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Welcome To My Lair
“Really? What’s the matter? I don’t think you need to be worried. The detective was certain that Krampus wouldn’t come back for you.”
“It’s not that. I was really hoping to hunt this guy down myself.”
“So, ‘leave the monster hunting to us’ has spoiled your appetite?”
“Basically.”
He unlocked his apartment door and held it open for her. “Welcome to my lair.”
“Wow, it is small.” She stepped in tentatively.
“Your cousin’s place is a warehouse?”
“Compared to this it is.” She said, sitting on his sleeper sofa. “How do you take product shots in here?”
“I put my lightbox on the counter and stand my tripod over here. It’s just a matter of dialing in the focus.”
“And what goes on over here?” She stretched her arms across the top of the sofa.
“Webflix binging and sleeping.”
“Sleeping?”
“That folds out into a bed.”
“I certainly didn’t expect it to be this easy to get me in your bed.”
Bryce froze in his tracks. “I’m going to get my laptop now.” He spun around to try to disappear from view. “Just getting my laptop.” He ducked into the kitchenette and tried to catch his breath.
“How long do you think it will take you to adjust that file?”
“Just a couple minutes. Why don’t you pick someplace to go for lunch? Maybe by the time we get there, you’ll be hungry again.”
“I don’t know any of the places around here.”
“My WiFi password is on a sticker on the side of the TV there. Just look for ‘restaurants near here’.”
Veronica looked around the TV for the sticker. She found a picture of Bryce with a pretty brunette. “Who’s this?”
“Who’s who?” He came out of the kitchenette with his laptop tucked under his arm.
She lifted the picture to show him.
“My sister Amy on her twenty-first birthday.”
“She doesn’t look anything like you.”
“We’re all adopted.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s true. I’ve got three sisters. Amy is from Romania. Nancy is from Korea and Carol is from Ecuador.”
“Where are you from?”
“Minnetonka.”
“Bryce, seriously.”
“No, really. My birth mother was a college student. She didn’t want to get bogged down in parenthood and my parents were contacted by the adoption agent who had handled my older sisters’ adoptions.”
“Oh, have you ever met her?”
“No. She didn’t want to have any involvement.”
“That’s terrible.”
“My parents are my parents and that’s good enough for me. It’s never been an issue for me.”
“Are you done with that file?”
He pulled the laptop from under his arm. “Just getting that now. The WiFi password is over here. Why don’t you find a place to eat while I work on this real quick?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He asked as he opened his laptop.
“Prying.”
“Curiosity is a sign of intelligence. I don’t mind.” He said as he pecked away at the keyboard.
“I shouldn’t have…”
“No.” He cut her off. “I don’t mind at all. See if you can’t find us someplace to eat. I’ll be done and ready to send this off in just a moment.”
“How about Hibachi?”
“Are there any of those nearby?”
“Does it have to be nearby?”
“Doesn’t have to. Where did you have in mind?”
“There’s a place up near the museum on Eighty-First Street.”
“Wow. Way uptown.”
“Well, it’s got good reviews but I figured we could check out the museum after lunch.”
“Making a day of it, huh?”
“Is that bad?”
“Not at all.” He continued pecking away. “Just surprising.”
“Why is it surprising?”
“I thought you hated me.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“Hang on. I’m almost done here.” Bryce pecked away furiously. “Got it.” He pulled out the card the detective had given him. “Send to Carol.Masi@ecpd.gov and attach file. Away it goes. Ready for lunch?”
“I want to settle this before we go anywhere.”
“Settle what?”
“I don’t hate you. I just overreacted to you trying to be nice because I was freaked out because someone tried to kill me!”
“That’s all?” He asked.
“That’s all.”
“So, it’s actually behind us?”
“All in the past.”
Bryce looked at her dubiously as he folded his laptop and set it aside. “Lunch?”
“You don’t look convinced.”
“If you say so, it must be done.”
“I’m not convinced.”
“That makes two of us. Ready for lunch?”
“Bryce are you going to drag this around with you forever?”
“No, are you going to go off like Krakatoa every time I try to pick up the bill?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“Well, not every time.” She smiled.
“I guess that’s the best I can hope for. Let’s get a Ryde.” Bryce picked up her coat and held it out for her.
“You’re okay with Hibachi?” She said as she slipped into her coat.
“I love Hibachi.”
“Really?”
“Food and a show? How can you go wrong?” He led her out the door.
“Exactly.” She followed him out into the hall.
Bryce and Veronica enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the grill and spent some time wandering the natural history museum. There was a special holiday display of recreations of the trees displayed in Roosevelt Plaza in years past.
Bryce tucked his arms inside of his half-zipped coat to make T-Rex arms and chased Veronica around the dinosaur wing. They wandered arm in arm through the tropical butterfly conservatory. As the afternoon drew on, they opted for the astronomy exhibits.
“Looks like they’re ready to close.” Veronica said as people began flowing toward the exits.
“So, what’s for dinner?” Bryce asked.
“There are a lot of choices around here. How about Mediterranean? It’s just up the block from the Hibachi place.”
“I’m dying for Grape Leaves and Souvlaki.” He said with a smile.
They were walking up Vespucci Avenue admiring the Christmas lights on the street lamps. They crossed 82nd and were walking past the building on the corner. It was a five storey place with a red brick facade and a hair salon at street level. They were just past the salon doors when an enormous red bag crashed onto the sidewalk directly in front of them.