Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie Page B

twenty-something, clueless face, muscled shoulders, tousled hair. The only non-surfer thing about him was his shopping bag with a pink confetti-printed box sticking out of the top. Both the box and the guy looked vaguely familiar, but Trudy couldn’t place either one.
    He grinned at her. “Hey, Miss Maxwell, you’re lookin’ good.”
    Trudy looked closer but still didn’t recognize him.
    â€œYou don’t remember me.” His grin widened with forgiveness, and he added, “I sure remember you,” and Trudy thought, What a shame he’s too young for me. I could seduce him in front of Nolan.
    He stepped closer. “I’m Reese Daniels, your father’s research assistant last year. You helped me find that book on the Ming Dynasty your father wanted. You know, in the library.”
    â€œGood place to find books,” Nolan said, his voice considerably cooler than it had been when he’d talked to her.
    â€œRight. Reese. Got it,” Trudy said, placing him now as the guy her father had called the most inept RA of his career.
    Reese smiled at her. “I sure have missed your dad since he went to London.”
    â€œOh, we all have,” Trudy lied, and stuck out her hand. “Call me Trudy.” She looked at Nolan. “You can call me Miss Maxwell,” she said to him. “No, wait, you’re not going to call me at all. Weren’t you leaving?” Reese still held on to her hand, so she took it back.
    He nodded to Nolan. “So you and Professor Mitchell found a MacGuffin?”
    â€œProfessor Mitchell and I are not together.” Trudy picked up her shopping bag and moved around both of them. “And I haven’t found a MacGuffin yet. But I will.”
    Reese followed her around to the next row and the other side of the empty MacGuffin shelf. “Well, I’m not sorry you’re not with Professor Mitchell, Trudy,” he said when they’d rounded the corner. “I never got the chance to get to know you better. Your dad worked me pretty hard. But the best part about being his RA was always seeing you.”
    â€œThank you.” Okay, for some reason this infant was trying to pick her up. Whatever. She had problems, so later for him.
    Trudy zeroed in on the boxes that backed up against the MacGuffin shelf. Dolls this time, with big heads and miniskirts and too much eye makeup. Too bad Leroy wasn’t a girl; she could have loaded him up with pop-tarts. But no, he had to have a violent, antisocial ’Guffin.
    â€œMen.” She put her shopping bag down again and began to take the dolls off the shelf. Over the tops she could see Nolan restocking Fantastic Fours. He shook his head at her, probably disgusted she was flirting with an infant like Reese, and she turned away to see the infant looking at her, confused.
    â€œMen?” he said. “Did I say something wrong?”
    â€œWhat?” Trudy said, stacking doll boxes on the floor. “Oh, not you. My nephew, Leroy. He’s five and he wants a Major MacGuffin doll, and of course, I can’t find one.”
    â€œYeah, you had to shop early for those,” Reese said, sounding sympathetic. “So I guess you haven’t seen one here?”
    â€œI would have shopped early if I’d known his father wasn’t going to get him one,” Trudy said, exasperated. “But since his father told me he was going to, I didn’t.”
    â€œSo what are you doing over here?” Reese frowned, looking at the dolls she was taking down.
    â€œI’m looking for a misplaced MacGuffin. This place is pretty sloppy, and I’m hoping there’s one stuck at the back of a shelf someplace because if there isn’t, I’m screwed.” She took the last box down and faced another empty shelf.
    On the other side, Nolan looked serious as he put back the last of the Fantastic Four boxes. He couldn’t possibly care that she was talking to Reese.