been so busy I haven’t thought about it. I have a very full and rewarding life.”
He regarded her with a knowing look. “That’s what everyone says when they don’t have anyone in their life. I say it, too.” His expression lightened. “So, what do you think of my breakfast?” he asked, changing topics.
“For takeout, it ain’t bad,” Jane said, finishing off the last of her beignet.
Mike leaned back against his chair. “Tell you what, I’ll clean up here while you shower and dress. Do you wash these cups and glasses by hand or put them in the dishwasher ?” He sat forward and rested his arms on the table. “Did you really have a crush on me way back when?”
Jane almost choked on her coffee. “Do you always speak so erratically? It makes it hard to keep up.” His eyes flickered with amusement. She put her cup down. “First of all, yes, you need to wash them by hand. Second, no, I do not have a dishwasher. And third, yes, I was joking about having a crush on you. I just said that to flatter your ego.” Jane pushed her chair back and got up. On her way out of the kitchen, she said, “By the way, I picked something up for you yesterday. It’s T. F. Dingle’s new book. It’s on the foyer table.”
“No kidding! I didn’t know the new one was out. Thanks, Jane. I could kiss you for that.”
She grabbed on to the doorjamb and looked over her shoulder. “So what’s stopping you?”
His coffee cup stopped midway to his mouth. “Huh?”
Jane had meant for her answer to be taken in the same vein as his offer, but she could see by his expression that she’d caught him off guard. All she could do now was brazen it out and hope for the best. “You said you could kiss me for getting you the book. And I said, ‘what’s stopping you?’ ”
“You want me to kiss you?”
“Forget I said anything,” she said, shooting him a withering look. “The moment is gone, and now you can just kiss my ass, you . . . you shrink!” Jane snarled as she flounced away from him.
Mike stood up and started after her only to have Olive come from out of nowhere and latch on to his pant leg.
“Call her off, Jane!”
“She’ll let go when she’s sure you don’t intend me any harm. I wouldn’t move if I were you. I’ll be down in an hour or so.”
“An hour! C’mon, Jane, give me a break!” Mike bellowed. When there was no response other than Jane’s laughter, Mike sat back down in his chair. Olive let go of his pant leg and sat down and stared at him.
“It’s good that she’s got you for protection, Olive. I’ll bet she pisses a lot of people off. Tell me, is she hell on wheels to live with?”
Olive cocked her head to the side and made a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a whine. To Mike it sounded like a definite yes.
“I think I might have ticked her off, but I thought she was joking. Hell, I would love to have kissed her. She even had sugar on her lips. Mighty tasty, I’d say,” he said, licking his lips for Olive’s benefit. “Maybe I’ll give it a try later on.” Olive cocked her head to the other side. “You know what I like about her? She’s one of those what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of people. Nothing phony or pretentious about Jane. I wonder if she really did have a crush on me. Stop staring at me for God’s sake! I’m not going anywhere.”
A half hour later, Jane found Mike still in the kitchen where she’d left him, with Olive at his feet, watching his every move.
“Okay, Olive, good girl. Shake hands and make nice.” The dog obediently held out one long-haired paw. Mike reached for it and shook it manfully. “Olive, show Dr. Sorenson there are no hard feelings on your part. Do it like a lady now.” She grinned when the spaniel stood up on her hind legs, put her paws on Mike’s knees, and lightly licked his chin. “Ah, that’s my good girl,” Jane crooned. “Now you need to do your part, Mike. She’s waiting for you to kiss her.”
Mike slowly
He regarded her with a knowing look. “That’s what everyone says when they don’t have anyone in their life. I say it, too.” His expression lightened. “So, what do you think of my breakfast?” he asked, changing topics.
“For takeout, it ain’t bad,” Jane said, finishing off the last of her beignet.
Mike leaned back against his chair. “Tell you what, I’ll clean up here while you shower and dress. Do you wash these cups and glasses by hand or put them in the dishwasher ?” He sat forward and rested his arms on the table. “Did you really have a crush on me way back when?”
Jane almost choked on her coffee. “Do you always speak so erratically? It makes it hard to keep up.” His eyes flickered with amusement. She put her cup down. “First of all, yes, you need to wash them by hand. Second, no, I do not have a dishwasher. And third, yes, I was joking about having a crush on you. I just said that to flatter your ego.” Jane pushed her chair back and got up. On her way out of the kitchen, she said, “By the way, I picked something up for you yesterday. It’s T. F. Dingle’s new book. It’s on the foyer table.”
“No kidding! I didn’t know the new one was out. Thanks, Jane. I could kiss you for that.”
She grabbed on to the doorjamb and looked over her shoulder. “So what’s stopping you?”
His coffee cup stopped midway to his mouth. “Huh?”
Jane had meant for her answer to be taken in the same vein as his offer, but she could see by his expression that she’d caught him off guard. All she could do now was brazen it out and hope for the best. “You said you could kiss me for getting you the book. And I said, ‘what’s stopping you?’ ”
“You want me to kiss you?”
“Forget I said anything,” she said, shooting him a withering look. “The moment is gone, and now you can just kiss my ass, you . . . you shrink!” Jane snarled as she flounced away from him.
Mike stood up and started after her only to have Olive come from out of nowhere and latch on to his pant leg.
“Call her off, Jane!”
“She’ll let go when she’s sure you don’t intend me any harm. I wouldn’t move if I were you. I’ll be down in an hour or so.”
“An hour! C’mon, Jane, give me a break!” Mike bellowed. When there was no response other than Jane’s laughter, Mike sat back down in his chair. Olive let go of his pant leg and sat down and stared at him.
“It’s good that she’s got you for protection, Olive. I’ll bet she pisses a lot of people off. Tell me, is she hell on wheels to live with?”
Olive cocked her head to the side and made a noise that was somewhere between a growl and a whine. To Mike it sounded like a definite yes.
“I think I might have ticked her off, but I thought she was joking. Hell, I would love to have kissed her. She even had sugar on her lips. Mighty tasty, I’d say,” he said, licking his lips for Olive’s benefit. “Maybe I’ll give it a try later on.” Olive cocked her head to the other side. “You know what I like about her? She’s one of those what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of people. Nothing phony or pretentious about Jane. I wonder if she really did have a crush on me. Stop staring at me for God’s sake! I’m not going anywhere.”
A half hour later, Jane found Mike still in the kitchen where she’d left him, with Olive at his feet, watching his every move.
“Okay, Olive, good girl. Shake hands and make nice.” The dog obediently held out one long-haired paw. Mike reached for it and shook it manfully. “Olive, show Dr. Sorenson there are no hard feelings on your part. Do it like a lady now.” She grinned when the spaniel stood up on her hind legs, put her paws on Mike’s knees, and lightly licked his chin. “Ah, that’s my good girl,” Jane crooned. “Now you need to do your part, Mike. She’s waiting for you to kiss her.”
Mike slowly
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