Maddy
“Sure,” I said to Riya, though I was a bit wary. “Whatever you need, you can count on me.”
Please don’t let this be another job. I’m not in the mood for a second one today.
It was usually Dante who gave me my orders, but Riya was heavily involved in her father’s business, so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that she was about to make a similar request. I only hoped to hell she wanted something else—something normal. Something that didn’t involve killing someone.
Riya and I had been raised almost like sisters, and she knew what I did for Dante, but I still liked to think that my relationship with her was separate from all that. I was doing some heavy-duty compartmentalizing, and I knew that, but that was the only way I could do what I did.
Riya could tell I was distracted. “Hey, earth to Maddy! Are you still thinking about that man who got away?”
“Yeah, but trying not to,” I said, covering. “But it’s messing me up, Riya!”
“Maybe he’s the one,” Riya teased.
I snorted and gave her a look. “I doubt that. I never saw him before today, and I’ll probably never see him again, so let’s move on.” Even admitting that pulled me further into disappointment. “What’s this favor you need and how many bodies am I burying?”
“Avery is having a birthday party, and I need you to come with me. No burials required.”
“A birthday party for Avery?” That didn’t sound like something I wanted to do. I didn’t know Avery Whitmore personally, but everyone in New York City knew him from reputation alone. And I knew he and Riya had…a complicated relationship. Normally I didn’t travel in such rarified air. I stayed where I belonged, in the underground
“Seriously? A Whitmore party? I don’t think I’d fit in.”
“What? Of course you will. Please, Maddy. He can’t see me there alone.”
I sighed, hating that she was pressuring me. At this point I almost wished she had come in to ask me to off someone. That would be a hell of a lot easier and quicker than having to attend some stuffy party with a bunch of boring rich people.
“You know me and Avery. We’re still doing our endless on-and-off thing, which is very much off at the moment—and that’s why I don’t want to show up alone. I’ll look pitiful.”
“Then just don’t go,” I grumbled.
“I have to go! And so do you!” Riya pleaded.
I sighed. “Do I get paid for this?”
“You get something better: the eternal gratitude of your bestie. Okay, I’ll let you get back to work. I have to go buy something to wear!”
With Riya gone, I happily returned to work. I was cleaning the espresso machine when a voice interrupted me.
“Can I order?”
I turned around and saw the guy from before smiling at me. My heart leapt, but I tried to play it cool. “You again? You some kind of caffeine addict? That was fast. I thought I’d scared you off earlier.”
“What? Because of a few dribbles of coffee? Not at all,” he said. “I don’t scare so easily.”
“I noticed.” I smiled at him again. I was doing too much of that; my cheeks were starting to hurt. “And a few dribbles? That’s nice of you to say. We both know it was more like a tsunami.”
We both laughed, and it was easy and not awkward in the least.
“Anyway, I uh, I only stepped out because I got a business call that required immediate attention,” he explained. “So, has that cop been back?”
“No. I have a feeling he’ll be going to Starbucks from now on.”
“Oh, now that’s a punishment.”
I chuckled. “His loss. He’s supposed to protect and serve, not harass and perv.”
“Good one,” he said, slapping the counter and laughing out loud.
My cheeks warmed with pleasure. He had an amazing laugh. Wow. I was starting to think he was a little too perfect.
“Well, either way, I hope he never comes in and bothers you again. You deserve to work in peace.”
“Thanks, I hope so too.”
He sighed, rocked back and forth on his heels, jammed his hands in his pockets. “Confidentially, I’m glad he got that call on his radio. I was more than willing to go toe to toe with him, but he is a cop, and I try to make a habit of not getting tased before five p.m.”
We both laughed again.
This was nice. I’d never had a guy speak to me this way before. I was used to pick-up lines, brazen stares, repeated requests to go out for drinks or dinner. But this guy wasn’t like that. He was interested—at least I thought he was—but he was being so…respectful.
“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” I said. “No tasing allowed here.”
“Oh, you should get a sign for that.” He was looking me right in the eyes, and I stared right back. “You would have saved me then?”
“Yes, in a second.”
We stood there for a few beats, gazing into each other’s eyes before he cleared his throat and said, “I’m Hayden, by the way.”
“You can call me Maddy,” I said quickly.
“I know, I read your name tag.”
I looked down at the festive disc pinned to my shirt and felt embarrassed again. “Oh yeah, forgot I was wearing that.”
“So, Maddy, do you work here all the time, or do you have another job?”
My smile fell. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not putting down your skills as a barista, I just wondered if you were studying at NYU or something.”
Relieved but careful, I gave him a simple, “No. I just like working here.”
“I’m glad to know that, Maddy, because I just started working in this neighborhood and am looking forward to making
“I’d like that,” I said before I could stop the words from slipping out.
He checked his watch and began heading toward the door.
“Oh, didn’t you want to order something?” I asked.
“That was an excuse to talk to you again,” he said directly as heat shot through me. Then he smiled. “Hope to see you soon, Maddy.”
I watched through the plate glass window as he headed off, my heart singing in my chest. It was official: I was down bad.
***
Before I knew it, it was quitting time. Georgia emerged from the back to help me close up, and we made quick work of stacking the chairs on top of the tables and wiping down the counters and equipment. We teamed up to load the dishwasher before we locked up, hugged, and went our separate ways.
I caught the train home and enjoyed the cool late evening breeze as I made my way through the bustling East Village streets to my small walk-up apartment in an unrenovated building on Avenue D.
On my way, I passed by all the stylish new bars that had popped up over the past few years, young people pouring out, everyone laughing and drinking and having fun. I envied them a little, how carefree their lives seemed. I doubted they worried about things like bills or rent because their parents were footing the bill. Not like me. I had a lot to worry about and only myself to depend on.
I kept my head down as I moved past them and climbed the steps to my dilapidated building. I fought with the lock like I did every single day, turning my key this way and that until it finally clicked home and allowed me entry. Then I trudged up the creaky stairs to my tiny studio apartment that I’d made as homey as I could with some personal but inexpensive touches.
I kicked off my shoes and absentmindedly turned on the TV as I went into the bathroom. I stripped off my clothes, getting ready for a bath while half-listening to news.
My ears perked up when I heard the news anchor mention the discovery of Senator Dobson’s body floating in the East River. I froze for a moment before leaving the bathroom to watch the news report.
“This is yet another suspected homicide that comes on the tail of several other murders of high-profile figures over the past few months. Police are—”
I tuned the news anchor out, I knew I had covered my tracks. But still, that was fast. Even for the NYPD. They must have someone new calling the shots. Wouldn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. I’d been doing this a lot longer.
I’d hoped Senator Dobson would float for at least a few days before they found him, but I supposed it didn’t matter. They’d find someone else to pin this on, or it would go to the cold case files.
I turned my attention back to the report, holding my breath now.
“Now we’re going live to the steps of the courthouse where the newly appointed DA…”
That was my cue to leave. I didn’t need to see some most likely corrupt district attorney making the kind of statement that would do nothing but assure his reelection. The newbies were always the worst. So smarmy and insincere, and always the ones to make the most promises. I made my way back into the bathroom and was about to turn on the faucet when I heard the DA start talking.
Wait a minute… That voice sounds familiar…
“This string of killings of elected officials has got to stop. I’m committed to doing whatever it takes to find the perpetrator of these heinous crimes, and the people of New York can trust that I won’t stop until I’ve brought this murderer or murderers to justice.”
“Good luck with that,” I muttered, coming back into the living room.
My interest piqued, I went back out to look at the TV. My hand flew to my mouth in shock.
“Fuck!”
The man I’d fallen in love with was none other than Hayden Kent, the new DA.
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