“Go on.”
“Derek called the temp agency after you left, and a woman came.” I felt like such a fool saying it out loud to her. “I thought she was your replacement, and I gave her access to everything.”
Nikki’s brow creased, and she leaned forward. “What happened?”
Clearing my throat, I leaned back. “I kind of… Well, I kind of slept with her.”
“What!?”
“In the office,” I hastened along. “And it turns out, she wasn’t your replacement. We don’t know who she was.”
Shaking her head, Nikki spoke. “Are you saying a woman who you thought was my replacement came to the office and you slept with her?” Her eyes blinked rapidly. “How long was she there before that happened?”
“Look, I fucked up, okay? I know it. We were drinking, and the next thing I knew, she was on my dick.”
Her face morphed into an expression of disapproval, which irritated me, but her words cancelled it all out.
“Everybody makes mistakes. Learn from it and move on.” She finally started eating. “What happened next?”
“That’s just it. Derek sent me to Scottsdale, and she disappeared. We got back, and his aunt told him Monica took another job.”
“Monica was the one you slept with?” She forked more lettuce.
“No,” I said, picking up a chip. “The person I met was named Star.”
Ducking toward her plate, Nikki pulled her paper napkin up quickly to cover her mouth. “Oh my god, her name was Star?” Giggles. “And you, an experienced detective fell for that?”
I was ready to go. “Look, I’m not in the mood. I’m trying to find out what the hell happened and fix it. Or at least get answers.”
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head and reached out to cover my hand with hers. “Seriously, I’ll stop teasing you.”
I took a sip of the cold drink I’d ordered, feeling less like talking than ever.
“I’m sure Derek was pissed,” she continued, “but I have to say, the way you two have been acting, I would think it was something bigger than a rogue temp who turned out to be… what? A spy?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what she wanted. That’s why I’ve been working so hard. I need to know.”
Her lips poked out and she nodded. Then she picked up her drink and took a long pull from the straw. “And that’s it? There’s nothing else?”
Images of Elaine’s smile, her shiny blonde hair, her green eyes trickled across my memory in a cool stream. I blinked hard. “Pretty much,” I said quietly.
“You sure?” Nikki leaned forward on the table, allowing the top of her dress to dip forward. From this angle, I had the full view of her awesome cleavage, but it didn’t matter. All I wanted was Elaine.
“Yeah.” I lifted my drink and took another sip.
She sat back in her chair. “Wow. You’re seriously hung up. Is it on this Star person? Is that why you’re so obsessed with finding her?”
“What?” my voice rose. “No way. Elaine’s nothing like that psycho.”
Her smile returned as her voice softened. “So tell me about Elaine.”
My eyes closed briefly, but it was pointless trying to resist. “She’s beautiful. I…” I couldn’t say that. “I want to be with her, but she lives in Wilmington, and long distance isn’t her thing.” I picked up the silverware knife and rolled it in my fingers.
“But you’d do anything to see her again.” Nikki’s voice was gentle, and my gaze blinked to hers. The warmth in her eyes was almost unbearable.
“Anything.”
She leaned forward then, but this time when her hand covered mine, there was no confrontation, no teasing. Her voice was serious. “Patrick,” she said quietly. “You’re in love.”