August spent the afternoon studying the case. She knew who she was looking for. She knew his name and the short-list of potential mates she should be looking out for. This should be easy if Mercy’s information were correct. If all went well, she would get the photo evidence she needed and give Reese the flick. Then be back home with Oscar in time to catch the finale of The Bachelor Wants a Farmer’s Daughter. Not that it mattered, she had set the TV to record anyway.

Checking her hair in the hall mirror, August tucked her blonde locks into place with a bobby pin, then straightened her dress one last time. She didn’t really care what her date might think of her, at thirty-four, she had long since given up on any chance of actually finding someone. All men were lying, cheating, and thieving bastards. The ones who weren’t were getting cheated on. She didn’t want a part of any of that. The world was crazy.

Her hand fell to her purse, a small silk number she kept for occasions such as this. It held a lipstick, her mobile phone, and a small sachet of coins, just in case. The meeting point was only a few blocks away, she could walk there. Living and working in the city meant she didn’t need a car. She had the use of a company car for work but liked that she didn’t have the extra expense of having to maintain it.

Reese had managed to impress her by offering to meet her. He hadn’t tried to muscle in on picking her up from her home. Most men seemed to think that was the perfect way to get an invite into her bedroom. August wasn’t most women, and this was strictly a work event.

Why did she have to keep reminding herself of that?

Arriving at the predetermined destination with ten minutes to spare, she sighed as she looked around. Typical. Men were always the last ones to arrive for these kinds of things. What didn’t they understand about punctuality? Growing up, her stepfather would allow her two minutes grace. That was it. Any later and she would be punished. She learned to be ten minutes early for everything. He had taught her punctuality and a solid work ethic. At least that was something.

Shaking the cobwebs from her memory, she took a look around. The sun had begun to set, but darkness was yet to settle. Summer was beginning to take over from the colder winter nights, bringing with it longer days. There was something that drew her to the warm summer evenings. She’d travelled to many parts of the world, but summer in Australia always brought her home.

As her gaze settled on a young mother pushing a toddler in a pram, she reflected on the fact that she would never be her. Even if she were to meet someone, as far as she was concerned, that ship had already sailed. It was not that she felt she had missed out. She could have settled for Mister who-ever and had that life if that’s what she had wanted. Staying single had been entirely her own personal choice.

A voice cleared behind her catching her attention, and she jolted, not realising how deep in thought she had been.

“Ah, hi,” came a strong masculine voice. “I’m Reese. Are you waiting for me, by any chance?”

Spinning on her heel, she came face-to-face with him. “Constable Fucker.”

“Ah,” the man fumbled, taking a step backward. “Have we met?”

“Yes, I believe we have,” August nodded, trying to hide her amusement. Of all the police officers she could have been set up with. It had to be this one.

“I’m Reese,” he attempted to regain his ground by extending his hand for her to shake.

“August,” she responded, mimicking his movement.

His hands were warm and strong. She liked that in a man. He was taller than her by a couple inches, broad shoulders, warm brown eyes, and a strong jawline. His dark hair was trimmed neat, in policeman style. It was such a shame she already knew he was an asshole.

“August?” he repeated.

She shrugged her shoulders, she was used to people questioning her about her name. They had all her life. “I guess my mum had a sense of humour,” was her best answer. It was a shame she didn’t have a better sense of humour when it came to men.

“Let me guess, you were born in…” Reese smiled. He had an exceptionally cute smile, with a dimple that popped on his right cheek.

“March, actually,” she announced before he had a chance to say it. “But at least I’m not named after a type of monkey.”

“Ouch,” he laughed, mockingly placing a hand to his heart.

August rolled her eyes, surely this couldn’t be the first time he’d tried that one on.

“Oh, I remember you now. It was the eye-rolling. You’re the woman who refused to move her car the other day.”

“I moved my car,” she argued.

“Not before I threatened to give you a ticket,” he reminded her as if she had forgotten.

“I wasn’t doing anything wrong. A girl’s gotta do her job.”

“Yep, I remember the attitude, too,” he chuckled.

“Whatever,” August mused. “Don’t we have a party to get to?”

“Right this way, m'lady.” Reese swung his arm in a sweeping gesture towards a car that was parked in a lot behind them.

“I thought I was meeting you here so we could walk?” she argued, standing her ground. He might be a police officer, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t also be a serial killer.

“Ah, the event is a way out of the city. I thought you could meet me here because it’s near your office and…”

“Well, why didn’t you get me to meet you at the place?” she asked indignantly.

“Are you always this objectionable to everything?”

“Are you always this bossy?” she retorted.

“Mercy didn’t tell me you were going to be a massive pain in my butt,” Reese huffed out in frustration.

“Yeah, and Mercy didn’t tell me I was going on a date with Constable Fucker, either.”

“Do you want to come to this thing or not?” he asked before turning away and taking a few steps towards his car.

August had to weigh those options. Did she really want to go? Or didn’t she? Actually, she would rather be home watching TV with Oscar. Maybe now was her chance to get out of it.

Her phone pinged in her bag, and she fished out the offending item, swiping the screen to see Mercy’s smiling face with the words, “Have fun tonight ;).”

“Damn you, Mercy,” she grumbled, tossing the handpiece back into its position and heading off after the man who would be her date for the evening. She’d come this far. She had a job to do. It was work. The date part was just a ruse.

* * *

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the party. The event was being held in a swank upmarket, beachfront hotel, as Reese had advised. Ten minutes had passed with curt conversation, limited to the sights and small talk about the weather. It wasn’t a getting to know you, kind of evening anyway.

August was caught off guard when he made his way to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.

“Thank you, I wasn’t expecting you to be a gentleman,” she told him as she made her way out of the car.

“What were you expecting? A Neanderthal?”

“I’ve heard police officers all have tiny dicks, and that’s why they carry guns. To try to make themselves feel like bigger men,” August sneered, before flashing a smile at a passer-by who gave her a once over.

“Yeah, and I hear that private investigators are losers who failed police academy,” Reese retorted without missing a beat.

“Well, I guess you can believe whatever the hell you want. Can’t you, Constable Fucker?” she bit back with a hint of laughter. She liked how he gave back what he got. Not that she was going to let him know that.

“And I guess you won’t be finding out the truth about the size of police officer’s appendages anytime soon, either, huh?”

She arched a questioning brow at him. Who did he think he was kidding? She could have him eating out of her hand in no time if that’s what she wanted. Men.

“Good evening,” smiled at a well-dressed young woman at the door.

“Evening ma’am,” Reese grinned and nodded at the woman, as he slipped a warm hand to the low of August’s back.

“You would be?” the woman asked as she ran a ballpoint pen over her list pinned to a clipboard.

“I am Reese Tucker, and this is my plus one.”

“Tucker, Tucker, Tucker,” the woman mumbled to herself as she scanned the page. “Ah yes, there you are. Go in, Sir. Enjoy your evening.”

Reese nodded, and August offered the woman a smile. She was obviously doing her job, but her manner made August feel uncomfortable, and she had to fight the urge to outwardly cringe. She hated fake people.

“Ah, Tucker, I was wondering when you were going to show your ugly mug,” came a booming voice and August was knocked to the side as a large, boisterous man pushed his way between them. “We’ve been missing you. And who’s this beauty you’ve brought with you? Huh? Huh?” The man nudged Reese with his elbow while making leering gestures toward her. She had to swallow hard to force down the bile that rose in the back of her throat, and by the look of concern on Reese’s face, he felt much the same way.

“This is my date, August,” he responded, stepping around the bigger man and protectively wrapping an arm around her lower back.

“It’s good to see you getting back on that old horse then, isn’t it?” The man went on.

The urge to cringe overtook her, and she was sure she felt Reese tense up beside her.

“Well, if you will excuse us, John. We have only just arrived, and I am sure my lovely date would like a drink. I’ll see you again. Maybe,” he mumbled the last part under his breath as he physically turned her away from him.

“Drop by the station some time hey? We’ve missed you,” the man she now knew as John, called to their backs.

Reese raised a palm in a wave without turning back. His hand still firmly at the small of her back felt warm through the thin fabric of her dress as he whisked her across the room.

“Friend of yours?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. Clearly, he had questionable taste in friends. If this had been a real first date, that alone would have been enough to put her off wanting a second. Luckily it wasn’t a real date.

“Just a guy I used to work with,” he shrugged. “Look, I’m really sorry about that. The guy’s a jerk.”

“I could tell that right away,” she snorted. “So why did you transfer?”

“It’s a long, sad story. I’m sure you don’t really want to know.” He offered her a sad look and puppy dog eyes.

She wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t going to fall for that nonsense. Maybe it worked for him before, but the truth was, she really didn’t care to know, she had only been trying to make conversation.

“So that drink you were going to get me?” she reminded.

“Sure, what would you like?”

August shrugged, she wasn’t much of a drinker. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“A beer?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

“Sure,” she nodded before watching him turn and walk toward the bar.

With him gone, she took the opportunity to browse around the room. She knew what her target looked like and it only took seconds to pick him out in the gathering crowd. He stood in a corner with several people clustering around him. She could tell straight away what kind of person he was, as he charmed his audience with his charisma. He was the kind of man who always seemed to get the women he wanted. They fell at his feet. It was the poor wife at home who had once fallen for the same charms that was now the victim of her husband being a complete sleaze, sleeping with any woman who took his fancy.

“So have you found who you’re looking for then?” Reese’s breath was warm as his words fell on her ear and she startled, not having realised he was right behind her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she flustered, as she tried to regain her composure. How had she let her guard down so easily? In a room full of cops at that. She should have known they would be just as suspicious of her as she was of them.

“C’mon, we both know why you’re here, August.”

“I thought I was here for eye-candy,” she jibed, struggling to hold in her amusement.

“Is it the Serg?” he asked, casting his eyes across the room to where she had just been looking.

“Why? Is there something you think I should know?” she teased, not willing to give up the information on who her target was. She was surprised he was even asking.

Reese shook his head and let out a short, sharp laugh. “Okay, I guess we have reached an impasse. I brought you a beer.”

“Thank you, sir.” She grinned, taking the icy cold glass from his hand and taking a sip. The liquid was cold and bitter as it hit her tongue.

“Little Gussie,” came a voice from nearby.

The sound of her childhood nickname sent a shiver down her spine. Her worst fears had been realised; someone had recognised her. She turned slowly to see who belonged to the voice and came face to face with Fred Truman. Her heart leapt into her throat. He had been one of her stepfather's drinking buddies. Memories of long evenings fetching the men drinks flooded back. Her stepfather had been a pig at the best of times, drinking with this man he had let his true colours show. Ordering her and her mother around. Her mother would laugh and play it off, but August knew her mother hated it.

“Mr. Truman,” she ground out.

“Oh c’mon girly, you’re too old for misters now, you can call me Fred,” he leered. August would rather not have to call him anything. “How’s your beautiful mum going, huh? Such a shame about Rog.” He shook his head.

Roger, her stepfather, had passed away a couple years earlier with a heart attack. She couldn’t say she was upset by it.

“I haven’t seen my mother for about ten years,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“You should spend more time with your mother. She is a wonderful woman. Rog loved her. He loved all of you, Gussie. It broke his heart when you left home, y’know.”

August shot her date a save me glance. “Really? Could have fooled me.”

“Sorry, Fred. August and I have some people to speak to. Maybe you two can reacquaint later.” Reese grabbed her free hand with his and whisked her across the room. Much to her relief. “What was that all about?” he questioned as they reached the heavy glass doors that led to a balcony overlooking the ocean.

“Roger was my stepdad. Fred was one of his mates. I couldn’t stand either of them,” she explained rolling her eyes.

“Roger Garrison?” Reese arched an eyebrow in question.

The sound of his name after all these years made her break into a sweat. She leaned back onto the cold metal railing. “Yes, I guess you would know him.”

“So that’s why you have issues with the police?”

“Who said I have issues?”

“What, is it just men, in general, you have issues with?”

“What makes you think it’s not just you? Huh?” she fought to keep the teasing smugness from her voice.

“Is it?”

“Not yet,” she laughed. She loved the easiness she felt with him. He seemed to get her sense of humour and picked up quickly on her signals.

The night progressed to dinner, and she enjoyed the three courses without a hint of pizza in sight. When the meal was over, she excused herself to the balcony for some fresh air, leaving Reese to chat amongst his friends.

The scent of jasmine filled the night air, and she took in a long deep breath. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone and began scrolling through the many emails she had failed to return. When she heard a woman giggling somewhere in the darkness, she looked down into the garden and trained her eyes on the figures below.

“Bingo,” she whispered, as a couple came into view. Sergeant Taylor was with one of the women she had seen hovering around him earlier. Quickly snapping a photo in the dark, she knew she could edit later, she switched her phone onto microphone so she could record their conversation as well. Being an investigator in the age of smartphones certainly held many advantages. Mission accomplished.

The swishing sound of the glass doors opening was followed by Reese’s voice. “Oh, there you are. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” her hand dropped to her stomach. “I just needed some air after that huge meal.”

“It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, thank you.”

His eyes fell to the happy couple down below, putting on a display for anyone see. “Did you get what you wanted from the evening?”

Her phone burned in her hand as guilt seeped in. He knew why she was there. Mercy had organised it, but he seemed nice, and she was using him to get access to her target.

“I did, thank you.” She hit the mute button and slipped her phone back into her purse. “Are we ready to go?”

“Only if you are.” He offered her the crook of his arm, and she looped her hand through it as they headed back inside to say their goodbyes.

* * *

“Thank you, for your company tonight,” Reese said pulling up at the front of her apartment building.

August had felt a little odd about telling him where she lived, but she appreciated not having to walk home in the dark. Her apartment was reasonably secure, and she needed to tell him which number she lived in.

“Thank you,” she replied reaching for her purse. “Well, I guess I’ll see you around.”

“You have my number. If you want to catch up some time,” he offered.

“No, I don’t think so,” she responded. “I’m not looking for a boyfriend, but thank you for the offer.”

Without waiting to hear what he might have to say about that, she exited the car and made her way to the apartment doors. Turning only once she reached them to make sure he wasn’t following her. As she saw the taillights pull away from the kerb, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d got what she needed. End of story.