appearances and, ah, humiliation and all that.”
Vera’s eyes flitted from me to Moiré and back again and her eyebrows lifted with understanding. “Ah. Gotcha,” she said and made a little zipping motion across her lips. “Trust me, I know what you mean.”
I exhaled relief. “Thanks, Vera.”
She patted my shoulder. “So how do you know Moiré?”
My eyes came up. “You know Moiré?”
Vera’s mouth opened, but she looked past me and a strange look crossed her face, followed by something resembling comprehension. She fumbled over a couple of words. I glanced back at Moiré who was sitting there nonchalantly, obviously waiting for an answer. My “suspicious meter” chirped, but I let it go.
“Moiré and I have a… mutual acquaintance,” Vera drawled. “Friend of a friend thing.”
“Ah.” She was going to keep my secret, so I wouldn’t press her about hers.
“Anyway, I’ll have a new bowl of ravioli brought out in a minute. It’s on the house. Enjoy your dinner! I’ll see you later!”
We waved in parting and Vera was gone. Bullet dodged.
Moiré touched my arm. “I’ll keep your dirty little secrets safe too, Doctor.”
That’s right—Moiré had seen the whole thing. And she knew Vera. The odds that this whole evening would blow up in my face were far higher than I was comfortable with. The girls had given me promises; I’d have to trust that was enough. Then again… .
“Not good enough. I need a blood oath,” I said, pasting on my “deathly serious” look. “You’ll need to give me your first child.”
Bemused, surprise played across her face. “Well, Doctor, I wasn’t taking applicants, but I suppose you’re not sufficiently hideous to turn away without consideration.”
She couldn’t have stopped me any better with a Taser.
“But you know, that’s moving a bit fast for a first, excuse me, third date, isn’t it?”
This chick needed to do Hollywood.
“Suddenly, I’m not so hungry anymore,” I said. “We can get you some dessert if you want it.”
She smiled. “No thanks. I can pick up a tiramisu any time. We should probably give you the chance to properly clean up. I don’t think we’re going to get too many more notes tonight.”
She was right.
“Well, Nick,” she said, her hair brushing my cheek as she leaned in, “thanks. This has been really fun, even if it got cut short. Our next excursion has some big shoes to fill.” I held my breath. This was the part where the girl gives the guy a peck on the cheek.
Only she didn’t.
She got up. “I’m going to freshen up real quick while they’re bringing your ravioli out. I’ll just be a sec.” As she walked away, I noticed that my heartbeat was oddly synchronized with the sound of her footfall.
My food arrived before Moiré returned. I had it boxed, picked up the check and left a hefty tip. The business done, we made our way out into the simmering sunset. I walked her back to her car. She smiled and waved as she pulled away. I made a beeline to my Datsun and didn’t look back. I climbed behind the wheel, shaking. I tried over and over to convince myself that I had not just taken my research assistant on a date. But why did it take me five minutes to get her face out of my mind enough that I could drive home? It occurred to me that, for the good of my future marriage, I might just have to fire her. But I knew that I could never do it. I needed Moiré around.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Nick? C’mere. I’ve got something to show you.”
“What is it?”
“Take a look at this baby.”
“Wow! You actually bought the shotgun?”
“I call it the ‘Buck Tamer.’”
“So when are we going to take it hunting?”
“Might be Friday night.”
“Dad , it’s not hunting season.”
“Not if this Carl What’s-his-whosit brings your sister home on time.”
“Um… Dad? Isn’t that a little over the top?”
“Nope. I was thinking more ‘below the belt.’”
Though firing Moiré was
Vera’s eyes flitted from me to Moiré and back again and her eyebrows lifted with understanding. “Ah. Gotcha,” she said and made a little zipping motion across her lips. “Trust me, I know what you mean.”
I exhaled relief. “Thanks, Vera.”
She patted my shoulder. “So how do you know Moiré?”
My eyes came up. “You know Moiré?”
Vera’s mouth opened, but she looked past me and a strange look crossed her face, followed by something resembling comprehension. She fumbled over a couple of words. I glanced back at Moiré who was sitting there nonchalantly, obviously waiting for an answer. My “suspicious meter” chirped, but I let it go.
“Moiré and I have a… mutual acquaintance,” Vera drawled. “Friend of a friend thing.”
“Ah.” She was going to keep my secret, so I wouldn’t press her about hers.
“Anyway, I’ll have a new bowl of ravioli brought out in a minute. It’s on the house. Enjoy your dinner! I’ll see you later!”
We waved in parting and Vera was gone. Bullet dodged.
Moiré touched my arm. “I’ll keep your dirty little secrets safe too, Doctor.”
That’s right—Moiré had seen the whole thing. And she knew Vera. The odds that this whole evening would blow up in my face were far higher than I was comfortable with. The girls had given me promises; I’d have to trust that was enough. Then again… .
“Not good enough. I need a blood oath,” I said, pasting on my “deathly serious” look. “You’ll need to give me your first child.”
Bemused, surprise played across her face. “Well, Doctor, I wasn’t taking applicants, but I suppose you’re not sufficiently hideous to turn away without consideration.”
She couldn’t have stopped me any better with a Taser.
“But you know, that’s moving a bit fast for a first, excuse me, third date, isn’t it?”
This chick needed to do Hollywood.
“Suddenly, I’m not so hungry anymore,” I said. “We can get you some dessert if you want it.”
She smiled. “No thanks. I can pick up a tiramisu any time. We should probably give you the chance to properly clean up. I don’t think we’re going to get too many more notes tonight.”
She was right.
“Well, Nick,” she said, her hair brushing my cheek as she leaned in, “thanks. This has been really fun, even if it got cut short. Our next excursion has some big shoes to fill.” I held my breath. This was the part where the girl gives the guy a peck on the cheek.
Only she didn’t.
She got up. “I’m going to freshen up real quick while they’re bringing your ravioli out. I’ll just be a sec.” As she walked away, I noticed that my heartbeat was oddly synchronized with the sound of her footfall.
My food arrived before Moiré returned. I had it boxed, picked up the check and left a hefty tip. The business done, we made our way out into the simmering sunset. I walked her back to her car. She smiled and waved as she pulled away. I made a beeline to my Datsun and didn’t look back. I climbed behind the wheel, shaking. I tried over and over to convince myself that I had not just taken my research assistant on a date. But why did it take me five minutes to get her face out of my mind enough that I could drive home? It occurred to me that, for the good of my future marriage, I might just have to fire her. But I knew that I could never do it. I needed Moiré around.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Nick? C’mere. I’ve got something to show you.”
“What is it?”
“Take a look at this baby.”
“Wow! You actually bought the shotgun?”
“I call it the ‘Buck Tamer.’”
“So when are we going to take it hunting?”
“Might be Friday night.”
“Dad , it’s not hunting season.”
“Not if this Carl What’s-his-whosit brings your sister home on time.”
“Um… Dad? Isn’t that a little over the top?”
“Nope. I was thinking more ‘below the belt.’”
Though firing Moiré was
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