right, your new BFF told you when he called you behind my back.” Catherine shoved the box of candy into her friend’s hand. “Here’s your thirty pieces of silver. I didn’t know you could be bought for such a measly price.”
Melody looked hurt. “I didn’t betray you. All I did was agree you should take an afternoon off and have a nice lunch. Besides, I was looking forward to living vicariously when you came back and told me all the good stuff. Like what is was like to kiss him.”
“Why do you think I’d know that?” Catherine busied herself with the papers on her desk, avoiding Melody’s gaze. “We just had lunch.”
“Sure, lunch explains your flushed face.”
“It’s hot out.”
“Your shiny eyes.”
“We drank wine at lunch.”
“Your smeared lipstick.”
“Oh, hell …” Catherine’s hand flew to her mouth. “Wait. I didn’t have any lipstick on.”
The leer reappeared. “So, to go back to my original question—what’s it like to kiss him?”
Catherine marched across her office and snatched the box of taffy from Melody. “You don’t deserve this. Not only did you rat me out to Mister … to Dominic but now you’re playing games with me.”
“You almost said it, didn’t you? Mister Sex on Legs. Please tell me he’s as hot as he looks.”
Catherine struggled to keep a straight face but finally gave in and smiled. “He’s smart and charming and funny and …”
“The hell with
charming and funny
. Get to the good stuff.”
“He kissed me goodbye, I guess you can say, a couple blocks before we got to the building. It was … nice.”
“Don’t disappoint me. I can’t believe it was
nice
.”
“Okay, better than nice. It was … well … apparently my face is flushed and my eyes are shiny.” She shrugged, as if to say
figure it out yourself
.
“All my little fantasies about him are true, aren’t they?” Melody clapped her hands like a nursery school child and did a little happy dance. “I’m so excited! Now I’ll know someone who’s part of the hot gossip instead of just hearing about strangers.” Suddenly Melody stopped her dance and stared at Catherine, the smile gone. “Wait. That look on your face. I’ve never seen it before. You’re not thinking this will turn into something serious, are you? Please tell me you’re not.”
“No, of course not. It was just lunch, like the note with the flowers said.”
She must not have sounded convincing because Melody continued. “Don’t get your hopes up for anything more than that. He’s Mister Sex on Legs all right—for half the women in the city. He’s been the most eligible bachelor in Philly two—”
“Three.”
“Three? Three times?” Mel looked more confused than irritated at having her warning interrupted. “I thought you didn’t know much about him outside business.”
“He told me.”
“There you are, then. He brags about being known for being unattached.”
“No, it wasn’t like that. He corrected me when I said it had been a couple times.”
“Okay, fine, you brought it up. But he made sure you knew the correct number.” She put her arm around her friend. “Look, Catherine, I’ve been telling you for months, maybe even years, you need to look at men as something other than the suits we do business with. But are you sure he’s what you’re looking for? I don’t think there’s long-term potential there.”
“How do you know what I’m looking for? Maybe I don’t want long term. Let me correct that—I
know
I don’t want long term. I’m not ready for that yet. But something to jumpstart my clinically dead social life? That I think I am ready for. Finally. If I can get over my reservations about why he’s paying attention to me, who would be better for a fling than the man even you think is the sexiest man in the city.”
Melody squinted her eyes and stared. “I can’t tell whether or not you’re serious. Which is not a good sign because I usually can.” She
Melody looked hurt. “I didn’t betray you. All I did was agree you should take an afternoon off and have a nice lunch. Besides, I was looking forward to living vicariously when you came back and told me all the good stuff. Like what is was like to kiss him.”
“Why do you think I’d know that?” Catherine busied herself with the papers on her desk, avoiding Melody’s gaze. “We just had lunch.”
“Sure, lunch explains your flushed face.”
“It’s hot out.”
“Your shiny eyes.”
“We drank wine at lunch.”
“Your smeared lipstick.”
“Oh, hell …” Catherine’s hand flew to her mouth. “Wait. I didn’t have any lipstick on.”
The leer reappeared. “So, to go back to my original question—what’s it like to kiss him?”
Catherine marched across her office and snatched the box of taffy from Melody. “You don’t deserve this. Not only did you rat me out to Mister … to Dominic but now you’re playing games with me.”
“You almost said it, didn’t you? Mister Sex on Legs. Please tell me he’s as hot as he looks.”
Catherine struggled to keep a straight face but finally gave in and smiled. “He’s smart and charming and funny and …”
“The hell with
charming and funny
. Get to the good stuff.”
“He kissed me goodbye, I guess you can say, a couple blocks before we got to the building. It was … nice.”
“Don’t disappoint me. I can’t believe it was
nice
.”
“Okay, better than nice. It was … well … apparently my face is flushed and my eyes are shiny.” She shrugged, as if to say
figure it out yourself
.
“All my little fantasies about him are true, aren’t they?” Melody clapped her hands like a nursery school child and did a little happy dance. “I’m so excited! Now I’ll know someone who’s part of the hot gossip instead of just hearing about strangers.” Suddenly Melody stopped her dance and stared at Catherine, the smile gone. “Wait. That look on your face. I’ve never seen it before. You’re not thinking this will turn into something serious, are you? Please tell me you’re not.”
“No, of course not. It was just lunch, like the note with the flowers said.”
She must not have sounded convincing because Melody continued. “Don’t get your hopes up for anything more than that. He’s Mister Sex on Legs all right—for half the women in the city. He’s been the most eligible bachelor in Philly two—”
“Three.”
“Three? Three times?” Mel looked more confused than irritated at having her warning interrupted. “I thought you didn’t know much about him outside business.”
“He told me.”
“There you are, then. He brags about being known for being unattached.”
“No, it wasn’t like that. He corrected me when I said it had been a couple times.”
“Okay, fine, you brought it up. But he made sure you knew the correct number.” She put her arm around her friend. “Look, Catherine, I’ve been telling you for months, maybe even years, you need to look at men as something other than the suits we do business with. But are you sure he’s what you’re looking for? I don’t think there’s long-term potential there.”
“How do you know what I’m looking for? Maybe I don’t want long term. Let me correct that—I
know
I don’t want long term. I’m not ready for that yet. But something to jumpstart my clinically dead social life? That I think I am ready for. Finally. If I can get over my reservations about why he’s paying attention to me, who would be better for a fling than the man even you think is the sexiest man in the city.”
Melody squinted her eyes and stared. “I can’t tell whether or not you’re serious. Which is not a good sign because I usually can.” She
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