Page 22 of Not the Plan

She shook her head. “He isn’t an idiot. It’s just…strange. Do you mind if I answer?”

“Go for it.” He sipped his water.

She answered what he asked but didn’t tell him that a second bill was out of the question in case it embarrassed him. The waiter appeared with their appetizers, and a few bites in, her phone buzzed again. Karim thanked her and asked another question,confirming which cities would be the first to get the HOV lanes. She read it again and frowned at RJ.

“What?” he asked.

“I don’t get it. What’s this game? Is he trying to get written proof of parts of our meeting?”

RJ chewed, considering along with her. “Did you indicate flexibility on anything he’s asking you about?”

“No. This is stuff I established with Christina. The order of the cities was on the first page of her notes. He’d have to understand that San Diego is the top priority for both Daniel and Julian. They have to start with their own districts.”

She continued chewing and frowning. The phone buzzed again. She slid it across the table, letting RJ read for himself.

“No. I remember that,” he said, wiping his mouth. “Maybe it’s not his background, but it’s obvious that a project this extensive has funds appropriated over…” He stopped and beamed.

“What?”

“He isn’t asking you about work,” RJ said.

“Umm…?”

“He isn’t asking aboutwork.He is askingyou…about work.”

She squinted at him.

“Oh, my clueless darling.” He slipped his hand over hers and squeezed. “He just wants to talk to you.”

“What?” Her growled whisper didn’t tamp down his enthusiasm. He squealed and did a jig in his chair.

“If this isn’t the cutest thing ever—he wants to talk to you so much he doesn’t care if he looks like an idiot doing it.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. If he wanted to talk to me, he knows where my office is.”

“It makes all the sense in the world. The meeting was days ago. If he really had questions, he would have brought them up already. But it’s Saturday. No work keeping him busy. His mind can wander to moreenticingsubjects.”

“Or his shithead boss can have him play mind games with me. And you know full well that if there’s anything Julian loves to do, it’s playing mind games and roping his staff in to play along,” shesaid. “We’ve all been back for a couple weeks, it’s about time for those sketch parties at Ike’s to start up.”

“That’s true.” He shrugged.

“Those parties start early in the evening. How much do you want to bet Julian took Karim to one?”

He retreated into his seat. “Okay.”

“So,” Isadora said, leaning forward. “How difficult is it to imagine that Julian told Karim to get in touch with me and play all nice? Try to get my guard down and soften me up for the future?”

RJ sipped some tea. She sipped along with him, ignoring a shiver of disappointment.

“Wait,” he said. Teacup to the side, he scrolled through the conversation again. “Maybe I’m wrong, but there isn’t anything here that gives Julian an advantage. Karim’s asking things he should already know. And if he doesn’t, he certainly shouldn’t ask you, the chief of staff to his boss’s nemesis. These would be questions for Christina.” He slid the phone back across the table.

Isadora crossed her hands in her lap, still focused on the phone.

“So why?”

“ ’Cause he likes you.”

“Please, RJ.”

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