound ridiculous now.
She reached for her wrap and shook it out.
“Let me.” Stan took it from her and as she turned, he draped it over her shoulders, letting his finger trail briefly down her neck.
Marco rose quickly to his feet, forcing them to separate. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Don’t make me go,” moaned Ryder from his chair.
“Shut up, Ryder!” he growled.
“Wait. Why is Jake going?” she asked.
Abe leaned on the counter, bracing his chin with his fist. “I’m going too, sweets, and apparently this isn’t a date.”
“Wait.” Peyton shook her head. “Why are you going?”
“To not have a date with my Angel.”
Peyton briefly closed her eyes. “What?”
“They’re going with me,” said Marco, moving around her and grabbing his jacket off the peg. “I’m not eating alone.”
“Excuse me, Stan,” she said sweetly, then she went to the door and opened it, reaching in to grab Marco’s arm and drag him out onto the stoop with her. “This is ridiculous.”
“You agreed to the date, not me.”
“I don’t mean the date. I mean you taking the entire house with us.”
“Maria and Cho are out, so it’s just the three of us.”
“Marco!” she said, planting her hands on her hips.
He didn’t want to fight with her, so he reached up and swept a curl off her cheek. “You do look beautiful.”
She went still and her lips parted. Oh God, he wanted to kiss her so badly, he ached with it. A faint flush rose in her cheeks and her breathing quickened a little, then she took a step back. “Okay, I guess we’re all going to dinner then.”
Without another word, she turned and went into the house. Marco considered that. Usually they went round and round, arguing about everything. However, this was an interesting development. Maybe he could get his way once in a while if he remembered this.
* * *
Peyton found herself studying the back of Marco’s head as they sat in the Zuni Café. He was sitting, facing the bank of windows that fronted Market, watching everyone who entered, while she and Stan had been given a smaller table toward the back. Something was changing between her and Marco, and it both excited and terrified her.
She knew she should be worried about the case, or about the fact that he would no longer be her partner, but she couldn’t help but think about the other things that had been happening – the strange energy between them whenever they were together lately. When he’d told her she was beautiful on the stoop, her crazy heart had started pounding and for a minute, for a minute she thought he might…
“Peyton.”
She blinked and looked at Stan.
“You seem really distracted.”
“I’m sorry, Stan. I’m not being very good company, am I?”
“I guess you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
The waiter arrived. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
Stan looked at Peyton. “Do you want wine?”
Peyton smiled. “Sure.”
“What do you recommend?” Stan asked the waiter.
He opened the wine menu and pointed. “We have a delightful Syrah from Sonoma or a Grenache that has a wonderful hint of orange. I would recommend either of those.”
Stan gave Peyton a bewildered look.
“Either of those is fine,” she told the waiter. “We’ll let you decide.”
“Excellent.” He wandered away.
“Have you eaten here before?”
Peyton looked around the restaurant with its rustic metal work, the copper counter on the bar, the splashes of modern art on the white walls, and the red brick breaking up the two story planes of glass. In the center of the restaurant was a giant brick oven that cooked whole chickens for patrons to share.
“No, but I’ve heard about it.”
“They say the chicken’s their specialty. Would you like to try it?”
“Sure.”
The waiter returned with the wine and uncorked it, then poured a little into Stan’s glass. Stan lifted the glass and made a good show of swirling it around before tasting it. He gave a little shiver, then nodded at the waiter. The waiter poured both of them glasses, then folded his hands behind his back.
“Can I tell you tonight’s specials?”
“Actually we think we’ll try the chicken.”
“Excellent choice, sir. You do know the wait is approximately an hour.”
“Oh, uh.” Stan gave her a worried look.
“It’s fine.”
“Fine,” Stan repeated.
“May I recommend the Cesar Salad while you wait?”
“Great.”
He nodded and walked away.
Stan leaned on the table. “Marco’s going to be mad that we ordered the chicken.”
Peyton smiled. “That’s Marco’s problem. It’ll give Abe more time to enjoy his date.”
Stan gave Peyton a mischievous wink, then he lifted his glass and held it up. “Happy birthday.”
Peyton touched her glass to his. “Thank you, Stan.”
He took a sip and settled it on the table again. “Thank you for going out with me, Peyton.”
“Thank you for inviting me. This is fun.”
He smiled and looked down at the table, running his finger over a wrinkle in the white tablecloth. “I know I’m not really your type of guy.” He glanced over his shoulder at the other table where Marco sat. “I know everyone thinks I’m ridiculous for having a crush on you.”
“Why do you say that?”
He glanced up at her. “Clearly you’re way out of my league, Peyton.”
“That’s not true.”
He adjusted his glasses on his nose. “You’re always so nice to me. You never treat me like I’m some pathetic nerd.”
“Because I don’t think of you like that, Stan. Where is this coming from?”
He gave her an uncomfortable smile. “Look, I know this isn’t going anywhere, but I just wanted you to know that when we walked through those doors together just now, I felt about 50 feet tall.”
Peyton settled her glass on the table. “Stan, you are a great guy. You’re wicked smart, and funny, and very interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“Yeah, all of your hobbies. You’re not afraid to be yourself and I really admire that about you. And I believe that you will find someone someday who sees you exactly as I do, and she’s gonna be one of the luckiest women in the world.”
His smile lit up his face, then he looked down again. “Can’t fault me for wishing that woman was you.”
Peyton gave a little laugh. “I’m a handful, Stan. Look at me, I’m 30 and I’ve never been able to make a relationship work my entire life.”
“Maybe you’re just looking at the wrong men, Peyton.”
She hesitated, reaching for her wine. Marco had said the same thing to her recently.
“You need someone who sees you for who you are and doesn’t want to change you. Someone who can accept your strong personality and get pleasure from it, not want to curb you.”
Involuntarily, her eyes tracked over to Marco. Shit, she thought, grabbing her wine and draining the glass.
* * *
“There is nothing but wine on this menu,” complained Abe, dropping it on his plate.
Marco glared at him. “Pick one or don’t. Stop whining!”
“Wine is so not my style, Angel’D. I need something with panache, with flair…”
“With 80 proof,” said Jake.
“All right, you pick one that matches my personality.” He passed the wine list over to Jake.
Marco regretted asking them to join him. Did it really look so desperate to eat at a nice restaurant alone?
Yeah, he knew it did, but then the maître d had seated them so far from Peyton that he couldn’t hear what they were saying. All in all, the evening was turning into a nightmare. He was actually hoping the Janitor would make an appearance.
“Oh, they have Dom Perignon here.”
Marco glanced over at the menu. “For $200 a bottle!”
“That’ll do,” said Abe, nodding enthusiastically.
“What?”
Abe placed a hand in the middle of his chest. “You should know that when you ask me on a date, Angel, I don’t come cheap.”
“That’s half my paycheck!”
“How bad do you want to shut me up?”
Marco sighed. “Bad.”
Abe went back to looking at the menu. “Oh, they have whole chickens for two. We can split one.” He winked at Marco.
“I’m vegetarian.”
“Oh, right. Well then, Jake and I can split one. You can munch on lettuce.”
Marco glanced at his own menu. “Oh, no, that takes an hour to prepare.”
“They’re on a date,” said Abe, waving airily over his shoulder. “How long do you think they’re going to take? Besides when you go on a date with me, it lasts all night.” He made a kissing motion with his lips.
Jake snickered into his water.
Marco wanted to kick him, but this was too nice a restaurant for violence.
The waiter approached. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“We’ll have a bottle of the Dom,” said Abe.
“Excellent choice. I’ll get that right away.”
Marco glared after him as he left.
“So what’s put you in such a bad mood, D’lightful?”
“How can you tell?” grumbled Jake.
Marco glared at him as well. “I’d rather be anywhere else in the world right now.”
“Ouch. That hurts.” Abe clutched at his chest.
Marco drew a deep breath and held it, then forced himself to exhale. “Sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Like a promotion to lieutenant that you didn’t take?” said Jake.
“How do you know that?”
“I hear things.”
“Wait. You were offered a promotion and you didn’t take it?”
Marco shook his head. “It’s complicated.”
“It’s not complicated,” said Jake. “You just don’t want Peyton to have another partner.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s it,” said Abe, nodding.
Marco stared hard at his water glass.
The waiter returned and began the whole production of letting them taste the wine. “No need,” said Abe, waving him off. “It’s Dom. We aren’t sending it back.”
“Very good, sir.” He poured out three glasses and set the bottle on the table. “Are you ready to order?”
“We’ll have the whole chicken,” said Abe, motioning between himself and Jake. “And this brooding hunk of gorgeous will have a plate of rabbit food.”
“We have a lovely salad with marinated beets, avocado and a coriander dressing. Paired with a bowl of our cranberry bean and tomato soup and you’d have a very filling meal.”
“That’s fine.”
“I do have to let you gentlemen know the chicken will take an hour.”
Marco closed his eyes.
“Perfect,” said Abe, shutting his menu.
“May I suggest a salad to hold you over? We’re famous for our Cesar salad.”
“I’m fine with my Dom,” said Abe, reaching for his glass.
The waiter turned to Jake.
“I’m good.”
“Very good, sirs,” he said and walked away.
Abe leaned back in his chair and sipped at his Dom. “Oh, this is too good.”
“It better be,” growled Marco.
Abe pushed a glass at him. “Try some.”
Marco lifted it and took a gulp.
“Savor it, Angel, savor. Like good sex.”
Marco took another gulp. He wasn’t much of a wine drinker, but he had to admit this was some damn good wine. The bubbles were just enough to give it a light, airy taste and it flowed over his tongue with a clean, sharp flavor.
“Oh God, if I die tonight, I die happy,” murmured Jake, his eyes closed as if he were making love to his glass.
“Knock it off!” Marco grumbled.
Jake opened his eyes and settled the glass on the table. “Here’s why you’re always so damn uptight, Adonis. You can’t loosen up and enjoy the pleasures in life. Like good food and wine, and…” He gave a lusty sigh. “…fine women.”
“And you do?”
“I’m learning.”
“That’s right, Jake. You’re learning.”
Jake clinked his glass against Abe’s. “You’ve been a mighty fine teacher, sir.”
“Why, thank you, sir.”
Marco shook his head in bemusement. “Unfreakin’ believable.”
“Now, this is why you’re in the mess you’re in. You may be a big, tough cop, but you’re really a coward.”
Marco clenched his jaw. “I have a gun on me right now, Ryder.”
“Yep, it gives you a false sense of bravery, but really, you’re a scared little boy inside.”
Marco gave him a disbelieving look.
“You have a point,” said Abe, studying the wine in his glass. “I never really thought of it that way.”
“Let me ask you something, Abe. If you had an intelligent, beautiful woman right in front of you…”
Abe made a face. “Better analogy, please.”
Marco gave Jake the death stare. “I wouldn’t continue that if I were you.”
Jake waved him off. “It’s too crowded in here for you to kill me. Besides it would upset Peyton.”
“Go on,” urged Abe.
“If you had a prime piece of property available to you. It was in the best location, had the finest amenities, valet parking…”
Marco looked at him in bewilderment.
“And they were practically offering it to you for a song, would you walk away from it because you were afraid you might have to do a little remodeling, maybe retrofit it for earthquakes?”
“Wait,” said Abe, reaching for the Dom bottle. “Are we talking about a woman or a piece of property?”
“Piece of property.”
“Do I already have a piece of property?”
“No, you don’t. Actually, you’ve been renting out properties for a number of years now, but none of them are right for you. After you’ve stayed with them for a while, you find they just don’t satisfy your needs for a permanent home.”
“I see. But I sense that I’m reluctant to make a 30 year commitment to a mortgage, right?”
“Right. And actually, this property is so special, you’d probably be willing to make that commitment, but you’re not sure the property’s ready.”
“Ah, is the property courting other buyers?”
“No, not anymore. In fact, the property is really tired of being on the market.”
Marco slumped down in his chair, rubbing a hand across his forehead.
“So, what do you think is holding me back? I mean what have I got to lose?”
“Exactly. It’s mostly an ego thing, I think. You’re afraid of rejection, so afraid that you might let this prime piece of turf get away from you.”
“You mean the bank might decline my loan.”
“Right.”
“Well, seems to me I won’t know unless I put in an application. I’m told that once you own your own home you can never go back to renting again.”
“That’s true. Besides, I hear home owners live longer than renters, anyway.”
“Well, that’s a bonus.”
Marco shook his head. “You wanna stop now?”
“Sure. I thought we could talk about how smooth Stan was tonight with that gift of his.”
Abe rolled his eyes. “Could you believe it? Little nerd boy brought his A-game.”
“Yeah, he did.”
Marco didn’t care if they were in a fancy restaurant. He kicked Jake’s shin under the table, but unfortunately Jake had anticipated him and moved his leg behind the chair. Pain speared through Marco’s foot and he hunched over, grimacing.
Jake tsked his tongue against his teeth. “You’ve really got to do something about these dark moods of yours, Adonis.”
Abe held up his wine glass. “I agree.”
CHAPTER 16
Peyton jogged down the stairs of her house, pausing at the bottom. Marco stood in the driveway, his legs braced as he stretched his arms over the back of his head. He turned and gave her a smile, rolling his shoulders to loosen them. She hesitated, marking the way his running jacket strained against his upper body and pulled tight across his chest. No man had a right to look this good in the morning, especially after sleeping on a military cot all night.
“Happy birthday, partner,” he said.
“Thank you.” She forced herself to stop admiring him and glanced out at the beautiful September Saturday dawning around them. The sun was filtering through the morning fog, promising a day filled with late summer warmth.
A motion in the window of the house across the street caught her attention and she squinted at it, but it was just the curtain sliding back into place. Strange, she’d thought the house empty. About four months ago, the family who owned it had moved away and although it had been for sale, eventually it was taken off the market when no one was anxious to pony up the exorbitant amount the previous owners wanted.
“What’s wrong?” Marco turned to see where she was looking.
“Nothing. I think you had an admirer watching you stretch.”
“Hm.” He turned back and pressed his palms to the wall, focusing on his calf muscles.
Peyton found herself focusing on them too, and shook herself. Damn, she needed to figure out what the hell was wrong with her lately.
