When she finally stood, Brennan seemed to have a million questions on his tongue.  Devon didn’t want to answer any of them, so she immediately started walking.  Brennan strode to her side and walked next to her, allowing her the silence she desired.  She should thank him for that as well.

A job and silence.  What more could I ask for? she wondered.

The ride on the L was short.  Her stop came before Brennan’s, but he didn’t seem ready to let her go.  He hopped off the train with her, and they walked in together to Marina City.  At least this area was well-lit, and people were still milling around outside of the House of Blues.

“Thanks for walking me back,” Devon said, finally breaking the silence.

“Are you going to tell me what happened back there?” he asked.

Devon looked away from him, not wanting to answer.  “I think it was just exhaustion,” she murmured.

It was a lie, and he knew it.  She was exhausted, but exhausted people didn’t hyperventilate in the middle of the street.

“Exhaustion…right,” he said in disbelief.

“Thanks for your help today.  I really needed the job,” Devon said, changing the subject.

“If I’d known you were looking for one, I could have helped sooner,” he said pointedly.

The question about why she had avoided him for three weeks was written all over his face.  If he didn’t matter and she had a boyfriend, then why did she skip past Jenn’s every day?  She refused to let her mind think about it.

“Well, glad I ran into you when I did then,” she said with the only smile she could muster.

“Devon, about that night—” Brennan began.

She held up her hand again, not wanting to talk to him about that.  He had been drunk, and she had been an easy target in his apartment.  She couldn’t blame him for trying or for walking out without waking her up the next morning.  He didn’t know about her nightmares or that she might scream herself awake the next morning.  After what had just happened and the amount of time she was likely to spend with him at work over the next two months, it was probably better that he didn’t know.

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” she whispered, desperate to get away.

He sighed and nodded.  “Good night.”

Devon rushed to the elevator as quickly as she could.  She couldn’t be under his scrutiny any longer.  His intense gaze seemed to weigh and measure her, and she felt her insides squirm under it all.  And when she was trying to avoid it all, how did she seem to notice more and more how attractive he was?

She shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts.  The image of him stretching his hands over his head, showing off the muscles in his arms and the tightness of his stomach, rushed back to her then.  When she tried not to think of something, why did it always flash back to her at that exact moment?

Her cheeks were still hot when she exited the elevator.  She scolded herself for thinking of a boy at a time like this.  Another guy in her life right now was the last thing she needed.  Period.

Devon flung open the apartment door, forgetting that it was four in the morning.  As the door knocked into the wall, she cursed and lunged for it to keep it from banging a second time.  Hadley and Garrett were asleep, and she had no desire to awake them at this hour.  Slowly closing the door behind her, Devon crept to her bedroom and changed into a loose-fit tank top and her silk sleep shorts.  After everything that had happened tonight, the last thing she wanted to do was crawl into bed and have another nightmare to match her freak-out on the street.

She padded out into the living room and turned on the TV.  She didn’t care what she watched as long as it was something that would captivate her thoughts and pull her out of her funk.  When nothing caught her attention, she flipped to old Bugs Bunny cartoons and tuned in as he eluded capture over and over again.

A few minutes later, the front door creaked open, and Devon straightened in her seat.  Who was coming home at this hour?  It was well past the time Garrett typically got off work, and Hadley had to go to work in just a few hours.

“Hello?” Devon called softly.

“Hey,” Garrett said, materializing into the living room.

Devon’s body relaxed at the sight of him.  It was just Garrett.  No need to be alarmed.  Why he was out this late was his own business.  She was just glad to see him, especially since she could finally pay him some rent for the apartment.  It wasn’t much, but it would do until she got her first actual paycheck.

“You’re in late,” she said with a smile and a yawn.

“I’m surprised to find you up.”  Garrett kicked off his shoes and took a seat next to her on the couch.

“I got a job today,” she told him brightly, facing him and crossing her legs pretzel-style.

She was happier about telling him than she had thought she would be.  He believed in her.  He had given her a chance.  He was the one who hadn’t kicked her out when she couldn’t pay up right away.

“Congrats!” he said with a warm smile.

She liked his smile.  It was so genuine.

“Hold on one second.”  Devon jumped up and rushed into the bedroom.  She pulled out the wad of cash, kept a twenty for herself, and then crept back to the living room.  “Here you go.”

Garrett’s eyes widened as Devon handed him the roll of bills and sat back down next to him.  He pulled it out of her hand and judged the sum.

“Where did you get all this?”  His eyes moved from the money to her face and back.

“They’re my tips from work,” she told him.

Garrett flipped through the cash with trepidation.  Devon couldn’t figure out why he was acting so strangely.

“Devon,” he said softly, “when I said not to worry about getting a job and that we could arrange something if need be…I really meant it.”

Devon looked up at him in confusion.  What was he insinuating?

“You didn’t have to…do this,” he said, pointing to the money, “just because you were worried about rent.”

“It’s not a big deal.  I like the work.  It clears my mind.”  She wasn’t even sure why she said it.  She hadn’t talked much to anyone about what was going on with her.  She wasn’t about to start now.

Garrett’s eyes traveled the length of her body, and Devon grew conscious of the little clothing she was wearing.  She hadn’t been expecting him, or else she would have put on sweats.

“I’m sure you’re…good at the work,” he said, treading cautiously.  “I just don’t think stripping is the answer.”

Devon sputtered loudly, her mouth gaping open.  “What?” she gasped.  “I’m not stripping!”

The breath seemed to explode out of his mouth all at once.  He looked very relieved.  She couldn’t believe he had thought she had reduced to stripping to get money to pay for rent.  That would look great on her resume!

“You’re not?” he gasped out.

“No!”

“What do you expect when you hand me what looks like a hundred single dollar bills?”  He shook his head in disbelief.

“You have to give me more credit than that.  I’m sure everyone wants to see me with my clothes off, but it’s not like I’d actually do it.  I’m a bit more behind-closed-doors than that.”  She rolled her eyes skyward.

They looked at each other then, and suddenly, they were both laughing.  Devon was doubled over, clutching at her sides.  Garrett had his hand on her back as he tried to hold in his laughter.  He wasn’t very successful.  Both shot furtive glances at Hadley’s closed bedroom door.  The last thing they wanted was to explain why they were laughing so hard so early in the morning.  Hadley would surely take well to Garrett thinking Devon was a stripper…or not.

Devon leaned back on the couch.  Garrett’s hand slid across her back and into his lap.  She could feel every inch he had touched, and when she checked his gaze, it registered that he had noticed as well.  Turning away, embarrassed, Devon tucked her legs back up and scooted over.  A conversation about stripping sure shifted the mood.