Vicky brandished the camera like it was a can of Mace, and I had to suppress a giggle. Still, if I were forced to pick a winner in a duel between Vicky and Kirk Mason, I’d choose my coworker. She seemed like the type to have a knife built into one of her square-toed shoes just like an Ian Fleming character.
The scent of fresh baked goods lured me into the makeshift café area of the town hall, and I was delighted to overhear Nell declare that she’d sold out of nearly all of her stock yesterday. Makayla had had an equally profitable day.
“I’ve got to hang with writers more often!” the beautiful barista called out. “They drink more coffee than any other population group. I’m going to tell Lila to host one of these book festivals every month.”
“Forget it!” I told Makayla as I strode up to her booth. “I’m going to need a week’s vacation after this.”
Makayla’s lovely face grew tight with concern. “I heard about your run-in with Mister Crazy last night. Are you doing okay?”
I smiled. “I’ll be just fine the moment I take a sip of your new vanilla cappuccino.”
“Then I’d better make it a double.” Makayla began steaming milk. Over the hiss of the espresso machine, she asked, “And when is your handsome policeman going to show up and dazzle the crowd?”
“Sean’s got a morning panel. He’s been joking around all week about putting some of the audience members in handcuffs. I couldn’t really tell if he was serious or not.” I watched as Makayla sprinkled cinnamon over the cloud of white foam on top of my cappuccino.
She handed me the drink and cocked her head to the side. “So have you two played around with those cuffs?” Her jade green eyes were alight with mischief. “Does Sean accuse you of shoplifting maybe? Or is it something more scandalous?”
I balled up a napkin and tossed it at her. “Stop it! You know perfectly well that Sean and I haven’t slept together yet.”
“There’s always tonight after the costume party. With you and Sean dressed up as Paris and Helen of Troy, you could do some serious role-playing.” Makayla gave me a saucy wink. “Helen’s got to show Paris her gratitude for being whisked away by a handsome lover. And after knocking back a few of the witches’ brew cocktails they’re serving tonight, Helen might just end up handcuffed to a bedpost.”
Warmth rushed to my cheeks and I knew that they had turned a deep shade of pink. It’s not as though I hadn’t thought about making love to Sean. I had. Plenty of times. I knew my libido was more than ready, but my mind wasn’t quite there. We just hadn’t spent enough time together to take things to the next level. I hoped Makayla wasn’t right about the witches’ brew cocktails. Getting drunk and making out with my boyfriend in public would hardly be professional behavior.
However, the idea of doing exactly that struck me the moment I saw Sean walk into the lobby. His authoritative presence seemed to fill the vacuous hall. Even Vicky wasn’t immune to his poise and rugged good looks. Sipping my cappuccino, I wondered if Vicky would be put under the spell of Sean’s tropical sea blue eyes. I was tempted to pull him aside and lose myself in those shades of cerulean and cobalt, but I greeted him formally and led him to the courtroom, where his panel was being held.
“You’ll be in the audience?” Sean asked. “After all, I want to look down from my lofty perch and see the face that launched a thousand ships.”
I laughed. “Hold on to your Paris persona until tonight. This morning, you’re all cop.”
His smile faded. “I’m afraid that’s a skin I never quite shed. And after yesterday, my eyes are going to be on everyone. If that Mason creep shows up today, he’ll be dealing with more than a woman armed with buckets.” Sean gestured at the table where a private investigator, a crime scene tech, and a corrections officer waited to introduce themselves to the crowd. “I know all those guys. It would only take a word from me and Mr. Mason would be pinned to the floor, cuffed, and Mirandized before he could say ‘boo.’”
I squeezed his arm. “I love it when you turn protective. Now get up there and educate these writers on how to create a realistic law enforcement character.”
I needn’t have worried. Sean and the other professionals were captivating. As he’d hinted to me earlier in the week, he did handcuff several volunteers from the audience. He then allowed other attendees to unlock their fellow writers. Some volunteers practiced reading pretend criminals their rights. Sean allowed people to try on his loaded utility belt, minus his sidearm, so they could see why most cops walked with a noticeable swagger.