Her Private Dick Pt. 01

"Did you want to go, just for the experience?"

He wasn't sure how to answer that. The idea of getting the shit fucked out of him was appealing, but he knew himself well enough to know when it came to put up or shut up, he'd probably shut up... and might not even be able to get it up.

"No. Not really," he finally said. "How about you? Have you ever gone to one of your family's parties?"

"God no!" she paused a moment. "Besides, I wouldn't really fit in, if you know what I mean," she said softly.

"No. What do you mean?"

"You saw Mom, and Ivy. I'm... well, I'm just not built like that."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"No, not a bad thing... just, well, men seem to like the more, shall we say, full figured women."

He thought she looked just fine, but he wanted to steer the conversation away from the subject. She was a client, after all, and therefore off limits. "Don't sell yourself short. Not everyone likes the same thing."

She smiled. Ivy was always the one men fell all over, with her big boobs and pouty, breathy, way of speaking. It made her feel good that Josh compared her favorably to her sister. "Thank you."

He smiled at her with a nod. He may not have wanted her to come along, and he may regret it yet, but right now, he was glad to have her company.

As they approach Rocky Mount, Hazen used her phone to locate the Circle Ks. There were nine of the convenience stores that he'd consider in Rocky Mount, but only two were on the interstate, and it was likely one or the other of them was where Koda had stopped. They exited the interstate and he filled his car with gas. As the tank filled, he moved to the trunk and extracted a copy of the picture Hazen had sent him of Koda. He'd printed twenty copies yesterday before leaving the office.

He knew it was a long shot, but after his car's tank was filled, they entered the store to speak to the clerk. Luck was with them that it was the same cashier that was on duty Monday, but they had no way of knowing if the lady was on duty when Koda was there, or if this was even the store Koda had stopped out. Whether she was on duty at the right time or not didn't matter because she didn't recognize Koda's picture. Only slightly discouraged, they returned to Josh's car, stopping three exits farther south at the next station. After discovering the cashier on duty hadn't worked Monday, they returned to his car to continue their long drive down the east coast.

Five hours later they pulled into the same BP where Koda had stopped. Josh again filled his car, and like in Rocky Mount, after finding out the cashier on duty hadn't worked Monday or Tuesday, they didn't bother with questions.

"Now what?" Hazen asked.

"Now... we find a place to spend the night and get some dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm missing my lunch."

"Yeah. Me too."

Josh and Hazen stopped at a Courtyard by Marriot and booked two adjoining rooms. After Josh muscled their bags into their rooms, they went back out for a leisurely walk to dinner at River House Seafood. Normally he wouldn't eat at such an upscale restaurant on the customer's dime unless it was necessary for the case, but Hazen had picked the place, and since she was paying...

As they enjoyed their meals of Chicken & Sausage Gumbo and Shrimp & Scallop Pasta, they continued their conversation from their drive, talking about everything and nothing, allowing the conversation to meander as it would. She realized that she and Josh shared a lot of the same world views, which gave them plenty to talk about without creating tension. As they lingered over their wine, she was surprised to discover that despite being cooped up in a car all day, she was enjoying the trip. Even though she was worried about her brother, it was nice to get away from the office for a while... and Josh was proving to be very pleasant company.

After their meal, they strolled along the Savannah River in the gathering twilight, and Josh realized he didn't know what to do with his hands. He wanted to take Hazen's hand, but that would be highly inappropriate, so he stuffed them into his pockets.

Hazen didn't have movie star looks, or a porn star body like her sister, but she was still a very attractive woman, and he preferred women that were slimmer, more athletic, and not so top heavy. As he told his spotter one day as they performed overwatch, 'anything more a mouthful is wasted anyway.' Hazen's breasts were more than a mouthful, but she was still trim and athletic. His thing was legs and asses, and in that category, from what he'd noticed so far, she was the equal to any woman. There was also something in the way she carried and presented herself that spoke to him. Maybe after the investigation was over, he'd ask her out on a date.

"I'm sorry. What?" he asked when he realized she was talking to him.

"I asked where you were. You looked like you were a million miles from here."

"Just thinking about the investigation," he lied, not wanting to tell her what he was actually thinking about. "When we get back to the hotel, you should log in and see if any more charges have appeared on Koda's account."

"Okay, but do we have to do that now? It's such a nice evening, and Savannah is so pretty. This is the first time I've been here, and I'd like to look around a little more before we go back to our rooms."

"Sure. I find it helps me to think if I clear my head and don't press too hard. A lot of ideas come to me when I'm thinking about something else."

"What are you thinking about now?"

"Nothing. Just letting my mind wander," he fibbed. It was only a little white lie, after all.

As they continue their leisurely walk, he noticed that she'd moved in closer to him and they were walking with the closeness of lovers. He liked her closeness, and after a moment's thought, pulled his right hand out of his pocket and gently took her hand.

She looked away to hide her smile as she allowed him to take her hand. She'd noticed as they strolled, he'd slowly moved closer until they were almost touching. She knew she should pull her hand away, this was business after all, but she didn't, and she wondered if he even realized he'd taken it.

During their drive, as she got to know him better, she found she liked him. She also liked the fact that when Ivy had put the moves on him, he'd given her the brush-off and not leapt at the chance to attend her parents party. That rarely happened, and she drew a little evil satisfaction from Ivy trying, and failing, to get her hooks into him. He opened doors for her, took her concerns over Koda seriously, didn't belittle her ideas and accepted her help, and seemed to be an all-around nice guy. She forced herself to not smile. There weren't nearly enough all-around nice guys in this world, and she was glad she'd found one to help her find Koda... and after they'd located her brother, maybe a little more.

They meandered through the historic district for more than two hours, softly discussing ideas about Koda and looking at the sights. He knew taking her hand was out of line, but she didn't seem to mind, and he pretended he was only offering her comfort and support. To maintain the illusion, if only for himself, he pulled her to a stop and took her other hand in his own as he turned her to face him.

"We'll find him. Don't worry."

She watched his eyes as he tried to comfort her. "I know you'll do everything possible. That's all anyone can do."

He watched her large, dark eyes. He wanted to kiss her, but that was a step too far, so he released her hands. "We have a good lead. If we can catch another break, I think we'll find him."

She felt a pang of disappointment when he dropped her hands. For a moment she thought he might try to kiss her. While she might have welcomed the kiss in other circumstances, it'd be too awkward now... wouldn't it? This was a business trip to find her brother, not a date, but if that's the case, why was she disappointed he hadn't tried?

"We've gotten a lot farther than I'd have believed possible. I didn't hold much hope when I contacted you that we'd find him, but now, I actually think we might. Thank you for all you've done. I know there's no way I'd have gotten this far without you. Not this quickly anyway."

He didn't want the evening to end, but the desire to kiss her was becoming stronger, and he needed to stop thinking about that right the fuck now. "We should head back and see if anything else has turned up."

She didn't want to, but he was right. Koda first, then maybe she could see what happened with Josh later, after they found her brother. "Sure. Maybe we'll get lucky."

If only, he thought.

"There's no new charges," Hazen said. She was sitting at the small table in Josh's room with her computer open. There were also no new drafts on his bank account, and no new entries from him on the two forums he was a member of, even though some people had responded to his posts, and he hadn't responded to any emails. "It's like he's dropped off the face of the earth." She looked over the top of her computer to see if he was listening.

"Maybe he has," Josh said softly as he stroked his chin. "This all lends credence to the idea that something unexpected happened to him. I wonder if his car has been towed or something. What type of car does he drive, and what's the plate number?"

"He drives a BMW 3 Series, plate number... hang on a sec," she said as she typed away. "Plate number JHR-5475."

"JHR-5475," Josh repeated as he typed on his own laptop. "Car hasn't been towed or ticketed. I wonder where it is?"

"What do you mean?" Hazen asks.

"You said he lived on base?" She nodded. "Can you contact one of his friends to see if his car is there?"

"I don't have any of his friends' numbers."

"Send them an email?"

"I don't know any of their addresses."

He pointed at her computer. "No, but his email does."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Good idea." She typed a moment. "I don't know who is who, so I guess I'll send the email to everybody." She typed a moment more. "Sent. I asked them to respond to me."

He scratched at his chin again. "It probably doesn't matter anyway. I think at this point we just need to head on to Boca Raton and see what turns up down there. If anything. We're going to need some help or we're going to be stuck when we get there. Miami is a big place."

"The television makes this look easy."

"Don't I know it. People can't understand why it takes me two, three, weeks sometimes when Jim Rockford or Thomas Magnum can solve a case in an hour... and still have time to bed some babe."

"Thomas Magnum is from Magnum PI, right? Who's Jim Rockford?"

"An old television show with James Gardner called Rockford Files. Probably the most realistic PI show on television, and even still, it wasn't that close. In the show he was always broke, getting stiffed for his fees, and getting beaten up. Oh, and he solved his cases by being sneaky. That pretty much sums up my business... except for the getting beaten up part."

"What about bedding the babes part?"

"What?"

"You said Jim Rockford could solve a case in an hour and still have time to bed some babes. Then you said your business is like his, except for getting beaten up."

He chuckled. "Oh, okay... except for the getting beaten up and bedding babes. That only happens on television too."

"So you've never slept with a client?"

"Nope. Never. Normally a client is either pissed off or scared. Neither of those conditions are conducive to amore."

She snickered. "No, I suppose not. What do you do, mostly?"

"I told you."

"I know. You said you catch cheating spouses, but you didn't say how."

He sighed. "I sit in my car and wait until my target shows up. I follow him or her, and then I take pictures. A lot of pictures. I always caution the client, which is more often women than men, that they need to be sure they want to do this because they may not like what I find."

She could tell by the look on his face how unhappy it made him. "Like I told you, you're not making them cheat."

"Remember at your parent's house, I told you I had to meet another client?" She nodded. "I had to tell a woman her husband was cheating on her. The guy had a nice house, a couple of adorable little girls, and a beautiful wife, and he pissed it all away. For what? A tumble in a motel room beside the interstate. I just don't get it. I should be so lucky."

She held his gaze a moment before he looked away. "What do you mean, you should be so lucky?"

He snorted. "I'm like Rockford. I'm always broke... I'm single... I don't have a steady girlfriend, but his guy had everything, and he threw it away."

"Why don't you have a girlfriend, if you don't mind my asking? You're not a bad looking guy. You're nice, smart, and funny. I'd think you'd have to beat women off with a stick."

"You're sweet. The part you left out is, I'm boring. At my age most women are either married or in a stable relationship. Those that aren't... let's just say I don't enjoy the party scene that much. I'd much rather stay home than go out and paint the town red."

She thought that over. "You say that like it's a bad thing. I'd give a lot to have just a nice normal guy. My life is crazy enough without any more complications."

He chuckled again. "Yeah, I can see why you'd say that."

She smiled in return. "I dumped my last boyfriend a month or so ago. It wasn't going anywhere, and when he found out my parents were swingers, he was always pushing for us to go. Thanks, but no thanks. I get enough of that from my parents. I don't need it from a boyfriend too." He didn't know how to respond to that, so he said nothing. They sat in an uncomfortable silence until she snapped the lid shut on her laptop. "I guess I should get ready and go to bed," she said as she rose.

"Yeah, me too. Tomorrow is going to be another long day."

They looked at each other, waiting to see if the other had anything to say. When neither of them spoke, she picked up her laptop. "Call me when you get up. I'll join you for breakfast."

"Okay."

When it was clear he had nothing else to say, she walked to the door, opened it, and then paused in the opening. "Good night."

"Good night."

He heard the door open and shut in the next room as he silently raged at himself. What am I thinking! She's a client! Never, ever get involved with a client! He stormed into the bathroom to brush his teeth, berating himself mercilessly as he scrubbed his teeth furiously. I thought I was smarter than that! Am I really that stupid? I need start thinking with my big head and not my little one.

Hazen placed her laptop on the table in her room. She was conflicted. She liked Josh, and he seemed to embody all the things she liked. Quiet... confident... caring... and most of all, normal. He wasn't a bad looking guy, and while he wasn't muscled up like some guy that worked out all the time, he was trim and athletic looking, and he moved with an easy grace that a lot of guys lacked. He was no Ryan Reynolds or Chris Hemsworth, but he was better looking than some of guys she'd gone out with. In a different situation, she wouldn't mind going out with him, but this was a working relationship, and she shouldn't be feeling his pull like she did. She huffed out a breath as she began to undress. First, they needed to find her brother, then she could think about something other than a working relationship with Mr. Joshua Stallard.

Josh woke early the next morning feeling groggy and hung over. He hadn't slept well the night before, alternately raging at himself for his entirely unethical thoughts about Hazen, and guilt for having put her on the spot by taking her hand on the river walk. Despite repeated promises to himself to stop thinking about it, in the dark of the night, he continually found himself imaging her flesh under his fingertips, and his lips, causing the cycle to repeat. Just before dropping off, he'd made himself a promise that despite his attraction to her, he didn't have to act upon it and the rest of this trip would be all business.

Hazen swatted at her chirring alarm only to realize it was actually her cell ringing. She blinked at the clock, trying to get her eyes to focus. 5:50. That was only ten minutes earlier than she normally got up to go to work, but she hadn't slept well the night before, feeling slightly guilty for making Josh uncomfortable when they were in his room. She hadn't meant to, but after thinking about it, it was obvious as she'd left that she had. She'd have to apologize to him this morning.

"Hazen," she mumbled into the phone.

"Good morning," Josh said, sounding disgustingly cheerful and awake. "It's almost six."

"Yeah," she murmured with a huge yawn. "Are you always the early worm..." she paused a moment as her sleep fogged brain tried to start working. She could almost hear laborious whirring, like an old car trying to start. "I mean the early bird that gets the worm?"

"Not always, but I woke up this morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up and got ready to get on the road."

"You're ready to go already?"

"All except breakfast."

She grunted in disgust. "I still have to shower and make myself presentable."

"Take your time."

"Why don't you go get breakfast and bring it back here. By the time you get back I should be out of the shower. We can eat and then hit the road."

"Okay. I'll see you in fifteen or twenty minutes."

"I guess I'd better hurry then," she said.

"No rush."

She ended the call and flopped to her back, holding her cell in her hand. After a yawn and a long, luxurious, groaning stretch, she forced herself to tumble from the bed.

Hazen had rushed her shower, forcing herself to hurry despite wanting to stand under the water a moment to rinse away the sleep. She was pulling on her pleated shorts when someone knocked on her door.

"Just a moment!"

She shrugged into her blouse and then flipped her still damp hair from under the collar as she glanced at the clock. It had been only fourteen minutes since her phone woke her. Her fingers working on the buttons of her blouse, she opened the door.

"Breakfast of champions," Josh said, holding up a McDonalds sack in one hand, a tray of coffee and juice in the other.

"Perfect timing," she said as she stepped aside in silent invitation before closing the door behind him.

He forced himself to not watch her fingers as she buttoned the last button of her blouse. She'd buttoned all the buttons, but shirt's V-neck still made her casually sexy, and her flipping her hair as she quickly arranged it didn't help. He followed her deeper into the room.

She took the drinks from him and placed them on the small table. "Josh, about last night. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. I didn't intend to, and I apologize."

"What?" he asked, his confusion clear in his tone.

"Last night, in your room. I got the feeling I said something that made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to imply anything or put you on the spot, and I'm sorry."

If she only knew the real problem. "No need to apologize. You didn't make me uncomfortable, so don't worry about it."

"You're sure?" she asked, wondering if she'd completely misread the situation last night.

"Positive. Now, do you want ham, egg, and cheese, sausage, egg, and cheese, or bacon, egg, and cheese?" Josh asked reaching into the bag and opening the wrapped biscuits to identify the contents.

"Any of those are fine."

"Well, pick one, and then I'll pick from what's left. We can fight over the last one."

She grinned. "Give me the bacon and then you can have the other two. Last thing I want to do is get into a fight with an ex-Marine."