“My comment about the down payment didn’t work out so well. Instead of getting mad and leaving they got madand stayed, and you and I walked out. The whole thing was mortifying.” Vi shuddered. “I can’t get over Gran getting that angry. I’ve never seen her like that.”
“Never?”
“Not even when Rose or I did something she disapproved of.”
“She probably knew you were traumatized from how your parents carried on in front of you. Maybe the fight will open their eyes to how little they really know about each other, and they’ll rethink rushing into marriage.”
“Let’s hope.”
“Don’t look so miserable, Vi. You did great.”
She had no answer to that, and he threw her a look. “‘Thanks, Blake.’ That’s all you need to say.”
“Thanks, Blake. If they had to fight, why didn’t they wait till they were alone instead of going at each other in front of the entire restaurant?”
“On the plus side, they’re not in la-la land anymore. Mission accomplished.” A few minutes ticked by in silence, then he glanced at her with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Wanna go get dessert somewhere?”
Still unsettled and face it, super attracted to Blake, she hesitated. “I have to go to work tomorrow and should probably get home.”
“Aw, come on. It’s early yet, and you deserve it. We both do. Let’s go to Melissa Ann’s Bakery.”
Her mouth watered. “They make the best treats in town. But I doubt they’re open Sunday nights.”
“They are, though. The schedule changed a few months ago. They’re open until ten o’clock Friday and Saturday nights. Other nights, including Sunday, they close at eight.” He glanced at the digital time displayed on the dashboard. “It’s barely seven.”
She couldn’t turn that down. “Then take me there, please.”
The warm grin that lit up his face took her mind off the unpleasant meal and caused all kinds of unwanted havoc inside her body. The kind that was dangerous. It was a good thing he was oblivious of her feelings. Otherwise, she’d be even more embarrassed than she’d been at the restaurant. Great kisser or not, he wasn’t for her. Anyway, she’d be crazy to think he was interested in her like that.
“What’s your day look like tomorrow?” he asked as they headed for the bakery. The sun was starting its slide toward the horizon.
Vi made a face. “To tell you the truth, I dread going in. With so many people laid off, Friday was a zoo. I expect it’ll be just as bad, only without Human Resources handing out layoff packages. At least that was handled competently and completed by the end of the day. Starting tomorrow morning, I expect we’ll get a zillion phone calls from customers wanting to leave, and our day will be spent talking them into staying, etcetera. And me with a fraction of my team left.”
“Sounds like the chaos you so enjoy.”
“You have no idea. I’m so not looking forward to the mess ahead. But as a wise friend recently said, no matter what happens, I’ll survive.”
“You heard me.” He grinned. “You learn fast. I’m glad we’re friends.” He glanced at her. “So what were those kisses about?”
Since he’d brought it up… “You helped me relax, and I was grateful. I reacted without thinking. You’re the one who turned one little kiss into more. And FYI, I didnotwalk into the restaurant with a dreamy look on my face. Far from it.”
“After those kisses, you sure did. You didn’t stop me.”
This was true. She gave him a dirty look. “It shouldn’t have happened. You only broke up with your girlfriend a few days ago.”
“I never said she was my girlfriend. We were dating, and yeah, I liked her, but not the way she liked me.”
“What do you mean?”
“She proposed, a first for me. We’d been seeing each other about six weeks and never used the L word or anything close. That didn’t seem to matter to her. She wanted a ring on her finger. When she asked me to marry her, I turned her down. Then and there, she resigned.”
“Is she pregnant?”
“What kind of question is that? We never had sex. And FYI, I always use protection. She saw me as comfortably well-off and wanted me to take care of her. Do I look like a fool?”
Vi wondered how many other women he’d dated and rejected. “Did she think she was your girlfriend?”
“Heck if I know. We never talked about it. Anything else you want to know?”
