Page 76 of First Date: Divorce
Eric pushed aside his plate and leaned forward to talk softly to her.“Cameras all over out here.”
She gave a short nod.“I had a few words with Albert on my way to the massage.Turns out he’s working the whole weekend and feeling abused about it.I enlisted his sympathy by indicating I might be worried you’d beat me.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“That’s why the cameras — at least the public area cameras — are here.Insurance insists.He assured me they’ve never been needed, because the counselors are so good.But he also muttered something about the cameras not stopping everything.Probably meant the loss of those papers he referred to last night.”
Eric nodded.“The office door of the business manager is kept locked.No camera real close to it.Tonight—”
“Not until I know more about cameras in the bedroom.Anyway, I’d go alone.”
“No way.”
She grimaced, exaggerating her not inconsiderable irritation.“It’s my job.”
He met her eyes.“I got into this first.”
He held the stare for a long moment.
She stared back, and saw the moment he relented.
In an easier tone, he said, “I don’t know about you, but I was warned that resisting a … a partnership could be detrimental to the goal.”
He had to be talking about Cully’s lecture.About their job.
Slowly, she said, “That makes sense.”
“Yeah, it does.”
He said it with so much reluctance, she almost smiled.Almost.
He drew in a deep breath and added, “Look, we both want the same thing, don’t we?”
Tense for reasons she couldn’t pinpoint, she nevertheless said, “Yes.”And she meant it.
“Okay.Then we work together.A team.Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
His eyes flickered away from her and she became aware of Lily’s voice behind her, greeting a couple at a nearby table.
She’d skipped their table — because of the intensity of their conversation?
How close had she been?Close enough to overhear them?And if so, what?
“Ready for this afternoon’s counseling?”Eric’s neutral question filled the silence.
“Ready or not, it’s coming,” she said dryly.
“That’s the spirit.”His gaze flickered again and she knew Lily had moved farther away when he leaned forward again and said, “Think we disposed of Gigi and frigidity?Any more surprises I should know about?”Before she could answer, he added, “You know, I meant it, K.D.”
“About?”
“About not wanting kids in my image.Though no man would mind some in yours.”
*
Their lists were so safe and boring that even Melody’s good cheer dipped.
