“Keith and I haven’t talked about it. Originally, I was supposed to work this weekend, but now I’m off until Monday morning.”
For the past five weeks, her assignment had been to escort President Sherbrooke’s mother-in-law and his niece, who were visiting from England, around. Not just around the immediate area, either. Since their arrival, they’d traveled to Manhattan, where the two women had done more shopping in a few days than Maddie did in a year before seeing a Broadway show. They’d also flown to California, and most recently, they’d spent two days on Martha’s Vineyard. The two women were definitely making the most of their visit to the United States.
“Well, if you have nothing to do, call me. I want to check out that new winery on Chestnut Street, but I don’t want to go alone. And you’re the only one of my friends that drinks wine. Everyone else I know prefers either mixed drinks or beer.”
Maddie didn’t see herself having nothing to do this weekend, but she wasn’t opposed to visiting the new winery if it happened. She’d been curious about it since it opened last month, and a place like that was more fun to visit with a friend.
“Will do,” Maddie said as she slipped the straps of her duffel bag over her shoulder. “Have a nice weekend.”
“You too.”
Less than five minutes later, her favorite Metallica song erupted from Maddie’s cell phone as she started her car. It didn’t surprise her to see Keith’s name on the screen. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to answer the phone if she called him while he was doing surveillance, she’d sent him a text letting him know she was going to the gym after depositing Lady Haverston and her granddaughter, Violet, at the White House.
“Spike and I just left Ax’s office, and I’m starving. Do you want to meet us at Shooter’s, or are you already home?”
Located not far from Elite Force Security headquarters, the team regularly visited the sports pub. If it meant she didn’t have to cook or, more importantly, put on something nicer than the jeans and T-shirt she wore, she’d meet him anywhere for dinner. Over the past several weeks, she’d eaten at enough expensive restaurants that wouldn’t let you in the door wearing jeans to last her a lifetime.
Maddie shifted her car into reverse. “Just leaving the gym now. I’ll see you in a few.”
The scent of burgers, beer, and french fries greeted Maddie when she walked inside. Despite the joint’s run-down appearance, the popular sports pub had a steady stream of regular customers every day of the week, many of them military men and women from the nearby base. Like most Friday nights, there wasn’t an empty seat in the place. Customers occupied all the stools at the bar, and both pool tables were in use.
She spotted Keith and Spike seated near the far wall, each with a beer in front of them. Candy, a pretty brunette wearing a sprayed-on Shooter’s T-shirt and a short skirt, reached their table just as Maddie did. The waitress had worked there at least as long as Maddie had been coming to the restaurant and regularly flirted with male customers. Based on what she’d heard, it wasn’t uncommon for the waitress to go home with a guy after her shift ended. She didn’t know about Keith, and she didn’t intend to ask, but Maddie knew Connor had taken the waitress home with him on more than one occasion before his girlfriend, Becca, entered his life.
“Here are your nachos,” Candy said as she placed an overflowing plate on the table. One thing you could say about the pub was they didn’t skimp on their orders.
Slipping into the booth next to Keith, Maddie reached for a menu, although honestly, she didn’t need one. In all the time she’d been coming in, the pub had never changed the menu, and she’d probably tried everything they served at least once.
“Hey, Maddie. I haven’t seen you in a while.” Like the other longtime employees, Candy seemed to know the names of all the regulars.
Maddie guessed the last time she’d stopped in was last month. “I’ve had to do some traveling for work.”
“Well, it’s good to see you,” Candy said, as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Do you all know what you want, or should I come back?”
“Can you come back? We’re waiting for one more,” Spike answered.
“You’ve got it. Just wave me down when you’re ready.” Then, turning on her heel, the woman sauntered toward another table, undoubtedly drawing the attention of several other customers.
Although Maddie hadn’t sent her coworkers a memo letting them know she and Keith were together, they all knew. Regardless, she tried not to act any differently around Keith when they were with anyone from work. Unfortunately, that meant she had to keep her hands and lips to herself, even though it was the opposite of what she wanted to do right now.
Under the table, Keith gently squeezed her thigh. “Is the countess all tucked in for the night?”
If someone overheard Keith’s comment, they might assume he used the term “countess” in a derogatory manner because the woman was a stuck-up, pain-in-the-ass socialite. They’d be wrong, though, because President Sherbrooke’s mother-in-law was married to an earl, making her an actual countess—a fact that had initially made her cringe when she got the assignment.
While Lady Haverston was the first member of the nobility Elite Force had assigned to her, she’d worked for many of the firm’s ultra-wealthy clients. Most were obnoxious individuals who thought their farts didn’t stink. While President Sherbrooke’s mother-in-law and his niece might feel the same way, they at least didn’t act like it. In fact, the woman reminded Maddie of the grandmother in thePrincess Diariesmovies that her cousin’s daughter was currently obsessed with. She’d watched it over and over the weekend Maddie had babysat her.
“More like for the next two days. Lady Haverston’s grandson and his family flew in from New York tonight, and her granddaughter and her family are arriving tomorrow. She has no plans to leave the White House, so I’ve got the weekend off.”
Keith squeezed her thigh again before slowly moving his hand higher. Between work and the brief trip Keith had taken up to see his family in Rhode Island, they had only spent three consecutive days together a handful of times since they moved out of the friend zone.
“Who are we waiting for?” She gestured toward the empty seat next to Spike as she debated whether she should do something about Keith’s wandering hand and risk drawing Spike’s attention or leave it be.
“Salty. Kenzie is working late at the clinic tonight. The poor guy can’t function alone anymore,” Spike answered.
Unlike everyone else who’d met after coming to work for Elite Force Security, Spike and Ryan Saltarelli, aka Salty, had grown up together in New Hampshire. Spike had even been the one to give Salty’s name to the firm’s director.
Reaching under the table, she wrapped her hand around Keith’s before it got any further, since he clearly didn’t plan to stop. “Someone sounds a little jealous, my friend.”
“Of him?” Spike asked, gesturing toward Salty as he joined them. “What the hell is there to be jealous about? I mean, look at the guy. I think you’ve been spending too much time in museums lately, Mad Dog.”