The Thief and the White Knight - 1

"Well aren't you the cute little thing."

Pia turned on the bar stool, looking up at the man. Her eyes traveled down the length of his body to his well-clad feet and up again. "Well aren't you the handsome big thing." Then she returned dismissively to her drink, stirring it with one finger as she watched the football game on the bar's wide-screen TV.

"Does that add sweetness to the whiskey, Sweetness?"

Without turning, she replied, "It's Mezzaluna, cretin. It doesn't need sweetening."

"Cretin, huh? I don't think I've ever been called that before."

"First time for everything. Today's your lucky day for that. Now if you don't mind I'd like to enjoy my drink and the game without further interruption."

There was a low chuckle and then silence. After taking a quick glance over her shoulder, she sighed in relief. 'Sir Cretin' had vanished. Probably, she thought, back to the cave he'd crawled out of.

Two hours later, still far from drunk but feeling no pain, Pia picked up her bag and jacket and strolled to the front door of bar.

"You okay to drive?" the bouncer asked from his stool by the door, giving her a visual check over.

"When am I not?" she replied with a smile. "I know my limits. The only time I go over is when our team looses, and they didn't tonight." She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "But thanks for worrying."

"Take care—Sweetness." He grinned when she glared and smacked his arm. "I overheard that idiota, Pia. I'm surprised you let him live."

"Eh, blood's so hard to get out of clothes, and he's probably a bleeder." She winked at him and stepped onto the sidewalk outside the bar.

As she walked down the block and around the corner to where she'd parked her car, she got that tingly feeling between her shoulder blades which said someone was watching her. Not one to ignore well-honed instincts she reached into her jacket pocket, took out her taser and palmed it. Despite the bouncer's teasing, she never carried a weapon. Having one on her, if by some fluke of bad luck she got caught while working, would only add to the charges and make it harder to bond out quickly.

Stopping for a moment, she checked her reflection in a shop window, running her free hand through her hair to get a few loose strands back where they belonged. At the same time, she looked for who was following her. I know it wasn't my imagination, she thought when she didn't see anyone other than a couple across the street getting into their car.

Tightening her grip on the taser, she kept walking, going past her car and around the next corner. She knew the area well, including all the safe places she could duck into and remain virtually invisible. One was right ahead of her, a cavernous, dark entryway to an office building. Whoever owned the building was too cheap to keep any lights on once everyone was gone for the day.

Ten seconds later she pressed her body against the entryway wall and waited. It didn't take long before she heard muffled footsteps approaching. Whoever it was was being very cautious.

The streetlight on the corner of the block put her follower in silhouette and she could tell it was a male, not that that surprised her in the least. His shadow lengthened as he got closer. Then it stopped moving.

"You can come out now, Sweetness. I have not intention of hurting you; I just wanted to make sure you got to your car safely."

She remained silent, hoping he was bluffing and would move on. He didn't. Instead he stepped into the entryway.

"Damn it, I'm not lying," he told her, holding his hands out from his sides to show he wasn't carrying anything.

"Why the hell would you care whether I was safe or not?"

"I'm a knight in shining armor?" he replied with a laugh.

She snorted, not moving the hand holding the taser from its defensive position in front of her.

"If you want the honest truth—" he said, stepping back a bit.

"That would be nice," she interrupted.

"There were two men at the bar who were just a bit too interested in you, so—" he shrugged.

Pia took his words to heart, wondering who would be watching her, but tossed his words off as if they were unimportant by saying, "So you decided to ride to my rescue. Thanks, but I can take care of myself."

"With whatever you've been clutching in your fist since you spotted me?"

"It's worked before."

"So you're used to having men come after you?"

She smiled slightly even though she knew that as dark as it was he wouldn't be able to see it. "Occupational hazard, though most aren't as chatty as you. Now, if you don't mind terribly I'd like to get back to my car and go home."

He moved back to the sidewalk and with dramatic flair gave her a sweeping bow.

"God, are you for real?" she asked as she moved from the entryway, giving him wide berth as she did.

"Sweetness, I'm as real as they come. Pure, unadulterated thespian with a Sir Galahad complex."

"In other words a second-rate actor," Pia muttered as she started down the sidewalk.

"Hey now, a first-rate one thank you very much." He stood where he was for a second and then started after her, keeping a few feet behind her.

"If you're going to insist on following me back to my car, at least walk with me, not behind me like a well-trained dog."

He laughed as he did as she asked. "I heel, roll over and play dead on command, Sweetness."

"Will you please stop calling me that."

"If you tell me your name."

She gave that some thought before answering truthfully, "Pia."

"Italian, meaning devout or dutiful." He smiled. "Are you?"

"Not even! So, what do I call you?"

"Besides cretin? My name's Kerry, Kerry Reede with an 'e'."

"Well this has been fun, Kerry Reede with an 'e', but this is my car so thank you for the escort. Maybe we'll run into each other again sometime." She unlocked the door then realized she was still holding the taser and put it back into her pocket before getting into the car.

He nodded, smiling. "Perhaps, if the gods smile down on me." Then, turning on his heel he walked away.

"Definitely an actor," she muttered, but she was smiling too as she drove off.