Free Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler

the word we’d use is ‘consultant.’”
    â€œWell, that does sound better than ‘food hooker.’”
    â€œNot as catchy, though.”
    Hal smiled against her will. Whenever Quinn slipped out of her business façade, she was much harder to resist. “What would consulting entail?”
    â€œThat could be largely up to you. I’d follow your lead.”
    â€œForgive me for being suspicious, but you don’t seem like much of a follower.”
    Quinn smiled. “I have a wide and varied skill set. I can wield whichever skill suits me in any given moment.”
    The likely truth of that statement made Hal shiver. She’d spent most of her life staying out of the way of women like Quinn. They were too smart, too calculating, too aware of their own power. She could dodge a fist or an insult easily. Anger made a person blind, tempers made them dumb, meanness left them exposed, but the sort of social intelligence Quinn carried, the kind tinged with passion and shrouded in softness, made for a dangerous weapon. It lulled people into a false sense of security, and security was something she never let herself feel. If she were smarter or stronger, she’d slam another door in Quinn’s face right now, but she’d be damned if she said she wasn’t interested.
    â€œNo contracts?”
    â€œJust an hourly wage,” Quinn assured her.
    â€œI decide when and where we start and stop?”
    â€œAbsolutely. Complete control.”
    â€œExcept for the purse strings.” She couldn’t forget that.
    â€œEven those, Hal. Name your price.”
    She thought for a moment. Minimum wage was just under eight dollars an hour. She should double it and see what Quinn said. “How about sixteen?”
    â€œDone.”
    â€œDone?”
    â€œYes, now when do you want to start?”
    Hal frowned. She had expected some bartering. She’d expected another chance to walk away. Of course she could still say she’d lost interest or needed more time to think, but what reasons could she give that Quinn hadn’t already addressed?
    â€œWhat’s the matter Hal?” Quinn pushed gently. “I promise I don’tbite. Besides, the sooner I know what I need to know, the sooner I move on.”
    There it was, the truth she’d known all along. Better to have it out there in the open, better to get it over with.
    She nodded. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at ten a.m. Wear something casual.”

Chapter Four
    Hal pulled up to the narrow little two-story house on Park Street. It had been dark when she’d dropped off Ian the night before, but now in the morning light she could clearly see how neat the postage stamp yard was kept. The house itself wasn’t huge or imposing and had neighbors so close on either side you could probably shake hands through any open window, but the place had character. Nice little flower boxes and cheerful robin-egg blue trim brightened up the pale yellow. The neighborhood was an older one. Not cheap, but not as fancy as Hal would’ve picked for Quinn. It was too close to the heart of the city. It had already seen a revival and wasn’t nearly as trendy as places a little farther north. This place seemed comfortable, homey even. It didn’t jibe with her image of Quinn as a barracuda. Then again, Quinn didn’t always fit that image herself.
    She hadn’t seemed that way last night with her eyes closed and her chin tilted up, a look of pure enjoyment gracing peaceful features. She lost all her sharp edges around Ian as well, joking easily and keeping an almost maternal eye on him. Serene and motherly butted up hard against killer instincts, and Hal suspected she knew which ones would win in a fight, but before she had the chance to ponder hypotheticals, Quinn emerged from the front door.
    She strode purposefully toward the truck, leaving Hal to wonder if she was capable of wandering.
    She slid open the