Free Jingle of Coins by C D Ledbetter

anticipated. And, she’d covered her surprise better than he thought she would, which validated his original assumption that not only was she smart, she could also think on her feet. As he turned toward his own apartment, he tried to figure out what she’d found funny, but failed.
    The living room clock chimed as he opened his door. Damn it, he’d spent more time than anticipated at the pool; he’d have to hurry if he was going to meet Pete Goldman in the parking lot and still make it to work on time.
    Pete was waiting in a truck parked at the curb. Glen walked around to the passenger side and got in. “Nice cover,” he observed, noting the photo identification badge clipped to Pete’s left shoulder. City worker’s coveralls and a hardhat completed the disguise, and a clipboard littered with pieces of paper that looked like official work orders rested on the seat between them.
    “Everything set? You know what she looks like?”
    Pete nodded. “Short hair, slender build, lives in apartment number 118. Drives the white Jeep over on the right.”
    “Right. Follow her when she leaves, and let me know where she goes. Don’t make contact, and don’t let her catch on that she’s being followed.”
    “Got it. Where and when do we meet?”
    Glen pulled out a small cell phone and placed it on the seat. “I get off at three. I’ll check in with you then.” He glanced at his watch. “Any questions?”
    “Nope.”
    “Good.”
     
     
    The smell of egg, cheese, and onions beginning to burn interrupted Emily’s musings about her encounter with Glen, and she scooped the omelet out of the frying pan. Obviously he’d felt it necessary to tell her about Kate’s profession. She could only hope that it had been because he was interested in her. Nothing else she’d come up with made any sense.
    God knows she was certainly interested in him. She recalled the ripples of muscles across his back as he swam and the flatness of his stomach. Oh yeah, she was definitely interested!
    Glancing at the wet swimsuit clinging to her body, she decided it was time to buy a new one—preferably something sexy. It wouldn’t hurt to look enticing both in and out of the pool.
    Humming softly, she carried her breakfast into the bedroom and set it next to her computer. It didn’t take long to pull up the file she’d made with the names and addresses of every casino in town. Between forkfuls of steaming omelet, she consulted her list, skipping the casinos she’d already been to, and selected the one she planned to visit next. She moved it to the “already visited” column, saved the file, switched off the computer, and changed into a tank top with matching shorts. Ten minutes later, she waved a thank you to the utility truck driver who allowed her to ease onto the busy street, and headed toward the strip.
    One hour later and seven hundred dollars richer, she left the casino and strolled through the maze of exclusive shops near the lobby. An emerald green swimsuit on display in one of the windows caught her eye, and she went inside to look at it. Two hundred dollars was pricey, but the moment she tried the suit on, she knew she had to have it. Even though it was a one-piece, the sexy cut of the bodice emphasized and lifted her breasts, and the French cut legs gave extra length to her shapely gams.
    Thoroughly pleased with her purchase, she continued window shopping, only pausing when the scent of fresh flowers lured her into the hotel’s floral shop. Beautiful, fragrant flowers greeted her at every turn, and she stopped to caress the velvety petals of a purple iris arrangement. It was beautiful, but she realized that it was also incomplete. All it needed was a couple of those yellow…
    “Beautiful, isn’t it?” the sales clerk remarked from behind the register.
    Startled, Emily dropped her hand. She hadn’t noticed the woman when she walked in. “Yes, it is.” She glanced around the shop, noting for the first time that she was the