Page 88 of Mr. Flirt

I was the one who’d agreed to see where this could go.

Shaking my head, I kicked off my heels and unzipped my skirt, quickly changing into a pair of jeans and a sweater. It was after six, and I’d decided long ago that once I stopped seeing clients and it was after hours, the least I could do for myself was to be comfortable.

My work phone beeped, and I wandered over to answer.

It was security.

“There is a visitor to see you. His name is Chip.”

I chuckled, knowing it was Shep and he probably didn’t even care that the guard mispronounced his name.

“I’ll be right out.” I quickly pulled my earrings off and dashed to the empty reception area, where a security guard had replaced our receptionist.

Shep was standing by the couch with three full plastic bags of food.

“Smells incredible,” I said happily, waving at the security guard.

Shep nodded and glanced at the guard. “Thanks for getting ahold of her.”

“No problem, man.”

I ushered Shep to follow me down the hall to my office, where the giant orchids overtook my desk.

“Was it too much?” he asked, glancing at the arrangement.

“Not even a little bit.” I smiled, taking one of the bags from him. “I have to confess. It made me feel really good after a really shitty day.”

“Tougher than usual?” he asked, taking a seat in front of my desk as we unloaded all the food cartons. I shifted the stack of papers to the credenza behind me.

“New client. Those appointments are always grueling.”

Shep nodded sympathetically. “It can’t be spiritually uplifting to always hear what tore down another relationship.”

“Exactly. Speaking of tearing things, I’m starving,” I told him, ripping one of the takeout bags open rather than trying to untie it. “This has to be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me.”

“You mean like feed you?”

I laughed, nodding. The spread was magnificent.

We had dolmas, chicken skewers, pita, hummus, stuffed eggplant, and souvlaki.

Shep reached for a dolma and chowed on the stuffed grape leaf, and I wondered if this actually had a shot.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Risky Business

Shep

Lucy’s eyes lit up last night when I brought dinner over to her office. It was the craziest thing with her. The women I’d dated before always cared about where I took them out for dinner, what gifts I bought them, and who would see them on my arm.

Not Lucy.

She didn’t seem to care about any of that stuff. I doubted she even finished the article that ran about me in the magazine. It was refreshing to find someone who didn’t give a thought to any of that superficial crap.

But it was unsettling. This entire relationship type was new to me. She didn’t even want a relationship with me to begin with.

For obvious reasons.

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