He looked pleased with my answer. “Do you think these officers will listen to you?”
I chewed my lip. Probably not. I was an outsider. “There’s a camera outside the store so I can have Omar mark each time it happens and save the footage to present to the officers.”
He smiled. “Great. Get on that.”
“Sir?” I couldn’t believe he trusted me to handle this myself. It was a great opportunity for me, and I wanted to prove that his trust wasn’t misplaced.
“Go talk to Omar about noting each time theft happens in a given week and then you can take the footage to the station.”
I cleared my throat. “Okay.”
I stood, ready to leave when he said, “Taylor?”
“Yeah.”
“I wouldn’t normally send a new attorney into the neighborhood on foot, but I wanted to help Isaac and thought it would give you a real feel for the neighborhoods, the business owners, and what the community needs. You expressed your desire to do community outreach in your interview.”
“I did. That’s what attracted me to the job.” Right now, it was my only bright spot at work.
“How are you doing with your regular caseload?”
“It’s challenging but I’m excited for my first trial.” I didn’t tell him that I found the subject matter disturbing because it was my job, and I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t happy here.
“You’re going to do great things here, Taylor.” He spun in his chair so he was facing his computer, effectively dismissing me.
“Thank you.”
It was close to lunchtime, so I told my secretary where I was going and took a cab to Omar’s store. Stepping out, I walked into the store where there was a steady line of people buying drinks, cigarettes, and snacks. I waited out of the way until the line cleared.
Omar smiled wide before coming over to me. “Ms. Leeds, what can I do for you?”
I was suddenly nervous. If he disliked law enforcement would he see my suggestion as unwanted interference? “I talked to my boss about the thefts at your store. He suggested you note when the thefts occur and save the footage from the camera outside.” I gestured toward the door where the camera was mounted.
“What good is that going to do?” he asked, his smile gone.
“We’ll keep a record for one week and then I’ll take your notes and the saved videotape to the station and talk to the officers.”
He crossed his arms, considering me. “You really think that’s going to make a difference?”
“I can be very persuasive.” I’d stood straighter at his question, hoping to invoke confidence.
“You’re right. The officers might listen to you. You’re a pretty girl.”
I’d hope it’s more than that. “They’ll listen to me because it’s the truth.”
“I like you. You’re tough.”
“Good.” I smiled. “Make sure you note each time it happens and save the footage, I’ll be back in a week.”
“You got it.”
I pushed open the door, typing notes about my meeting into my note app and feeling satisfied with my progress when I slammed into a hard chest before bouncing back.
Gabe’s hands reached out to steady my shoulders. “Whoa, are you okay?”
“Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Obviously.” Gabe’s lips twitched in amusement. “Where are you off to?”
“Oh, I was following up with Omar about his theft issues. I spoke to my boss and he had some suggestions about how to gather evidence and take it to the police.”
“Is Omar going to do it?” He cocked his head to the side.
“He said he was. Then I’ll talk to the police.”
“You will?” His tone was disbelieving.
“Yeah. Why? You don’t think I can do it?”
“I just don’t think a local cop is going to listen to you.”
I heard his unspoken words no local cop would listen to an outsider. “They will.”
“You’re confident.”
“I can be very persuasive.” Taking care of Caleb was difficult and I’d had to adapt to his moods and the situation to help him. Dealing with stubborn police officers should be doable.
“You’ll need to be. Where are you headed?”
“I’m taking the streetcar back to work.”
“You mind if I walk with you? I wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“Sure.”
“About the other night—”
“Spare me.” I knew exactly what he was going to say. It was a mistake. He was caught up in the moment. It never should have happened. “I get it.”
“What exactly do you get?”
“That you think it’s a mistake. It never should have happened. You lost your head or some other bullshit.” I wondered if I’d gone too far in calling him out.
He was silent for a few seconds. “Bullshit?”
I wouldn’t let him continue to pull me in and then push me away. “Yeah, it’s bullshit.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear.” A small smile played on his lips.
“Yeah, well, you drive me to it. So, am I wrong?”
“Not exactly.”
“I get too close. You freak out. You retreat. Repeat. Repeat.” Telling him the truth made my heart rate pick up. I wasn’t usually so upfront with guys about relationships. If I had been with my last boyfriend, we wouldn’t have lasted as long as we did. I knew he was frustrated with my attention to Caleb but I wasn’t honest. I didn’t tell him Caleb would always come first. Instead, I waited until he broke it off. This time, I would address issues as they came up.
He stopped abruptly. “This isn’t a game to me.”
“Oh, I know. I’m sure you have your reasons.” His behavior came from somewhere—his upbringing, a bad ex.
“I do.” His eyes narrowed on me.
“I know you think they’re legitimate.” I wasn’t so sure why I was pressing him, not when I’d decided this morning a relationship couldn’t happen.
“They are. You don’t know me—not really. I was different when I was younger. I felt like the rules didn’t apply to me.” Then he sucked in a breath. “I was—I am a troublemaker.”
“Don’t you think that’s for
