The Thief and the White Knight - 5

Taking a deep breath, Kerry asked, "Enough to have lunch with me sometime this week?"

Pia thought about it for a moment. "Sure, why not, but it has to be at one-thirty. That's when my lunch hour starts, or more like my lunch forty-five minutes."

"I can manage that since I'm between day jobs right now. What day, and where?"

"Thursday and at the side door of Tambrill's Department Store, on East A Street."

"Fantastic." He finished his beer, and noting her glass was empty, asked if she'd like another. When she nodded, he flagged down the bartender.

"So, Kerry, what do you do for a day job?" Pia asked.

"Work construction, which can be on again, off again, unfortunately. But when it's on it pays well."

"Acting doesn't?"

"If you make it big, it pays great. In a small city like this I make enough to keep the wolf from the door." He paid the bartender who had come back with their drinks, and smiled as Pia sighed with pleasure when she took a drink of hers. "That good, huh?"

"Oh yeah, here, try it."

He took a sip, rolling it over his tongue. "This is vodka? It's definitely—interesting."

"You don't like it," she said, pouting.

"I suppose one could get used to it, but I'm more of a beer drinker."

"Good," Pia replied with a grin. "Then I get it all to myself."

"You're not going to get drunk on me are you?"

She shook her head. "I don't do 'drunk'. Too dangerous. I stop at relaxed."

Something in her voice had Kerry suddenly alert but he couldn't put his finger on why, so with a mental shrug he filed it away for later. "What do you do for fun?" he asked instead.

"Read, when I have the time. Come here occasionally. That's about it. What about you?"

"Pretty much the same. Give me a good book and I'm in heaven."

That led to a prolonged discussion of what authors they liked, disliked and wouldn't touch even if they were stuck on a desert island.

It was close to closing time when Kerry, feeling more relaxed than he had in ages, looked around the room while Pia made a trip to the ladies' room. He was about to turn back to the bar when he saw the two men who had been watching Pia so intently the last time he was here.

"Is something wrong?" Pia asked as she rejoined Kerry at the bar.

"Look in the back-bar mirror. See the two men at the corner table under the Strega ad?"  

Pia moved slightly on her barstool to see whom he was talking about. "Yes, and?"

"Those are the same two who were watching you last week."

She nodded slowly, studying them before trying to pass it off by saying, "Just a couple of guys who think they're 'bad boys', looking for lone women to pick up."

"If you say so. Not being female or into that I wouldn't know."

Pia laughed. "You tried to pick me up last time you were here."

"True, but I did it immediately; I didn't sit at a back table and stare at you for hours trying to make up my mind. I sucked at it, but I did try."

"Not your forté, that's for sure." She grinned, patting his arm.

He chuckled, saying, "I think we've definitely established that." He was quick to note though that her eyes kept returning to the mirror as they were talking.

When she began gathering up her things he stood and put on his jacket.

"You don't have to leave too," Pia told him.

"It's only a few minutes until last call, I think I'll live if I miss that," he replied, offering her his arm.

After another quick look at the men, she took it. "I parked closer by tonight so you won't have to walk half the city," she said as they left the bar.

"I hardly think around the corner constituted half the city."

"Well this time I'm right there." She pointed to the small lot next to the bar.

They were about to walk into it when they heard loud voices behind them. Turning, they saw the bouncer in a vehement discussion with the two men as he blocked their way out of the door.

"I think this is the time for you to get to your car and leave," Kerry told Pia. "If they make it past your friend I'll stall them. So, move it."

Pia shot him a startled look but did as he'd ordered. As she pulled out of the lot she saw the two men hurrying towards it. She was half-tempted to stop just to see what Kerry would do but common sense took over and she drove off a fast as she could.