Where There's Smoke (6 page)

She looped the plastic bag over her arm, which was so much better than lugging a paper bag all the way back, and thumbed through one of the magazines as she strolled down the street. Hmm, it didn’t look as though much had changed since the fifties. The kitchens just got bigger. She dropped it into the bag and pulled out another magazine and slowly fanned the pages.

Starving models draped their bodies in designer clothes and expensive jewelry. Nice stuff. The sequins were a little too sparkly for her taste, but she could see herself wearing some of the outfits.

“Hi, aren’t you staying in Max and Jennifer’s apartment?” The voice was soft and feminine.

Destiny glanced up from the magazine as she strolled down the sidewalk. The girl was cute, not as young as she sounded. Maybe twenty-six, the age Destiny was when she died.

“I’m sorry, what did you ask?”

The girl smiled, showing pretty, white teeth. “I asked if you were staying in Max and Jennifer’s apartment. The Dunlops. I thought I saw you leaving earlier, but just missed saying hi.”

Max and Jennifer? Dunlops? Of course, the young couple. “Yes, apartment sitting while they’re in Hawaii.”

The girl’s expression turned dreamy. “I’d love to go to Hawaii. I’m happy for them. They’ve really had a hard time of it lately.” She blushed. “I’m LeAnn West.”

“Destiny.” Starting conversations with mortals wasn’t good. They always wanted more than she was prepared to give. It was the same thing when the recently dead came through the sorting station. They always wanted to get to know her better. Knowing people only made things worse. When she was alive, she’d start to like someone and the next thing she knew, they would start taking and taking.

Destiny mentally shook her head to clear it. The life she once had was over and done, and she was glad of it. No one would ever hurt her again, she wouldn’t let them. She focused instead on what LeAnn was telling her.

“I’m going to be a singer.” She wryly grinned. “If I can save enough money to go to Nashville, that is. I kind of made it this far, then had to get a job.”

“Well, good luck.” Destiny stepped inside the elevator.

The young woman laughed. “Going up?” She stepped into the elevator. “I usually take the stairs but I’m feeling lucky tonight.” Her chuckle echoed inside the enclosed space after the doors scraped closed.

Great. Destiny punched the number three button and attempted to bury herself in the magazine. Hopefully, LeAnn would take the hint that they would never be friends.

“Oh, clothes. I love clothes!” The woman leaned over and looked as Destiny turned the page. She sighed. “Someday I’m going to wear an outfit just like that on stage.”

So much for escaping LeAnn. But Destiny couldn’t help glancing at the model wearing a pair of black jeans and a fitted black jacket. On the lapels were sparkly, black gems. The shirt beneath looked like any ordinary black knit. But the necklace caught her eye. The beads were a muted pink surrounded by clear pink crystals. Dangling from the end was a prism in the shape of a pink heart that captured the light and sent out brilliant shades of pink and gold.

It sparkled. A lot.

“A suit like this could make someone feel like a star. Sweet bling-bling, too.”

“Bling-bling?” The woman was talking in a foreign language.

“Yeah, the necklace. Bling-bling.”

Bling-bling. Okay, Destiny would admit the necklace was nice. She’d never had bling-bling.

The elevator suddenly jerked.

They both grabbed the dubious metal railing. One thing Destiny totally agreed with LeAnn about was the state of the elevator. It banged and clanked its way to the third floor before coming to a jarring stop. If she wasn’t already dead, Destiny would have been afraid for her life. LeAnn was either courageous or really stupid for even stepping into the death box.

As soon as the elevator door opened on Destiny’s floor, she hurried off. “Good luck with the singing,” she tossed over her shoulder.

Once Destiny was safely inside the apartment, she breathed a sigh of relief. LeAnn wasn’t that bad, but Destiny never had a girlfriend and she didn’t want one now. Man, she would be in trouble with the demons if she did!

She dropped her magazines on the coffee table and carried the bag into the kitchen. After taking the wine and ice cream out of the bag, she eyed her purchases.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

She put the wine in the cabinet and grabbed a spoon out of the drawer. The wine would come later.

When she was comfortably ensconced on the sofa, she began flipping through another magazine. Her third choice looked a lot more interesting than the other two. Not that she was against all the recipes in the first one. She loved to eat. But she was not a cook, and never planned to be a cook. Sandwiches were good enough, or sweet talking some guy into buying her a meal worked just as well, although someone coming through the sorting station mentioned women’s lib and fast food. She was all for equal pay and not having to cook. It was about time women wised up.

Not that women having power helped her situation. Chance took control of each encounter. She was doing something wrong. Women with opinions had probably changed things in the bedroom, too. Not having sex since before she died put Destiny at a disadvantage. She could be doing everything totally wrong. A dark thought hovered over her. Maybe Chance had only felt sorry for her. She certainly didn’t want to become a pity fuck.

No! She would not let her thoughts move in that direction. No fucking way was she a pity fuck. She’d checked herself out in the mirror and she was pretty damn hot. The world hadn’t changed
that
much! Any man would give up his soul to have sex with her.

Her forehead puckered.

Except Chance. So maybe she
was
doing something wrong, but she planned to change all that. Her next moves would be the right ones.

She flipped to the next page.

Destiny choked on the ice cream she’d scooped into her mouth as she stared at the page and tried to get her breath back. When she was capable of breathing without snorting ice cream through her nose, she set the carton on the coffee table and brought the magazine closer.

Sex toys?

Sex toys!

Damn, they actually advertised sex toys in a women’s magazine. She was definitely born in the wrong time period. She quickly scanned through what they had listed. Vibrators, breast massagers, bondage kits and—oh, wow—a glow-in-the-dark dick. She could wake up in the middle of the night and there would be her dick, glowing like a beacon of light.

She stared off into space, picturing the fluorescent green dick glowing on her bedside table, gently vibrating like a pet waiting to be loved.

There was a sudden thud against her door. Destiny jumped, pulled out of her fantasy. What the hell was that?

She uncurled from the sofa and went to the door. When she looked through the peep hole, she had her answer. Not what, but who. Great, Little Bo Peep. Or as she’d called herself, LeAnn.

Destiny could pretend she wasn’t home. Maybe LeAnn would go away. She held her breath.

The doorbell rang this time. Three short jabs.

This lady was quickly becoming a pain in the ass. She would find out what she wanted, then get rid of her.

“Did you need something?” Destiny asked after opening the door.

LeAnn raised a casserole dish that she held securely with two potholders. “I had Lasagna heating, but I hate eating alone. I thought we could share.” She wiggled around Destiny and hurried toward the kitchen. “I’ve been here before so I know where Jennifer keeps everything.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I kicked my foot against your door, but I guess you didn’t hear me until I rang the bell.”

“What the fuck,” Destiny muttered. But as she followed, her nose caught the aroma of the food and she realized she was hungry for more than ice cream. But she wouldn’t be making a habit of having the girl over.

“Sorry to shove my way inside, but the potholders were getting a little too warm.” She smiled her perky little smile. “You haven’t eaten, have you?”

“No.”

“Great.” She peeled back the foil. On top of the lasagna were slices of garlic bread. She went to the cabinet and grabbed two plates, then scooted right down to one of the drawers and got utensils. When she had everything arranged, she looked at Destiny. “I guess we’ll have to drink water.”

“I bought a bottle of wine.” She pointed toward the cabinet. Not that she really wanted to share. She’d planned on getting drunk later—all by herself.

“Perfect!” LeAnn proceeded to get the bottle and unscrew the cap.

The woman was moving in.

“Oh, did I see an ice cream carton in the living room? We better put that in the freezer before it melts.” Zip, she was out of the room.

She was like a freaking bee that overdosed on speed.

“Sit down,” LeAnn said as she came back into the kitchen.

Destiny still wasn’t sure, but she took a seat. LeAnn joined her. The next thing Destiny knew, there was food on her plate. She took a tentative bite. It was good, she conceded, then looked across the table. “Not bad.”

“Thanks.” LeAnn beamed as if Destiny had told her she won a Country Music Award. “I’m just glad we met. It gets kind of lonely in the city.”

Well, they weren’t about to become best buds! Not in this lifetime. Her forehead wrinkled. Not that she was alive. Besides, LeAnn was too sweet. Not her type.

They ate for a few minutes in silence. The lasagna was pretty good. LeAnn was a regular little homemaker.

“Why Ft. Worth?” Destiny finally asked when the silence started to get to her, but as soon as the words left her mouth she wanted to call them back. She was breaking her cardinal rule not to make friends, but then they weren’t actually friends. They were only sharing a meal. As soon as it was over, bye-bye.

“Ft. Worth was a town along the way to my dream.” Her eyes suddenly grew wide. “That would make a good song. I’ll have to remember that.” LeAnn blushed. “I write a little, too.”

LeAnn continued her inane chatter during the rest of the meal. Her conversation didn’t mean a thing, of course. Just words to fill the void. Destiny nodded in all the appropriate places. But after the meal, LeAnn was apparently not through bonding. The bad thing was that Destiny was starting to like her. This wasn’t good.

“Let’s take our wine to the living room,” LeAnn suggested.

Before Destiny could disagree, LeAnn was heading toward the other room. She plopped down on the sofa, then grabbed the magazine Destiny had been looking at.

Destiny was careful not to let LeAnn see her smile. Little Miss Puritan would be out the door in a flash when she saw the page of sex toys.

“Oh, that’s sex gadgets,” LeAnn said, her expression puzzled.

“I thought I would buy a few things.” Destiny moved to the chair across from LeAnn. “Do you have any recommendations?” Destiny innocently quirked an eyebrow. Okay, that should do it. LeAnn would run from the apartment any second now.

“Well, actually, I’ve never ordered from a magazine, but I do know this great little shop not far from here. I mean, that’s where I get mine. The store owner, Maggie Jean, she’s great about helping her customers.”

Destiny’s mouth dropped open. She snapped it closed, then asked, “You use sex toys?”

LeAnn shrugged. “Well, yeah, I thought everyone did. Sometimes I don’t have time to get dressed up and go out on a date, and I’m not seeing anyone steady now so that makes it even more difficult. I won’t just take any guy to bed, but a girl has to get release somehow or she could blow an ovary.”

LeAnn had to be joking. Any second she would burst out laughing and say of course she didn’t use sex toys.

Except she didn’t.

“You’re going to tell me you’ve actually walked into a store that has sex toys, and you’ve bought them.”

LeAnn nodded. “Maggie Jean is very discreet, and I don’t think a guy would be caught dead in her store. It’s very frou-frou. Kind of like a lingerie store with pretty stuff in the windows. Pfftt, I don’t think guys even know what kind of store it is. The toys are at the very back.”

Wow, Destiny really was born way too soon.

“If you want, we can drop by the store.” She glanced at her watch, then grimaced. “She’s probably closed.” She brightened. “Sometimes Maggie Jean locks up but stays late to do inventory. Let me make a quick call. She won’t mind at all if we drop by.”

“Sure.” Why not? Nothing would surprise Destiny about this woman now.

LeAnn’s grin stretched across her face. Destiny tried to wrap her brain around the fact that LeAnn, who looked like the perky cheerleader next door, was actually a nymphomaniac with sex toys. Nope, she just couldn’t see it. So maybe she would go to this so-called sex toy store and see if LeAnn was ribbing her or telling the truth.

Mixing with mortals was a big no-no, but she couldn’t resist. Really, what harm could there be in going to a sex store? It might even help her cause. Not much information about changing times came to her at the sorting station. Didn’t she have a duty to know about the ways of the world and all the changes that had taken place since she’d died? Not to mention it might give her the edge she needed to seduce Chance—and she so wanted to turn the game they played back to her favor.