sleep.â
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
Tommy is leaning against the wall by the front window watching for Jason, whoâs about fifteen minutes late.
âLunch is ready to go whenever you want it,â Daniel says to Tommy.
âPerfect,â Tommy says. âSounds great.â It actually sounds like Tommyâs not paying much attention.
âAlso, I was checking your calendar, and it looks like you have a reservation tonight. Dinner plans. What do you want to do about that?â
Tommy knocks his head back against the wall. âShit. I forgot. Youâre gonna have to call Hannah. Tell her not tonight. Maybe some night next week.â
âGreat,â Daniel says, and he makes a face at me. âThatâs gonna be a fun call.â He rolls his eyes.
I laugh. âAre you really so important you canât break your own dates? Thatâs kind of shitty.â
Daniel nods. âIsnât it? He doesnât like to âmake his own arrangements,ââ he says, making these dramatic air quotes.
âDaniel knows my schedule better than I do. I donât need to talk to her, and she doesnât need my number.â
âWow. You really are a dick.â
Daniel nods. âThis is what Iâm trying to tell you. He is un-fucking-believable.â
âOkay, hold on, itâs not that I donât want her to be able to reach me, but I donât need my number getting out. If she wants to talk to me, she can just call Daniel.â
âAnd I can tell her heâs ânot really available right now,ââ Daniel says, punctuating with his fingers again.
âExactly,â Tommy says.
Itâs horrible, but I laugh. âGod, youâre an asshole.â
He shrugs. âBut I sleep like a baby.â
âNo. I bet you do because in my experience babies sleep like assholes who interrupt everyone with their random, selfish demands for more tit.â
Daniel laughs, and Tommy just smiles. âThat was pretty good, Stace. Iâm gonna let that one slide.â He turns to Daniel. âKeep the reservation. Iâll take Stacey.â
âI donât want to go to dinner with you.â
âShut up. Itâs a nice place,â he says. âYouâll like it.â He looks out the window again. âJasonâs here.â
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
Jason is awfully cute but a little short. I know heâs in his mid-forties, but he could pass for my age easily. He has this curly brown hair and asweet baby face and this one great dimple on just the left side. When he shakes my hand, he smiles really wide, and it makes me smile too.
âSo you are Stacey,â he says, leaning his arm against the bar. Tommy is fixing us something to drink. âI have to admit, I didnât know what to expect.â He makes an apologetic face. âYour book is a little scary, you know.â He laughs.
He doesnât seem to think Iâm scary though. His eyes keep dropping to my chest, but I pretend I donât notice. I donât actually mind.
âJason, I know youâre having scotch. Stacey?â
âNo. No scotch. Maybe vodka.â
âTommy tells me you live in Omaha,â Jason says. âYou donât strike me as all that Nebraskan.â
I put my hand up to take the drink that Tommy holds out, but I keep my eyes on Jason. âReally? You canât picture me out with the tractors and cows?â I raise my eyebrow.
âNot really.â He laughs. âShould we have a seat?â
He motions to the couch. He sits on one end, and I sit on the other, but I turn sideways, sit on my hip, so my knees are pointing toward him. I lean my arm against the back of the couch. I take a drink. The vodka is nice and cold. The vodka is great.
âSo tell me about yourself,â Jason says.
I smile. âThereâs not much to tell.â
He reaches over, picks a copy of my
Serena Akeroyd
Gina Berriault
Tonia Brown
Andie Blue
Deborah Raney
Joyce Lavene
Hiner Saleem
Carla Susan Smith
Karen Traviss
Penny Vincenzi