yet. George went to get our drinks, but he’ll be back in a minute.” Elise, sitting facing the door, kept watching for Dave, the history professor.
That’s why she immediately saw the two men who entered. She knew both of them. James Dillon and Bill White. By the way they stood at the door, their gazes sweeping the room, she knew they were looking for someone in particular. She didn’t wave.
They found her, anyway, and headed across the room.
Frannie, looking up from the menu, noticed Bill at once. “Look who’s here,” she whispered fiercely. She half rose in her chair. “Yoo-hoo, Bill. Hello!”
Bill’s cheeks turned bright red and he gave a half wave. James didn’t even smile, his gaze fixed on Elise.
“James is with Bill,” Daisy said. “Did you know he was coming?”
Elise shook her head.
“Evening, ladies,” James said, having reached the table. “Mind if Bill and I join you?”
“Of course not,” Phoebe said, standing. “We’ll just need to pull over that empty table and put it with this one. Frannie, why don’t you move down here with me, and they can add a table.”
Elise almost smiled at Frannie’s eager response. Her move would put her next to one of the men. Elise would be pleased if it was James, but probably Frannie would make sure it was Bill.
James helped move the other table over. Then he pulled up a chair next to Elise.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered fiercely. She’d told him last night there would be no more “research” evenings.
“I stopped by to talk to Bill, and he suggested we eat here,” he said, smiling slightly, daring her to accuse him of lying.
She glared at him. “And why did you stop by to talk to Bill?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, Elise, but I read a police report about thefts in the neighborhood, and I thought I should let Bill know, so he could be on the alert.”
Frannie had been listening. “Thefts? Oh, no. I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Bill, having sat down beside Frannie, shook his head. “I don’t think we’re in any danger. The lighting helps deter crime.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Phoebe agreed.
“And it helps that all the men in our units are bigand strong,” Frannie said with fluttering lashes and a sideways look at Bill.
“Elise?”
Elise whirled around, embarrassed to discover Dave Haskell standing beside her. She’d gotten so distracted by James’s arrival, she’d forgotten to watch for Daisy’s potential date.
“Oh, Dave, I’m glad you found us. Please join us,” she said at once, smiling as she stood and welcomed him.
James stood beside her, frowning. “Hello, I’m James Dillon, Elise’s fiancé.” He stuck out his hand.
Dave looked at Elise in surprise, but shook James’s hand. “Dave Haskell.”
Elise quickly introduced the rest of the table, saving Daisy until last. Dave’s smile widened slightly as he shook her hand. Then he scooted his chair right next to her.
Elise and Phoebe exchanged a look of triumph.
“Is he the one?” James whispered in her ear.
She drew away from him even as she shivered. “What do you mean?”
“Did you invite him for Daisy? To father her child?”
The man had the memory of an elephant. With a slight nod, she turned to Dave. “How did your classes go today?”
“Fine. My freshman class actually stayed awake today,” the man said, smiling at Daisy. “It was one of my good days.”
Bill looked at Dave. “You teach at the university with Elise?”
“Well, not in the same department. I teach History and she teaches French.”
Bill nodded. “Then you must know James, too. He’s in the Drama Department.”
F OR THE FIRST TIME that night, James thought his brilliant idea to talk Bill into coming with him to The Prickly Pear wasn’t so brilliant.
Dave was staring at him.
“ASU is big, Bill. We don’t all know each other,” James hurriedly said.
“He’s right,” Dave said. “I’ve heard of a Bobby
That’s why she immediately saw the two men who entered. She knew both of them. James Dillon and Bill White. By the way they stood at the door, their gazes sweeping the room, she knew they were looking for someone in particular. She didn’t wave.
They found her, anyway, and headed across the room.
Frannie, looking up from the menu, noticed Bill at once. “Look who’s here,” she whispered fiercely. She half rose in her chair. “Yoo-hoo, Bill. Hello!”
Bill’s cheeks turned bright red and he gave a half wave. James didn’t even smile, his gaze fixed on Elise.
“James is with Bill,” Daisy said. “Did you know he was coming?”
Elise shook her head.
“Evening, ladies,” James said, having reached the table. “Mind if Bill and I join you?”
“Of course not,” Phoebe said, standing. “We’ll just need to pull over that empty table and put it with this one. Frannie, why don’t you move down here with me, and they can add a table.”
Elise almost smiled at Frannie’s eager response. Her move would put her next to one of the men. Elise would be pleased if it was James, but probably Frannie would make sure it was Bill.
James helped move the other table over. Then he pulled up a chair next to Elise.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered fiercely. She’d told him last night there would be no more “research” evenings.
“I stopped by to talk to Bill, and he suggested we eat here,” he said, smiling slightly, daring her to accuse him of lying.
She glared at him. “And why did you stop by to talk to Bill?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, Elise, but I read a police report about thefts in the neighborhood, and I thought I should let Bill know, so he could be on the alert.”
Frannie had been listening. “Thefts? Oh, no. I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Bill, having sat down beside Frannie, shook his head. “I don’t think we’re in any danger. The lighting helps deter crime.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Phoebe agreed.
“And it helps that all the men in our units are bigand strong,” Frannie said with fluttering lashes and a sideways look at Bill.
“Elise?”
Elise whirled around, embarrassed to discover Dave Haskell standing beside her. She’d gotten so distracted by James’s arrival, she’d forgotten to watch for Daisy’s potential date.
“Oh, Dave, I’m glad you found us. Please join us,” she said at once, smiling as she stood and welcomed him.
James stood beside her, frowning. “Hello, I’m James Dillon, Elise’s fiancé.” He stuck out his hand.
Dave looked at Elise in surprise, but shook James’s hand. “Dave Haskell.”
Elise quickly introduced the rest of the table, saving Daisy until last. Dave’s smile widened slightly as he shook her hand. Then he scooted his chair right next to her.
Elise and Phoebe exchanged a look of triumph.
“Is he the one?” James whispered in her ear.
She drew away from him even as she shivered. “What do you mean?”
“Did you invite him for Daisy? To father her child?”
The man had the memory of an elephant. With a slight nod, she turned to Dave. “How did your classes go today?”
“Fine. My freshman class actually stayed awake today,” the man said, smiling at Daisy. “It was one of my good days.”
Bill looked at Dave. “You teach at the university with Elise?”
“Well, not in the same department. I teach History and she teaches French.”
Bill nodded. “Then you must know James, too. He’s in the Drama Department.”
F OR THE FIRST TIME that night, James thought his brilliant idea to talk Bill into coming with him to The Prickly Pear wasn’t so brilliant.
Dave was staring at him.
“ASU is big, Bill. We don’t all know each other,” James hurriedly said.
“He’s right,” Dave said. “I’ve heard of a Bobby
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