Page 106 of Cold Hard Cash

Jimmy gawked, unable to stop himself from smiling when he recognized her as his old friend and Augustus’ daughter. “Anna?”

Chapter twenty

“Why, Jimmy Poe,” Anna Duplin said, a dazzling smile lighting up her beautiful face. “Look at you!”

Jimmy grinned, and his cheeks grew warm from the appreciative gaze Anna passed over him in his suit. “Yeah, um, thanks,” he said shyly. “But wow, look at you! You look incredible!”

She was even more lovely than Jimmy remembered, dressed in a cute floral print dress and sandals.

Casual and equal parts elegant and stylish.

She looked amazing.

“Come here!” Anna insisted as she pulled Jimmy in for a big hug.

Jimmy didn’t protest one bit, laughing. “What are you doing back in Strassen?”

“Well, I graduated from school a few years ago in Raleigh, interned at the News and Observer, and, um, moved to Baltimore for a while. I’ve just been everywhere! But Strassen Springs News offered me a position as a lead reporter a few months ago, and I couldn’t resist coming back home.”

“That’s awesome!” Jimmy glanced at the table. “Um, wanna sit down? Catch up a little? I’ve got a few minutes before rehearsal, I think.”

“Sure!” Anna sat back in her seat with a grin. “Rehearsal, huh? Jimmy Poe the nightclub singer. Wow. Definitely not what I had pictured for you at all.”

“No?” Jimmy sat across from her, blushing when Anna scooted down a seat so they were right next to each other.

“No! I thought you’d be uptown in some swanky condo.” She laughed. “You know, taking all the big high-dollar cases. Fancy car, Rolex, all that.”

“Yeah, not so much.” Jimmy’s smile wavered for a moment. Right career, wrong goal. “I’ve been doing okay though.”

“Well, not to be too forward,” Anna said in a voice that indicated she was going to be exactly that, “but Dad told me some pretty crazy stuff. Like, you’ve been shacking up with a gangster?”

“Uh, wow. Well. He’s not wrong.”

“Jimmy!” Anna gasped, leaning close as if they were sharing a dirty secret, her hand on his arm. “You’re seriously dating Roderick Legrand? Boss Cold?”

“Dating is a strong word,” Jimmy admitted sheepishly. “But yes, we’ve been seeing each other, and um, it’s… it’s going well.”

“I saw them putting your name out on the marquee when I pulled up. I’d say things are going really well. How did you guys meet?”

“It’s an interesting story,” Jimmy replied carefully.

“I’m a reporter, I love interesting stories!” Anna teased.

“Okay, well, this is off the record!”

“I’ve already been patted down for any recording devices or weapons,” Anna assured him, nodding back at Jerry. “Like, seriously, he searched me. Little intense.”

“They’re very, uh, protective.”

“So, dish! How did you end up with big ol’ Boss Cold?”

“Well, I got into a little financial trouble,” Jimmy began, trying to find the nicest way to explain the unusual situation he had found himself in. “I owed a lot of money to Cold actually. We, eh, came up with a deal to pay it off. He helped me get this job, and uh, so, I’m paying him back here and there.”

“But you’re sleeping together?” Anna asked bluntly.

“Yes.” Jimmy wished he could stop the flow of blood above his neck.

“Jimmy,” Anna said slowly, as if she was concerned he wouldn’t understand what she was about to say. “It sounds like you’re prostituting yourself out.”