way.”
Gina sighed as she fell back against the chair. “Just like Harrison Ford in those Indiana Jones movies.”
Rachel nodded. “Exactly. Too handsome for his own good. Or mine.”
“So maybe Drew is jealous. Maybe he couldn’t stand the thought of you two alone together.”
Rachel considered Gina’s theory, then voiced a theory of her own. “Or maybe he wants to use Russell to get to me somehow.”
Gina shook her head. “Men as handsome as Drew Lavery are usually not that smart. And they’re definitely not as devious as women. Maybe there’s no ulterior motive. Maybe he’s just a nice guy doing you a favor.”
“By keeping my fiancé for me until I decide if I want him back?” Rachel said skeptically.
“Ex-fiancé,” Gina reminded her.
“And you’re wrong about Drew,” Rachel continued as if Gina hadn’t spoken. “He’s one of those rare exceptions of men with both brain and brawn. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“So what about Russell? Do you want him back?”
Rachel sighed. “Besides his looks, Russell’s dedication to his career always appealed to me. I thought we’d be perfect together. But now I realize respect and admiration aren’t enough. Ever since I met...”
“Drew?”
Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know what I want Believe it or not, I’m a little confused right now.”
“I believe it,” Gina said. “I saw all the Twinkie wrappers in your office wastebasket. Eat enough of those, my little cupcake, and soon neither one of them will want you.”
Rachel scowled at her. “This is not helping. I need answers. Although...I think I just figured out why Drew offered Russell a place to stay.”
Gina sat up in the chair. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“It’s the boycott,” Rachel said simply, wondering why she hadn’t figured it out sooner. “He wants to use Russell as leverage. Maybe he thinks I’ll be so grateful to him for offering my ex-fiancé a place to stay that I’ll change my mind about boycotting Valentine’s Day.”
Gina shook her head. “That sounds pretty lame to me. I’m still voting for the jealousy theory. Drew couldn’t stand the thought of you two alone together, so he sacrificed his home to the cockroach king.”
“Russell is into beetles now. He even named one for me. The Rachelona cyanella.”
“I always thought Russell was a little strange. I think you should go after the mayor.”
Rachel frowned. “The mayor is in retreat, planning his next attack. I haven’t heard a word from him since our date.”
Gina didn’t say anything. Rachel glanced over to see her staring intently at the magazine. “What is it?”
“A grenade that looks just like a pineapple,” Gina said. “Kurt loves pineapple. What if I sent him a fruit basket...”
“Forget it, Gina,” Rachel said, just as the intercom buzzed on Rachel’s desk.
She rose from the sofa, all those Twinkies rumbling in her stomach. Maybe she’d overdone it this time. She shouldn’t have eaten that last box.
She punched the button on the intercom. “Yes, Jodie?”
“Dr. Grant, there is a woman here to see you. A Mrs. Lavery.”
“I don’t believe it,” Gina exclaimed, throwing the magazine down. “He’s married! What a jerk! I knew he was too good to be true.”
The Twinkies settled like a stone in the pit of her stomach. Mrs. Lavery? There had to be some mistake...
“She’s the mayor’s mother,” Jodie whispered over the intercom. “Shall I tell her you’re with a patient?”
Rachel turned to Gina. “Can you believe it? His mother . He actually sent his mother to do his dirty work.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Can you think of another reason? I bet he sent her here as a spy, hoping to pump me for information. She’s probably wired.”
“Okay—now I think you are paranoid. You really think Drew would use his mother like that?”
Rachel closed her eyes, her head muddled from the events of the last few days. Her
Gina sighed as she fell back against the chair. “Just like Harrison Ford in those Indiana Jones movies.”
Rachel nodded. “Exactly. Too handsome for his own good. Or mine.”
“So maybe Drew is jealous. Maybe he couldn’t stand the thought of you two alone together.”
Rachel considered Gina’s theory, then voiced a theory of her own. “Or maybe he wants to use Russell to get to me somehow.”
Gina shook her head. “Men as handsome as Drew Lavery are usually not that smart. And they’re definitely not as devious as women. Maybe there’s no ulterior motive. Maybe he’s just a nice guy doing you a favor.”
“By keeping my fiancé for me until I decide if I want him back?” Rachel said skeptically.
“Ex-fiancé,” Gina reminded her.
“And you’re wrong about Drew,” Rachel continued as if Gina hadn’t spoken. “He’s one of those rare exceptions of men with both brain and brawn. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“So what about Russell? Do you want him back?”
Rachel sighed. “Besides his looks, Russell’s dedication to his career always appealed to me. I thought we’d be perfect together. But now I realize respect and admiration aren’t enough. Ever since I met...”
“Drew?”
Rachel shook her head. “I don’t know what I want Believe it or not, I’m a little confused right now.”
“I believe it,” Gina said. “I saw all the Twinkie wrappers in your office wastebasket. Eat enough of those, my little cupcake, and soon neither one of them will want you.”
Rachel scowled at her. “This is not helping. I need answers. Although...I think I just figured out why Drew offered Russell a place to stay.”
Gina sat up in the chair. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“It’s the boycott,” Rachel said simply, wondering why she hadn’t figured it out sooner. “He wants to use Russell as leverage. Maybe he thinks I’ll be so grateful to him for offering my ex-fiancé a place to stay that I’ll change my mind about boycotting Valentine’s Day.”
Gina shook her head. “That sounds pretty lame to me. I’m still voting for the jealousy theory. Drew couldn’t stand the thought of you two alone together, so he sacrificed his home to the cockroach king.”
“Russell is into beetles now. He even named one for me. The Rachelona cyanella.”
“I always thought Russell was a little strange. I think you should go after the mayor.”
Rachel frowned. “The mayor is in retreat, planning his next attack. I haven’t heard a word from him since our date.”
Gina didn’t say anything. Rachel glanced over to see her staring intently at the magazine. “What is it?”
“A grenade that looks just like a pineapple,” Gina said. “Kurt loves pineapple. What if I sent him a fruit basket...”
“Forget it, Gina,” Rachel said, just as the intercom buzzed on Rachel’s desk.
She rose from the sofa, all those Twinkies rumbling in her stomach. Maybe she’d overdone it this time. She shouldn’t have eaten that last box.
She punched the button on the intercom. “Yes, Jodie?”
“Dr. Grant, there is a woman here to see you. A Mrs. Lavery.”
“I don’t believe it,” Gina exclaimed, throwing the magazine down. “He’s married! What a jerk! I knew he was too good to be true.”
The Twinkies settled like a stone in the pit of her stomach. Mrs. Lavery? There had to be some mistake...
“She’s the mayor’s mother,” Jodie whispered over the intercom. “Shall I tell her you’re with a patient?”
Rachel turned to Gina. “Can you believe it? His mother . He actually sent his mother to do his dirty work.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Can you think of another reason? I bet he sent her here as a spy, hoping to pump me for information. She’s probably wired.”
“Okay—now I think you are paranoid. You really think Drew would use his mother like that?”
Rachel closed her eyes, her head muddled from the events of the last few days. Her
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