gazed at them. I hated when he backed me into a corner. “Fine. I promise.”
“Good.” The delight in his voice set my teeth on edge. “Have dinner with me tomorrow.”
“I don’t know,” I said, feeling disgruntled. “I have to pad my list for Lydia and I only have a few more days—”
“To hell with that for an evening. Just come have dinner with me.” When I didn’t reply, he said, “It’s just one dinner. One evening is all I ask.”
“Okay.” I winced, thinking what a bad friend I was even though I’d resolved to be a better one.
“Wear a new outfit.” He hung up.
I set the receiver down and touched a silky petal. I loved having dinner with Luc. It made the guilt over the fact that I wouldn’t be working worth it.
But what was happening in half an hour?
I shuddered. Luc was capable of no end of mischief. There was one time in high school when he replaced all the formaldehyded frogs in biology with live ones. It still cracked me up thinking about how Jenny Sheridan, head cheerleader and class bitch, screamed when her frog ribbeted right as she was about to cut into it.
Somehow, I didn’t think whatever Luc had cooked up this time was going to crack me up. Instead of fretting the minutes away until whatever it was he did became apparent, I decided to immerse myself in work.
I didn’t get very far before my phone buzzed. I startled—again—and hit my knees in the exact same spot. Rubbing them, I picked it up. “Research. Ka—”
“You have a delivery.” Her voice was even more curt this time.
“Be—”
She hung up.
“—right down,” I finished needlessly.
I ran down for the second time, alternating between feeling eager and reluctant. It was kind of exciting, even if it could potentially be a frog.
I burst into the lobby and walked to the front desk. “You said there was a delivery for me.”
The receptionist looked at me. “And you are?”
Hello? Hadn’t we been through this before? “Katherine Murphy.”
She reached under the counter and pulled out a box. A big box. “Here.” She pushed it toward me and turned her back to attend to something that was obviously more important.
Being dismissed didn’t faze me this time. I had a package to deal with anyway.
More flowers? I shook it. Didn’t seem like it. Nor did it feel like a frog.
I picked it up gingerly. Holding it out from my body (no telling what was in it, and if it was something gooey I didn’t want it anywhere near my suit), I headed for the elevators.
A man stood there waiting. He eyed me and asked, “Going up?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He continued to stare, even when an elevator arrived. He held the door open for me before walking in. “What floor?”
“Twelve, please.”
He grinned as he pressed the button. “The way you’re holding that box I’d almost think it was a bomb.”
I pursed my lips and studied the package. I wouldn’t put it past Luc. “Could be.”
Then I noticed his dimples. “Oh.” I stepped closer to find out what color eyes he had.
Blue.
Yes!
I gave him a real smile. “Do you work here?”
“No. Just visiting a friend.”
“A girl friend?”
“A guy friend.”
I felt the elation melt from my face.
He chuckled. “Not that type of guy friend.”
“Oh.” But before I got my hopes up again I glanced at his ring finger.
Sans ring.
Yes!
I smiled again. “How do you feel about the act of procreation?”
He grinned and leaned toward me. “I’m all for it.”
“Oh good,” I said, relieved.
The elevator pinged its arrival.
I frowned. My floor. But I wasn’t ready yet.
The doors slid open and I inched toward it. “Uh, I was, uh, wondering—”
“Let me give you my card.” He reached into his suit coat, pulled out a card carrier, and slipped a business card under the ribbon tied around my box. “I hope you call me.”
I had to be beaming as I backed out. “Oh, I will.”
I love this package, I thought as I hurried to my office to record my
“Good.” The delight in his voice set my teeth on edge. “Have dinner with me tomorrow.”
“I don’t know,” I said, feeling disgruntled. “I have to pad my list for Lydia and I only have a few more days—”
“To hell with that for an evening. Just come have dinner with me.” When I didn’t reply, he said, “It’s just one dinner. One evening is all I ask.”
“Okay.” I winced, thinking what a bad friend I was even though I’d resolved to be a better one.
“Wear a new outfit.” He hung up.
I set the receiver down and touched a silky petal. I loved having dinner with Luc. It made the guilt over the fact that I wouldn’t be working worth it.
But what was happening in half an hour?
I shuddered. Luc was capable of no end of mischief. There was one time in high school when he replaced all the formaldehyded frogs in biology with live ones. It still cracked me up thinking about how Jenny Sheridan, head cheerleader and class bitch, screamed when her frog ribbeted right as she was about to cut into it.
Somehow, I didn’t think whatever Luc had cooked up this time was going to crack me up. Instead of fretting the minutes away until whatever it was he did became apparent, I decided to immerse myself in work.
I didn’t get very far before my phone buzzed. I startled—again—and hit my knees in the exact same spot. Rubbing them, I picked it up. “Research. Ka—”
“You have a delivery.” Her voice was even more curt this time.
“Be—”
She hung up.
“—right down,” I finished needlessly.
I ran down for the second time, alternating between feeling eager and reluctant. It was kind of exciting, even if it could potentially be a frog.
I burst into the lobby and walked to the front desk. “You said there was a delivery for me.”
The receptionist looked at me. “And you are?”
Hello? Hadn’t we been through this before? “Katherine Murphy.”
She reached under the counter and pulled out a box. A big box. “Here.” She pushed it toward me and turned her back to attend to something that was obviously more important.
Being dismissed didn’t faze me this time. I had a package to deal with anyway.
More flowers? I shook it. Didn’t seem like it. Nor did it feel like a frog.
I picked it up gingerly. Holding it out from my body (no telling what was in it, and if it was something gooey I didn’t want it anywhere near my suit), I headed for the elevators.
A man stood there waiting. He eyed me and asked, “Going up?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He continued to stare, even when an elevator arrived. He held the door open for me before walking in. “What floor?”
“Twelve, please.”
He grinned as he pressed the button. “The way you’re holding that box I’d almost think it was a bomb.”
I pursed my lips and studied the package. I wouldn’t put it past Luc. “Could be.”
Then I noticed his dimples. “Oh.” I stepped closer to find out what color eyes he had.
Blue.
Yes!
I gave him a real smile. “Do you work here?”
“No. Just visiting a friend.”
“A girl friend?”
“A guy friend.”
I felt the elation melt from my face.
He chuckled. “Not that type of guy friend.”
“Oh.” But before I got my hopes up again I glanced at his ring finger.
Sans ring.
Yes!
I smiled again. “How do you feel about the act of procreation?”
He grinned and leaned toward me. “I’m all for it.”
“Oh good,” I said, relieved.
The elevator pinged its arrival.
I frowned. My floor. But I wasn’t ready yet.
The doors slid open and I inched toward it. “Uh, I was, uh, wondering—”
“Let me give you my card.” He reached into his suit coat, pulled out a card carrier, and slipped a business card under the ribbon tied around my box. “I hope you call me.”
I had to be beaming as I backed out. “Oh, I will.”
I love this package, I thought as I hurried to my office to record my
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