woman he liked out on a date and gotten a positive response. From all indicators, he looked like someone who didn’t want to go.
Annie waited until the door had closed behind him and the jingle from the bell had died down. By then Harry was out of sight, down the sidewalk. She slipped out from behind the counter and opened the door a crack to peer down the street.
There he was, half a block away. Standing with his back to her. Talking to someone.
He was both tall and broad-shouldered, and he was standing right in front of his companion, so it was difficult to get a good look at the other man. But after a few seconds, Harry turned sideways to sidle past, probably to continue on his way back to the office. Annie’s eyes narrowed.
What was Ross doing talking to Harry? She’d told him what Harry had said yesterday in the bar. At least she was pretty sure she had, even if the Cosmopolitans had made everything that happened last night a bit blurry. Was this his idea of setting things right?
God, he hadn’t gone to Harry and told him that she’d slept with him—with Ross—last night, had he? Surely he wasn’t the kind of guy who kissed and told?
Because if Harry had asked her out just because he thought she’d put out at the end of the night, he had another think coming. And so did Ross.
Chapter Twelve
“How did it go?” Eros asked.
Harry shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”
He guessed? “Well, did she say yes?”
Harry smiled. “Of course she did.”
Of course.
Damn. A small part of him—a small, unworthy part—had thought maybe she wouldn’t. Had maybe even hoped she wouldn’t. After the way he’d spoken to her yesterday, the fact that Annie still wanted Harry was an annoyance to Eros.
Although he had to admit that even if Harry had been a perfect sweetheart, the fact that she wanted him still would have been annoying. She’d slept with him—Eros—last night. She wasn’t supposed to want anyone else after that.
Then again, since he didn’t want her, either, it was just as well that she did want someone else. So what if his feelings were a tad bit bruised? He’d get over it. She was just another mortal. He’d met plenty of those and she wasn’t anything special.
“Excellent,” he said, pleased to hear his voice was steady. The urge to punch Harry in the nose was practically gone, too. “She seemed happy?”
Harry shrugged.
“She didn’t seem happy?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Harry asked.
“You spoke to her. Couldn’t you tell whether she seemed happy to go out with you or not?”
“I guess she did. She said yes, right?”
So Harry had led him to believe. “Did she smile?”
Harry shrugged.
“C’mon, man. You stood there and looked at her. She has a great smile. It lights up her whole face. Surely you remember if you saw it.”
“No,” Harry said.
“No, what? You don’t remember? Or she didn’t smile?”
“I don’t think she smiled. But if you think she’s got such a great smile, why aren’t you asking her out yourself?”
Eros ignored him. They’d already been over this, and he wasn’t going to say it again.
So she hadn’t smiled. Was that good or bad? Was she still angry with Harry because of last night? Maybe she was waiting to see how the date went before she made up her mind whether to forgive him or not?
“Where are you taking her?”
“None of your business,” Harry said.
Fine. He was probably being too pushy anyway. And perhaps it was better if he didn’t know the particulars. If he knew, he might be tempted to go to the restaurant to see how the date progressed, and then Annie might see him, and she might suspect that he’d had something to do with talking Harry into asking her out, and he didn’t want her to realize that he’d had any part in it. Much better just to leave her to Harry. Harry was whom she wanted. They’d be fine on their own.
Somehow the thought didn’t give him much pleasure. He shook it off. “When are you
Annie waited until the door had closed behind him and the jingle from the bell had died down. By then Harry was out of sight, down the sidewalk. She slipped out from behind the counter and opened the door a crack to peer down the street.
There he was, half a block away. Standing with his back to her. Talking to someone.
He was both tall and broad-shouldered, and he was standing right in front of his companion, so it was difficult to get a good look at the other man. But after a few seconds, Harry turned sideways to sidle past, probably to continue on his way back to the office. Annie’s eyes narrowed.
What was Ross doing talking to Harry? She’d told him what Harry had said yesterday in the bar. At least she was pretty sure she had, even if the Cosmopolitans had made everything that happened last night a bit blurry. Was this his idea of setting things right?
God, he hadn’t gone to Harry and told him that she’d slept with him—with Ross—last night, had he? Surely he wasn’t the kind of guy who kissed and told?
Because if Harry had asked her out just because he thought she’d put out at the end of the night, he had another think coming. And so did Ross.
Chapter Twelve
“How did it go?” Eros asked.
Harry shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”
He guessed? “Well, did she say yes?”
Harry smiled. “Of course she did.”
Of course.
Damn. A small part of him—a small, unworthy part—had thought maybe she wouldn’t. Had maybe even hoped she wouldn’t. After the way he’d spoken to her yesterday, the fact that Annie still wanted Harry was an annoyance to Eros.
Although he had to admit that even if Harry had been a perfect sweetheart, the fact that she wanted him still would have been annoying. She’d slept with him—Eros—last night. She wasn’t supposed to want anyone else after that.
Then again, since he didn’t want her, either, it was just as well that she did want someone else. So what if his feelings were a tad bit bruised? He’d get over it. She was just another mortal. He’d met plenty of those and she wasn’t anything special.
“Excellent,” he said, pleased to hear his voice was steady. The urge to punch Harry in the nose was practically gone, too. “She seemed happy?”
Harry shrugged.
“She didn’t seem happy?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Harry asked.
“You spoke to her. Couldn’t you tell whether she seemed happy to go out with you or not?”
“I guess she did. She said yes, right?”
So Harry had led him to believe. “Did she smile?”
Harry shrugged.
“C’mon, man. You stood there and looked at her. She has a great smile. It lights up her whole face. Surely you remember if you saw it.”
“No,” Harry said.
“No, what? You don’t remember? Or she didn’t smile?”
“I don’t think she smiled. But if you think she’s got such a great smile, why aren’t you asking her out yourself?”
Eros ignored him. They’d already been over this, and he wasn’t going to say it again.
So she hadn’t smiled. Was that good or bad? Was she still angry with Harry because of last night? Maybe she was waiting to see how the date went before she made up her mind whether to forgive him or not?
“Where are you taking her?”
“None of your business,” Harry said.
Fine. He was probably being too pushy anyway. And perhaps it was better if he didn’t know the particulars. If he knew, he might be tempted to go to the restaurant to see how the date progressed, and then Annie might see him, and she might suspect that he’d had something to do with talking Harry into asking her out, and he didn’t want her to realize that he’d had any part in it. Much better just to leave her to Harry. Harry was whom she wanted. They’d be fine on their own.
Somehow the thought didn’t give him much pleasure. He shook it off. “When are you
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