Page 38 of Their After Hours Playbook

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

“It’s a date.”

Zach hung up the phone, now even more conflicted. He couldn’t wait to see her tonight, but it was going to be sheer torture to talk to her, knowing that he was hiding the secret of his call with Alexis.

“Zach?” Teri buzzed his line.

“Yep.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but Ryan Wilson is on the phone for you.”

“Great. Put him through.”

Zach got back to work, talking to Ryan, then answering e-mails, followed by several phone calls to other clients. Next came a staff meeting, which Tom unexpectedly stayed for, followed by a quick lunch, then even more calls and e-mails. By six o’clock, Zach was more than ready to head home.

He decided to walk the fifteen or so blocks to his apartment, if only to clear his head. It was a gorgeous evening with the hint of warmer days to come. He arrived at his apartment with a few minutes to spare, so he changed into jeans and a T-shirt, then tidied up a bit. Paige was right on time at seven.

“Pizza delivery,” she said when he opened the door.

He quickly took the extra large cardboard box from her. “Whoa. It’s still hot.”

“Just like you.” Paige leaned over to deliver a soft kiss. “I like you in jeans. It’s working for me.”

Zach laughed quietly. “Come on. I’ve got the TV on in the great room.” He led the way and placed the box on the center island in the kitchen when he arrived.

Paige immediately went for the cabinet that had the wineglasses. By now, she knew his apartment like the back of her hand. She opened the bottle and poured two glasses, then handed him one. “Cheers. To basketball and pizza.”

“To a woman who will make plans to watch basketball and eat pizza.” He clinked his glass with hers, then took a long sip, transfixed by her. It wasn’t that she was any more beautiful today. Or somehow more sexy. But there had been a shift today—a monumental one. Everything he’d been feeling during that meeting with Tom and that awful phone call with Alexis was pointing him toward one thing—he loved her. He was in love. He wanted to tell her. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops. The only trouble was he wasn’t sure she would ever return the words.

For a man who’d always felt fortunate, Zach seriously doubted he could be lucky enough to have Paige for good.

Eleven

Paige was feeling extraordinarily lazy. Maybe it was because it was Friday. Or perhaps it was because Zach was being so ambitious. “Don’t get up. Come back to bed,” she said.

He laughed as he threaded a T-shirt on over his head. “I love how I’m the responsible one in this scenario.”

“I’m still naked under here, you know.” She stuck one bare leg out from under the covers to prove her point.

Zach rounded to what had become her side of his bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “You’re killing me. But I have to get in a workout before I head to the office. My day is jam-packed and my whole schedule will be thrown off if I don’t.”

She sighed and smiled up at him. Dammit, he was handsome. And responsible. “Okay. Fine. Maybe I can help you wash off that workout when you’re done.”

“I love the way you think.”

Zach disappeared and Paige rolled to her side and grabbed her cell from the bedside table to unplug it from the charger. She was surprised to see a missed call from April, but no message. She sat up in bed, leaned back against the headboard and called her best friend.

“How are you?” April asked in greeting.

Paige ignored the odd tone April had taken, which was much the way you ask a very ill person how they’re holding up. “Hello to you, too. I’m good. What’s up?” Paige combed her hand through her hair. It was a bit of a tangled mess after last night with Zach.

“Good? How could you possibly be happy?”

Paige had to think about that for a moment. No one had ever called her out for being happy. “Because I am.” In truth, she was better than happy. She was in a great place, something she hadn’t dare to imagine after her divorce or after her mom passed away. Things were going well at work. She’d gotten closer on a new shoe deal for Alexis. She and Zach were humming right along. They had their hurdles and Paige wasn’t sure how long it would last, but overall, things were, for lack of a better word, good.

“Oh, my god. You haven’t heard, have you?”

Paige was beyond perplexed. And now getting frustrated. “Heard what? What’s up with you?” Perhaps there was some juicy gossip April had become privy to?

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