Page 21 of Girl Between

“Well, the rest was pretty uneventful. Although, you did drag me into Crescent City Tattoo Parlor.”

Dana’s eyes widened.

“Relax. The owner, Etti Blackwell’s an old friend. She took one look at you and wisely said they were closed for the night. Then we went to Dat Dog, you devoured a bowl of tot-touffée, then you ‘bout passed out on the picnic tables. You were too incoherent to tell me where your place was, so I took you back to mine, where you promptly found the bathroom and spent the rest of the night getting acquainted with my toilet.”

Dana buried her face in her hands, groaning.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before. Army, remember?”

She glared at him. “Something tells me you didn’t have to hold your fellow Rangers’ hair.”

“You’d be surprised,” he chuckled. “Though, I never offered them my favorite Saints shirt to sleep in.”

“That explains why I woke up in your clothes.”

“And in my bed,” he teased. “I came out from cleaning the bathroom and found you sound asleep, so I took the couch.”

From her bright red cheeks, George could tell Dana was regretting she’d asked, so he stopped teasing. “Hey, nights like that are where great friendships begin. And having a friend in this city is never a bad thing.”

“Especially a friend who’s a cop,” Dana amended.

George raised his eyebrows. “Do you plan on needing one?”

“I never plan on trouble, but somehow it finds me anyway,” she answered, confirming George’s suspicions. “Anyway, sorry for all the trouble.”

He took a step closer. “You’re the kind of trouble I don’t mind.”

This time when blood rushed to her cheeks, he knew it wasn’t strictly from embarrassment. It made him ask. “You and Jake? I know you work together. But is it more than that?”

“It’s complicated,” she answered.

Knowing better than to get involved in a messy situation, he said, “Well, if it becomes uncomplicated, you be sure to let me know.”

With that, George opened the gate and walked to his bike. Kicking it to life, he pulled away, keenly aware Dr. Dana Gray’s eyes were still fixed on him.

24

Dana stood on the sidewalk,left wondering about Detective George as he drove away. According to his recollection of the night, nothing happened between them. Given her state of inebriation, it easily could’ve. Which meant he was obviously a good guy.

Annoying as it was that Jake had sent him to check on her, it only drove that fact home. Jake called few people friend. Thanks to his overbearingness, Dana now had the privilege to call someone like George friend, too.

But that’s all they were. Friends.

She was relieved nothing happened between them last night.

So why do I still feel so guilty?

As Dana walked back inside, she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that gnawed at her.

She replayed the night's events in her mind, trying to understand why she felt so conflicted. She had always been careful not to get too involved with her colleagues, and now, here she was, feeling something she shouldn't for a complete stranger.

She collapsed back into her office chair. The soft hum of the city outside her window was a constant reminder that life was moving on. So why couldn’t she?

She remembered the way George had looked at her, the genuine concern in his eyes. It was a look she hadn't seen in a long time, and it scared her.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Jake.

Did she really need to answer? George had surely sent him proof of life by now.