Page 28 of The Birthday List (Maysen Jar 1)

“To lunch.”

I let her go and opened up my drawer to get out my keys and wall

et.

“Taking off?” Matt asked.

“Yeah.” I shoved the drawer closed and then did introductions. “Poppy, this is Detective Matt Hernandez. Matt, this is Poppy Maysen. She owns that new restaurant on Seventh Street.”

Matt stood and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Poppy.”

She dropped the shocked look on her face and stepped past me to shake hands with Matt.

“My wife was telling me she wanted to head in for dinner there this week,” Matt continued.

She smiled. “That would be great. Thank you. I’ll look forward to seeing you.”

“Be back after lunch.” I grabbed my sunglasses off my desk and jammed them on my head. Then I slipped my hand around Poppy’s elbow again, propelling her forward.

Her feet fell in step with mine. “Cole, what are you doing?”

“Taking you to lunch. I’m hungry.” I led her out of the detective’s office and toward the stairs that led outside. When we crossed into the marble-tiled foyer, I dropped her elbow.

She looked over her shoulder before we started down the steps. “But I needed to check in with Detective Simmons.”

“Don’t worry. He’ll be right there at his desk when we get back.”

The bastard was probably stuck in his chair. Usually he’d order in lunch and ask one of the receptionists in the lobby to bring it up. The man took the elevator up two flights of stairs and couldn’t pass our physical to save his life.

Fucking tenure.

Five minutes ago, Simmons was an annoyance. Now, he was a major fucking problem. I wasn’t sure why he was stringing Poppy along, but I was going to find out.

“Where do you feel like eating?” I asked as we turned the corner down one flight of steps. “Your restaurant?”

“No. I can’t go in there today.”

My feet slowed. “Say that again?”

“I can’t go to the restaurant today.” Her hands fluttered in the air. “Molly is an evil dictator and is making me take one day off a month. Since June is almost over, she declared this was my day.”

I chuckled. Later, I’d have to thank Molly for keeping Poppy from burning herself out.

“Besides that,” Poppy said as she skipped down the stairs, “if I went in there, I’d be tempted to check the sales and I am not allowed to use technology today.”

My feet slowed again. “No technology? Molly won’t let you watch TV or make phone calls on your day off either? She’s gone mad with power.”

Poppy laughed. “No, the technology isn’t Molly. It’s an item on Jamie’s list. No technology for a day.”

“Ah. That makes more sense.”

We hit the landing on the first floor and I nodded toward a hallway that led to the back of the police station. “This way.”

“But my car.” She pointed toward the visitors’ parking lot.

“I’ll drive and bring you back.”

Her hair swung across her back as she looked between me and the main exit.