Free D is for Drunk by Rebecca Cantrell Page B

fidgeted next to Tex. She hadn’t let go of his arm since she’d dragged him away. “Did you two used to go out?”
    “Aidan?” Sofia laughed. “Not ever. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and we both work for his father now. We’re just friends. Work colleagues. Barely that.”
    “Good,” said Jaxon.

                                                                                                                                                                     

    CHAPTER 15
    A  idan was quiet the next morning. Sofia arrived one minute late, and he didn’t hassle her. She got her coffee in peace and was sitting down at her desk to write up her report from yesterday when Aidan’s phone rang.
    “Aren’t you going to get that?” she asked.
    He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it. “I don’t recognize the number.”
    “What if it’s one of your online dates?”
    “More reason not to answer it,” he said. “Besides, they always text.”
    Sofia snatched the phone off him. “Aidan’s phone!”
    She had to jockey around the room to keep away from him as he tried to get his phone back.
    “Umm...it’s Taylor?” The voice sounded familiar.
    “From Marmalade?” Sofia asked.
    “How’d she get my number?” Aidan stopped chasing her.
    “Hold, please.” She pressed the hold button. “I gave it to her.”
    “I can’t talk to her. I don’t know anything about her.”
    She pressed the hold button again. “He’s right here, and he’d love to talk to you.”
    She slapped the phone into Aidan’s palm.
    “Hello?” he said.
    She couldn’t hear Taylor’s side, but Aidan laughed.
    “More like a meddling little sister,” he said.
    Brendan came out of his office. “Good morning!”
    Aidan gave him a two-finger wave, and Sofia walked over to Brendan. “I started on yesterday’s report.”
    “Give me the highlights.”
    Jaxon was the highlight, but she limited herself to the inspection of the Grigoryan house where no leaks were detected, and the arrival of the police car. “No way was the music too loud.”
    “Neighbor feud,” Brendan said. “Maybe there’s something to Mr. Grigoryan’s allegations. Maybe his neighbor is stealing his water.”
    “I had to lie to Mr. Grigoryan to de-escalate the situation,” Sofia said. “I told him the cop was leaving to cite his neighbor for a spurious noise complaint. Was that OK?”
    “Lying to the client,” Aidan was suddenly right behind her. “A big no-no.”
    Nice to know he had her back.
    “It might have been justified in this instance,” Brendan said. “Sounds like Sofia was saving the client from himself.”
    “I was,” she said. “I totally was.”
    “I’d like you two to head over to the neighbors’ house today, see what you can find out from Annabelle and Marcel Befort. Don’t say who you’re working for,” Brendan said.
    “We can be wine tasters,” Sofia said.
    “A nice young couple looking to join the wine community,” Brendan said. “Think you can manage that?”
    “A couple?” Aidan groaned.
    “I can manage,” Sofia said. “I’m an actress, after all, so I’m good at pretending the most ridiculous things are true.”
    Out in the parking lot, she headed for the Tesla.
    “We’re taking my car,” Aidan said.
    “But I’m driving,” Sofia said. “So we get there while we’re still young.”
    “Fine.” Aidan tossed her the keys.
    The keys practically hit her in the head, she was so surprised, but she reached up at the last second to catch them. Good thing, too, as Aidan’s keychain had a tiny flashlight on it. That thing would leave a mark.
    The Porsche was super loud compared to the Tesla, but it had good acceleration. Aidan didn’t seem to notice as she peeled out of the parking lot and onto the highway. He was typing furiously