Page 31 of Devil in the Details

Or where.

Chapter Eight

Blessedly, Delia had only one house showing that Saturday, and it was scheduled for eleven in the morning, meaning she shouldn’t have anything to prevent her from going to the tournament in the afternoon to provide moral support for Caleb.

God knows he needed it.

Even though she knew he was safe, she couldn’t quite prevent herself from thinking what a close call it had been. Good thing he’d had the driving skills to pull himself out of what could have been an utter disaster…or worse.

After she got that morning’s pot of coffee going, she pulled out her phone to make sure she hadn’t missed anything too momentous overnight. Not so long ago, she’d kept the phone on her nightstand and checked it far too often, but after she realized her sleep was degrading at a rapid rate, she’d made some changes. No phone or TV in the bedroom, light-darkening shades exchanged for blackout ones. She knew she should also avoid watching television or being on her computer close to the time when she went to bed. However, that had seemed like a bridge too far, and since she was sleeping much better now that the phone remained safely in the living room during the overnight hours, she figured that was good enough.

Two messages had come in after Caleb left around eight-thirty the night before. One from Marcy, just a courtesy note that she’d be showing his property around two that afternoon. Since the house was on a lockbox, Delia knew she didn’t have to concern herself with that too much…except to hope that the buyers loved the place and she’d have an offer on her desk first thing Monday morning. Even though nothing untoward seemed to have occurred at the property, she couldn’t help thinking it would be better for everyone involved once it was off her hands.

The second one was from Aaron Sanchez.

I know this is last minute, but one of my clients gave me tickets to “O” for Saturday night, and I was wondering if you’d be interested in having dinner and going to the show afterward. If you’re busy, I understand. Just LMK.

Delia couldn’t quite keep her eyes from widening as she absorbed the message. All right, she’d gotten a few vibes from Aaron that he might be interested in something a little more than a professional relationship, but she’d figured if he was going to go for it at all, he’d start small, like maybe meeting for coffee somewhere and then progressing from there. The thought had never even entered her mind that he might jump straight to dinner and a fancy show.

True, a show he hadn’t paid for, since the tickets had been a gift, but still.

A few months ago, she would have said yes almost immediately. Not because she thought anything major would develop between her and Aaron, but because she understood that if she ever wanted to settle down and have a real long-term relationship, she would have to start somewhere.

Besides, if she was at least casually dating someone, then she wouldn’t have to put up with her mother’s oblique but still somehow pointed comments about how Mr. Right wasn’t going to just waltz into her office one day.

Which she supposed was true enough. However, now that Caleb was a part of Delia’s life, things had gotten just a little more complicated. They weren’t dating or anything close to it, but she’d been relentlessly single when they met and during the several months that had passed since then.

How would he react to knowing she was seeing someone?

Okay, you’re getting way ahead of yourself. Going out with Aaron Sanchez for dinner and a show doesn’t exactly mean you’re in anything close to a committed relationship.

No, but it might be the first step toward one.

Frowning, she got a mug out of the cupboard and poured herself some coffee, then went to the fridge to get her favorite hazelnut creamer. She didn’t drink it every day, but she thought it might help her puzzle through the conundrum.

As far as she’d been able to tell, each round of the poker tournament Caleb was playing in seemed to end around five-thirty or maybe a quarter to six at the latest. There was no reason in the world why she couldn’t be his cheering section and still have time to go out with Aaron.

But what if Caleb advanced to the quarterfinals? Surely he’d want to go out afterward and celebrate?

Considering how he didn’t need much of an excuse to go out to eat, Delia thought that was a likely possibility. Could she leave him hanging like that to go on a date with a guy she barely knew?

The more she thought about it, the less she liked the idea. Yes, she and Caleb were only friends and nothing more, but still, friends didn’t leave friends hanging when they’d just accomplished a major milestone.

Even more so when they didn’t. If his luck didn’t hold, then he’d need some consoling.

Besides, neither of them knew yet what had happened with his Porsche. If someone was trying to get at him, really hurt him, then she thought she should be there to offer whatever help she could.

On the other hand, being supportive didn’t mean she couldn’t make some sort of compromise.

It was too early to reply to Aaron’s text — just in case he was the kind of guy who did leave his phone next to the bed — but Delia already knew what she was going to say.

I already have plans Saturday night…but maybe you’d be up for drinks on Sunday?

Caleb generally didn’t climb out of bed before nine on the weekend, but he made a special effort today, getting up a little before six and showering and prepping himself to leave the house. No breakfast, just coffee, and then the taxi he’d booked was at the curb, waiting so he could head over to the Porsche dealership and try to find out just what the hell was going on with the Cabriolet.

Even at seven-thirty, the day was bright and sunny, promising mild temperatures and clear skies. However, he couldn’t find much to be cheerful about. No matter what the mechanics found, it wouldn’t be good. Either the brake lines had been tampered with or they’d failed spontaneously, and both options presented their own set of problems.

However, he thought he’d prefer simple mechanical failure. At least that way, the vehicle warranty would take care of the problem.

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