Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond

sex life than you do?”
    She shot him an exasperated look. “Oh, Manny, do you have to be so...so...”
    â€œThe word is truthful,” he supplied. He plucked a piece of paper from the counter and waved it in front of her. “It gets worse. This was under our door when I got up this morning.”
    Ellie reached for the paper and gasped at the words in large print across the top of the page. “Eviction notice? Why?” She began reading the sheet in earnest, but Manny cut in.
    â€œIt’s the cat, El. She got out one too many times and someone complained. According to the notice, we have one week to find a home for her or we’ll have to find a new home for ourselves.”
    â€œI’ll find someone to take her in,” she said, gently setting Esmerelda on the floor, then reaching for the phone.
    Two hours later Ellie had called every person in both her address book and Manny’s, but no one could shelter her precious cat. She sighed, explaining to Manny, “Denise has a new baby, the Worths have a dog, and Robin just bought a bird. Everyone else already has too many cats or kids, or lives in a no-pet unit.” Ellie pulled Esmerelda to her and relished the deep purr of the mother-to-be. “What am I going to do?”
    Â 
    â€œYOUR MOTHER CALLED TWICE,” Monica said, handing Mark the message sheets. “She asked me to tell you to call her back as soon as you get a minute.”
    Mark nodded absently and laid the notes aside.
    Looking over his shoulder, Monica asked, “What’s so important about Saturday?”
    Mark glanced up at her and frowned in confusion.
    She pointed to his calendar. “It’s circled. Do I need to add something to my schedule?”
    Mark realized with a start he’d circled the day while thinking about Ellie. “No,” he said quickly, then added, “just another sitting for the portrait.”
    Monica’s left eyebrow rose a fraction and she smiled. “Oh, yes, the cute little painter. Are sparks still flying between the two of you?”
    He feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”
    Monica brought her steno pad to her chest and crossed her arms. “What I mean is, when she came to meet you that first day, you were at each other’s throats. I haven’t mentioned it, but you two have got me curious.”
    Mark felt his neck grow moist beneath his collar. “A simple misunderstanding in a delicatessen, that’s all.”
    His assistant leaned forward slightly, as if eager for more details, but Mark picked up a memo on his desk and began reading to signal an end to the subject. Monica took the hint and walked toward the door.
    â€œHey,” his partner Patrick said as he strolled in after a perfunctory knock.
    â€œHey, yourself.”
    â€œClear your calendar Friday evening.”
    â€œOkay. Mind telling me why?”
    â€œLucy’s organizing a dinner party and my instructions are to make sure you come.” He grinned at Mark apologetically. “Can you scrounge up a date? Ivan will be there, too,” he added in explanation.
    Ellie’s face rose to float in Mark’s mind, but he squashed down the image. “Is an escort mandatory?”
    Patrick shrugged. “I have my orders.” He turned to leave Mark’s office and added over his shoulder, “Come stag at your own risk.”
    â€œIt might be safer than the alternative,” Mark muttered as Ellie’s face stubbornly reappeared to taunt him. Absurdly happy for a reason to call her, his fingers itched to punch her number. Then, furious with himself, he deliberately dialed Valerie’s work number instead. He’d managed to keep from getting emotionally involved with a woman for this long, and he wasn’t about to start with someone who was obviously so wrong for him.
    But when Valerie responded with such clinging enthusiasm at the sound of his voice, he winced and manufactured a vague