The hot shower left me in a much better mood than before. Maybe I had just needed the alone time. Michael was great and all, but I hadn’t been close with an attractive male aside from Gabriel in a while. It took some getting used to.
I redressed in comfortable clothes—a plum-colored t-shirt and black Capris. It took nearly an entire minute of adjusting my hair before I realized I was preening. What the hell. I shot myself an annoyed glare in the mirror before stomping out of the bathroom in a huff.
Michael had stripped down to a white tank top, proof that he too felt a little hot under the collar. His eyes tracked my movement across the room, but he didn’t say anything. That was a first.
The television spouted information about the weather and current events, which didn’t surprise me. Michael would want to know what kind of environment we’d traveled into and if it was any better or worse than Albany. If we were lucky, though, we’d only be here for a few days. It all depended on whether the psychiatric hospital had held onto the full records of my mother’s stay. I had called ahead and requested patient information but they needed me to bring legal documentation—in my case, a copy of my birth certificate—to confirm that I was her daughter in order to access the files.
“Shower’s all yours,” I said unnecessarily. Some part of me enjoyed pushing Michael’s buttons and I couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad thing. He stood, tossed me the remote, and began searching through his duffel bag for clothing.
“What’s the plan for the rest of the night?”
I shrugged, eyes locked on the TV screen. Ooh, Castle rerun. Nice. “Order a pizza and sleep?”
His back was facing me but I could hear the smile in his voice. “Great. Something new and different for us.”
Wonder if I could set his head on fire with my mind. Nah. “What would you suggest then, Mr. O’Brien?”
“We’re in a new city. The least we can do is have dinner somewhere.”
I paused. “Why does that sound like a date?”
Michael turned and arched an eyebrow at me. “Is there something you need to tell me, Jordan?”
I spared him a cold look. “Ha-ha.”
He flashed me that million-dollar smile and I snorted, waving in the direction of the bathroom. “Stop flirting with me and go take a shower, pretty boy.”
His soft chuckle lingered even after he disappeared into the bathroom. Stupid sexy angel.
Chapter 17
We ended up wandering around town on foot just to save on gas. The slow pace wasn’t as annoying as I thought it would be, now that the humidity had crept off into the night. This city had a relatively small population and it showed: the streets were busy with people, but the traffic and general noise was low. Music drifted through the air from a nearby club, punctuated by occasional cheering from whatever game was on inside the sports bars. Girls hung together in groups outside of the movie theater, giggling as cute boys walked past them. The environment felt comfortable, maybe because I’d become so used to the vibrant but sometimes impersonal city of Albany.
Plus, there was always the amusing pastime of people watching, which became especially fun when I went out with Michael. The archangel was somewhat aware of his effect on the opposite sex, but no more than that. He missed the longing glances sent at him from married women, the flirty smiles from single women, and the nervous snickers passed between teens and tweens. I found myself smirking at the hate-laden glances they sent me when we strolled by them. It was one of the unspoken benefits of being in the company of a good-looking guy.
“Hungry yet?”
Michael’s voice jolted me out of my petty thoughts. I shook my head. “Nah. Maybe in another hour or so. Besides, it seems like we’ve got company.”
I jerked a thumb backwards to the willowy blonde in a red sweater and black skirt who had been trailing us since we left the hotel.
Michael’s dark eyebrows rose in surprise. “When did you notice?”
“About a minute or two after we left the hotel.”
A slow smile touched his lips. “Would it be wrong to say I’m a little proud?”
I rolled my eyes. “I have been doing this whole ghost thing for two years, you know.”
“Point taken.”
The average person wouldn’t have noticed, but we did walk a little faster. The back of my neck tingled as if I could feel her stare from here. The nasty business with Jacob taught me to be much more cautious around spirits. Fortunately, Michael had taught me a few chants that would hold an evil spirit at bay, but the potential danger still hung over me like mist—thick, almost palpable.
Crickets and frogs serenaded our entrance into the park. Like the main streets, there were people, but the place wasn’t crowded. Most of the visitors had gathered at the shore of the placid lake. The cuter couples were skipping stones on the silver water and watching the ripples fragment the moon’s reflection. Nice date spot.