Yeah, like I’ll ever meet a guy like that.
“I could use a little action with a rock-solid body,” Lisa said, and chuckled.
“This guy, you know, he sees me for me, right? Not just my body and all that.”
The other two women nodded.
“Oh, yeah, you definitely need a man who respects you as a person,” Terry said. “And respects your intelligence.”
“I guess,” Shay said, “he’s a little closed off, but I kind of like the challenge of opening him up.”
Lisa and Terry exchanged another glance.
“When do we get to meet your man?” Lisa said. “I want to see the kind of guy who can get you to describe him that way.”
“Oh, he’s busy. Has a job that takes him all over.” Shay shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll be able to meet him soon.”
Disappointment fell over the other two women’s face.
Huh. Probably can’t hang out with these two much longer, or they’ll ask questions I don’t want to answer. To hell with it. It’s not even like they’re all that interesting. For now, though. Ugh. Drank too much water.
“I need to hit the ladies’ room,” Shay said, rising. “I’ll be right back.”
The vapidity of her friends, if she could even call them that, struck her as she headed to the restroom. She didn’t know why she couldn’t find someone who didn’t want to make her throat punch them.
Shay couldn’t be normal friends with a man, not really, not with her issues. Men were either enemies or work contacts, even Peyton.
She understood that all too well, but at the same time, it’d been excruciating to try and find some girlfriends. Lisa and Terry represented her sixth attempt since coming to Los Angeles.
“How do normal people make friends?” Shay muttered.
The thought still haunted her when she stepped out of the restroom a few minutes later. Some business jerk in a blue suit emerged from the men’s room at almost the same time.
His gaze traveled up and down her body, and he broke into a grin.
“Do I need to call heaven?” the business jerk asked.
Shay stared at him. She sniffed the air for alcohol but didn’t smell anyway.
“What are you talking about?”
The man took a step forward and placed an arm beside her head on the wall, pinning her in.
Her heart rate kicked up, and she sucked in a breath.
“I was wondering if I needed to call heaven and report that one of their angels has fallen to Earth,” the man said.
Shay groaned. “You should be locked up in an ultramax for that weapon of mass disappointment.”
“Come on, babe,” the man said, licking his lips. “I haven’t seen a woman as hot as you in a long time. We could have a good time together.”
“Move… your… arm,” Shay said, her eyes narrowing. “Or you’ll regret it, asshole.”
The business jerk rolled his eyes and dropped his arm. “Suit yourself, you frigid bitch.”
Shay spun on her heel and took a single step. That’s when the business jerk reached over to squeeze her butt. She spun back to face him, her gaze filled with murderous intent.
The man stood there, smirking, his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket. “A body like that is wasted on a woman like you. Hey, if you’re going to be frigid, can’t blame me for—”
She seized his hand and grabbed two fingers. A quick bend and snap ended with the man falling to his knees. His eyes teared up, and his mouth formed an O, but only a squeak escaped.
“You… bitch,” the man moaned. “You broke my fingers.” Tears streamed down his face.
Shay leaned over. The corner of her mouth lifted in a sneer. “Go ahead. Get up and tell everyone that some sexy woman broke your fingers. Either people will call you a pussy, or they’ll ask why it happened. Either way, you come out looking poorly, asshole.”
She waved and stepped away, making her way back to her table. The man’s sobs grew in volume. She sat back at her table, Terry and Lisa looking in the directions of the restrooms.
“Why is there a guy crying over there?” Lisa asked.
Shay shrugged. “Who knows? Men.”
Chapter Four
The morning sunlight came through the narrow windows along the top of the warehouse. Shay was deep into her morning ritual, unleashing a series of vicious jabs into a black Everlast punching bag that hung from a heavy chain near the roll top door. She finished with a roundhouse kick, sending the bag sailing back.
She jumped back, avoiding the bag’s return and wiped the sweat from her brow with one of her gloved hands – the fingers exposed. Sweat trickled down her belly into the top of her black lycra pants.
She was replaying the morning lecture in her mind that she had given at the university before heading to the warehouse. It was well attended despite the early hour and by the time she was finished they were on the edge of their seats. “Three schools, three original halls of residence, University, Balliol and Merton Colleges divided by skill levels of magic and areas of interest. A certain storyteller named Tolkien taught at Merton,” she had said with a smile. “Makes you wonder…”
Hands shot into the air the moment she had signaled she was done, the students already shouting out questions. It was going to be a good day.
She punched the bag again, a smile coming across her face as the muscles across her back rippled.
Warehouse One contained a few hidden weapons – standard practice for all the locations – but One primarily served as her training facility. Technology could help a lot on a tomb raid, but it wasn’t fool-proof. In the end, the only tools I can depend on are my body and mind. Shay wanted to make sure both were as strong as possible.
The building was conveniently located only a half mile from Pizza
