“She’s got a temper,” Jake observes from where he’s changing his shirt nearby. “I like it.”

I stare at him, a hard and level gaze. “Don’t even think about it. You’re jailbait for her.”

The kid rolls his eyes. “You’ve gotta lighten up, man. I was just making an observation. Jacey’s badass.”

He grabs his bag and ducks out of the room, and I notice something. Jacey’s cell phone is lying on the bench where she was sitting as she was talking to Jake. I know it’s hers by the pink flowered case.

I walk over and grab it, sliding it into my pocket. Something about it makes me smile. Pink flowers. Like her pink gun. Jake was right. Jacey’s pretty badass. Yet she has a softer side. And she’s all woman, sexy as hell.

She’s a puzzle… and one I get more fascinated with every day. The more I think about it, the more I know what I have to do.

I just need to get to know her. If I give her a chance, she’ll disappoint me, like everyone else. And then my fascination will be over and I can go about life as normal, as the jaded asshole that I am.

But a little while later, after I’ve finished weighing the rest of the boys and set off to find her, I discover that she’s already gone.

“Her boyfriend already picked her up,” Joe tells me when I ask. “You’re outta luck.”

Her boyfriend/surrogate brother. I roll my eyes and feel oddly disappointed.

“I have her phone,” I explain to Joe. “She left it in the locker room. I don’t suppose you have her address, do you? I know she lives in Calumet Heights somewhere. I could drop it by her house on my way home. I doubt she’ll want to be without it.”

“Yeah, I can get it for you. You should let her worry about it, in my opinion. Then she’d be more careful with her stuff. But if you want to…”

His voice trails off as he hunts for her file, then scribbles the address on a sticky note.

“Don’t share that with the boys,” he says needlessly.

As if I would. I nod and leave, and within a few minutes the nose of my car is turned in the direction of Calumet Heights.

It’s time to exercise my option.

Chapter Eleven

Dominic

I pull up in front of a tiny little house, encased on either side by identical tiny houses.

The handkerchief-sized front lawn is encircled by a short metal fence, and daffodils line the front sidewalk. There’s a pair of beat-up running shoes beside the door, well used and dirty, and a black-an-white decorative sign is hanging next to the door topped with a pink bow.

No Soliciting! My soul doesn’t need saving, I hate magazines, and I already have a vacuum (I just don’t use it much). Unless you’re selling Thin Mints, I’m not interested.

It makes me smile because it’s so Jacey, blunt and to the point.

I rap on the door and she appears, her face in total shock at seeing me on her porch. She’s dressed in her tiny Saffron outfit already, although I know there’s no way she’s been home for long.

“I don’t have any Thin Mints, but I thought you might be interested anyway.” I smile my most charming grin, but she stares back at me straight-faced, not cracking a smile.

“What do you need, Dominic?” She sighs. She doesn’t even bother asking me how I got her address.

“I was in the neighborhood. And thought I’d bring you back your phone.”

I slide it out of my pocket and offer it to her. She’s clearly puzzled as she takes it, her fingers colliding with mine for a minute before she yanks them away.

“Thanks,” she says uncertainly. “But this isn’t in your neighborhood. Not by a long shot.”

“Whatever,” I answer casually. “I thought you might want it.”

“I can’t believe I left it,” she admits. “It hardly ever leaves my side, because I can’t afford to lose my stuff. Thank you for bringing it. I’m running late for work, or I would invite you in.”

She looks at me pointedly now, and I glance at her up and down, at the sexy bustier that positions her tits just right, to her barely-there boy shorts, to the yellow bowtie. She stares at me expectantly, waiting for me to leave, but I don’t.

It’s been a long time since I do what I do next.

“Call in sick,” I suggest. “I’m bored. Let’s go do something.”

As soon as the words are out, I regret them. I’m shocked by them. I want to rush to take them back, but I’m too collected for that. Instead, I want her to turn me down, yet at the same time, I’m eager for her answer.

Deep down, I want to spend more time with her.

Even though I don’t want to want to.

She narrows her eyes again. “What about your girlfriend? I think she’d have something to say about us doing something together.”

My girlfriend? I’m confused, but then I remember Kira. Jacey’s seen me with her a couple of times… in fact, she thought Kira was Emma. I swallow hard.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I answer, although I don’t offer an explanation about who Kira is to me. That’s my business.

Jacey stares at me wordlessly, probably trying to decide if she believes me or not.

“Come on,” I urge her. “Let’s blow this place.”

Jacey sighs. “Why should I? You’re an asshole, Dominic. I never know what’s going to set you off or when you’re going to snap my head off. It’s not a game I like playing. In case you haven’t noticed, being around you isn’t really a treat. I thought we were getting along, and then all of a sudden, you act like I don’t exist. I don’t get you. I really don’t.”

I feel guilty again, just a little, because I know she’s right. I am an asshole. And most of the time, I don’t care.

But there’s hurt in her eyes, real hurt, and that’s something I haven’t seen in a while. Most people I’m around have thicker skin and they’re almost as jaded as I am. Sometimes I forget that Hollywood is practically in a different dimension from the rest of the world… and those of us who live there are pretty much alien creatures.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “Sometimes, I’m an asshole without meaning to be. Sometimes, I do mean to be. It’s true. But I’m sorry that I was an asshole to you. I could explain, but it would bore you. Let me make it up to you. Let’s go do something fun and touristy. I promise to be nice.”

She pauses and I smile, flashing her my trademark grin, the one that chicks eat up. It’s not her fault that I’m an asshole. And even though she’s all swagger and talk, I can see that she’s easily wounded. She just hides it. Like the rest of us, she puts on a front.

She wears a mask.

With another grin, and before I can think the better of it, I decide to take that mask off of her. To see what lies behind it. To see if she’s really as different as she seems to be.

It will be an experiment of sorts. I’m not getting sucked in, I’m not getting involved. It’s just an experiment for scientific purposes… to see if there can possibly be one decent human being left in the world. And I’m guessing my dick is going to enjoy this experiment.

Jacey rolls her eyes at my expression.

“Don’t even try it,” she warns. “I can see through you. Don’t try to charm me.”

I grin again and I can see her give in.

“Fine,” she sighs. “But only because I’m tired and I really don’t want to work anyway. I was going in today to cover for someone else. I’ve been picking up too many extra shifts. It’s wearing me out. I need a break.”

That’s not the reason though. I can see it on her face. She’s as intrigued by me as I am by her. The difference is… she’s not as good at hiding it or keeping her distance.

“Come in,” she gestures. “I’ll call and then change my clothes. Where do you want to go?”

I think for a minute, trying to decide on somewhere I can get lost, somewhere I won’t stand out. “How about Navy Pier? We can find pretty much anything to do there. And we can get something to eat.”