Free Without Compromise by Becky Riker

Malachi chuckled at that. Tag just raised an eyebrow.
                  Josie wished she knew what he thought about her change in attire. The navy halter dress she was now wearing was decidedly more feminine than her dobok or the yoga pants she had worn to help to Molly cook. Tag looked like he couldn’t care less.
                  “I know you aren’t trying to pick me up,” she pointed out, “so I can be objective.”
                  “I don’t use pickup lines,” he assured her.
                  “No?” she pretended to assess him, “I suppose you don’t have to. You kind of have that boy-next-door look.”
                  He did not smile at her private joke.
                  “You just assume women will trust you and agree to anything.”
                  “For crying out loud,” he muttered. “What did I ever do to deserve this?”
                  “But you had to have said something, Tag,” she insisted, “or you couldn’t have been shot down.”
                  All eyes were on her.
                  “So?” she prodded.
                  Malachi latched onto that idea, “Just tell her what you said, Tag. It couldn’t hurt.”
                  “Yeah, really,” Harry chimed in. “Especially now.”
                  “Jacobson,” the name was spoken in a tone of warning.
                  Harry ignored it.
                  “Tag’s usually a ladies’ man, but he’s been striking out the last couple weeks.”
                  Tag’s face took on a slight pink.
                  Josie was torn between amusement and compassion. She decided on the latter.
                  “Have you guys worked together for very long?”
                  Malachi was pleased to have something to talk about, so he explained the structure of the unit and how long each guy had been in it. Harry and Tag each interjected details during the account, but Lowell was silent.
                  He spoke up after Malachi was finished, “What exactly do you do for the films?”
                  There was no particular reason to keep it from him, but she didn’t have a reason to tell him either.
                  She looked him in the eye, “I work in the stunt department.”
                  His face remained impassive.
                  Malachi seemed eager to explore the topic, “Do you get to work with the stars?”
                  “Yes. More so if they do their own stunts.”
                  Lowell spoke up again, “I wonder if you should call your friend – maybe something happened to him.”
                  Josie chuckled, “I’m guessing something came up. It’s no big deal.”
                  Her phone rang right then. She checked her caller i.d.
                  “Excuse me, guys, I’m about to get an explanation as to why I’ve been stood up.”
                  “Hi, Carenza.”
                  “So sorry, Josie,” Carenza began speaking quickly. “I got lost, and then I couldn’t remember the name of the bar. Now, I finally found a parking spot, and I’m on my way in.”
                  “No problem, Carenza. I’m still here.”
                  “Great!” she hung up on that.
                  Tag was watching her closely, “Carenza?”
                  “Like Carenza Anthis?” even Harry was leaning forward in his seat.
                  Josie stood up, “Well, guys, it was nice to meet you.”
                  Tag followed her out of the booth, “Now, don’t run away so quickly, Josie. I think turnabout is fair play.”
                  “Whatever could you