"Well? Spit it out. Or is that hangdog look all from muffin overload?" I crouched down beside him. "You angling for a tummy rub?" He did look pretty badhead on his paws, tail tucked.
"Okay, VU tell you what's bothering me." He lifted his head and glared at me. "You'd better hope like hell that Blade doesn't have a clue about MySpace because what you just told those women would hurt him. Bad." I jumped up. "I didn't say it to hurt Jerry. It was part of my cover. As Ray's girlfriend."
"Yeah, right. You should have seen your face. 'Ray's so freakin' hot. He sings me to sleep every night.' You know what kind of picture that'll put in a guy's head? Especially a guy who loves you. I'm just sayin' maybe you should think before you give out quotes next time. One minute you say you're a 'private person,' the next you're blabbin' what sounded an awful lot like pillow talk."
"There has been no pillow talk. Jerry and I are solid. I talked to him just a while ago, Mr. Nosy Paws. So relax, will you?" I rubbed my aching head. "You think I'm worried about my love life right now? With what Aggie said to us? Jeez, V, cut me a break. I've still got Flo to deal with."
"Oh, yeah. Well, good luck with that." Valdez stood and rubbed against me. "Sorry, guess your plate's a little full right now. I think those muffins had something funky in them." He winced on his way toward the back room. "What's keeping you, Bri? I'm about to belch 'The Eyes of Texas' out here. "
I watched him head to the storeroom, his conversation with Bri background noise as I realized that once again, I'd let my mouth overload my tiny brain. Sure, I'd added to the Ray cover story, but if Jerry saw that quote, and I was sure the tabloids would pick it up and run with it, then he would be hurt. I thought about calling him, telling him about it before he could read it somewhere. Explain. What? That I got off to bragging that I slept with a famous rock star? Oh, sure. That made me look really special and shallow and just as worthless as his mother kept telling him I was.
I pulled my boots back on and picked up my cell phone. I'd call Jerry and leave a loving voice mail. Just to reassure him in case he did happen to hear about my stupid brag. So now I was shallow, worthless and selfish. Surely he knew this was all part of the mentoring package. Yeah, right. Okay, the question of the night was: Why couldn't I have two hot guys panting after me? I loved Jerry because he was my rock. And I got these tingles around Ray because he was my rock star. Is there a rule somewhere that says I can't have them both? I think not.
"What's going on, Glory?" Ray strolled in a few minutes after three in the morning. His smiling, casual attitude hit on my last nerve. Just wait till we got upstairs and he heard the latest in Aggie's demands. I was so freaked-out I could hardly speak. But you knew I'd manage, didn't you?
"I thought you were going to be here at two. Richard and Flo are waiting for us upstairs."
"Sorry. Once Sienna gets her talons into you, it's hard to tear loose." Ray grinned at Brianna. "Lookin' good, Bri. That a new outfit?"
"Actually it is." Bri blushed and fussed with her vintage pink twin set. "I got it here. Employee discount."
"No flirting with the hired help, Ray. And you do look cute, Bri. I should have mentioned it." I grabbed Ray's arm. "Let's go. Any more fans come in, tell them I'll be here tomorrow night, early shift."
"Sure thing, boss. 'Night, Mr. Caine."
"Ray. I hope my fans aren't bothering you, Bri." He gave my clerk his patented, guaranteed to melt the panties off a statue, smile.
"Not yours. Glory's." Bri showed signs of falling under his spell with her flushed cheeks and a hair toss. Next thing you knew, she'd be sporting a "Lick my candy, Caine" T-shirt. No, I'm not kidding. I had one upstairs myself. I know, gross. But if you wanted the complete Israel Caine collection, you had to have one.
"The Blueberries, Ray. I have quite a following." I pulled him away from the counter. "Bri, we're heading out."
"Wait. I want to hear more about these fans. Speak to me, Bri." Ray leaned against the counter, pulling me off balance as he gave Bri his full attention.
Bri glanced at me. "I'll let Glory tell you about them. I'd better check on a customer in the dressing room."
"Come on, Ray. We're late." I dragged him toward the door.
" 'Night, Bri. Patience, Glory. Not jealous are you, babe?" He pulled open the door and glanced outside. "No paparazzi? Must be our lucky night."
I grabbed Ray's arm. "Wait. Valdez goes out first." I held Valdez's leash but didn't bother to snap it on. "Valdez, go across the street and do your thing." The door to the apartments upstairs, including my place, was just a few feet away. Valdez burped as he went past, not even sparing Ray a glance.
"The dog's in a mood. Sorry you had to wait for me. You know I think you are a. little jealous." Ray was still grinning. I smiled back. "Don't be ridiculous. We're both free agents. As you'll see when Jerry gets back from Europe." That wiped the smile from his face. "You want to hit on Bri? Go for it. Just remember I need her to work most nights for me."
"You know we can't publicly date other people yet." Ray moved in on me. "The tabloids would have a field day. Think of the added stress when we've got Aggie to deal with." He brushed my frizzy hair back over my shoulders, then frowned when I backed away from him.
"You have no idea. It's worse than you think. I'll tell you upstairs."
"What? Tell me now." He moved close again.
I glanced across the street and saw a woman follow Valdez into the bushes. "Is that" Barking, yelling and a scream drew Ray and me across the street at a run.
"What's going on here?" Ray stopped in front of me and I ran into his solid back, almost knocking us both down. I peeked around him. Valdez was standing over a woman who lay crying in the mud. She wore his paw prints on her red Vneck sweater. And no wonder. She had a leash in one hand and pepper spray in the other.
"II was just trying to catch your dog for you." She sat up and waved the leash, almost hitting herself in the face with the metal fastener. "I saw him escape when you came out of your shop. Then he ran across the street."
"Why'd yon try to spray me in the face with pepper spray, lady?" Valdez sneezed and rubbed his face on a small patch of dead grass. "Good thing I've got great reflexes or you'd have blinded me."
"Oh, God! I'm hallucinating! I must have hit my head when I fell." The woman collapsed again and closed her eyes.
"Tina, what the hell are you doing here and why did you use your pepper spray?" I snatched it from her hand.
"You know this woman?" Ray put his hand on my shoulder.
"She was just in my shop. She's one of my fans." I stepped between Ray and Tina. "I don't get it, Tina. Why'd you try to spray Valdez?"
"II was afraid he'd bite me." She sat up again and looked at me instead of Valdez. Apparently I was less threatening than a talking dog. Though, with pepper spray in my hand and my temper rising, she was dead wrong.
"Did he growl at you? Lunge?"
"No." She stood and brushed off her baggy jeans. The moon came from behind a cloud and she shrieked. "Israel Caine! It's really you!" She wobbled and I thought for a second she was going to go down again.
"She tried to sneak up on me. I was doing nothing but my business. Then ssspppit, she zapped me with that spray and came at me with the leash. Of course I had to defend myself."
She'd come after my dog. What was her agenda? A quick trip through her mind didn't help. She was all about seeing Ray in the flesh. I was shaking with the urge to pepper spray her until seeing anything was a dim memory. I stepped back.
"Practice your whammy, Ray. Look her in the eyes and paralyze her."
"What?" Ray glanced at me. "I don't"
"Israel. I've dreamed of meeting you. I go to all of your concerts." She edged closer and reached out a muddy hand to touch his sleeve. "You're really standing there? With the talking dog, I thought maybe I'd slipped into a coma. After falling down and all." She shrieked again and covered her face. "Don't look at me. I'm a mess! That damned dog. I'm covered in mud." She went on a rant about how she'd wanted to look perfect when she finally met Ray.
"Come on, Ray. You've seen me do it dozens of times.
Ray took her hand. "Look at me, Tina."
I thought she was going to jump out of her ballet flats.
"Yes, Israel."
"What are you doing out here, Tina?"
"Stealing that horrible dog."
I gasped and looked at Valdez. He sneezed again and showed his teeth. Damn it, his eyes were red, irritated by the pepper spray.
"What the"
"Why did you want to steal the dog, Tina?" Ray's voice hardened.
"Because it belongs to that fat bitch you're sleeping with, Israel. I've been watching her shop. Waiting for my chance. Even went inside today." Tina's jaw suddenly trembled and two tears slid down her muddy cheeks. "Look at her. Gross." Ray dropped her hands. "She's nuts. I'm not doing this."
"Yes, you are, Ray." I squeezed Valdez's leash, fighting my kill urge. "Keep going." Ray focused on her again. "What are you doing here, Tina?"
"I want to give you what you need. She's nice." Tina spat it, like it was the worst of four letter words. "I'm naughty." She reached for Ray, but he held up his hands and she backed off.
"You want sex? Have sex with me, Israel. I'll do anything you want. Anywhere. As many times as you wish." She ran her hands over her breasts, the red sweater clinging to her ripe curves.
Had I really sold her that? Now it was all I could do to keep from leaping on her, ripping it off her and cramming it down her throat. Right before I drained her dry and tossed her body in those bushes, of course.