Page 98 of Moonlighter

“Consider it hazard pay. Now let me in so I can assess the threat level.”

He leaps to the door and places his palm on a sensor. The light winks green. “I could probably be fired for this. But that would be the fourth time tonight, so I’m kinda used to it already.”

“Have some dinner and take a load off. I’ve got this.”

Duff, looking grateful, closes the door behind me.

I’m standing in the entryway of the most beautiful apartment I’ve ever seen. The foyer is larger than some New York apartments. There’s a painting by Jasper Johns on the wall in front of me.

I give myself a mental high five for knowing who’d painted it. And then I walk on, finding myself in a chic but comfortable living space with floor to ceiling windows and big comfortable sofas.Nice pad, Alex.

There’s a ridiculously fancy kitchen off to my left. It’s sleek but approachable. The cabinets are made of a shiny red material, and upholstered stools line the broad marble counter. I set my bag on the island and leave the kitchen in search of Alex.

I pass a den with a giant TV on one wall and a desk on another. No Alex.

But then, from deeper inside the apartment, I hear the sound of banging. And then cursing. “Goddammit!”

Hastening my steps down a thickly carpeted hallway, I move toward the sound of a frustrated female. I find Alex in a room that’s painted a cheery purple-blue color. She has her back to me, but I can see that she’s using the claw end of a hammer to try to pull a nail out of the wall.

She’s dressed in sweatpants, mismatched socks, and a giant T-shirt that readsMIT Summer Nerd Patrol 2008across the back. Her hair is half falling out of a messy ponytail.

And I have never seen anyone so beautiful in my life as this creature who’s tugging on a nail, cheeks flushed, belly bumping against the wall.

“Alex,” I say softly.

She whirls around, hammer out, ready to strike. And when she spots me, she only relaxes part way. “Where did you come from?”

“Duff let me in. Actually, he called to tell me that you might need some dinner and a hug.”

Her expression softens. “Did he mention that I’d fired him?”

“That might have come up.” I’m still parked against the doorframe because if I leave this spot, I’m probably going to take that hammer out of her hand and kiss her senseless.

“I was having a moment,” she says, pulling herself up to full height. “But I’m fine now. I’m not losing my mind, I swear.”

“Nobody said you were,” I lie.

“Maybe I was a little tense. But I’m not actually in danger. I just accidentally handed ten years of corporate secrets over to an unknown thief. It could happen to anyone.”

“It could,” I agree.

“But everything is fine now. So I’m finishing the day with something productive.”

“Uh huh. Want to take a break from…” I look around the room. There are wooden pieces in two different colors, plus hardware scattered everywhere. “What are you doing, exactly?”

“Putting up some shelves. It’s nice of you to come all the way over here, but I need to get this done. Isn’t it cute?” She moves a flap of packing paper and shows me a wooden bookshelf that’s framed in the shape of a crescent moon. And there’s another one in the shape of a star.

“Fancy. Want some help?” I ask, in spite of Duff’s warning. “Maybe you could use an extra set of hands?

“No!” Her eyes go a little wild. “I need to do this myself.” She squats awkwardly toward the floor, reaching for a molly. But her belly is in the way. Every particle of my being wants to grab it for her. But I resist, because I think she’d just fire me, too.

Eventually her fingers close around the plastic part, and then she heaves herself up again.

Now I understand Duff’s pain. “Listen,” I say gently. “At least take a five-minute breather to help me with all this food I brought from Eli’s. It’s in your kitchen right now. I could bring you a plate.”

“Food?” She perks up a little. “What kind?”

“Oh, all kinds. They had those Korean meatballs. And spicy samosas. Tandoori chicken. Bagels with smoked salmon.”