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"What did the message say?" asked Francine
Miranda could see that her friend was in her police mode and not her usual playful self.
"It said you can run but you can't hide," Miranda replied
Her frustration kept on building to the point she felt she might explode so Miranda took a deep breath. Instead of letting it pull her down, she told herself it would all be alright, it had to be.
"That's so creepy, it also sounds like this guy might know where you are. I thought moving would make this creep give up." Francine said thoughtfully.
"I guess we were wrong because clearly." Miranda pointed at her phone sitting on her coffee table. "They're still after me."
When the device started ringing Miranda jumped and stared at it like a snake setting to spring and attack. She glanced at Francine before picking it up.
"Hello?"
She breathed a sigh of relief then quickly went tensed when she remembered who was in the other line.
"What do you want? Zeke is at school." she listened and her eyes went wide. "Wait, now? But... You're what!?" she practically squealed
She ran to the window and looked out and sure enough, Joseph was getting out of his car and approaching the house.
Miranda quickly pulled the hair tie from her hair and quickly ran her fingers through it trying to make it look as decent as possible. She bent over and back up and gave her hair a quick shake just to be sure.
She looked at Francine who sat there looking amused with her head to the side observing her.
"Care to explain?" Francine asked just as a knock came at the door.
"Behave! So help me God I will-"
A knock came again.
"Please behave." Miranda pleaded as she raced to the door.
Joseph stood there in jeans and a T-shirt that hugged his abs lovingly. When she looked at his face and saw his smirk she knew she was caught checking him out.
"Well hello."
Miranda wanted to groan in protest when Francine came and pulled the front door further open.
"Well please do come in." Francine went on as she shamelessly checked him out.
Miranda threw her friend a warning look that clearly went ignored when Francine released a wolf whistle as she stared at Joseph's ass when he walked by.
When Joseph threw an amused look over his shoulder, Miranda wanted to throw a bag over her head to hide her heated face.
"I hope I wasn't interrupting you ladies," he said politely as he looked from Miranda to Francine.
"Well looking at you all day should be a form of therapy so interrupt anytime you please honey," Francine said running her eyes over him.
Miranda looked at Joseph and could have sworn she caught him blushing. She wasn't sure though because he quickly turned to walk further into the house when he caught her looking.
She glared at Francine and followed him inside.
"So what brings you by?" Miranda asked
"I actually wanted to ask you something," he said
He looked kind of nervous which made her all the more curious.
"OK, privately or...?" she asked glancing at Francine who sat on the couch pretending to read a magazine. Miranda wasn't fooled.
"Uh... Yeah sure." Joseph replied
Miranda lead him into the kitchen then turned to face him. When he stood staring at her she mentally encouraged herself not to blush.
"Joseph?"
"Would you like to go out with me tonight?" he asked her quickly as though he just wanted to get the words out.
"Go out? Like a date?" she asked
"Yes?" he replied
The thought of sitting across from Joseph in a restaurant caused her to feel immediate tension. She just couldn't do it. She opened her mouth to refuse when he rushed to interrupt.
"It won't be dinner. It'll be to a club," he assured her.
"A club?" she was surprised. She had expected the restaurant with the full course meal and polite talk about the weather and maybe his case but a club? She didn't even know he was into that sort of scene.
"It's not something I do anymore but I'm not opposed to it if you agree to go as my date. It's a good way to relax and have fun together I guess you could say.
"She'll be ready by eight," Francine called from the living room.
"But Zeke-"
"Will be fine having a sleepover with me tonight. The boys will love having him over for the night." Francine cut off her protest.
"I mean I -"
"Should really get out and relax, especially right now." Francine interrupted pointedly.
Miranda didn't miss the hidden message behind her friend's words. With getting pulled from her first case and having a stalker she really did need to relax some.
She turned to Joseph and found him watching her expectantly. He almost looked nervous. For some reason she found it calming that he wasn't as put together as he appeared.
"I'll be ready by eight," she said quietly.
"I'll be back to pick you up then," he told her.
She sucked in a quick breath when he stepped forward a placed a light kiss against her cheek.
His lips against her skin caused her to heat up. His smell teased her nose. When he smiled at her and said he would let himself out all she could do was nod because she didn't trust her voice right now.
She saw Francine stop him by the door and whisper something to Joseph that made his eyes go wide then sent her a quick glance before rushing out.
"What did you say to him?" Miranda asked
"Oh I just told him to be sure to take care of you or I'd have his balls cut off," Francine said innocently.
"You did what!?" Miranda said half chuckling.
Francine shrugged her shoulders and started up the stairs.
"What are you doing?" Miranda asked her.
"I need to raid your closet to see if you have anything slutty enough for your date tonight."
Miranda almost choked on her friend's words.
"I do not have anything slutty in my closet!" she told her.
Francine paused with a look of panic on her face as she stared at her.
"I guess you're getting ready at my house then. I have enough slutty outfits in my closet, a prostitute would think she's died and gone to heaven." Francine explained
Miranda tried to protest as her friend dragged her the rest of the way up the stairs to get anything else that she might need. Her protest however fell on deaf ears.
