The Perfect Neighbor by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

anybody, so I said you.”
    Because she’d meant it when she’d told him she was desperate, she darted in front of him to block his path.
    “Kid, let me point out one simple fact. This isn’t my problem.”
    “No, it’s mine, I know it, and I would have made something better up if she hadn’t caught me when I was working and thinking of something else.” She lifted her hands, pushed them through her hair and had it standing in spikes. “She’s going to be watching, don’t you see? She’s going to know if we don’t go out of here together.”
    She whirled away to pace and rap her knuckles against her temples as if to stimulate thought. “Look, all you have to do is walk out of here with me, give an appearance of a nice, casual date. We’ll go have a cup of coffee or something, spend a couple of hours, then come back—because she’ll know if we don’t come back together, too. She knows everything. I’ll give you a hundred dollars.”
    That stopped him. The basic absurdity of it pulled him up short at the head of the stairs. “You’ll pay me to go out with you?”
    “It’s not exactly like that—but close enough. I know you can use the money, and it’s only fair to compensate you for your time. A hundred dollars, McQuinn, for a couple hours, and I’ll buy the coffee.”
    He leaned back against the wall, studying her. It was just ridiculous enough to appeal to a sense of the absurd he’d all but forgotten he had. “No pie?”
    Her laugh erupted on a gush of relief. “Pie? You want pie? You got pie.”
    “Where’s the C note?”
    “The … oh, the money. Hold on.”
    She dashed back into her apartment. He could hear her running up the steps, slamming around.
    “Just let me fix myself up a little,” she called out.
    “Meter’s running, kid.”
    “Okay, okay. Where the hell is my … ah! Two minutes, two minutes. I don’t want her to tell me I’d hold on to a man if I’d just put on lipstick.”
    He had to give her credit. When she said two minutes, she meant it. She ran back out, her feet in another pair of those skinny heels, her lips slicked with deep pink and earrings dangling. Mismatched again he noted as she handed him a crisp hundred-dollar bill.
    “I really appreciate this. I know how foolish it must seem. I can’t stand to hurt her feelings, that’s all.”
    “Her feelings are worth a hundred bucks to you, it’s your business.” Entertained, he stuffed the bill in his back pocket. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
    “Oh, do you want dinner? I can spring for a meal. There’s a diner just down the street. Good pasta. Okay, now. Pretend you don’t know she’s keeping her eye out for us,” she murmured as they walked to the entrance. “Just look natural. Hold my hand, will you?”
    “Why?”
    “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She snatched his hand, linked her fingers firmly with his, then shot him a bright smile. “We’re going on a date, our first. Try to look like we’re enjoying ourselves.”
    “You only gave me a hundred,” he reminded her, surprised when she laughed.
    “God, you’re a hard man, 3B. A really hard man. Let’s get you a hot meal and see if it improves your mood.”
    It did. But it would have taken a stronger man than he to hold out against an enormous, family-style bowl of spaghetti and meatballs and Cybil’s sunny disposition.
    “It’s great, isn’t it?” She watched him plow through the food with pleasure. Poor man, she thought, probably hasn’t had a decent meal in weeks. “I always eat too much when I come here. They give you enough for six starving teenagers with each serving. Then I end up taking home the rest and eating too much the next day. You can save me from that and take mine home with you.”
    “Fine.” He topped off their glasses of Chianti.
    “You know, I bet there are dozens of clubs downtown that would be thrilled to hire you to play.”
    “Huh?”
    “Your sax.”
    She smiled at him, luring him to look at her mouth, that