“Just saying. I love our job, bro.”
Parker laughed. “It doesn’t suck, does it? Anyway, I figure since I’m already tailing her, I’ll hit the gym with them.”
“Are you sure? You’ve never done yoga, have you?” Dean’s amusement was clear.
“How hard could it be? I’ve got board shorts and a T-shirt in my kit. I bet they’ll love to help a newbie.” A low beeping sound went off in the background, and Parker clicked open the line to connect their third partner. “Hey, Jack, what’s up?”
The faintest hint of aggravation carried with Jack’s words. “Hate to bail, but can you stay on the Shotelle job without me? Didi got a last-minute call for help from some guy who realized he promised his wife he’d organize an anniversary dinner for them and her parents. For tonight.”
“Oh, that’s classic. Way to get in shit not only with the missus but the in-laws.” Parker changed lanes to keep on Lynn’s tail, noting they were headed into the Mission. Lynn’s apartment was in the same neck of the woods. The yoga studio had to be somewhere close by. “Don’t worry about it—we’ll manage without you.”
Dean spoke up. “If you need any help, Jack, give us a buzz.”
“Naah,” Jack drawled. “Piece of cake. We’ve got that permanent booking at the pier. Unless someone in their group has a seafood allergy, Didi and I have it under control.”
“Thanks for putting out the fire.” Ahead of him the blue hatchback had pulled into an open parking slot. “I’m at destination. Jack, have fun. Dean, I’ll relay the address when I have it.”
“Roger that. What’s the plan?”
“I’ll try to strike up a conversation during the class and see if I get anything useful. You can wait outside.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Parker slid into the last available parking space on the street, popped open his trunk, and grabbed gear as quickly as he could. Fortunately, his target was taking her sweet time, talking animatedly with her friend as the two women opened car doors and slipped gym bags over their shoulders.
Laughter rang out as well, sheer delight and happiness in the sound. Parker caught himself smiling and hoping for another chance to hear them laugh. A grumble of discontent followed hard on the thought as he trotted down the sidewalk toward the door Lynn had vanished behind.
This was the only part of the job he didn’t like. Even the brief glimpses he’d caught of his target made him leery of doing anything to help slimy Shotelle achieve his goals.
“She’s wearing a blue shirt and drives a blue car,” he reported. “Could be her favorite color.”
“Try to start a convo about music,” Dean advised. “Otherwise we might have another Gellar fiasco on our hands.”
Parker stifled a groan, remembering the romantic date they’d planned last year, during which the fiancée-to-be had a total meltdown when the string quartet they’d hired came out to play. Turned out she was a descendant of one of the Titanic musicians who’d gone down with the ship—what were the odds of that? Luckily, she’d still accepted Joe Gellar’s proposal, but the disaster had taught DreamMakers an important lesson: never assume a damn thing.
“I’m about to head in,” he informed Dean, rapidly mentioning the address and name of the studio. “I’ll keep you posted.”
“Suggest you wear only the mini-receiver. There’s no way you can get into a class with a mic, and you can’t use it anyway. I’ll do a Google search while I’m waiting and update you with any pertinent information.”
Another reason why Parker loved working with Dean and Jack. Smart, quick on their feet. They worked together so well, their strengths meshing to make the system click. “Affirmative. Turning off mic and switching ear sets.”
He pulled the tiny speaker from where he’d clipped it to his collar and dropped it into his pocket. One more move and the barely visible receiver was in his ear.
Now he’d focus on his part of the job and trust Dean to do his.
The door to the studio swung open smoothly, soothing music and the gentle sound of gurgling water mixing in the background. The muted lighting showcased a welcoming entrance with benches along one wall and a front desk area covered with flickering candles.
Lynn and her friend were both seated, leaning over to remove their shoes as they continued to chatter in lower tones. Parker moved forward slowly, taking in the entire room, but his gaze hesitated on the smooth fall of Lynn’s long brown hair as it hung over her shoulder.
“Can I help you?” Behind the desk a bright pair of eyes blinked as a short woman in workout gear hopped to her feet. “Are you here for the next class?”