Free Murder Over Cocktails: The 2nd Nikki Hunter Mystery (Nikki Hunter Mysteries) by Nancy Skopin

laughing. I blushed, realizing he’d overheard my snide comment.
    “Sorry,” I said.
    “Don’t worry about it. He did seem like kind of a prick.” He held out his hand. “I’m Aaron.”
    I shook his hand and found myself looking into an amused pair of gorgeous brown eyes. “Nicoli,” I said.
    His handshake was firm, and slightly damp from the beer bottle he’d been holding.
    Aaron was not what you’d call classically handsome. His nose appeared to have been broken at some time in the past, his hair was dark, well cut, and artfully tousled. He was about five-ten and maybe a hundred and seventy pounds. Not muscular, but not soft either. He was dressed in khakis and a Hawaiian shirt with a design of toucans on the front.
    “Nice shirt,” I said.
    “Thanks. I got it at Hilo Hattie’s on Maui.”
    The bartender delivered my salad with a proper place setting and put a small pitcher of dressing on the bar. I settled in to enjoy the sautéed oysters before even tasting the greens. They were just hot enough, and melted in my mouth. I groaned softly with the first bite and Aaron turned to watch me. I sensed the motion, even though my eyes were closed with pleasure.
    “That must be some salad,” he commented, his voice slightly husky.
    I opened my eyes and smiled. “Oysters,” I said. “I love oysters.”
    The salad was divine, the bartender professional, and Aaron’s flirtations innocuous. As surveys went, this was a pretty good one. The customers were a jovial bunch, for the most part, and the employees were both competent and friendly.
    After paying my tab and leaving a tip for both the bartender and the waitress, I slipped off my stool and glanced around, making sure Blake wasn’t in the immediate vicinity. I didn’t see him anywhere, so I slung my bag over my shoulder and moved toward the door.
    Aaron hopped off his stool and reached for my arm, stopping just before making physical contact. “Walk you to your car?”
    “No thanks, but it was nice meeting you, Aaron.”
    “Likewise, Nicoli. I hope I see you here again sometime. Next oyster salad is on me.” And he winked. What a charmer.
    I was walking to my car, planning to jot down some notes before moving down the block to my next survey, when I heard someone running up behind me. As I turned I felt a large hand grip my shoulder, and then I was face to face with Blake Curtis.
    “You bitch !” he hissed, spraying my head and chest with saliva. His face was red and his breathing was heavy from the run. He increased the pressure on my shoulder, and I winced.
    “Let go, Blake. You’re hurting me.”
    “I’m hurting you? You fucking got me fired !” he raged.
    Clearly more than a little drunk, Blake must have seen me leaving the restaurant and decided there was no time like the present for revenge. I lifted my keychain canister of defense spray to get his attention, then grabbed his right thumb with my other hand, and twisted it backwards toward his wrist, effectively releasing his grip from my shoulder.
    “You were stealing from your employer,” I said. “You got your self fired.”
    “Everything okay here?” Blake and I spun around simultaneously and found Aaron a few yards away, approaching rapidly. “You all right, Nicoli?”
    “I’m fine,” I said, watching Blake to see how he would respond to the interruption.
    Blake shrugged his shoulders, took two steps back, still cradling his wounded thumb, and said, “My mistake. Thought she was someone else.” He nodded at Aaron and shuffled away.
    Aaron and I both watched until he’d returned to the restaurant. Obviously he’d been in such a hurry to catch up with me that he’d neglected to pay his tab. The hostess was waiting outside the restaurant, watching the three of us suspiciously, but seemed satisfied with Blake’s return, because she followed him back inside.
    As Aaron turned to face me, I pulled out a pack of American Spirit Organics and lit up. He raised an eyebrow, but said