didn't sound like the lie it was, because Brandon didn't look good. He looked like the porky geek of a former state legislator from bum-fuck Madison, Indiana, that he was. "I'm having coffee. Want one?"
"No thanks. I'd rather share a bottle of wine with you."
She scrunched up her nose like she smelled something unpleasant and said, "Maybe some other time."
As Brandon slowly removed his jacket, Christy felt his eyes roam all over her. She was used to this, of course, and she sighed softly. Sometimes it was a burden to be beautiful in the sleek, blond, and photogenic kind of way that she was.
"I mean, wow. You look really good, Christy."
She folded her hands on the tabletop and smiled at him. "You have exactly five minutes."
"Hey! Great! Fabulous!"
Brandon fidgeted in the chair and tried to pretend he wasn't just shot down. She hated men who retreated like that, without a fight. Even if Brandon were the hottest man alive, she'd not respect the guy—a wimp if there ever was one. "Let's have it, Miliewski."
"It's about Jack Tolliver."
Hello . Christy pretended to be only marginally interested. "Let me guess—he's seriously considering a run for Ditto's Senate seat. Everyone within five hundred miles of the State House has heard that rumor."
Brandon chuckled, cutting her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I started that rumor, baby," he said proudly. "But there's more. Something I was saving just for you."
The gleam in Miliewski's little eyes told Christy to sit there and listen and not be too appalled that he'd just called her baby. Baby! Maybe she should have answered one of his eleven voice mails from last week, if this was about Jack.
"He's dating someone new. Someone a little out of the ordinary."
The expectant tension Christy had been holding in her shoulders released, and she groaned. "Is that all? Everyone in town knows he's been seeing the belly dancer bimbo for the last month or so."
"No way!" Brandon shook his head. "Tina is a nurse at Riley children's hospital! My sister works with her!"
"A nurse who happens to moonlight in harem pants every weekend at Santorini's."
Miliewski's eyes shot open. "No kidding?" He licked his lips. "That is so hot."
Christy reached for her purse and started to stand up.
"Well, anyway, this is a different woman," Brandon said, nodding with certainty. "Way different."
Christy planted her butt right back in the booth. "OK. Who is she?"
"Her name is Samantha Monroe."
"Samantha who ?" Christy wracked her brain—she'd heard that name somewhere but couldn't place it. "Who is she?"
Miliewski shrugged. "He took her to lunch at Workingman's Friend the other day. She's a cute redhead with a nice set of real ones."
Christy shook her head in disgust. "You are pure class, Miliewski." She sighed and gathered up her purse again. "That's it? Just a name? You dragged me out on a Sunday to tell me the name of some big-boobed chickie Jack took out for a burger?"
He frowned. "They weren't big, just nice. And you're the one who said you didn't have any time but today to see me and—"
"Fine. Thanks, Brandon. Good luck trying to get the video poker bill out of committee." In a flash, she was on her feet, coat on, car keys in hand.
"But there's something different about this one," Brandon said, looking past Christy, a pensive smile on his face. "She seems kind of sweet. She's older than the standard twenty-somethings he's usually boinking. She looked nice and normal and he was talking to her softly, like he really cared what she was saying. Like they had important things to discuss."
Christy was listening.
"And then I saw him kiss her out on the sidewalk. It was one of those kisses that didn't last a real long time but got the message across, you know? And Tolliver laughed afterward—a big laugh—and she smiled like a cat who'd swallowed the canary."
When Brandon brought his dreamy gaze back to Christy, he jerked in surprise, and Christy tried to shake off the shock that must
"No thanks. I'd rather share a bottle of wine with you."
She scrunched up her nose like she smelled something unpleasant and said, "Maybe some other time."
As Brandon slowly removed his jacket, Christy felt his eyes roam all over her. She was used to this, of course, and she sighed softly. Sometimes it was a burden to be beautiful in the sleek, blond, and photogenic kind of way that she was.
"I mean, wow. You look really good, Christy."
She folded her hands on the tabletop and smiled at him. "You have exactly five minutes."
"Hey! Great! Fabulous!"
Brandon fidgeted in the chair and tried to pretend he wasn't just shot down. She hated men who retreated like that, without a fight. Even if Brandon were the hottest man alive, she'd not respect the guy—a wimp if there ever was one. "Let's have it, Miliewski."
"It's about Jack Tolliver."
Hello . Christy pretended to be only marginally interested. "Let me guess—he's seriously considering a run for Ditto's Senate seat. Everyone within five hundred miles of the State House has heard that rumor."
Brandon chuckled, cutting her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I started that rumor, baby," he said proudly. "But there's more. Something I was saving just for you."
The gleam in Miliewski's little eyes told Christy to sit there and listen and not be too appalled that he'd just called her baby. Baby! Maybe she should have answered one of his eleven voice mails from last week, if this was about Jack.
"He's dating someone new. Someone a little out of the ordinary."
The expectant tension Christy had been holding in her shoulders released, and she groaned. "Is that all? Everyone in town knows he's been seeing the belly dancer bimbo for the last month or so."
"No way!" Brandon shook his head. "Tina is a nurse at Riley children's hospital! My sister works with her!"
"A nurse who happens to moonlight in harem pants every weekend at Santorini's."
Miliewski's eyes shot open. "No kidding?" He licked his lips. "That is so hot."
Christy reached for her purse and started to stand up.
"Well, anyway, this is a different woman," Brandon said, nodding with certainty. "Way different."
Christy planted her butt right back in the booth. "OK. Who is she?"
"Her name is Samantha Monroe."
"Samantha who ?" Christy wracked her brain—she'd heard that name somewhere but couldn't place it. "Who is she?"
Miliewski shrugged. "He took her to lunch at Workingman's Friend the other day. She's a cute redhead with a nice set of real ones."
Christy shook her head in disgust. "You are pure class, Miliewski." She sighed and gathered up her purse again. "That's it? Just a name? You dragged me out on a Sunday to tell me the name of some big-boobed chickie Jack took out for a burger?"
He frowned. "They weren't big, just nice. And you're the one who said you didn't have any time but today to see me and—"
"Fine. Thanks, Brandon. Good luck trying to get the video poker bill out of committee." In a flash, she was on her feet, coat on, car keys in hand.
"But there's something different about this one," Brandon said, looking past Christy, a pensive smile on his face. "She seems kind of sweet. She's older than the standard twenty-somethings he's usually boinking. She looked nice and normal and he was talking to her softly, like he really cared what she was saying. Like they had important things to discuss."
Christy was listening.
"And then I saw him kiss her out on the sidewalk. It was one of those kisses that didn't last a real long time but got the message across, you know? And Tolliver laughed afterward—a big laugh—and she smiled like a cat who'd swallowed the canary."
When Brandon brought his dreamy gaze back to Christy, he jerked in surprise, and Christy tried to shake off the shock that must
Similar Books
