A Happy Coincidence

Chapter 34

"I think I pulled something." Rory moaned, sitting up, and cracked each shoulder as she stretched. "Or you did."

Grunting in response Happy's bare feet slapped against the floor as he stumbled into the bathroom. "How'd last night go?" He called out.

"It was fine. Uneventful. I think it'll be an easy gig." Sitting cross-legged on the bed she picked fuzz balls off the sheets and contemplated telling him the truth. It wasn't uneventful and she was terrified of going through with it now.

Trotting back in, Happy threw himself down on the bed, rolled over, and laid his head on her lap. "You're being weird."

"Am not." She pulled a face. "Just takes a while to get back in the swing of things."

"I don't believe you." He said very matter-of-factly. "Is someone bothering you?"

"You're bothering me, Hap."

Dropping the discussion, one he didn't truly want to have but felt he should, Happy rolled off her again. "What's your day look like?"

"Food shopping and the gym, I think. I might just sleep, I'm so tired."

"Gym will help get your energy back. You should go. If you go to the store can you pick me up some shit?"

Rory rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress her little giggle. "Of course. The usual stuff?"

"Yeah. I'm not gonna be around today, unreachable. It's club stuff."

Normally she didn't care but Rory's stomach turned at the idea of him being cut off from her for any length of time. She nodded, stretching out and lying back down, her head on his chest.

"How long?" She traced his tattoos in the rare emotionally intimate moment.

"I don't know." He ran his nails along her arm slowly, a little shiver wiggling down her back. "Depends on how it goes."

"Ahhhh, it's one of those jobs?"

"Yep. I know you hate it."

"I don't have a problem with what you guys do but that shit, it just bothers me. It's worse that it's you too. I don't see you like that, I see you like this. It's weird."

"They're assholes, Ror. They deserve it. It's not like I'm cutting into housewives and pharmacists."

She knew he felt judged so Rory kept quiet for a moment and began dreading Happy rolling her off him. "Hap?"

"What?"

She wondered if she deserved it, or if Happy did, but Rory didn't ask that question. "Be careful." She sat up.

"Alright." He watched as she sauntered into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. "I'm going soon." He called out to her as the shower started but Rory didn't answer. She had to watch what she said while she felt so off. None of her current thoughts or feelings matched with her usual ones, she was full of fear and remorse and Rory hated it.

--

After the store, Rory did actually go to the gym and aside from some longing for Happy, she felt phenomenal. She knew exercise did wonders for the mind and body but she wasn't expecting so much of a jolt. Putting slightly more effort into her appearance than she had before, Rory headed back to the bar for night two of Viktor watch. She kept her phone out on the bar hoping to hear from Happy while she nursed a beer and locked her eyes on the door.

"One more." She said to the bartender, ready to give up, as Viktor was apparently a no-show.

Staring at her phone Rory typed out a message for Happy but instead of sending it, cancelled it out for fear of looking needy. Suddenly, beside her stood Viktor with a smile on his face as he watched her fiddling with the phone, oblivious to his appearance. She gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth and fought the urge to vomit.

"Wow, you scared me." She flipped her phone over.

"I didn't mean to." He sat beside her. "Back again?"

"Long day." Shifting her body toward him, she leaned on the bar with a flirty smile. "You're back too."

"I'm always here." He said coolly. "My father owns it; I like to make sure we're running a tight ship."

"He does?" Rory wasn't aware of that bit of information. "So you work for your dad?"

"I do." He nodded confidently. "He owns a number of business and I pretty much run them."

Rory smiled and ran her tongue along the top of the beer bottle. She was proud, despite the fear niggling in the back of her mind, the conversation was going well and she felt progress was being made. "I didn't think a guy like you," she looked over his suit, "Would be hanging out here. You strike me as an LA type."

"That is where I spend most of my time. You sound like less than a fan."

"Never been actually, other than work, so I can't say."

"And what do you call work?"

Rory blanked and to cover, stuck her beer in her mouth. Viktor would not be welcoming to an ex-bounty hunter turned PI. "I'm a real estate agent actually, but don't ask for help, I don't work with people I know socially. Bad business." She knew what she was doing that evening, researching real estate sales and the like.

"A business woman, I like that." He waved to the bartender and without having to specify received his vodka on the rocks as usual.

"That's me, all business." Reaching for her wallet Rory's breath caught in her throat as Viktor placed a heavy hand on hers and handed the bartender his credit card. Viktor Putlova II, at least that part checked out, he was indeed a Putlova.

"I'd like to show you what Los Angeles has to offer." He said with a soft smile. "Other than overpriced properties."

"Oh," she blushed. "No, I can't but thank you." No way. Rory was already about to vomit out of fear, a date with Viktor would be deadly. "I'm flattered."

"Don't be, just agree."

"I can't."

"Husband? Boyfriend?" He asked with a cocky attitude. "I'm not worried about competition."

Rory's fear was diminished by rage and disgust. "No, neither."

"Then why not?"

"Okay." Rory instantly regretted it but she couldn't risk losing that in after she'd been identified. "Dinner."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night."

Rory felt tiny beads of sweat form on her forehead. "Thank you for the beer."

"Where can I pick you?" He followed her out of the bar with every step Rory felt her chest grow tighter and tighter.

"Why don't we meet?" She said apologetically. "My mom always taught me to be safe."

"We'll meet here and I'll drive us up."

"I'll meet you here and I'll follow you up to LA."

"That sounds like a nice compromise."

Rory nodded and hurried away to her car, finally breathing a sigh of relief as she slipped in and locked the doors. She couldn't believe what she had just agreed to and the conversation was already hazy from the fear. She wanted to tell Happy but he would be furious. Taking off she double backed and rolled by his house but his bike wasn't in the driveway. There was a small chance he was at her place but she didn't think he would be and she was correct.

Lonely and scared she crawled into her bed and sent him a brief text message. "Hope you're safe. Hit me up when you're free. X."