she can tell you about her experience.”
“I don’t know, Daniel.” Corrie wasn’t sure she wanted to have dinner with Daniel and the pierced young woman. “I probably should go back to the hotel and write up my notes.”
“Come on.” He tugged at her arm. “I’ll cook.”
Corrie stared at him and grinned. “You’ll cook? Since when do you cook?”
“I’ve been on my own for ten years, Coriander Bliss. I’ll have you know that I’m a great cook. I make a mean vegan stir-fry.”
“Are you a vegetarian?” Corrie remembered Daniel’s love of bacon from their time together.
“Hell, no.” Daniel declared. “I still love bacon . . . and a good steak. But Capri’s a vegan.”
Corrie wondered how often Daniel cooked for his receptionist. Maybe every night?
“Capri and I are roommates,” Daniel said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts.
“Ah,” Corrie said, her cheeks reddening. Of course he’s involved with her. What did I expect? That he’s been waiting for me all these years?
“Just roommates,” Daniel continued, seeing her red cheeks. “We used to be involved, sort of, but Capri has a lot of issues—trust issues. She got dumped in foster care when she was nine and then bounced around from home to home. I don’t think she’ll ever be able to commit to anyone.
“Anyway, she splits the rent with me and we cook together sometimes. Otherwise, she does her thing and I do mine.”
Corrie nodded, not raising her eyes from the sidewalk. What did it matter whether Daniel was involved with Capri, or with anyone? And why did he feel like he had to explain himself to her?
“Hey, freak girl,” Daniel said as they entered the front lobby.
“Fuck you,” Capri replied cheerfully.
“What are you up to tonight?”
“Going to the Voodoo Lounge with Mia.”
“Skip it,” Daniel said. “Stay home and have dinner with Corrie and me. She wants to interview you for her story.”
“Daniel . . .” Corrie started to interrupt. She hadn’t agreed to dinner.
“Yeah?” Capri smiled. “I guess that’d be okay. I’ve never been interviewed before.”
“Good, that’s settled.” Daniel glanced from Capri to Corrie. “So, do you have a car here? You can just follow me back to the apartment. It’s kind of hard to tell you how to get there.”
So Corrie found herself back in her rental car, following Daniel through a maze of back streets toward La Cañada. She hadn’t agreed to dinner, but she couldn’t refuse once Capri agreed to be interviewed. She pulled out her cell phone as she drove and dialed Sarah’s number.
“Hi. How are you?” Sarah’s voice was a welcome return to the familiar.
“Okay, I guess. I just finished touring the center. It’s pretty amazing.”
“How was it, seeing Daniel again?”
“Okay,” Corrie said, cradling the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she turned a corner, trying to keep up with the blue VW Bug ahead of her. “It was nice, actually. He’s living with a woman named Capri. She works at the center, too.”
There was a pause. Then Sarah asked cautiously, “Did you meet her?”
“Yes,” Corrie said, proud to hear that her voice was calm. “She’s really interesting . . . Asian, with lots of piercings and a couple tattoos. And she’s got the weirdest color eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Anyway, how are you?” Corrie asked. “I’m sorry I missed your call earlier.”
“I’m fine, just sitting around waiting. The doctor says eight more weeks, and I am so ready.” Sarah’s voice sounded tired.
“Well, at least wait till I get home!” Corrie laughed. “I want to be there when my namesake makes her appearance.”
“When are you coming home?”
“Thursday morning,” Corrie said. “I have a nine o’clock flight.”
“Have you talked to Mark?”
“Not yet,” Corrie replied. “I’ll call him later tonight. I’m going to an interview right now.”
“Well, don’t forget to call him. He’s really not happy with this
“I don’t know, Daniel.” Corrie wasn’t sure she wanted to have dinner with Daniel and the pierced young woman. “I probably should go back to the hotel and write up my notes.”
“Come on.” He tugged at her arm. “I’ll cook.”
Corrie stared at him and grinned. “You’ll cook? Since when do you cook?”
“I’ve been on my own for ten years, Coriander Bliss. I’ll have you know that I’m a great cook. I make a mean vegan stir-fry.”
“Are you a vegetarian?” Corrie remembered Daniel’s love of bacon from their time together.
“Hell, no.” Daniel declared. “I still love bacon . . . and a good steak. But Capri’s a vegan.”
Corrie wondered how often Daniel cooked for his receptionist. Maybe every night?
“Capri and I are roommates,” Daniel said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts.
“Ah,” Corrie said, her cheeks reddening. Of course he’s involved with her. What did I expect? That he’s been waiting for me all these years?
“Just roommates,” Daniel continued, seeing her red cheeks. “We used to be involved, sort of, but Capri has a lot of issues—trust issues. She got dumped in foster care when she was nine and then bounced around from home to home. I don’t think she’ll ever be able to commit to anyone.
“Anyway, she splits the rent with me and we cook together sometimes. Otherwise, she does her thing and I do mine.”
Corrie nodded, not raising her eyes from the sidewalk. What did it matter whether Daniel was involved with Capri, or with anyone? And why did he feel like he had to explain himself to her?
“Hey, freak girl,” Daniel said as they entered the front lobby.
“Fuck you,” Capri replied cheerfully.
“What are you up to tonight?”
“Going to the Voodoo Lounge with Mia.”
“Skip it,” Daniel said. “Stay home and have dinner with Corrie and me. She wants to interview you for her story.”
“Daniel . . .” Corrie started to interrupt. She hadn’t agreed to dinner.
“Yeah?” Capri smiled. “I guess that’d be okay. I’ve never been interviewed before.”
“Good, that’s settled.” Daniel glanced from Capri to Corrie. “So, do you have a car here? You can just follow me back to the apartment. It’s kind of hard to tell you how to get there.”
So Corrie found herself back in her rental car, following Daniel through a maze of back streets toward La Cañada. She hadn’t agreed to dinner, but she couldn’t refuse once Capri agreed to be interviewed. She pulled out her cell phone as she drove and dialed Sarah’s number.
“Hi. How are you?” Sarah’s voice was a welcome return to the familiar.
“Okay, I guess. I just finished touring the center. It’s pretty amazing.”
“How was it, seeing Daniel again?”
“Okay,” Corrie said, cradling the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she turned a corner, trying to keep up with the blue VW Bug ahead of her. “It was nice, actually. He’s living with a woman named Capri. She works at the center, too.”
There was a pause. Then Sarah asked cautiously, “Did you meet her?”
“Yes,” Corrie said, proud to hear that her voice was calm. “She’s really interesting . . . Asian, with lots of piercings and a couple tattoos. And she’s got the weirdest color eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Anyway, how are you?” Corrie asked. “I’m sorry I missed your call earlier.”
“I’m fine, just sitting around waiting. The doctor says eight more weeks, and I am so ready.” Sarah’s voice sounded tired.
“Well, at least wait till I get home!” Corrie laughed. “I want to be there when my namesake makes her appearance.”
“When are you coming home?”
“Thursday morning,” Corrie said. “I have a nine o’clock flight.”
“Have you talked to Mark?”
“Not yet,” Corrie replied. “I’ll call him later tonight. I’m going to an interview right now.”
“Well, don’t forget to call him. He’s really not happy with this
Similar Books
