Author: DelSheree Gladden
Date: 2014-05-08 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Romance; Contemporary; Contemporary Romance; Love Story; Chick Lit; New Adult
Description: Life as the marketing director for a popular fashion boutique is overwhelming for Leila Sparrow, to say the least. She’s not sure what ever possessed her to add revamping her dating life to her already hectic schedule. Calling in renowned Date Shark, Eli Walsh seemed like a good idea until she actually met with him… Date Shark was only meant to be a side-enterprise to his thriving couple’s therapy practice, but Eli Walsh knows it’s become more of an obsession. At least, it was until he agreed to take on Leila. Somehow she has stolen his entire focus. He wants to admit his fascination with her

Date Shark

By DelSheree Gladden

Date Shark

Copyright © 2014 by DelSheree Gladden. All rights reserved.

First Print Edition: May 2014

Limitless Publishing, LLC

Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com

Formatting: Limitless Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1499105698

ISBN-10: 149910569X

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

Dedication

For the inspiration from one shark to create another.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 1

Surviving

Nerves tightened every muscle in Leila’s body when she spotted Eli approaching the restaurant, even though she knew this wasn’t a real date. Even if she harbored any fantasy of him actually liking her—which she didn’t—seeing his stylish suit and old movie-style good looks were the first indication that he was way out of her league. Eli Walsh walked up to her, brisk but welcoming. His hand extended and Leila took it quickly. In her eagerness to get started, she gripped his hand firmly with both hands and shook it like her hand was having a seizure. Immediately she realized she was behaving like a desperate nut and dropped his hand. Her blush burned the inside of her cheeks so fiercely she was afraid it would seep to the surface and catch her skin on fire.

Eli chuckled at her antics. “Nervous?”

She wanted to say no, make up for her erratic greeting by sounding confident, but Eli told her to be as honest and natural as possible. “Yeah, a little.”

“Leila, relax. There’s no pressure on you tonight. Just be yourself. If you don’t, I won’t be able to get the information I need.” He said it so calmly. But why shouldn’t he? He had done this dozens of times. It was his job, after all. Leila was paying him to be here. She was paying him a lot.

Eli smiled at her. For one tiny moment, she let herself notice how sweet the curve of his lips looked, the genuine warmth they held. Leila shook herself back to reality quickly.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Then let’s go to dinner.” He held his arm out for Leila to slip her arm through. She felt like Scarlett O’Hara as she took his arm, one hand on top of the other. They started toward the restaurant. Leila was so enamored by the short red carpet leading to the door of the upscale Dolcini restaurant that she failed to notice the incline. The front of her shoe snagged on the ground and pitched her forward. Eli kept her from landing on her face and continued walking. He was a million times smoother than she was, as she had just demonstrated.

A very complimentary maître d’ named Pierce greeted them when they stepped into the foyer. He greeted Eli by name like they were old friends and announced that their table was ready and waiting. Leila wondered briefly if this guy knew what Eli did for a living. Did he have any clue that the women his favorite guest brought here were desperate, confused, and out of all other options? If he did, he didn’t let on.

Eli pulled out Leila’s chair when they reached the table. It was such an unexpected treat that Leila was immediately flustered. “Oh, Eli, please, you don’t need to do that. I can get my own chair, really.”

“It’s my pleasure, Leila.” He waited, but now she felt even more awkward than before.

“Really, I’m fine. Sit down. You don’t have to be so polite, especially since this isn’t…” Leila caught herself and glanced over at Pierce hoping he had missed her near slip. She had called Eli for help willingly, but admitting her faults to a stranger was mortifying. Leila sat down in her chair dejected. She didn’t look up when Eli finally left her side and sat down.

A leather bound menu was set in front of her, but before she could bury herself in it Pierce spoke and drew her eyes up to him. “Your waiter tonight will be Tony. If you have any questions about the menu, please feel free to ask him. Also, our head chef has chosen several unique dishes for tonight that are not featured on the menu.”

He paused, waiting for their assent to give them the details of these special dishes. Leila was still too deflated to respond, but Eli nodded.

“To start off your meal, our chef offers a panzanella caprese salad, a delectable mix of two Italian classics. The entrée features miso-glazed sea bass with asparagus, followed by a dark chocolate truffle tart with a raspberry reduction for desert.” Pierce smiled at Leila. “The truffle tart is especially divine. My favorite desert Chef Alonzo has come up with yet.”

His easy attitude helped Leila regain a little of her composure. She smiled back and dared looking over at Eli after Pierce took his leave. She was encouraged by the pleasant expression on his face.

“Pierce is a secret chocolate fanatic. Chef Alonzo saves him a dessert every night, but don’t tell him I told you that,” Eli said, a playful glint in his eye.

“My lips are sealed.” He chuckled at her response. It was a pleasant sound, and the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed made Leila smile again.

When she realized she was still holding her purse in her lap, Leila glanced around for somewhere to put it. The chair had a rounded back and no arm rests. She settled for setting it next to her on the chair, but it slid off immediately with an audible thump. Eli looked over at her curiously. Cringing, Leila reached down and snatched her purse off the floor and let it fall back into her lap.

She dropped her eyes to hide her scarlet cheeks and opened her menu. Deciphering its contents would be a perfect distraction. Like the chef’s special, she had no idea what most of it meant. If Pierce hadn’t said the panzanella caprese was a salad, she wouldn’t have had a clue. She also didn’t know what miso was. The menu was filled with the names of dishes she was sure were fabulous, but the lack of descriptions left Leila lost. Was panko chicken different from regular chicken? What was raita? She wasn’t even sure whether pancetta was a meat or a vegetable.

Their waiter arrived and took their drink orders with polite professionalism. Not as friendly as Pierce was, Tony only broke his uptight demeanor once. Right before he left, his eyes swept over Leila in consideration. It wasn’t a glance to scope out her figure or looks; it was clearly curiosity to know what was wrong with her. Suddenly, Leila’s earlier wondering about whether Pierce knew about Eli’s job was answered. They must all know. Pierce was simply better at hiding. Tony turned away as if nothing had happened—and really it hadn’t—but with a deft sweep of her finger, Leila untucked her brunette hair from behind her ear. It fell forward to cover her face, and her embarrassment.

“Have you decided what to order?” Eli asked.

Leila folded her indecipherable menu and set it down. “The special sounds so good, I think I’ll have that.”

“I usually prefer a ginger sauce when it comes to Japanese cuisine, but Alonzo does make a very good miso sauce. Have you ever had it before?”

“Oh yes,” Leila lied. “I prefer it over ginger.” Her quick smile attempted to cover her deceit. The corner of Eli’s mouth twitched. He wasn’t buying it. “Actually, I’ve never much liked ginger, in anything. Gingerale and ginger snaps make me gag. My mom tried to give me some kind of ginger tea when I was sick once and it made me throw up. I didn’t like it before then, and I liked it even less after that.”

“Hmm, good thing Alonzo isn’t serving ginger sauce tonight then,” Eli said.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t mention throwing up and gagging when we’re about to eat. Where are my manners?”

Smiling, Eli said, “Don’t worry about it. It takes a lot to dampen my appetite for good food.”

Self-conscious, Leila looked to the side hoping to see their waiter on his way back to take their order. A few seconds later, her wish was granted. His haughty eyes swept over her as if she wasn’t even there. When he spoke, he addressed Eli first.

“Have you had enough time to peruse the menu, Mr. Walsh?”

Leila might have been imagining it, but Eli’s eyes seemed to narrow. “I would prefer to let the lady order first.”

“You can order first, Eli. I don’t mind.”

“I do mind,” he said, his voice stern.

“It’s not a big deal,” Leila said.

Eli’s eyes focused in on Tony’s. “It’s polite to let a lady order first.”

“Of course, Mr. Walsh.” Tony turned to Leila with a perfectly blank expression. “Miss? Have you decided?”

“Um, I’ll just have the chef’s special,” she said. “I’m sorry, I can’t remember what everything was called.”

Tony smirked. “Not to worry, Miss. I memorize the special each night.” He turned back to Eli. “And you, Mr. Walsh?”

“I will have the arugula and pancetta salad to start, and the beef bourguignon.” Eli folded his menu and handed it back to Tony. Leila did the same. Tony was about to leave when Eli stopped him with a raised hand. Tony’s eyebrows lifted expectantly.

“Would you let Conrad know I need to speak to him later tonight, if he has the time?”

Eli’s words wiped any trace of attitude off Tony’s face. “Yes, of course, Mr. Walsh. I’ll let him know immediately.” Then Tony high-tailed it back to the kitchen.

“Who’s Conrad?” Leila asked. The hard set of Eli’s features startled her and she backpedaled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You’re not prying,” Eli said as he slipped back into his casual, easy smile. “Conrad is the owner. We’ve been friends for a long time. I’ve been meaning to talk to him the past few days and haven’t found the time. I thought since I was here I would take advantage of the opportunity.”

Leila could sense that there was more, but ignored it and minded her own business. Silence fell over their table. Her mind struggled to come up with something witty or intelligent to say. The pressure of knowing she was being graded made her concentration slip even more. Leila couldn’t seem to think at all. Her fingers started tapping nervously on the table. The sound of them clicking away hit her eardrums and she snatched her fingers back. Clenched into fists, they couldn’t make noise. She was failing miserably. Big surprise. This was her one chance to find out what was wrong with her and she was blowing it. The sting of tears spread to her face and ears. She knew the inevitable drippy nose that always accompanied crying was only seconds away. That knowledge only made it ten times worse. Leila wanted to hide under the table, or maybe just run away.

“So, Leila, what do you do for a living?” Eli asked.

He already knew from the questionnaire she had filled out, but it was a lifeline out of her spiraling despair, and she latched onto it. “Marketing. I work for a fashion boutique downtown. I’m the one who coordinates advertising and has the final say on print and internet marketing. I don’t design any of it, though. I’ve never been artistic, at all. It was the only class in high school I got a C in. Perspective made no sense to me at all.”

“It sounds like you do a lot. Do you have anyone to help you, or is it all just you?” Eli asked.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t do all that on my own. There’s a designer that does all the graphics, a copy editor we contract with, the store owner, Ana, and there’s usually a couple of interns running around hoping to become the next Versace.”

Eli tilted his head to the side, watching her intently. “Do you think they will? The interns, I mean.”

“I doubt it,” Leila said. “With the number of dream-filled designers versus actual success stories, the chances aren’t very good. Sometimes I wonder why they even bother. They spend hours and hours trying to worm their way into the industry and most of them end up either giving up and waiting tables or taking a fallback job like personal shopper or department store buyer’s assistant. In the end, they’ve wasted years of their life for nothing.”

Any clue about what Eli thought of her response was carefully hidden. It was frustrating how well he could remain neutral. Leila wanted some clue as to how she was doing, but he gave her nothing. Tomorrow she would find out. Leila guessed that would have to be soon enough. Eli asked another question about her job, then her friends, her family. He kept Leila talking until their first course arrived.

Despite not knowing what she was ordering, the salad was fantastic. She only wished she could have said the same for her entrée. It turned out that Leila did not like miso glazed anything. But she forced herself to eat it regardless, only dropping her fork once and losing her napkin until Tony sauntered by and picked it up for her. He didn’t bother to ask if she want a clean one before leaving. So she set it on the table and went back to picking at her sea bass. Her battered taste buds were saved by the truffle tart. Anything with that much chocolate couldn’t help but be delicious.

As the last of their dishes were cleared, another bout of uncertainty clung to Leila. She was not sure how long she should sit there. Should she wait for Eli to let her know their evening was over, or was he waiting for her? Deciding that trying to linger longer than her fee allowed was the worse option, Leila slipped her purse onto her shoulder and stood. Eli paused in the middle of laying his linen napkin back on the table, his face registering surprise. Instantly, Leila knew she had made another mistake, but sitting back down at that point would make her look twice as foolish.

“I … I know you needed to speak with your friend, and it wasn’t like we were planning on doing anything else, so I’ll just let you get on with your night,” she babbled like an idiot.

“I’m in no hurry to talk to Conrad.”

“Still …” Leila struggled to find something to follow her one word response that made her sound at least slightly more intelligent than she did at the moment. All she could come up with was silence. Finally, Eli stood.

“Let me walk you to your car then,” he said as he came around the table.

So she could continue to embarrass herself? “That’s all right. I can make it on my own.”

“Leila,” Eli said, suddenly sounding like her dad, “I’ll walk you out to your car.”

Sighing, she said, “Fine.”

Despite the fact that Eli held his arm out for Leila to take again like they were some kind of fairytale couple, she started forward without him. Pierce was there to open the door for her. Leila gave him a polite goodbye, careful to watch the inclined entrance as she left. The city air outside the restaurant was undoubtedly filled with pollution and ick, but she breathed it in anyway. She had such high hopes for tonight. All she wanted to do now was climb into bed and pretend she didn’t have to meet with Eli the next day.

“Where did you park?” Eli asked.

He was smart to guess Leila hadn’t used the valet. She had never been to a restaurant that had a valet, so she hadn’t been sure how it worked. Every once in a while Leila thought ahead and prevented herself from doing something stupid. “I’m three blocks down. I couldn’t find a space near the restaurant.”

“North or south?”

“Um, south,” she said, glancing that direction then back at Eli. It must have rained while they were inside. Leila wasn’t too worried about her shoes, but she worried Eli’s monkstrap dress shoes and tailored slacks might not survive the trek. The crisp April air made the dampness even more profound. “Look, Eli, you’re sweet to offer to walk me to my car, but I know you have better things to do. You don’t need to feel obligated since …”

“Since this isn’t a real date?” he finished.

Leila nodded.

“Real date or not,” Eli said, placing her hand on his arm, “I have no intention of letting a young woman walk three city blocks at night all alone. Lead the way, Leila.”

He was really only offering because his sense of chivalry was several notches higher than the majority of the male gender, but Leila still found herself smiling at his kindness. She clutched onto his arm a little more tightly and started forward. The three blocks passed quickly, but without incident. Leila was sure it was the nicest part of the whole night.

When they reached her car, Eli said, “Are you still all right meeting for lunch tomorrow?”

“Yes,” she said after a moment’s hesitation.

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow at The Fifth Street Café. Twelve o’clock.”

“I’ll be there,” Leila said, even though she would rather be just about anywhere else.

Smiling as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, Eli opened the car door for her. Before she could get in Eli stopped her. His hand resting lightly on her shoulder made Leila’s tense muscles bunch up even more. “Hey,” he said, “relax. Go home and do something just for you. You should feel good, proud of yourself.”

“Why?” Had they been on different fake dates tonight?

“Because if nothing else, you just survived a night with the most notorious date shark in the city.”

“Notorious, huh? Nothing about you strikes me as notorious.” Debonair, maybe. Handsome and generally fabulous.

Eli laughed. “Goodnight, Leila Sparro.” Then he did something completely unexpected. He kissed Leila’s cheek and walked away.

Leila slid into her car and touched her cheek. He must do that for everyone, she thought, but her skin seemed to pulse where he had kissed her. The only thing that broke up her amazement was Eli’s comment about tonight. She hadn’t survived the most notorious date shark in the city yet. Tomorrow she would get to hear about all the ways she screwed up. There was no way she was surviving that.

Chapter 2

One Word

Eli couldn’t help looking back at Leila as he walked away. She didn’t see him. For some reason she was just sitting in her car. The sight of her inspired his hand to brush against his lips. For a moment, he let his fingers linger, then he stuffed them into his pockets and shook his head. That was stupid. The only consolation he had for the ill-advised move was that Leila probably thought he kissed all of his clients goodnight. He didn’t. He had a rule about that, actually.

Eli’s misbehavior would have to wait, though. He stalked back into Dolcini, which he had just left, and ran into Pierce. His normal jovial nature had vanished. Now his hands were pressed together in penance. “Eli, please let me apologize …”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Where’s Conrad?”

“He’s waiting for you at his usual table.”

Eli didn’t wait for Pierce to escort him. After many of these types of nights Eli had sat with Conrad to discuss how the evening went. His experience with Leila wasn’t what he wanted to talk about tonight. Irritation built in him with every step. As soon as Conrad saw him, he stood and crossed his arms over his ample girth. Eli’s pace quickened, as did his anger.

“Did Pierce tell you what happened tonight?” Eli demanded.

He hesitated. “He told me there was a problem, but that I should hear the details from you.”

“Our waiter, Toni...that kid is gone tonight or I’ll start scheduling my meetings at Provençal instead.”

Conrad’s hands flew away from his body in a pacifying gesture. “Eli, he’s fired. No problem, but tell me what happened, at least.”

“The second he walked up …” Eli’s hands balled into fists as he remembered the judgment in Tony’s eyes when he looked at Leila. “He treated her like she was beneath his notice. He tried to take my order first, completely ignoring Leila. She knew what he was doing, too, Conrad. You should have seen the look on her face. She was mortified. Tony made it clear he knew why she was with me and that he found her pathetic. It took all my effort not to find you right then and demand he be escorted out. The only reason I didn’t was to save Leila the embarrassment.”

For a moment Conrad was silent. “Your business and friendship mean a lot to me, Eli. This will be Tony’s last night at Dolcini. His behavior was unacceptable. No matter why someone is in my restaurant, every one of my guests deserves to be treated like they were one of the bloody Rockefellers. I apologize for his behavior. When you meet with your client tomorrow please tell her that I would be honored to have her back whenever she would like. On the house, of course.”

“I don’t think she’ll accept,” Eli said, feeling somewhat pacified.

“As my guest then. Tell her Pierce was so complimentary of her that I refuse to miss out on meeting her for myself.” Conrad smiled. “It wouldn’t be a lie, either.”

“No, it wouldn’t.” Leila was someone everyone should want to meet. Conrad may love eating his food more than he should, but he had excellent taste when it came to gourmet cuisine and wine. His judge of people was only slightly less refined.

The pair of them sat down. Conrad gestured at the espresso and biscotti on the table. Eli pick up his miniature cup and let its warmth spread through his fingers. Another kind of heat stirred as his thoughts wandered to his broken rule.

“You called her Leila,” Conrad said unexpectedly.

“What?”

Setting down what was left of his biscotti, Conrad peered at Eli. “When you were railing on Tony, you called her Leila.”

“So?”

“So, I’ve never heard you refer to one of your clients by their first name.” His intelligent eyes didn’t leave Eli as he sipped his espresso. “I’ve also never seen you get so riled up about one of your clients. What’s going on?”

Startled, Eli had a hard time answering. “Huh? Going on? Conrad, there’s … she’s just another client. If Tony had treated anyone that way I would have been pissed.”

Conrad didn’t say anything. He waited, watching Eli flounder. The sound of him chewing on his biscotti shredded Eli’s concentration. He would wait here all night. A particularly loud crunch forced Eli’s voice to burst out of its cage. “Fine, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so mad about Tony if it had been the woman from two days ago, the one who kept picking her teeth with her fingernails during dinner and laughing at every single thing I said whether it was funny or not. I was having a hard time not throwing her out on the curb myself.”

“The one tonight—Leila; she’s different than your usual fare.”

“Yes, she is,” Eli said. He was hopeful that each of his clients would find what they wanted in life, but they were usually pretty much the same, sad, desperately lonely, neurotic, and socially challenged. That wasn’t Leila.

“She’s a lot prettier than your usual clientele, too.”

Leila was beautiful, though Eli didn’t know if she would agree with him on that. She’d probably apologize for being so attractive.

“Kind of surprised she came to you,” Conrad said.

“Yeah, me too.”

“So what’s wrong with her?” Conrad had never been one for subtlety.

Sipping at his espresso, Eli said, “I don’t discuss my clients.”

Laughing so hard he sloshed dark liquid all over the table cloth, Conrad pointed a sausage finger at Eli. “You sit here with me every time you throw one of your sad little fish back into the sea of lousy dates and unrealistic dreams. It’s the best part of my night, hearing about the meltdowns over butter dripping on the table or that one weird chick who chewed on her hair. I couldn’t imagine half the bizarre crap you tell me. You can’t stop sharing now.”

“Don’t make fun of my clients,” Eli said, trying for irritation, struggling to hide a shiver. The hair chewer made him gag more than once. How could people be so blind about such obvious faults?

“Come on, Eli. Why is Leila still single and asking for help from a date shark?” Conrad rested his hands on his stomach and waited.

Eli was about to answer when Tony walked up to their table. The muscles in Eli’s chest constricted. The creak of his teeth grinding together was so loud inside his own head he was sure the others could hear it as well.

“Mr. Manera, Pierce said you wanted to speak with me before I left,” Tony said. The steadiness of his voice conflicted with the way his fingers were drumming against his leg.

Conrad glanced over at me. Tony’s eyes followed and the drumroll on his leg intensified. “I believe you met Mr. Walsh earlier this evening.”

“Yes, of course. I hope you enjoyed your meal, sir,” Tony said. His fingers were double-timing it now. Eli held back a razor edged reply and let his friend continue.

“I’m sure Mr. Walsh’s food was excellent, as always,” Conrad said. He never failed to compliment his own establishment. Eli suppressed a chuckle at his pride, even though he was quite right. His beef bourguignon was delicious. “The problem Mr. Walsh had with his meal was the service. Your service, Tony.”

“I assure you, Mr. Manera …”

“Can it, Tony.” The boom of his voice snapped Tony’s jaw shut. “I assume you heard from some of the others about Mr. Walsh’s business. It’s no secret that his clients come to him seeking dating advice. What is a secret is that we here at Dolcini have any knowledge of Mr. Walsh’s business pursuits. You can know all you want, but you never show your opinion of that knowledge to a patron. You embarrassed Mr. Walsh’s client with your ineptitude.”

Tony’s jaw made only ghost words for a few seconds. “I never meant …”

“Sure you didn’t,” Conrad mocked, “but you did. You disgraced this restaurant and me. In this business, it doesn’t matter what a patron looks like, does, or even smells like, you treat them in a way that makes sure they come back. Remember that when you find a new job.”

Red faced spluttering was followed by a furious, “What?”

“You heard me, kid. You’re done here.”

“You’re firing me because I snubbed some desperate, lonely chick who couldn’t get a date without paying for it? That’s ridiculous! You can’t fire me for something like that!”

“I can fire you for whatever reason I want, you little prick. Now get out!”

Tony stood there fuming for a good thirty seconds before doing an about face and storming away from the table. Even when he was out of their sight, his shrill voice started spouting expletives that could still be heard for a few seconds afterward. Eli shook his head. Eli had just cost that young man his job, but he didn’t feel guilty in the least. The only thing he was sorry about was that Leila missed it.

“Well,” Conrad said, “now I’ve got to find me another waiter.”

“Sorry.” Not sorry about Tony, just the stress of finding someone to replace him. Eli knew how much Conrad despised reading resumes.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. The idiot had only been here for two weeks and already most of my staff wanted to filet him into tiny pieces. It wasn’t just Leila he thought was beneath him. It was pretty much the entire world. Kid’s got an ego that could swallow the sun.”

What really made Eli the maddest about the way Tony treated Leila was that she was nothing like most of the other women that hired him. It was hard not to slip up when a woman was wearing something so revealing and inappropriate that you were afraid she was going to fall out of her dress in the middle of the meal, or when the woman who seemed normal at first pulls out a rolled up snakeskin her pet boa constrictor shed the previous week and asks you if you want to touch it. Some of the women Eli brought here were so painfully unaware of how insane they made themselves look that people couldn’t help stare or shy away. Leila had her faults, which Eli had tucked away in the back of his mind for their next meeting, but she was a breath of fresh air compared to most of the others. Tony didn’t even give her a chance.

“I’ll have Pierce make up an invitation for Leila. I caught a glimpse of her earlier. She’s a doll. Pick it up tomorrow before you meet with her, okay?”

“Sure.” Conrad was a good friend. Which was why Eli’s sudden irritation at him was so odd.

“You know what really chaps me about Tony is that he drags my name around with him when he pulls crap like this,” Conrad said, distracting Eli. “I may not cook the food served here anymore, but I approve every recipe. Our food is the best in the city, and I hate the idea of anyone being put off because of some arrogant waiter.”

This was going to dig at him for at least two weeks. Eli knew him too well. Conrad loved his restaurant more than anything or anyone. Which was why he was still single, but it fulfilled him. Eli knew this, but his earlier annoyance at him for wanting to have dinner with Leila made him say, “She hated the miso-glazed sea bass, by the way.”

“What?” His mouth actually fell open. “Did she actually say that?”

“No, of course not, but she grimaced every time she forced herself to eat a piece.”

“That’s one of my favorite recipes!”

Eli shrugged, enjoying his shock for a moment.

“Unrefined palate, that must be what’s wrong with her,” Conrad grumbled.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s it.” Eli slouched down in his chair and leaned his head back. He loved this restaurant almost as much as Conrad did. Its elegant, but homey feel was calming. It made Eli feel like he was back at his mother’s house. Memories of her tried to creep up to the surface, but Eli shoved them away quickly and forcefully.

The clink of his friend’s espresso cup meeting back up with its saucer registered with Eli, but didn’t make him stir. “So,” Conrad said, “what was Ms. Leila’s biggest fault, the reason she is alone. One word only. You know the rules.”

The rules. That phrase struck a nerve. “Just let me relax, Conrad.”

“Ha, this was an unspoken part of our business arrangement. Don’t fail me now.”

It was a stupid game, but it did usually help Eli collect all his observations and arrange them into a concise list. One word to describe the woman’s greatest fault, then two, then a sentence, working his way into a definitive plan of action for each client. One word to explain why Leila thought she needed Eli’s help to fall in love and stay there.

“I don’t know, Conrad. I honestly don’t know.”

Chapter 3

Unexpected

Walking to The Fifth Street Café, Leila felt like Marie Antoinette on her way to the guillotine. She could tell herself all she wanted that she was being dramatic and idiotic, but it didn’t calm the feeling of ants burrowing under her skin. Leila really tried to take Eli’s advice last night to do something for herself, but her dread for this meeting kept her from relaxing. She reached the door of the café and froze. Did she really want to hear why she couldn’t get a man to call her back? Maybe not, but she wanted to be alone even less. Leila pulled the glass door open and stepped into the familiar hum of cappuccino machines and chatter. At least they were meeting somewhere low-key this time.

Leila spotted Eli in a corner booth and took measured steps toward him. He stood when he saw her approach; such a gentleman. Leila wasn’t sure how to greet someone she went on a fake date with the night before. Handshake? Hug? Polite nod? She decided to go with a handshake. Her guess was validated when Eli shook her hand without pause.

“Good afternoon, Leila. How are you doing?” Eli asked.

“Uh, that’s up for debate right now. How are you?”

“About the same, actually.”

She wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

Eli gestured for her to sit down then followed his own suggestion. Leila slid into the comfy booth. Its familiar faux leather paired with big picture windows begged her to tuck her feet up and sit with her back to the sun so it could drench her. This was her favorite spot to read a book. Being in her element instead of Eli’s helped Leila relax somewhat.

“How was the rest of your evening last night?” Eli asked.

Leila’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Huh?”

“Did you enjoy the rest of your night?” Eli chuckled.

“Look, no offense, but could we just get this over with? I couldn’t sleep at all last night knowing I had to meet you today,” Leila said. She wasn’t usually so brusque, but she couldn’t handle any more waiting. “Just tell me what I did wrong last night.”

Leila expected him to laugh at her again, comment on her inability to sleep. Instead, his face turned thoughtful. Her fingernails bit into her skin. The way his eyebrows bunched together made her wary. Leila knew some of her mistakes already, but maybe there were more hidden faults than she thought. The urge to run away crawled back up her spine. Tamping it down took a little muscle. Leila wanted this, she told herself. She would never know what she needed to change if she didn’t hear him out. Her fingers unfurled and pressed flat against her thighs. She looked at Eli expectantly.

“You know,” he began, “my job is typically a pretty easy one. And I don’t mean taking lovely women out to dinner. Women come to me so I can tell them the secret of why meaningful relationships seem to be so elusive for them. They are never sure why they’re still alone, but I can usually see the reason within five minutes of meeting them.”

“That’s why you’re the best.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s simply that their faults are usually so glaringly obvious to everyone but them it’s impossible not to notice.”

“So it has nothing to do with you being a psychiatrist, someone trained to read people’s words and expressions?”

“Not a whole lot, no.”

“Yeah. Right.”

The gentle shake of Eli’s head loosened a piece of his polished brown hair. He brushed it away with a smile. His hand reached over toward Leila’s, one finger tapping on her skin. The pulse of his touch raced through her arm to her chest. Her breath stuttered.

“You know …” Eli said.

“Here we are,” a barista named Alice said as she set down two smoothies and a pair of turkey sandwiches. “You two enjoy your meal.” As Alice turned around she winked at Leila and gave a thumbs up sign as she pointed at Eli with the other hand. Leila rolled her eyes and ignored her.

“Sorry,” Eli said, drawing Leila’s attention back to him, “I would have waited to order until you got her but the barista said this is what you always get. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Leila was quick to assure him, but in the back of her mind she was embarrassed to realize she was so predictable that a woman she was only casually acquainted with knew exactly what she would order.

Whatever Eli was going to say before Alice walked up was lost. He seemed to be back to business now. “What I said about my job being easy, that doesn’t apply to you, Leila.”

Great, even the talented Eli Walsh couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her.

“I had a bit of trouble sleeping last night as well,” Eli said, “because of you.”

“That bad, huh?”

This time Eli laughed in earnest. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

Leila stared at him, not sure how to respond.

“Sorry,” Eli said, “I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Why don’t I start with my list, first?”

“Um, sure.”

Pausing long enough to sample his sandwich and smoothie, Eli then took a notebook out of his blazer pocket. “I’m going to start at the beginning of the date and work my way through to the end, okay?”

Leila nodded.

“When I first arrived, you were overly tactile, shaking my hand with both of yours, clutching my arm with both hands very tightly. This is something that can make a man step back because he sees you as being too eager, someone who might start bringing up weddings and children on the first date. You didn’t, of course, but that is likely what will run through a man’s mind when a woman starts getting clingy on the first date. Be aware of how you touch your date and how they may perceive the contact. Keep it friendly, but not too friendly.”

Oh. The gulp of smoothie Leila had just sucked up the straw slithered down her throat like sludge. She knew the way she shook his hand was too much, but she hadn’t thought about how she took his arm. Leila usually stuck pretty close to her dates because she worried about getting separated from them, and quite frankly, being forgotten. It had happened before. Not even once did she consider her nerves could be interpreted as desperation to commit.

“This next one, I’ll mention only because I know you’ve probably been thinking about it. Tripping at the entrance, dropping things at the table. Being clumsy isn’t necessarily something that will turn a man off, but each time you got very embarrassed and that made you pull back from me. If tripping or dropping things is a concern for you, try to be a little more aware of your surroundings and plan ahead by leaving your purse in the car or bringing one small enough to set on the table without it getting in the way.”

Leila nodded, appreciative of the tips. She really only got clumsy when she was nervous, but it buoyed her a small amount to know Eli didn’t think it was a big deal.

“You may think letting a man help you lessens you in some way, but it makes a decent man happy to pull out a woman’s chair or walk her to her car. Frankly, if a man isn’t willing to do that for you, you shouldn’t be dating him. You deserve better than that,” Eli said, his compliment catching Leila off guard. “Don’t argue with your date if he wants to be polite by helping you. He knows you’re perfectly capable of doing it on your own, but he wants to be respectful, so let him.”

Leila had to break in here. “I’m not one of those women who refuse to let men help her because she thinks it’s degrading. I’d love it if a man opened my door before getting into the car himself, or if after I cooked a meal he helped me clean up. I only argued because …”

“Because you didn’t think you deserved my attention,” Eli finished. Leila sank back into her seat. Exactly. Eli eyed her like he might a puppy that didn’t make it outside on time, frustrated, but not angry. “Leila, that’s a worse reason than having a moral objection. And it goes along with my next point. You spent most of the evening talking down about yourself. You could never do so much at work, or accomplish great things on your own. You aren’t artistic. You gag at the sight of ginger. And you kept mentioning how we weren’t on a real date, as if you thought there was no chance you ever would be.”

“I thought that because it’s true, Eli. I don’t date guys like you.”

“Well, you should,” he said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he froze. Leila’s mind started whirring, trying to figure out why he said that and what he really meant.

“Uh, anyway, you shouldn’t put yourself down on a date, or ever really, but especially not when you’re out with a guy you’re interested in. If you don’t think you’re amazing, why should he?” Eli avoided Leila’s gaze by taking a bite of his sandwich. “Along the same lines, try not to sound too negative. When I asked you about the interns becoming real designers, you instantly went sour.”

“That’s what I really think, though. You want me to lie and pretend I think they’ll all become millionaires?” At their pre-date meeting, Eli kept harping on how important it was for her to be honest.

“No, I’m not saying you should lie, but don’t make the world sound so doom and gloom. You could have said, ‘The chances of success aren’t very high for young designers, but the ones that work hard and are truly creative will make it big.’ Would that have been untrue?”

Leila’s frown wrinkled her nose as she thought. “No, that’s true, I guess. Most of the interns won’t make it big, but the ones who really deserve it will.”

“See,” Eli said with a smile, “there’s always a positive side. Keep that in mind on your next date. And the next time you’re out with a man, try asking him a few questions, as well. Women who talk too much about themselves makes guys panic faster than almost anything. They think she’ll want him to talk about feelings and plans for the future and all those things guys don’t like to talk about.”

Leila could feel her entire body going scarlet. “I … I didn’t ask because … well, because I already knew what you did, and … we weren’t on a real date. After today, I’ll never see you again.”

“That’s how it is with the majority of first dates. You have no idea whether date one will lead to date two, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring who that person is. If you never find out, then the relationship definitely won’t go anywhere,” Eli said. He paused, one corner of his mouth turning up slightly. “Besides, you shouldn’t let thinking you don’t have a chance with someone stop you from trying. You never know where a chance encounter might lead.”

Okay …. Maybe because Leila was clearly not on the same level of general awesomeness as Eli, she had no clue whether he was trying to make a joke, tease her, or something else entirely with his little comments and looks. Leila decided it didn’t matter. Joke or not, there was really no reason Eli and Leila would ever sit down to a meal together again.

“So, what else?” Leila asked.

“Be honest. About everything, including the food.”

If Leila thought she was blushing earlier, she knew she must have looked like a cherry tomato after that comment. She tried to hide her dislike for her entrée, and thought she had done pretty well. “I really did like most of the food, just not the sauce on the fish.”

“Then why did you order it?” Eli asked, chuckling at her idiocy.

“Because I didn’t know what anything was on the menu. I’d never actually had miso before, but I figured it must be good if it was the chef’s special.”

“You could have just asked me what some of the items on the menu were.”

“I didn’t want to look stupid,” Leila mumbled, knowing full well that she did just that by not asking. Her hands slid up her face and attempted to cover her shame.

Eli chuckled at her and pulled one of her hands away from her face. Leila expected him to drop it once he could see her again, but he didn’t. His eyes meet Leila’s, and she suddenly had trouble remembering why she was hiding in the first place. Nothing about his eyes was all that remarkable, but the confidence in them when he looked at her made it difficult to look away.

“Let me give you a tip, Leila,” Eli said, still looking directly at her. “If you’re going to a restaurant you’ve never been to before, look up their menu online before the date. Google whatever you’re not familiar with. And if you order something you don’t like, have the waiter take it back. Especially when you’re paying Conrad’s prices. Be prepared, and take charge of the situation.”

“Easier said than done.”

Sitting back and releasing her hand, Eli said, “It just takes practice.”

Leila watched his hand go to his notebook and close it. She shouldn’t have, but she missed his touch. Eli made her feel like she might actually be able to find the life she was looking for. “You closed your notebook, but I know there must be more. The biggest reason my love life is so depressing.”

“There’s one small problem with that,” Eli said as he folded his arms across his chest. Leila’s eyebrows rose, curious and a little worried. “There is no biggest reason.”

“What?”

“You’re not perfect, nobody is, but all these little faults, they’re nothing that’s going to keep you from finding love. Doing impressions of cartoon characters all night, or repeating everything you say three times, those are problems. You have no grand fault, Leila. You’re a lovely young woman with a wonderful personality.”

“Then why did I call you, Eli?” she asked, annoyed that he didn’t have an answer for her. “Why can’t I find a guy who wants to be with me?”

The quiet that hovered between her question and Eli’s answer became heavier the longer he waited. He frowned, then leaned forward and stared at her. “Maybe the man who wants to be with you is just waiting for you to notice him.”

That was it? Where was her magic answer that would have her leaping off into her happily ever after by the end of the week. Leila’s whole body crumpled in on itself, frustrated and annoyed. Eli leaned back against the booth and smiled at her sour expression. “What? Not the answer you were hoping for? I’d think you’d be happy to hear that there isn’t anything horribly wrong with you.”

Leila slouched down in her chair even more. “I just had … different expectations.”

“You wanted me to give you the key to happiness?” There was no laughter in his voice this time. Instead there was a hint of sadness. “There is no magic spell or easy answer, Leila. If there was, I wouldn’t be single either.”

Leila’s head popped back up. Single? She hadn’t really thought about Eli’s availability, but his being single was quite a shock. If anyone should have been living their happily ever after, it should have been him. Although, Leila supposed, a wife or girlfriend probably wouldn’t have put up him taking women out on dates every weekend.

Eli continued, not noticing Leila’s reaction. “Almost every woman that comes to me thinks I’ll fix their lives. All I can really do is give them advice and hope they follow it. For you, Leila, my advice is to quit thinking so hard about every moment. Don’t let what someone else might think of you dictate your decisions. Relax and let yourself enjoy life. You’ll feel more confident if you do, and confidence is always attractive.”

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Eli removed an envelope and set it down in front of her. “This letter contains everything I just told you, so you can look at it again if you’d like.” He set his business card down on top of the envelope. It was the same one he had given Leila at their first meeting, with one difference. Scrawled beneath his expertly printed name was a cell phone number written in by hand.

Noticing her interest in the addition, Eli said, “I like to stay in contact with my clients, see how they’re doing after I leave. You can also call if you have any questions or need advice about a particular situation.”

“Wow, thanks.” Leila picked up the envelope and card. The card she would keep nearby in her purse, the letter … well that was going deep down in her bottom desk drawer. She didn’t exactly want to sit up at night rereading her list of faults.

“Now, I really would love to stay longer, but I’m afraid I have an appointment.”

The most bizarre feeling of jealousy rushed through Leila. “Another date?” she asked.

“No,” Eli said as he stood, “a counseling session.”

Leila’s surprise pushed the strange jealousy aside. “I didn’t realize you practiced. I thought the date shark thing was your job.”

“No, no. It’s just something I do on the side. I like being able to point people in the right direction and help them find a companion. My day job is as a couple’s therapist. I don’t usually work on the weekend, but this couple can’t meet with me any other time.”

If Leila had asked Eli even a single question about himself the night before, she would have learned that his interests went deeper than a continual supply of dates. She had initially thought of Eli as talented and handsome, but shallow. Now she was the one who felt shallow. The crummy feeling in the pit of her stomach persisted as she stood up to join Eli. He held his hand out and they shook hands goodbye. With a good luck wish, Eli started toward the exit. He only got a few steps away before turning back.

“I almost forgot. I had one other piece of advice for you, Leila.”

“What was that?”

Eli drummed his fingers against the attaché he was carrying, as if unsure. Whatever his doubts, he shook his head, and said, “Stick up for yourself, Leila. Don’t let anyone treat you like you aren’t good enough to be in their presence. You’re a wonderful person. Make sure everyone around you knows that.”

“What do you …” Then she remembered the waiter. From the second he had walked up to their table, Leila felt like she was unwanted. The feeling returned and her eyes dropped to her shoes. She knew Dolcini was too classy for her, but she hated being reminded of that. Being made to feel that way in front of Eli, then and now, was enough to make her cry. The first tear was about to slip free when Eli’s hand pressed against her cheek.

“Leila,” he said, waiting for her to look at him, “the way Tony treated you was inexcusable. I am so sorry he behaved as he did, and the only reason I didn’t call him on it right then was because I didn’t want to bring attention to it in front of you and make you feel worse. I did speak to Conrad after I walked you to your car, though. The next time you visit Dolcini you won’t have to worry about poor service from Tony.”

“You mean …”

Eli nodded. “Tony was let go. And before you say anything, Conrad expects a certain standard of service from his wait staff. Tony did not meet those standards. He deserved to be fired.”

“Wow,” Leila said. She knew she should feel bad that a man was fired because of her. A very small part of her did, but the majority of her mind was wrapped up in a sense of satisfaction. Still, she was amazed Eli took the time to speak to his friend about their lousy waiter on her behalf. “I can’t believe you went to the trouble, Eli.”

“That’s exactly why you didn’t speak up to Tony for yourself. You don’t seem to think you’re worth the trouble, in any circumstance,” Eli said, “but you are, Leila.”

His compliment bathed her in an unfamiliar feeling.

“The next time you’re at Dolcini, you’ll have a much better experience than last night. You won’t be being scrutinized by me, for one, but your waiter will be Conrad’s best,” Eli assured her.

“That’s a nice thought, but I doubt I’ll ever go back to Dolcini. It’s a little too nice for me.” Even without Eli there to catalog her mistakes, she would still feel out of place.

Leila didn’t expect Eli to agree with her, but when he handed her another envelope in response, she stared at it. The heavyweight cream envelope reminded her of the invitations her boss sent out before a private fashion show. It was elegant and beautiful. Leila looked up at Eli. “What is this?”

“An invitation to have dinner with Conrad. It’s partly a way to apologize for Tony, and partly a way to see if all the good things Pierce said about you were true.”

“Seriously?”

“Absolutely. It’s for Friday night.” He smiled, though it looked forced for some reason.

Leila didn’t know why Eli would lie to her about this, but she opened the envelope anyway. Her name scrawled in gold ink took up the majority of the invitation. The date and time followed. He wasn’t kidding. A high end restaurant owner wanted to go out with her. For about three seconds she was ecstatic, then her mind leapt back to last night and her fingers went rigid. Leila looked up at Eli, fully freaked out.

“I can’t … I’ll make a fool of myself again. Eli, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can, Leila. Just remember what we talked about, and …” Eli paused. “… call me if you need anything. I mean it.”

“Thanks, Eli.”

They stood there in the aisle of the café saying nothing. Amid the hum of chaos that surrounded them, there was a pocket of silence. Even with the offer to call, Leila knew this was likely the last time she would ever see Eli Walsh. Just like the unexpected jealousy she felt earlier, she was surprised by how sad such a thought made her.

The moment was broken when Eli smiled and said, “Have fun this weekend, Leila.”

“Thanks,” she said, suddenly wishing her date wasn’t with Conrad.

Chapter 4

Hectic

Monday morning brought Leila’s boss, Ana, into her little office. She plopped her tailored backside down on the corner of Leila’s desk and folded her arms across her chest. The motion drew Leila’s attention to the blouse she was wearing. The detailed beading plunging from the shoulder to the deep neckline relieved the headache that had started building the instant Leila walked through the door. The new Bohemian Bead line was supposed to have been finished two weeks ago. The delay had made her job a nightmare. If Ana was wearing one of her latest designs, it meant the production company had finally come through and Leila could get on with her marketing campaign.

“So,” Ana said when Leila didn’t respond immediately, “how was the date shark?”

When Ana first mentioned Eli to Leila, she had brushed off the suggestion as crazy. Not only was the fee Eli charged staggering, but she didn’t think she needed someone to fix her love life. She wasn’t that desperate. When her next date turned out to be with a guy who spent the entire evening parading her around in front of his ex at a business party just to watch her face turn red, Leila decided she could use some help after all. She had known Drew for a few years through one of the companies they contracted with. How she didn’t see his intentions even though she knew he and his girlfriend had recently broken up proved Leila was floundering when it came to dating. The next day she broke down and asked Ana for Eli’s number.

“It was interesting,” Leila said.

Ana laughed. “That was how I felt after my date with Eli, too. Give it a few days, and you’ll feel differently. Eli is amazing. I don’t think I ever would have met my husband if Eli hadn’t encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone.”

“Actually, I already have a date for this weekend, so I guess I’ll see if Eli’s advice helps.”

“A date? With who?”

“Conrad Manera, the owner of Dolcini,” Leila said, neglecting to go into the detail of why.

Ana leaned back, clearly surprised. “Conrad? I didn’t think there was anything that could interest that man that wasn’t braised or sautéed.”

“You know him?”

“Sure, I love Dolcini. Warren and I eat there often.” A smile blossomed on Ana’s lips. “Wow, Leila, that’s amazing. Conrad is a great guy. When are you going out?”

“Friday. I’m pretty nervous, though. After hearing everything Eli said I need to improve on, it’s a bit daunting to think of going out with someone so soon.” Nervous energy shivered up her spine. Eli’s list had been going through her mind like a skipping CD. “Eli said I could call him if I need advice or start to panic. That made me feel a little better.”

Ana had started to get up, but sat back down when Leila mentioned Eli’s offer. “He what?”

“He said I could call him,” Leila said slowly, uncertain. Ana blinked at her. “Is that weird?”

“I met Eli five years ago … maybe he’s changed his policies, but when I went out with him the discussion lunch was to be the end of our contact. He said that was his policy up front. It prevented women from hounding him for advice.” Ana paused. Her features scrunched, a look Leila had become very familiar with over the past three years. It was more than thinking. It was delving. “Did he tell you to call his office?”

“No … he gave me his cell phone number.”

Ana was hooked now. When the topic of Eli first came up she told Leila how her shyness made it nearly impossible for her to meet new people. She had anxiety attacks even thinking about dating. Eli gave her the number to a brilliant therapist who helped her work through her fears. Several years later she ran into Eli again and they became friends. Ana was a fierce friend.

“Was there anything else about your date that was different?”

“I don’t know, Ana. It’s not like I’d gone out with him before,” Leila said. But even as she said it her thoughts turned back to their last few minutes together that night.

The back of Ana’s hand smacked into Leila’s shoulder. “What is it?” she demanded.

“Nothing.” She eyed Leila with the same look she gave her production manager when he didn’t get her samples out on time. Leila wasn’t really giving in just because she knew Ana could be relentless. More than that, she was curious. So at the risk of embarrassing herself, she said, “Well, it’s probably nothing, but he did walk me to my car after dinner, and then he … he kissed me goodnight. On the cheek.”

As if a drape had just been drawn, Ana’s curiosity shut down. “Huh. Well, like I said, maybe Eli does things differently now.” She stood up and straightened her skirt. “The new line finally arrived. I’ve got the interns doing inventory on everything we received and getting the displays set up. The new line launches Saturday, finally. Two weeks later than everyone else. I know you’ve had the promotional products ready to go for a couple of weeks, but make sure everything’s in place for the launch and reception.”

“Uh, sure, no problem,” Leila said. Ana’s sudden shift in topics was followed by an equally abrupt departure. Her steps were muffled by the carpet, but Leila heard her continue down the hall to her own office. Ana shut her door, which wasn’t unusual. The echo of her raised voice was. Even through several weeks of delays on her new line, Ana never once yelled at her production manager.

There was no reason for Leila to think this, but for some reason she was sure that Ana was on the phone with Eli. Why she would be yelling at him, Leila had no idea. Ana’s reaction did hint at one thing. Eli didn’t usually kiss his dates goodnight.

***

Leila thought she would spend the whole week fretting about having dinner with Conrad. Preparing for the Bohemian Bead launch proved more of a fight than she originally thought it would be. The proofs for their programs and brochures had been ready and waiting for the launch weeks ago, but as often happened, they were ready to submit for printing at the same time as ten other major orders, and the printer got backlogged. The flowers Ana wanted as accents along the runway tripled in price because of a late freeze. The list kept growing every day.

Bursting into Leila’s office, Ana stopped, hands on her hips as she glared at her employee. “What are you still doing here? I sent you home two hours ago.”

“And then Pedro called to say there was a problem with the chairs we ordered.”

Ana’s face lit up with panic.

Leila held up a hand to fend her off. “I took care of it, but I’ve still got a ton to do.”

“That’s what interns are for, Leila. Get out of here, now, or you’re going to be late.”

A quick glance at her phone confirmed it. Conrad’s invitation said eight o’clock. It was seven now, but it would take Leila twenty minutes to get home, at the very least half an hour to change and freshen her makeup, and the restaurant was fifteen minutes from her house with light traffic. Leila sighed and dropped her phone on her desk.

“I’m not going to have time to run home. I’ll guess I’ll just have to go in this.” It could have been worse, she supposed. Her light pink silk blouse and black slacks was one of her classier ensembles. She would have to hop over to the dressing room set up for the models and see what she could do about her hair and makeup, though.

“Absolutely not,” Ana said as she yanked Leila out of her chair. “You are not going to dinner with Conrad Manera wearing that.” She continued dragging Leila down the hall to her office. Only when she flung the door open did she finally let go of her. Leila stumbled in her heels, catching herself on one of the many clothing racks crammed into Ana’s office for the fashion show scheduled for the following night.

Leila’s well-meaning boss pulled a floor length dress off one of the racks and held it out to her The crushed linen tank dress with its intricate beading along the empire waist was gorgeous, but meant for a model, not Leila. “Ana, there’s no way that will fit me. I’m not model material.”

“No arguing, Leila. You may not be as tall as some of the models, but you’re as slender and curvy as any. Stop making excuses and go put this on. We still have to fix your hair and makeup. You look like you’ve been fighting with lions all day.”

“No, just caterers and furniture rentals,” Leila grumbled on her way to the dressing room. She had seen Ana help her models dress, pinning and pulling, tucking and shoving. Thankful she was letting her do this on her own, Leila shimmied out of her work clothes and into the dress. It fell around her lightly, tickling her bare feet as it settled. The top and waist were a little snug, but it was close enough to admit Ana was right. It fit, and it looked fabulous on Leila. She turned in front of the mirror to get the whole effect and found Ana grinning at her from the doorway.

“Told you so,” she said. “Get over here so I can fix your hair.”

Half an hour later, Leila handed her keys to the valet—having asked Ana beforehand how valets worked so she wouldn’t have to park a mile away this time. Leila’s little Jetta was probably the least impressive car the valet had parked all night, but the slowly building panic in her stomach kept her from caring too much. Leila got as far as the foyer before starting to talk herself out of the date. It was too soon. She hadn’t even had time to process everything Eli told had her. Every awful thing that could happen that night started running through her head.

“Miss Leila,” Pierce exclaimed when he spotted her. He gestured for Leila to step to the front of the group waiting for their tables. After a moment’s hesitation she politely pushed her way through to him. He took her hand and guided her away from the crowd. “It’s so nice to see you again. Mr. Manera will be with you in just a moment, but he asked me to seat you as soon as you arrived. If you’ll follow me.”

Leila nodded and trailed behind him to a part of the restaurant she hadn’t seen on her previous visit. Segregated from the other diners by a frosted glass panels and gorgeous bouquets of calla lilies, the table for two was clearly meant to be private. The familiar feeling of being way out of her depth made another appearance.

“Mr. Manera will join you in a moment. Would you care for something to drink while you wait?”

Leila gave him her drink order quickly and sat stiffly in her chair as she waited. Before she had too long to convince herself she shouldn’t be there, a large, cheerful man burst into the room. Not quite what Leila was expecting, his enthusiastic smile drew a grin from her regardless of his stocky appearance. Leila stood and held her hand out to him.

Meaning to shake his hand, Conrad surprised Leila by kissing the back of her hand instead. “Leila, thank you for coming. I have been looking forward to this night all week.”

“Um, so have I,” Leila said, something not completely untrue. Yes, she had been dreading having to go on an actual date after hearing everything Eli said, but as her week got progressively more hectic she wanted a night out more and more.

“Please, sit,” Conrad said. He waited for her to take her seat before being seated himself. “Now I hope you don’t mind, but rather than having you order off the menu, I asked Alonzo to prepare something special for us tonight. No miso involved.”

Blushing, Leila said, “Eli told you?”

“Yes, he did, but don’t feel bad. Everyone’s palate is different. I do hope you’ll enjoy what I have planned for you tonight, though.”

“I’m sure I will. Thank you so much for inviting me, Mr. Manera.”

“Please call me Conrad, Leila. I don’t believe in being formal with friends.”

Leila nodded and started to relax. Everything about Conrad, from his rotund appearance to his ruddy cheeks, put her at ease. She got the impression from him that nothing she could do tonight would put a dent in his jovial outlook.

“So Eli tells me you work for Ana St. Claire.”

“Yes, Ana mentioned that she knew you.”

“Ana is one of my favorite patrons. She is always quick to compliment my restaurant and recommend it to her friends,” Conrad said. “What do you do for Ana?”

“I’m her marketing manager, but this week I’ve also become a florist, caterer, interior decorator, and event planner. It’s been a little manic around the studio lately,” Leila said. Leila’s own ears picked up the negativity in what she had just said. Before she could figure out whether or not she needed to reevaluate her outlook like Eli suggested, Conrad interrupted.

“The fashion show tomorrow night. Yes, Ana invited me, but unfortunately I won’t be able to attend. I have guests coming into town tomorrow. I’m sorry your week has been so stressful, but hopefully you will be able to relax and enjoy yourself for at least a little while tonight,” Conrad said.

A waitress stepped into the room bearing bowls of soup. The aroma of leeks and garlic instantly made Leila’s mouth water. Conrad beamed at the dishes as they were set down in front of them “Thank you, Megan,” he said. Megan left, and Conrad’s whole focus went into explaining every detail of the meal to Leila. From the caramelized onions to the freshly ground sausage and spring potatoes, she felt intimately familiar with the exquisite soup before she was halfway through. When their entrées arrived, Leila looked forward to Conrad’s explanation of the herb crusted venison and stuffed mushroom caps. He didn’t disappoint.

Along with jokes and cooking tips, Leila also got to hear stories about his experiences as first a busboy, then through the culinary ranks to owning his own five star restaurant. Leila laughed and ate and indulged. Not once did she think of the upcoming fashion show, the R.S.V.Ps she still hadn’t received, or the model down with a head cold. Leila let the shaved chocolate of her dessert melt on her tongue slowly, relishing the tang of the custard it was paired with. Everything about that night was wonderful. Her only regret was that it went by too quickly. By the time Conrad walked her back up to the entrance, her list of problems to tackle in the morning were beginning to creep back into her mind.

“Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner tonight, Conrad. I had a wonderful time.”

“Come back any time, Leila. I enjoyed your company very much,” Conrad said. “And good luck with the show tomorrow.”

“Thanks, we’re probably going to need it.”

Conrad’s booming laugh rustled the air around Leila. It was absolutely contagious. “I’m sure everything will come together, Leila. Try not to worry about the details too much.” He began to say something else, but paused when a familiar face walked up to them.

“Eli,” Leila said, surprised, “what are you doing here?”

“I’m here most Friday nights,” he said, to which Conrad frowned.

“I didn’t think …” Conrad got cut off by Eli.

“I was just on my way out.” Eli’s sharp glance at Conrad seemed out of character, but it kept Conrad from saying anything else. Leila watched the two, unsure of what had just happened between them. Whatever it was, Conrad shook it off first.

His smile returned at full power. “Thank you again for coming, Leila, but I best get back to managing my restaurant before disaster breaks out. I’d suggest we make plans to do this again, but I suspect your calendar is about to become a bit crowded.” He paused to throw his friend a questioning look, one that was met with ambivalence. “Hmm. Well, have a good evening. Eli, I trust you can get Leila to her car and see her safely off?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Conrad.” A wolfish smile Leila wouldn’t have expected to see on Eli was paired with Conrad shaking his head as he walked away. As Eli led Leila out of the restaurant she felt like doing the same thing.

Chapter 5

Fallback Option

Conrad was a good friend, but Eli wanted to clock him when he caught his lie. He knew Eli wasn’t scheduled for dinner that night. Actually, he was aware of the fact that Eli had been scheduled to bring a client in that night and had rescheduled for reasons Eli didn’t share. Eli was pretty sure Conrad just figured it out.

“So,” Eli said to Leila as he opened the door for her, “how did dinner with Conrad go?”

“Oh, it was great!”

The excitement in her voice irritated him. It wasn’t directed at her, but at his friend, Conrad. “That’s nice. What did you two talk about?”

“Well, it was actually the opposite of our date. I barely had time to say anything because Conrad spent so much time talking about the food.”

“He does tend to do that. I hope you weren’t too bored.”

Leila shook her head. “Not at all. It was fascinating. He knows so much about food, more than I’ll ever know. It was fun to watch him get so excited about herbs and chocolate. I had a great time with him.”

Eli turned just enough that Leila couldn’t see his expression while she gave her ticket to the valet. Why did Conrad have to invite her to dinner? When Leila turned back to Eli he forced a smile back on his face. “I’m glad you had a nice evening. Do you think you’ll see Conrad again?”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

The uncertainty in her voice buoyed Eli’s mood. “I thought you enjoyed yourself.”

“Oh, I did. I tried to remember the things you told me, and I think I did better, but I think Conrad really only asked me to dinner as an apology for last weekend. He’s not actually interested in me.”

“What makes you say that?” Eli asked, sounding much more chipper than he should have.

Leila shrugged. “I had a good time, but it was pretty clear Conrad’s first love is food. I think it made him happy to be able to tell me about the dishes and how they were prepared. I was just someone to entertain. That’s okay, though. I figured before I came here tonight that’s how it would probably be. If it hadn’t been for you talking to him about the waiter, he never even would have noticed me. At least I was able to see that this time. I’ve been duped before.”

Eli’s pleasure that Leila wouldn’t be going out with Conrad again was stifled by her admission that she believed herself unworthy of notice. His plan that night was merely to intercept Leila on her way out so he could find out how her date went, but now a new plan was forming. One that would break even more of his rules.

“Would you like to get some coffee with me? You can tell me more about your date with Conrad and your future dating plans.” Eli was careful to keep his expression as calm as possible as Leila hesitated. Her eyes clouded over as if she was waging an internal argument with herself. Eli didn’t backtrack or give her an easy out. He waited.

“Um, sure. That would be nice,” she finally said.

“Wonderful. Fifth Street Café?”

Leila broke out in a grin. “That sounds like exactly what I need, though I’m a bit overdressed.”

“You look beautiful. Here comes your car. I guess I’ll meet you there.”

“Where’s your car?” Leila asked. She glanced back at the valet, looking for some sign that Eli’s car was being fetched.

Eli pointed at the black Audi parked in front of the restaurant. “I’m such a frequent customer Conrad has a spot reserved for me.”

The valet handed Leila her keys in exchange for a tip. They said a quick goodbye after Eli opened her door for her, and he promised to be right behind her. His promise was temporarily put on hold when he turned around to find Conrad watching him from the doorway of his restaurant. Eli recognized the look he was giving him and felt his shoulders slouch. He was only a few years older than Eli at thirty, but somehow he had the ability to make Eli feel like a child again.

“Eli, what are you doing?” Conrad asked, stepping out into the night air.

“How was your date?” It was an obvious dodge, but he let Eli have it for the moment.

“Leila is delightful, but you already know that. That’s why you rescheduled with the client you were supposed to meet here tonight. You didn’t want Leila to see you on a date with another woman. And you wanted to see how she and I got along. Jealousy isn’t a good look on you, Eli.”

Eli wasn’t one to argue when he knew he was wrong. His jaw tightened along with his hands. Just because he knew he was wrong didn’t keep him from disliking the feeling.

“What are you doing, Eli?”

“I’m having coffee with Leila, that’s all.”

Conrad folded his arms across his chest. “Don’t be an idiot, Eli. You told me about the phone call you got from Ana, remember?”

You kissed her! Eli, what on earth is your problem? You can’t take out a naïve, struggling young woman and give her false hopes! She hired you to guide her, not tease her!

“Ana was being overdramatic.” She didn’t understand. Even when Eli tried to explain she just got angrier.

Ana, please. I wasn’t teasing her. Don’t lecture me about my job. I wanted her to remember me. I wasn’t giving her any impression about my feelings that weren’t true.

What? Eli, how is that any better? She came to you because the poor girl can’t tell a weasel from frog prince to save her life! You swooping in to commandeer her isn’t going to help her improve! You’re just going to make the problem worse. Leila is my employee and my friend. I’ve seen the grief she’s gone through because of the men she’s dated. I’m not about to let her get her heart broken again by the man I recommended to help her!

Break her heart? Who says I’m going to break her heart?

What else could you do, Eli? Are you going to give up the date shark thing? You’d have to, of course. No woman would stand for her boyfriend acting like a gigolo on the weekends. You complain that you’re still single despite all the relationships you’ve helped build, but we both know why you’re still single. You aren’t willing to give up the string of women desperate for your help.

“Ana was right,” Conrad said.

Eli wanted to argue, but he didn’t. “I could give it up … if Leila is really the right one.”

“Ah, but how will you know if she’s the right one unless you pursue this. But you can’t date her while still being the city’s best date shark. You, my friend, have a problem,” Conrad said. The smile on his face as he said it didn’t improve Eli’s mood.

“Who says I have to date Leila to get to know her? I can find out if she’s worth giving it all up by being her friend.” Relationships always have a better chance of lasting if two people are friends before lovers anyway. He told his clients and patients that constantly.

Conrad’s deep belly laugh filled the cool night. “For all your sage wisdom and clever sayings, don’t tell me you’ve never heard the one that says it’s universally impossible for a guy and girl to just be friends. Maybe it’s just one, maybe it’s both, but trying to pretend you’re only friends will ruin a relationship faster than anything.”

“Shut up, Conrad. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Eli turned away, intent on getting into his car and driving off. The gentle but firm pressure of Conrad’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “How is being her friend going to feel when she uses the tips you gave her to land a nice man? Will you be able to give her dating advice when she asks, even if it pulls her further away from you?”

“I’ll make it work,” Eli grumbled. Pulling away from his friend, he stepped off the curb and got in his car. Leila was going to be wondering where he was soon. Conrad shook his head at Eli as he jumped away from the curb with a lurch, thanks to his Audi’s turbo and his foul mood.

Eli flew through traffic to make up for his delay and pulled up to the nearly empty café only a few minutes behind Leila. She was stepping through the door of the café when he climbed out of his car. Eager to prove both Conrad and Ana wrong, Eli hurried after her. Leila was already seated in her favorite booth when Eli made it inside. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. The friendly barista, Alice, was nowhere to be seen. In her place was a tanned, twenty-something-year-old who was making eyes at Leila. Or at her chest, Eli corrected. Even worse was seeing Leila soaking up the attention. Eli could slide in next to Leila, put his arm around her to make Mr. College Dropout back off. Eli started forward before pausing and mentally slapping himself. Damn, he thought, this is going to be harder than I thought.

Even still, Eli started walking toward her. His smile returned when the barista with the roving eyes noticed his approach. Confident as he walked up to the booth and sat down, the barista took a conscious step back from the table. His eyes peeled themselves away from Leila and landed on Eli reluctantly.

“What can I get you?” he asked.

“Chai latte with cinnamon.”

“No problem.” The barista’s eyes focused on Eli’s. “Should I ring these up separately, or put them on one ticket?”

Eli jumped in before Leila could respond, knowing exactly what he was really asking. “Just one ticket will be fine. Thank you.”

The barista narrowed his eyes at Eli before heading back to the counter. Satisfaction deepened Eli’s smile. Leila was a successful marking director. She didn’t need the lusty interest of a co-ed. When Eli looked back at her, she had one eyebrow raised.

“I know you told me not to argue when a guy wants to do something for me, but I could have paid for my own coffee.”

“Humor me,” Eli said, glad she didn’t comment on anything else. “It bothers me to let a woman pay when I’m with her. Maybe that’s one of my faults, but my dad drilled that into me before the concept of going Dutch really got off the ground.”

“Fault?” Leila laughed. “With an attitude like that you’ll be every woman’s hero.”

The barista managed to keep his eyes off Leila’s chest when he brought their drinks back to the table. His lesson learned pleased Eli, but even more, he appreciated how Leila barely even noticed him this time. She watched Eli instead. He couldn’t fathom what was running through her mind as she sat across from him, but he hoped it wasn’t Conrad. Despite his reason for inviting her for coffee, Eli didn’t want to talk about her date.

“I was a little surprised you didn’t call me this week,” Eli said. “You seemed so nervous before our date I thought you might need a pep talk before jumping back in.”

Plopping her chin into her upturned hand, Leila sighed. “I thought about calling you about a dozen times, but every time I reached for my phone someone else called with another problem. I got so caught up at work, I nearly missed dinner with Conrad. If things had been any slower I would have been on the phone with you all the way to table most likely.”

Eli kept his smile under control despite its desire to break out. “Leila, you have no reason to get so nervous about a date. Relax, and everything will go much more smoothly.”

“You do this for a living,” she said, her nose scrunched in annoyance. “Relaxing on a date is nothing for you. For me, as soon as I start thinking about going out with a guy, all my past failures start crowding into my head and I can barely think of anything else.”

She sighed and leaned back. “It’s not that I’m even desperate to be in a relationship or get married. I just want to know it’s possible. I want to feel like I’m worth having a relationship with, but I feel like I’m only good for getting back at an ex-girlfriend or filling up the plus one on an invitation. I’m the girl guys think of when they need something, or when they want someone to stand next to them at an event. I don’t really know how to change that.”

Swirling her coffee slowly in her cup, she didn’t look back up at Eli. Eli’s own cup sat abandoned on the table. If he could manage pulling her into his arms and still maintain his dating guide and possible friend status, he would have. He couldn’t even think of something to say that wouldn’t divulge how much he wanted to show Leila she was worth so much more than a fallback option.

Eli took a sip of his coffee, and it sparked his professional side to start working. “You know how you change your status with guys? You turn them down.”

“Huh?” Leila asked. “I thought you were supposed to help me get dates, not scare them away.”

“Yes, but the right dates, not just any date.” She frowned at this, and Eli continued. “I’m going to guess that if a guy asks you out, you accept, right? Even if you’re not particularly interested in him?”

“Well, I don’t want to hurt his feelings. If it goes badly, I don’t have to go out with him again.”

“You’re too nice, Leila. If guys who know you expect you’ll say yes to a date no matter what, they’ll think of you first when they get stuck in a situation where they need to bring someone along.” Recognition dawned in Leila’s eyes. Eli smiled at her and said, “Make sure guys know you’re only interested in quality dates. Basically, play hard to get. The ones who really want you will ask again. The others won’t.”

“I guess I never thought of it like that.”

Taking a deeper draw from his cup, Eli felt rather pleased with himself. Conrad and Ana could keep their opinions to themselves. He could be Leila’s friend and still help her grow as a person. Eli decided to give Leila one more piece of advice when he noticed the barista staring at her from the counter.

“Take that guy.” Eli motioned at him, not caring whether he knew he was talking about him. “He’s been ogling you since you walked in, but is he really the kind of guy you want to date? He’s either in college, which is going to put him in a whole different mindset than you, or he’s really hoping a career in serving coffee is going to payout big someday.”

To himself, Eli added that if his focal point of Leila’s neckline was any indication, his interest in her didn’t have anything to do with the long term. Eli was guessing one night might be the length of his attention span.

“You’re probably right,” Leila admitted, “but he is kinda cute.”

When Eli’s gaze popped over to her, the expression on her face made him wonder if she said that just to see how he would react. Eli was not disciplined enough to stop himself from obliging her. Eli shrugged, knowing his eyes had narrowed at the barista and was helpless to stop them. “If you say so,” was his brilliant response.

“Are you coming to the fashion show tomorrow?” Leila asked.

Her question drew Eli’s glare away from the barista and back to her. Unfortunately it also reminded him of his conversation with Ana. “No. I was recently uninvited to the show. Ana is a little upset with me at the moment.”

Something sparkled in Leila’s eyes. “Oh really? What happened? Ana almost never gets angry.”

She does when she thinks someone is going to hurt one of her friends, Eli thought. He was convinced she was a mother bear in a previous life. He was not about to admit the real reason to Leila, so he was forced to make something up. “I inadvertently snubbed one of her designs recently. She refused to let me come to any of her shows until I make up for it.”

“How are you supposed to do that?”

Give up being a date shark and prove to her that his interest in Leila was real. How exactly did he do that? “I’m still working on it.”

“Well, I’m sorry you won’t be there.”

Eli was too. “Maybe I’ll make the fall show.”

“I should hope so,” Leila laughed. “It shouldn’t take you that long to convince Ana not to be mad at you anymore.”

Eli thought Leila might suspect he wasn’t treating her like all his other clients, but he very much doubted she had any inclination of what his real motives were. Regardless, her words hit Eli’s ears like a deadline. Six months from now, Ana’s fall designs would saunter down the red carpet. The only way she’d allow him the privilege of attending was if she was convinced he wasn’t going to hurt Leila. Six months to find out whether he truly wanted to give up being a date shark for Leila without letting her find out that was what he was doing. Conrad thought it was impossible, but Eli was determined to prove him wrong.

Chapter 6

Lack of Faith

Utter chaos rained down around Leila in the form of shoes, beads, bras, and pantyhose. The models may have looked coiffed and perfect as they marched down the runway, but backstage they were terrors screaming at whoever would listen to help them find their next outfit, or crowding around mirrors and scrambling about like mice about to get their tails cut off. Playing model wrangler wasn’t exactly in the job description when Ana hired Leila, but she was backstage doing it anyway. Leila tossed a pair of stilettos at one model and zipped up another one before shoving her toward the runway.

Leila stepped back into a massive cloud of hairspray and choked on the fumes. Molly mumbled a quick sorry before taking her flawless hair over to the clothes rack to yank out an equally flawless pair of jeans and baggy beaded tee that left one shoulder exposed and hung in a way that managed to accentuate her thin frame rather than hide it. Leila’s own hair and clothes were a disaster. Her hair started out in a bun, but has since fallen out into a sloppy ponytail. The jeans and button down plaid shirt her sister gave her for her birthday looked halfway decent when she arrived that morning. Leila was now missing a button that popped off when Gloria tripped on her heels and grabbed her in an effort to steady herself. Her jeans had a smear of mascara on the hip and foundation spilled down the side. Fashion poster child Leila was not.

When the last model finally exited the stage Leila was spent. It was after midnight, but she was the only one who dropped. Her butt landed on the steps leading to the runway with a thud. She watched in disbelief as the models pulled on new clothes fit for clubs and bounced out the door like they had all the energy in the world. They were insane. All Leila wanted to do right then was go to bed.

Knowing she should get up, Leila tried, but the farthest she got was looking up in time to be blinded by a flash of light. Blinking rapidly cleared the spots to reveal a grinning man with a camera staring at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I couldn’t resist.”

“Who are you? And what are you doing back here?”

“I’m Luke Deveron.” When Leila stared at him, unsure of whether that should mean something to her, he continued. “The photographer from the Tribune. I called you … told you I’d be here to cover the show. You are Leila Sparro, aren’t you? Ana told me you were back here.”

“Oh! Luke, I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy night and I’ve talked to so many people this week. Forgive me for not being able to keep everything straight.”

“No problem. By the looks of it, you were lucky to survive back here.” His eyes took her in with a smile, reminding Leila of her disheveled appearance. Her hands flew up to try and tackle the worst of it, but Luke said, “Wait, wait. Don’t touch anything. Let me take one more.”

“What? No way. I’m a mess.”

He grinned and snapped a picture. “Exactly. I’ll title my article, ‘The Cost of High Fashion,’ and put your picture in the header, eyeliner streaked across your cheek and all. You look like you’re about to wage a fashion war.”

“Don’t you dare!” Leila exclaimed. She marched toward him, fully intent on grabbing his camera and deleting every picture of herself.

“Stay back,” he said, waving his hand at her frantically and drawing a momentary smile from her lips before she could resume her march. The flash startled Leila into stopping. Blinded, she paused. Luke’s laughter bubbled around her. She was probably too exhausted to be irritated like she should have been. When Leila could see again, she planted her hands firmly on her hips and demanded he erase the pictures.

“You should see them first,” he said. Leila scowled at him, making him grin even harder. “I’m serious. Let me show you. You’ll love them, I promise.”

Doubtful, but drawn in by his promise, Leila softened her stance and looked over at the LCD screen when he reached her. The first photo of her sitting on the steps surprised Leila. Tones of grey pulled out the details of the leftover chaos. Heels dotted the stairs, a scarf trailed down them amid the mess, and a dress draped over the back of a chair behind her, its pearlescent beads a sparkling halo to her frazzled hair. If there were one picture in the entire world that could have summed up what she just went through, that one would be it.

Without comment, Luke switched to the next picture, a full body shot of Leila glaring at him. Her hand covered her mouth as she chuckled. She really did look like she was about to go to war. He changed the image again. A close up of just Leila’s face, caught in the one moment Luke had managed to make her smile. Strands of hair fell around her face in loose waves thanks to the bun she had started out with. There really was eyeliner streaked across her cheek, but otherwise her face didn’t look nearly as bad as she expected.

“This one’s my favorite,” Luke said. His voice next to her ear made Leila realize how close they were standing to each other. She took a step back and bumped into a chair.

“So, can I keep them?” Luke asked. His scruffy blond beard did nothing to detract from his big blue eyes staring at Leila with a look not even the cutest puppy dog in the world could have managed.

If Leila couldn’t resist the miniature schnauzer, Snap, she had adored as a child, there was no hope of her resisting Luke. “Fine, but I’m serious about using them. My face does not belong in a newspaper.”

“Hmm, I might disagree with you on that.” Luke walked over to her and stopped. When he leaned forward she immediately tried to move back. She kept her distance when he reached behind Leila for something. But not too much distance. The buzz of energy running over her body right then made it hard to want to be too far away from him. She barely remembered speaking to Luke on the phone earlier that week, but she was not going to forget this encounter any time soon. He pulled back with a tissue in hand and gently started wiping away the eyeliner. Every stroke of his fingers stole a little of her breath.

Standing this close to him, Leila couldn’t help noticing the details of his smile and body. He was taller than Eli, slightly more broad shouldered, and a dusty blonde—that amazingly enough looked like his natural color—instead of Eli’s darker hair. His smile was more playful than Eli’s, too. It promised fun, the kind that made you laugh so hard you couldn’t catch your breath. The more Leila saw of him, the less she minded how close they were. It took Leila a moment to realize he had stopped wiping her cheek and was simply watching her. Blood rushed to her cheeks, but stuck between him and the chair, she had nowhere to go.

“Did you know you’re missing a button?” Luke asked.

Leila’s hand clutched at her shirt, praying she wasn’t letting too much cleavage show. She had completely forgotten about the button. “One of the models tore it off … she tripped and … oh, never mind.” She sucked in a lungful of air and braved looking up at Luke again. “Did you need something? You said you came back here to find me.”

Leila’s change in topics prompted Luke to take a step back and let her start breathing normally again. “I wanted to talk to you about doing some shoots for Ana’s website. She said you were looking for a new photographer.”

“Yeah, our old one moved to L.A. a few weeks ago. Don’t you already have a job, though?”

Luke shrugged. “Newspapers are a dying breed. They don’t pay as great as people think. I’m always looking for some side work.”

“Great,” Leila said, glad this wouldn’t be the last time she saw Luke. “Why don’t you call me this week and we can set up a time for you to bring your portfolio by. Ana will want to see it as well. Do you still have my work number?”

“I do.”

“Good. This week should be a lot calmer now that the show is over. Give me a call when you have some time off from the paper.” He may be looking for side work, but Leila did remember briefly checking out his credentials after they spoke. Bachelor’s in photography, working on a Master’s, he had been at the Tribune since his freshman year in college and had gotten considerable acclaim in his nine years with them. It would be fantastic to have someone with so much experience shooting for them.

Leila moved away, her brain already jumping ahead to everything she already had scheduled for the coming week. Mentally she was already halfway through her appointments when Luke grabbed her arm gently and prevented her from getting any farther away from him. Leila looked at him expectantly.

“Is that the only reason I can call you, to set up an appointment?”

A dozen different thoughts ran through Leila’s head in that moment. Eli’s advice was by far the most dominant. Luke passed his checklist, and she did want to see him again, but should she say yes if he asked her out? What about hard to get? Leila decided to save that decision for later, maybe after she had been able to talk to Eli about it. First he just wanted to know if he could call her.

“If you think of another reason to call me besides your portfolio, I don’t think I’d be against that,” she said.

Luke grinned. His hold on her arm turned even softer, more seductive as he trailed his hand up to her cheek. “Do I have to call? Can I ask you right now if you want to ditch this mess and go get a drink with me?”

“Now?” Leila’s brain stumbled before righting itself. This was too quick. She needed to talk to Eli first. She tried to come up with an excuse and realized she already had one. “I can’t tonight. Ana and I go out for an early breakfast after every show. But maybe later this week we can do something.”

Stepping back slowly, Luke smiled. “I’ll see you later this week then.”

Leila nodded, not verbally agreeing to anything yet. Did telling him “no” tonight count as not accepting a first date? Leila pulled out her cell phone to call Eli, but Ana poking her head into the dressing room put that thought on hold.

“Ready?”

“Hold on, let me fix my hair before we go.” Leila tiptoed over discarded clothes to get to the mirrors.

“What were you doing back here this whole time? I thought you’d be ready by now. Blueberry drenched waffles with a gallon of whipped cream on them are calling my name.”

Settling for a cleaner version of her ponytail, Leila got her hair back in order and sighed at her clothes. It would have to do. “Sorry,” she said to Ana, “I got distracted.”

“By what? The interns will clean all this up tomorrow.”

“It wasn’t the mess. It was the photographer you sent back here.”

Ana scrunched her face, trying to remember. “The blond one? Yeah, he was distracting.”

“He asked about a job, and a date.”

“What did you say?”

“No. He wanted to go out tonight.”

Ana frowned at her. “Leila, you could have ditched me for a date! I wouldn’t have minded.”

“I know, but I wasn’t sure about saying yes. Eli told me I shouldn’t go out with someone just because they ask me because it makes guys think of me as a fallback option.”

“When did he say that?”

“Last night. We ran into each other after I had dinner with Conrad and we talked for a while.” A while. They stayed at the café until midnight when it closed and the staff finally told them to leave.

“Don’t rely on Eli too much, Leila. He’s good at what he does, but he isn’t God.” Her suddenly dour attitude reinforced Leila’s idea that Eli being banned from the fashion show had something to do with her and not him saying something about Ana’s designs. It annoyed Leila that Ana wouldn’t just tell her why she was upset, but she was not about to ask her.

“Eli’s right, though, isn’t he?”

Grimacing, Ana nodded. “Just don’t let Eli influence who you date too much.”

“Why not? He’s trying to help me,” Leila argued.

“Uh-huh,” Ana said. From the way she said it, though, Leila got the impression she didn’t believe it. Her lack of faith in Eli shocked her. If he wasn’t trying to help her, why was he hanging around?

Chapter 7

Vanished

Eli’s phone started buzzing as he rounded the last corner back to his apartment. He slowed his jog back to a walk and tugged his phone out of the pocket of his running shorts. He didn’t usually answer his phone when he was running because he hated sounding like a creepy B-movie caller breathing heavy into the receiver when he picked up. When he saw Leila’s name flash on the screen he answered it right away.

“Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time? It sounds like you just finished running a marathon.”

“No, just a couple of miles.” Eli took in a deep breath and tried to calm his breathing. “How did the show go last night?”

“Oh, it was fine. A little crazy, but it was good other than that.”

“Good, I’m glad everything worked out.”

Leila tried to stifle it, but Eli could hear her smothered yawn through the phone. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t get to bed until almost three last night. I just woke up.”

“Go back to bed then,” Eli said, trying not to think about Leila in bed too much. “Sounds like you had a long night. It’s Sunday. Stay in bed and relax.”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

Eli was glad Leila couldn’t see the grin that broke out on his face. Unfortunately it only lasted until her next sentence hit him.

“I need your advice, Eli.”

Of course. Why else would she be calling him? Eli closed his eyes for a moment and dug up his professionalism. “Sure, Leila, what did you need advice about?”

“I … met someone. A guy at the show last night. He’s a photographer and he asked me out.”

Eli was starting to wish he hadn’t eaten that morning. She met a guy already? How was he ever going to get the chance to befriend her if she started dating someone right away?

“I told him no,” Leila said, giving him hope, “because I already had plans with Ana, but I told him he could call me this week. I didn’t say for sure I’d go out with him, though. I was trying to follow your advice, but I don’t know if I’m doing it right. I don’t know what to say when he calls.”

Tell him no, Eli wanted to shout at her. He didn’t. “Well, have you thought about whether his career and position in life is something that matches with yours? He’s not another college student, is he?”

“Well, he’s working on his master’s degree, but he already has a career as a photographer for the Tribune. He’s a couple of years older than me, and he seemed genuinely nice and funny. And attractive.”

Eli didn’t like the wistful way she said attractive.

“Anyway, he just wanted to get a drink last night. I know I’m not very good at seeing people’s real intentions, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to ask me out for any reason other than just to get to know me. I don’t know, what do you think, Eli?”

Eli couldn’t prove Conrad right. He couldn’t prove Ana right. “You were really interested in this guy?”

“Yeah. I do want to see him, but I don’t want to keep making the same mistakes.”

“Leila, that wasn't a hard and fast rule I expected you to follow. I only wanted you to think before you accepted a date.” Eli’s emotions tried to talk him out of his next sentence, but he beat them back. “If you feel confident about this guy’s intentions and you really want to go out with him, then say yes when he calls.”

Her sigh of relief echoed through the phone.

“And call me if you have any questions before you go out … and after so you can tell me how it went.” Eli was sadistic, he realized that, but he couldn’t force himself to leave it alone. Even if he had to listen to Leila tell him about a date with another guy, he wanted to hear her voice.

“Thanks, Eli. You’re so great. Thanks for letting me bug you in the middle of your run.”

“It’s no problem. Call me any time, Leila.”

When she hung up, the urge to thrown his phone against a wall almost got the better of him. He probably would have if it hadn’t rang again. Without looking at the caller ID, he picked it up blindly, hoping Leila had remembered something else she wanted to ask him.

“Mr. Walsh, this is Dr. Evans.”

Eli’s hand went numb instantly. The feeling slowly started spreading to the rest of his body. “Yes?”

“I’m calling in regards to your mother. The medication we started her on yesterday is having adverse effects. We need your permission to make a change in her care plan.”

“What kind of adverse effects?” Eli asked.

Dr. Evans cleared his throat before answering. “Well, the delusions became worse almost immediately. She began calling for your father and couldn’t be calmed without a sedative. While under sedation she suffered a minor seizure. But most troubling was a sudden drop in kidney function.”

“Her kidneys? That wasn’t one of the listed side effects.”

“No, Mr. Walters, but with the widespread damage to your mother’s system, the possibility for additional side effects is always present.”

Widespread damage. There was a lot of that going around. “What do you want to put her on?”

“I would like to go back to Haloperidol.”

“But that wasn’t controlling her delusions.”

Dr. Evans sighed. “It worked the best. We don’t have many options left. Your mother’s body can’t withstand any drug with too severe of side effects. She tolerates Haloperidol and gets moderate relief from her symptoms. Unfortunately that is all we can offer her at this stage. Do I have your permission to change her care plan?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Mr. Walsh.” Eli began lowering the phone in hopes that he could cut him off, but his words slipped in anyway. “She asks for you every day, Mr. Walsh. It might help her if you came to visit.”

Completing the motion Eli had started, he ended the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket. He was on his way home, but the anxiety burning under his skin spurred him to pick up his pace again. He ran. The distance, the growing ache in his side, he ignored them both and forced his feet to keep slapping against the pavement until everything had been sweated out of him. Thoughts of his mother dropped off of him and splattered on the pavement. He wanted everything gone. It all evaporated except Leila.

She had called him for advice. That was his job. He collapsed under the awning of his apartment building, holding his phone and willing her to call him. Eli was the one who needed to talk this time. He needed advice, but had no one to ask. He sat there until a line of ants crept out of a crack in the sidewalk and decided to start investigating his shoe. He got up, looked at his watch, and realized he needed to head upstairs and shower if he had any hopes of making it to his next appointment on time.

When Eli pulled up to Dolcini an hour later, he had a hard time forcing himself to get out of the car. Surprisingly enough, it didn’t have anything to do with Leila. His hesitation had more to do with an all too vivid memory of meeting with Selene Howard two weeks ago. Most of the time, Eli met with a woman and got excited about trying to help her no matter what her faults were. Women like the hair chewer and Selene Howard were a different story. Eli closed his eyes for a moment and didn’t move. When he opened them, he immediately made himself open the car door and step out. She spotted him right away and gestured wildly.

Groaning, Eli made his way over to Selene. An enormous handbag was slung over her shoulder. The sight of it made Eli cringe. Averting his eyes, he put on a professional expression and held his hand out to Selene. She gripped it as if he had just been caught in a mousetrap and simply held on. She didn’t shake his hand, just latched onto him. Eli felt as though he had just been taken prisoner.

It was a struggle to not strip himself of her presence as he led her into the restaurant. Pierce caught sight of them immediately and ushered them through the growing lunch crowd to their table. As he retreated, Eli couldn’t help shrinking into his chair just a little. When Selene’s giant bag plopped on the table, Eli fought the urge to bury his head in his hands. He had really hoped she wouldn’t do this again, but she did. One by one, Selene unloaded her trinkets. A small framed picture of a seven-year-old boy, a baby rattle, a toy car, a hospital bracelet barely bigger in circumference than a quarter, a glass locket containing snipped baby hair, and a small jar that made Eli close his eyes. The severed umbilical cord carefully preserved in a see-through glass jar was too much for him. He did not want to look at that all through lunch.

“There now,” Selene said, “it’s like Jeffery is right here with us.”

She beamed. Eli nodded. It sure was. Keeping his eyes away from the stored tissue, Eli asked, “How is Jeffery, Selene?”

“Oh, he’s just wonderful! Jeffery is the best little boy in the world. He was so sad to see me leave this afternoon. He never has been very good at staying with babysitters.”

I can’t imagine why, Eli thought sarcastically. “I’m sure he’ll get used to it at some point.”

“I hope so.”

Catching sight of Megan, their waitress, Eli looked at her, grateful for the distraction. She had a pleasant smile on her face. She was Conrad’s best waitress, one Eli preferred to work with, but her smile faltered a bit when she saw the collection of oddities nestled carefully on the table. She was better than Eli, though, and shook it off. She took their orders politely and headed back to the kitchen. Selene picked up her menu and started looking through it. When she gasped unexpectedly, Eli looked over at her. Flopping her menu down flat on the table, Selene pointed at one of the desserts.

“Jeffery would love this! He adores Crème Brule. Sweets are his favorite.” She giggled. “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.”

She laughed even harder and looked up at Eli. “Do you know what that’s from?”

Baffled, Eli shook his head.

“Elf. Have you ever seen that movie? It’s one of Jeffery’s favorites. We love to watch movies together. I tease him sometimes that he’s an elf with how much candy he wants to eat!” Selene laughed at her own joke for several more minutes before collecting herself and turning back to the menu.

Eli thought he was safe to get back to deciding on his own entrée when a few seconds later Selene shivered exaggeratedly. He couldn’t help but stop to see what had startled her this time.

“The garlic shrimp sounds divine, but I don’t think I can eat it. It’s served with fava beans.”

He knew he might regret it, but Eli asked, “Are you allergic to fava beans?”

“No,” she said wide eyed, “but they completely freak me out! Have you ever seen Silence of the Lambs? I’m sure you have. Everyone has seen that movie. You remember the line where he says, ‘I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,’ don’t you?” Selene shivered again. “I haven’t been able to eat fava beans since watching that movie.”

“How very interesting,” Eli said. This time he meant it. Selene was a whole variety of bizarre. He didn’t personally work with anyone other than couples going through rough areas in their relationships, but he had a friend who would love to spend a few hours with Selene Howard.

Before Megan came back to take their order, Selene managed to pull out two more food related movie quotes. One from Ratatouille, and one from Miss Piggy, although Selene neglected to inform Eli of what movie that one came from. At least the movie quotes were a distraction from the umbilical cord they were having dinner with. Eli even started to view the movie quotes Selene kept throwing out as a game, trying to guess the source before she inevitably told him the answer.

As they ate their dessert, an homage to Jeffery, Eli tried several times to begin conversations with Selene that did not include her young son. Eli wasn’t against talking about children. He actually enjoyed children quite a bit, but Selene’s complete fascination with her son was more than a minor flaw. When he tried to ask her about her profession as a Human Resources Director, that too turned toward Jeffery.

“That’s the best part of my job, getting to know the people in the office. I get to hear about their vacation plans when they ask for days off, console them when there’s a death, and talk about their families. I’ve found several little friends for Jeffery that way. When we hire someone with children Jeffery’s age I always make a point of telling them about him and trying to set up a play date.”

“Does Jeffery have a lot of friends?” Eli asked.

Selene’s smile fought against a frown. “Not really. He’s so quiet and shy that it’s hard for him to make friends. He’s such a homebody. All he ever wants to do is play games with me or go to the movies together.” Selene shrugged, her smile finally winning the fight. “But that’s okay. A boy’s best friend is his mother, after all.”

Selene continued on, but Eli’s blood had turned to ice. He sat frozen in his chair, sick, livid. He knew that quote. Selene probably hadn’t even noticed she was tossing out another one, but those words drilled into Eli’s heart. It was from Psycho. Norman Bates said it, referring to his own disturbed mother, whom he had murdered and kept hidden in his house. Eli hated that movie, not for its violence, but because it reminded him of his own mother. Eli put his fork down. His appetite had vanished.

Chapter 8

A Challenge

Leila sat huddled in her car, cell phone pressed to her ear. “No, I don’t see him yet. Should I wait, or should I go in?”

Eli didn’t answer right away. “Wait,” he said. “You may seem too eager. Letting Luke arrive first will let him feel like he’s leading the date.”

“Leading?”

“Like when two people dance. The man likes to lead, be in control, in charge.”

Not very keen on that idea, Leila said, “Why would I want to make Luke think he is in charge of me?”

“Not in charge of you,” Eli said, “in charge of the situation. It makes most guys uncomfortable to feel commandeered by a woman. Give him this one to help him feel more at ease.”

Leila supposed that made sense. She doubted Luke would need to be put at ease, though. When he met with her and Ana earlier in the week he had shown the same confidence and brashness she had seen the night they met. Leila didn’t think anything could unbalance Luke. Still, she thought Eli’s advice was sound.

“Okay, I’ll wait.” For a moment there was quiet over the line. It was all Leila had meant to ask Eli when she first dialed. She had called him several times during the week, questions about how she should deal with Luke, but like her reason for calling that night, most her insignificant questions were only the catalyst to get her to call. The more she heard his voice, the more she seemed to find reasons to call him, to want to hear him. He never complained, but Leila wondered.

“You must be sick of me calling you. I’m sorry, Eli, I’m just nervous about going out with Luke. I don’t mean to pester you,” she said, testing.

“I don’t mind, Leila. Call as often as you want.”

Leila smiled at his response. It sounded sincere. “Thanks, Eli.”

“Did you check the menu this time?” Eli asked.

“Yes, of course.”

“Purse?”

Leila laughed. “I brought a clutch instead of my regular purse. It’s small enough to set on the table, almost too small. I felt a little like Mary Poppins trying to find a place for my lip gloss, but it all worked out.”

“Now I’m interested in seeing this purse,” Eli said with a chuckle. “I might have to get you a black felt hat with daisies in the brim to complete the look. Do you have an umbrella too?”

Leila couldn’t stop giggling to give him the sassy retort she had on the tip of her tongue.

“What about a black fitted pea coat? I’m sure Ana could track one down if you don’t. I’m positive she has some turn of the century ladies boots, if not.”

“Stop it,” Leila begged. “I’m burning this purse as soon as I get home!”

“No, you can’t!”

“I’m not letting you dress me up like Mary Poppins! Consider the purse dead.”

“I’ll interrupt your date if I have to. I’m vowing right now to save that purse purely to forever save the mental image of you trying to shove a floor lamp in your purse,” Eli said. Despite his laughter, Leila totally believed him.

“Don’t you dare! And I never said I tried to put a lamp in my purse!”

“I’m pretty sure Mary Poppins did.”

Leila buried her phone against her chest and laughed. The now infamous purse lay on her lap. Its pale blue sequin matched the detailing in her silk blouse. She had no intention of ever donning old-style nanny garb, but another idea inched into her mind.

“Tell you what,” she said after putting her phone back to her ear, “you promise to stay away from me and never bring up Mary Poppins again, and I’ll give you the purse. You can check for lamps, turtles, lip gloss, or whatever else you think I put in there all you want.”

“You’ll give me the purse?” Eli asked, amused.

“If you’re really that interested.”

“Oh, I am.”

“Then we have a deal?”

Eli laughed. “To be sure.”

Eli sounded like he was about to say something else when Leila spotted Luke walking up to the restaurant. “Oh, there he is! Eli, I better go. Luke just walked up. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Go have fun, Leila.”

Shoving her phone back in the purse, Leila hurried out of her car and across the street. Luke spotted her before she made it halfway and started toward her. His grin and casually confident strut was almost enough to pitch Eli right out of her mind. The rustle of her sequin clutch as she ran kept him from getting too far away.

As soon as Luke reached her he planted a peck on her cheek, took her hand, and almost dragged her back to the restaurant. Leila’s carefully thought out plan for just how much to touch Luke upon meeting him flew right out of her mind. Apparently, Luke had his own ideas about physical contact.

“Have you been here before?” he asked.

“No, but it sounded like fun.”

“Oh, it’s a blast. You’ll love it.”

There was a brief pause in Luke’s hustle when they stopped at the hostess podium. Their reservation was confirmed and Leila soon found herself being ushered to a table where four other people were already seated. The chef stood opposite the other diners, chopping, searing, and flipping bits of meat and vegetables with his knives. Leila felt like she had just been dropped into some kind of food carnival, but she loved it. It took her a moment to notice Luke had pulled out her chair and was waiting for her to sit down.

She sat down with a quick thank you to Luke, who eagerly took his seat next to her. Once they were both seated, the chef turned to them. His knives were thankfully tucked away for the moment. “Welcome to Kanpai. Have you dined with us before?”

“I have,” Luke said, “but Leila hasn’t. She’s new to teppanyaki.”

Luke was right, but thanks to Eli’s advice, Leila at least knew what teppanyaki was. She had looked it up after seeing the word in the menu online. It was a Japanese style of cooking that used a large iron griddle to cook on. When she first saw Japanese, she was a little leery after her miso sauce blunder, but after reading the menu and not finding a single miso covered anything to be found, she relaxed.

Even after her research, Leila was glad when the chef took the time to explain the process of choosing their entrees. Kobe beef was no great mystery, but a few of the meats and vegetables offered were ones Leila had never tried before. Instead of risking ending up with something as distasteful as miso she asked Luke which he preferred. He had good taste for the most part. Leila wasn’t much of a seafood lover, but she had tried the scallops on Luke’s recommendation. Her opinion of seafood hadn’t changed.

“What was this one again?” Leila asked, holding up a bit of beef.

“Chateaubriand.”

“It’s delicious! I think I could eat this every night. The mushrooms with it are so good. I don’t think I’ve ever had whatever kind of mushrooms these are.” Leila took another bite, all smiles.

Leaning close, Luke slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “You’ve never been to a teppanyaki restaurant. You’ve never had shiitake mushrooms. You came out to dinner with me in a pencil skirt and silk blouse …”

“What’s wrong with my clothes?” Leila asked, a little surprised he knew what a pencil skirt was.

“Nothing. I think you look great, but next time …”

“Next time?”

He grinned. “Next time, I think you might want to wear something a little more casual. I’m not much for sitting around discussing stocks or weather trends.”

“What about the cost of healthcare?” Leila teased.

“Certainly not. I don’t believe in getting sick.” Luke leaned back, but only slightly. “Back to what I was saying, there are too many things you have never tried, Leila. You need to get out more. With me particularly.”

“With you?”

“I’m the perfect choice.”

Leila laughed before she could think better of it. A flash of worry that she had just offended him made her choke back her laughter until she realized Luke was still grinning at her. “I’m sorry,” Leila said through lingering giggles. Luke waved her off.

“I can understand your doubt, but this date isn’t over yet. I’ll convince you yet.”

“What exactly are you going to convince me of, that you’re the perfect guy?”

Luke waggled a finger at her. “That’s not what I said. Perfection doesn’t interest me. Too boring. What I said was that I was the perfect choice to introduce you to all the aspects of life you’ve been missing.”

“And why would you be the perfect person to do that?” Leila asked.

“How many countries have you been to?”

It seemed like a random question, but Leila answered anyway. “Two. I went to Canada once with a girlfriend in college.”

“Nine,” Luke countered. “Where did you spend Christmas last year?”

“Back home with my dad and brother in Michigan. You?”

“Skiing in Vail with my sister and her family. Best vacation?”

“Florida Keys.”

“South Africa on a wildlife shoot,” Luke said. “Hobbies?”

“Does work count?”

“No. Mine are swimming and scuba diving, rock climbing, basketball, working on my motorcycle and riding when it’s actually running, and a few other things. Strangest place you’ve ever woken up?”

Leila hesitated, debated lying, and settled for the truth sans background story. “The hospital.”

“Hmm,” Luke said, “I’d like to hear what led to that sometime.”

“What about you?”

“Center field of a baseball stadium.”

“I bet there’s a story behind that one,” Leila said.

Luke grinned. His arm slid from around her shoulder, but his hand managed to end up slipped around hers. “Oh, there’s always a story, Leila.”

“Okay, I’ve got one. Craziest thing you’ve ever done.”

The smile that broke out on Luke’s face instantly worried her. “Climbing to the top of the water tower in my hometown when I was fifteen with no rope or equipment. My mom almost had a heart attack and the sheriff arrested me. He made me clean trash off the side of the road for a whole summer. How about you?”

Leila shook her head. “I’m beginning to think that would be agreeing to go on a date with you.”

Laughing, Luke said, “You have no idea.”

“Not exactly what I was hoping to hear.”

“Crazy can be good. Believe me, I’ll change your mind soon enough.”

“We’ll see about that,” Leila said, though she was secretly hoping he would do his best. Her life could use a little crazy. The good kind, not the yelling at the print shop kind. She had enough of that on a daily basis.

As they had been asking and answering questions, they had somehow managed to finish their meal. Leila was surprised when Luke stood and held out his hand for hers. It seemed a little forward, but she was feeling adventurous so she took it. He pulled her away from the table and against his side like he was Fred Astaire, ready to leap into an impromptu dance number. Leila couldn’t help smiling at his antics. She hadn’t once worried about what she said or did. He was so easy to be around.

“Did you enjoy dinner?” Luke asked.

“Yes, it was wonderful. Miso-free, that’s my kind of Japanese cuisine.”

Luke eyed her with a confused expression. “Miso free?”

“Never mind,” Leila said quickly, not wanting to bring Eli up, or try to explain how she knew him.

“No, no, no,” Luke said, pulling her to a stop in the middle of the dining room. “Explain.”

She tried to pull away, but he wasn’t having it. “Fine,” she said. “I went on a date with this guy, at a nice restaurant, and I had no idea what anything was on the menu. I ended up ordering pretty much at random and found myself starring at a seafood entrée with miso sauce. It was horrible. I was so embarrassed because my date knew I hated it.”

Luke stared at her wide-eyed, clearly mocking. “You don’t like miso? How can you say that standing in a Japanese restaurant? It’s practically sacrilegious!”

“Um, sorry?”

Leila’s honest apology cracked Luke up. He laughed as he finally resumed leading her out of the restaurant, all the while giving her a detailed explanation of the merits of miso. It was all in vain. Leila was never going to let the horrible sauce come within ten feet of her mouth. When they reached Luke’s car, he admitted defeat and promised to never try to offer miso to her. Satisfied, Leila began her reluctant goodbye. Luke’s response surprised her.

“You didn’t think you were getting rid of me that easily, did you?”

“I wasn’t trying to get rid of you,” Leila insisted, “just say goodbye … until next time.”

The mention of next time lit Luke’s face. “Oh, there’ll definitely be a next time, but this time isn’t over yet. It’s only ten o’clock. If we hurry we can still make the late show.”

“The late show of what?”

“Have you ever been to the Indie Lux Theater?” Luke asked. Leila shook her head. “Somehow I knew you hadn’t. Come on, let’s go.”

Luke opened the passenger’s door for her. It was sweet that he bothered to open her door, but Leila said, “My car’s across the street.”

“I know, but it’ll be safer if we leave it here.”

“Safer?” Leila hated how squeaky her voice suddenly sounded.

“The theater is over by the university, which isn’t the best neighborhood in the city.”

“It’s not?” Leila had never been to the University of Chicago, but the pictures she had seen of it were beautiful.

Luke stared at her incredulously. “How long have you lived here?”

“Three years.”

“And you’ve never been in that part of town?”

She shook her head. “I’ve never had any reason to. I live and work near Holstein Park. I don’t know very many people here yet, either.”

“Well, the university is the best part of that neighborhood. The rest can be a little scary, especially at night.”

“So why do you want to go there?” Leila asked.

“Because this theater has the best independent movies in the city. They’re showing this one called Grey Room Wishes that I’ve heard is amazing.”

Luke truly looked excited. It was almost as powerful of an expression as the puppy dog one he had thrown at her the night they met. Even still, when Luke asked her if she wanted to call it a night instead of seeing the movie she couldn’t tell him no. She was more than a little worried about venturing into a bad neighborhood with someone she hardly knew, but Luke’s eagerness and confidence gave her courage.

When they reached the theater, she relaxed a little more. The entrance was well lit and there weren’t any creepy looking vagrants or drug dealers like she had feared. It turned out Leila had more to fear inside the theater in the form of a disturbing yet riveting tale of a woman driven mad after falling asleep at the wheel and killing her daughter when she crashed. Leila was appalled by the woman’s raving and self-mutilation. It was frightening to watch her decent into madness, but Leila couldn’t pull her eyes away from the screen, either.

Two hours later when they were sitting in a cozy diner eating ice cream, Luke asked her what she thought of the film. “Well, it was definitely one I won’t forget anytime soon.”

“Does that mean you liked it, or not?”

Eli’s voice sounded in her head. Be honest. Leila tried to shush him, but he got louder the harder she tried. Finally, she gave in and told Luke the truth. “It was an amazing portrait of a woman’s suffering. I thought the director and actress did a great job … but it’s not really the kind of movie I like to watch. If I’m going to see a movie or play, I’d rather see something that makes me feel good or laugh. There are enough reminders of how crappy life can be just walking down the street. I’d rather not get more of that for entertainment.”

Leila held her breath. What if Luke didn’t appreciate her honesty? What her lack of interest in his preferred movie genre was a deal breaker? Leila really liked Luke. She knew Eli’s advice was good, but if it drove Luke away she was going to let him have it. When her lungs felt like they were about to burst, Luke finally responded.

“I can understand that.” He nodded, no hint of irritation in his expression at all. “What kind of movies do you like? For future reference.”

Breathing out slow, Leila smiled. “You’re going to laugh.”

“I might,” Luke said. “I’m not making any promises.”

“Old time black and whites. I absolutely adore Bing Crosby. Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is my all-time favorite movie, but Holiday Inn is a close second.”

“Really?”

Leila nodded.

“I wouldn’t have guessed that about you. You have such a serious air to you. Who knew you’re a closet romantic?” Luke said with a smile.

“I know, it’s really dorky, but my parents both worked a lot growing up, so we spent most afternoons at my grandma’s house. All she had were the classics, so that’s what I learned to love.” Leila pushed her empty ice cream dish away and leaned against the back of the booth. “I know the world was never as clean cut and perfect as those shows made it out to be, but it’s nice to believe that for a while. Doesn’t that make me about the biggest nerd you’ve ever met?”

“Absolutely not,” Luke said, “but it does make you the cutest.”

Leila thought he might have been teasing her at first, but the way he slid his fingers around her hand and looked at her made it plain that he wasn’t. “You know,” he said, “I know a great old theater that plays the classics on Sunday mornings.”

“How do you find these places?”

Luke stood, pulling Leila along with him. “Oh, I dabbled in film before deciding to stick with photography. I learned about a lot of these hidden little theaters in college, and I still have some friends in film that keep me up to date.”

“That’s great. I haven’t done a very good job of keeping in touch with my college friends.”

“Well, it helps that most of mine are still around here, and in and out of work often enough that they have plenty of free time to explore. They keep me supplied with cool new hangouts, and occasionally bum money from me, but I see it as a fair trade. Most of the time, anyway.”

They talked about Luke’s college years, as well as Leila’s, as they drove back to her car. The street was naked of any other cars when Luke pulled up behind Leila’s Jetta. The dashboard clock read just after one a.m. It was probably the longest date Leila had ever been on, but it was undoubtedly the best, as well. She didn’t want to get out, but lingering too long might give Luke the wrong impression.

“Thank you for tonight, Luke. I had a great time.”

“Thank you for saying yes to this date, and hopefully the next one.”

“The next one? Are you sure?”

He had hinted at a second date several times, but it was hard to believe he really wanted to see her again. Most of her dates ended with something like thanks for saving them from having to go alone, or a polite goodbye with their only lingering interest being work related. She once ended a date with the guy reminding her to send him the invoice he had been waiting for as soon as she got home. If that was all he’d wanted from her he could have just called her. Leila understood the reasons behind her question, but Luke didn’t. He eyed her in confusion.

“You had fun tonight, right?”

She nodded.

“So did I. So why wouldn’t I want to see you again?” he asked.

“Guys usually don’t,” she said with a shrug that did its best to hide her hurt.

Instead of asking why other men didn’t want to date Leila like she feared he would, Luke simply said, “Well I do want to see you again. I want to see you Tuesday for lunch, if you aren’t busy.”

“Tuesday?” she asked. He seemed serious, but see was still leery. Eli’s advice was good, but Leila knew they were only cosmetic fixes. There must have been a deeper reason men didn’t find Leila irresistible that Eli missed.

“Yeah, Tuesday. I know it’s kind of random, but I’m going out of town Wednesday for a couple of weeks on assignment for the paper.”

And there it was. He said he wanted to see her again, but just in case he changed his mind he already had an excuse built in. Still, Leila had fun with Luke. If he was willing to give her one more chance, she was willing to risk disappointed to see him one more time. Maybe Eli could give her a few more pointers to help her avoid sitting by her phone two weeks from now waiting for a call that would never come. Eli had helped her get this far, he could hopefully take her a little farther.

“Tuesday sounds great,” Leila said. “I guess I’ll see you then.”

Leila reached for her door. When Luke moved to open his door as well, Leila spoke before thinking. “Oh, you don’t have to get out. My car’s only ten feet away.”

“I am definitely walking you to your car, but that’s not the only reason I’m getting out. I have something for you.”

Before Leila could question him, he was out, heading toward the trunk, for some reason. Fear as much as curiosity pulled Leila from the car. Her fear wasn’t strong, she felt little threat from Luke, but his adventurous nature made her nervous about any kind of surprise he might have in store for her. As Luke worked at the trunk, Leila walked to her car, keys at the ready. It was several long minutes before Luke finally closed his trunk and headed toward Leila with his hands behind his back. When Leila backed up against her car, he laughed.

“Do I make you nervous?” he asked.

“Only sometimes,” Leila laughed.

He reached her quickly, but didn’t reveal his surprise. He moved in close to her. Like the night they met, Leila was instantly drenched in the conflicting emotions of anxiety and desire.

“I’m not going to bite,” Luke reassured her.

“Is whatever’s behind your back going to?”

“Would you like to find out?”

“Um, I’m not sure.”

Luke laughed and took a step back. In the dark, all Leila could see as he pulled the surprise from behind his back was a dark rectangular shape. It wasn’t until he flipped the rectangle around that she realized it was a picture frame. Even more surprising were the three expertly matted portraits of her. They were the pictures he took the night they met. Leila had loved them when she saw them on the LDC viewer of his camera, but Luke’s talent was even more finely displayed in print.

“This is for you,” Luke said, “and I hope it shows you that I really do want to keep seeing you. How could I not want to spend as much time as possible with someone so beautiful, fascinating, and sweet as the girl in these photos?”

“Your talent is what makes these pictures, not me.” She wasn’t being modest. Leila looked awful in those photos. Only Luke knowing the exact moment to capture her made them so outstanding.

“Hmm, we definitely need to keep seeing each other so I can convince you of how fantastic you are.”

Leila took the picture frame from him and said, “You have your work cut out for you, I’m afraid.”

He smiled, but this time it was less playful and more serious. “I do love a challenge.”

Chapter 9

Stressor

Leila’s first thought when she woke up late the next morning was of Eli. She wanted to tell him everything about her date with Luke the night before. She reached for her cell phone, but it wasn’t on her nightstand as usual. Pushing back her wild shock of hair, she searched around her bed for the missing phone. It wasn’t there. Leila groaned. She must have dropped it somewhere. Forcing herself out of bed, she started wandering through her apartment.

She found the phone under her couch. It must have fallen when she collapsed there after getting home. The late hour hadn’t bothered her much, especially after so many long hours getting ready for Ana’s show. Luke’s gift had kept her sitting on the couch for quite a while. In the end, she had set the frame reverently on her mantle and gone to bed in a happy haze.

Dialing Eli’s number after retrieving the phone took only seconds, despite Leila’s groggy state. His chipper voice greeting her did wonders to improve her mood.

“Hey, Eli. You sound very alert and energetic.”

“You sound quite the opposite.”

“Thanks.” She yawned, muffling the phone too late to hide it. “Got to bed kind of late last night.”

“Really,” Eli said, his voice flat. The disapproval in his voice was clear.

Leila wasn’t even sure how to classify her relationship with Eli, but his opinion of her meant more to her than just about anyone else’s. She hurried to explain, but found that harder than she expected. “I didn’t … I mean …”

Why was it so hard for her to say she didn’t sleep with Luke? She trusted Eli. She knew that despite his occasional odd behavior, he was her mentor, basically, and so far out of her realm of possibilities that discussing her sex life with him shouldn’t have been embarrassing in the least. For some reason, she couldn’t force the words from her mouth.

Luckily for her, Eli seemed to have gotten the message from her sputtering. “You’re calling me from your apartment, not Luke’s. Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” he said. He sounded relieved, which made Leila smile. It was sweet that he worried about her.

“So, do you want to hear about last night?”

“Not over the phone.” Rustling carried over the line, making Leila wonder what he was doing. And what he meant by not over the phone. “You caught me just as I was about to head out for a run. Why don’t you join me? We can talk about your date as we run.”

“Run?” The horrified tone of her voice made giving any further opinion on the matter unneeded.

“Yes, run. Meet me at Holstein Park in fifteen minutes. We’ll start there and see how it goes.”

“But …”

“See you in a few minutes.”

The line went dead after that. He did that on purpose, Leila thought, so I wouldn’t have a chance to say no. If she wanted to discuss Luke with him, she had no other option than to meet him. The good mood Eli had inspired just a few minutes ago evaporated. Leila did not enjoy running. She really didn’t like working out in any form. If she hadn’t been blessed with good genetics and a high metabolism, she would most likely weigh twice what she did. Leila planned on letting Eli know exactly how much she appreciated being forced into running with him.

After digging out a pair of leggings and sport top, and grabbing a bagel to munch on, Leila headed out to meet Eli with a scowl. She only lived two blocks from the park her neighborhood had been named for, so it was a short walk. As her rarely used sneakers trudged along the sidewalk, she wondered where Eli lived. She doubted it was Holstein Park. Her neighborhood was nice, but not high-priced-psychiatrist nice. Surely Eli hadn’t been planning on running there before getting her call. No doubt he realized that if she had to go much farther than two blocks to meet him it wasn’t going to happen and Eli had given her a break.

When Leila reached the park, Eli was already there. He glanced at his watch just to be irritating. “You’re not the most cheerful person in the morning, are you?”

“I’m perfectly cheerful when people don’t try to make me run right after I wake up.”

“I didn’t make you do anything.” His satisfied smirk deepened her scowl. “You wanted to talk, I wanted to run.”

“No more free advice, huh? Now I’ve got to trade for it?”

“It’s called compromising, Leila, and it’s the key to any healthy relationship.”

Relationship. That single word brought up her earlier musings, making her wonder again exactly what Eli was to her. Was this merely an extension of their business arrangement? Were they friends? She wasn’t sure. Whatever they had, Eli didn’t seem to be plagued with a need to define it like she did. He checked his laces and started jogging in place.

“Are you ready to go?”

Leila grunted in disgust. “I guess.”

Eli shook his head at her and took off. Maybe he considered it a slow jog, but Leila certainly didn’t. “Hold up, Speed Racer!”

He looked back and held up his hands in mocking disbelief. Leila trotted up next to him and he eyed her critically. “I was barely jogging. You’ve got to be able to keep up with that, at least. You’re fit. If you can’t keep up with me, I’d seriously consider getting a new trainer.”

“New trainer,” Leila scoffed, “I’d have to have a trainer to start with. I’d have to actually exercise first.”

“Oh, come on, you must work out. You have a great figure. You can’t honestly tell me you don’t do anything.”

“Sorry. Ana’s tried to get me to try whatever Zumba is, but it sounds dreadful.”

“Other women must hate you,” Eli said as he started jogging again.

Leila was forced to follow him, but his comment made her laugh. “I make a point of not telling many people about my lack of physical activity.”

“Good choice.”

For a few minutes, neither of them spoke. Leila’s reasoning was that she was struggling to figure out how to talk and run at the same time without feeling like she was suffocating. Thin or not, she was not in good shape. Her muscles started to protest after only ten minutes. When they reached an intersection they were forced to pause while they waited for the light to change. Leila had stumbled to a stop when they reached the light, but Eli barked at her to keep jogging in place. Really, he said it very nicely, trying to help her in her dismal attempt at running, but to her it sounded like her old high school gym teacher.

Leila felt a trickle of sweat slide down her spine. Eli still looked fresh, not even winded. Her self-worth would have taken a huge hit it Eli hadn’t been so incredibly supportive. He told her that keeping her muscles working while they waited would help her not cramp up. When the light changed it actually felt better to run again. But only for about six blocks. Then a sharp pain in her side showed her true inner wimp.

“Ow, ow, ow.” She grabbed at Eli’s arm and jerked him to a stop.

“Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah, I think.” She winced, doubling over in an attempt to alleviate the ache. Eli squatted down in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. Gently, he pushed her up to face him. “What’s wrong?”

“My side is killing me. Is that normal?”

“Does it feel like someone is stabbing you in the gut?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Any other symptoms?”

Symptoms. That almost made Leila giggle. He sounded like a doctor taking care of a patient. He went through medical school, so no doubt he could truly tell her if something was wrong. It seemed funny to her for some reason, though. It probably had to do with her confusion about her relationship with Eli. She knew she didn’t want to add doctor-patient to the mix. When Eli pressed his hand gently against her abdomen, visions of a completely different type of relationship danced in her mind. It was a challenge, but she pushed those kind of foolish notions away and answered him.

“Other than my side, I’m fine.”

“Good.”

She eyed him skeptically. “Good?”

“Just a normal cramp. Happens to everyone.”

“Do you ever get them?”

“I used to,” he said, “back when I was about fourteen, first year I joined the track team. My entire body felt like one big cramp for about three weeks straight.”

“That’s fabulous,” Leila snarled.

Eli chuckled at her. “Why don’t we walk for a while?”

“Sounds heavenly. Lead on.”

He moved forward at a much more sedate pace. Leila had to keep her fingers pinched into her side for several more blocks before the cramp started to ease.

“So, tell me about last night,” Eli said.

Leila forgot her side altogether. “Oh, Eli, it was so great. I haven’t had that much fun in a while. Luke is so different from other guys I’ve dated. For once, I felt like I was the reason instead of the excuse.”

“That’s great, Leila.” Sometimes she could see something unreadable hiding behind Eli’s smiles, but this wasn’t one of those times. He honestly looked pleased that she had enjoyed herself. “What made this date different for you?” he asked.

“Well, for one, there was nothing behind Luke asking me out. Part of me had worried because I met him through work and he was trying to get a contract with Ana to shoot her catalog and website photos …”

She paused when Eli’s expression turned skeptical. It sounded even worse when she voiced her concerns out loud. Leila had realized her fears were unfounded, though, and tried to tell Eli that.

“But there wasn’t anything like that. He met with Ana and I earlier in the week, like I told you, and his work was so good he didn’t need to try and cajole a job out of Ana. She was more than happy to hire him. And when we were out last night, he didn’t mention work once.”

“What did you two talk about then?”

Leila laughed. “Everything. Food, movies, past relationships, stupid things we’ve done. It felt like talking to a friend. It was nice.”

“Good, so you were able to learn about some of his interests, right?”

“Yes. I even asked him questions.”

“And what did you learn?”

Leila bit back a smile. “That he’s a bit of a daredevil, that he almost became a filmmaker instead of a photographer, that he likes to ski, and that he loves miso.”

“Oh no,” Eli laughed, “that might hold up the entire relationship.”

“No, no, he promised never to try to feed it to me. I nipped that one in the bud right away.”

“Good for you. Miso is frequently a relationship stressor.”

Leila flicked her hand against his shoulder. “Shut up.”

Instead of giving her another snappy comeback, Eli looked away. “Seriously, though, there are some things about Luke that could produce stressful situations for you. For example—and I mean this in the nicest way possible—you, Leila, are not a daredevil. You are cautious and careful. Luke’s love for adventure could push you into situations you aren’t comfortable with. How are you going to handle that?”

Leila thought about how she had pressed herself against her car in fear when Luke brought the picture frame to her. Eli was right. Surprises, spontaneity, risk—they scared her. She would never climb to the top of a water tower. She never even would have gone to the little indie theater without Luke there to protect her. Eli had been right when he called Leila out on being the “go to” girl when it came to dating. She became that person because it was safer than putting herself out there and risking real hurt in order to find something truly great.

“Well,” Leila said slowly, “I’ll guess I’ll have to compromise a little. Some of the things he likes to do I could theoretically talk myself into trying, and when he wants to do something I’m really not comfortable with I’ll just have to be honest.”

“Which you’ve previously pointed out isn’t that easy.”

Sighing, Leila watched her shoes as they plodded along the path. “I know, but I’m getting better at it thanks to you. I was honest with Luke last night.”

“Really?”

“Try not to sound too shocked,” Leila said drily. “We saw a movie after dinner, and when he asked me what I thought about it, I told him the truth. I told him that while it was beautifully done, I’d rather watch Audrey Hepburn throw slippers at Professor Higgins.”

“My Fair Lady,” Eli said with a chuckle. “I’m more partial to Charade, personally.”

“Oh, I love Charade, and Sabrina.”

“What did Luke say about your movie preferences?”

Leila ducked her head to hide a girlish blush. She wasn’t totally sure why, but she didn’t want Eli to see how much Luke’s consideration had touched her. “He said he knew of a theater that showed black and whites on Sunday mornings.”

“How nice,” Eli said. The way he said it sounded like he didn’t actually think it was all that nice. That made Leila wonder, but Eli shook it off quickly. “So, are you going to see him again?”

“Tuesday before he leaves.”

“Leaves?”

“The paper is sending him on assignment for a few weeks.”

Eli grinned. “Good.”

“Huh?”

“How’s your side feeling?” he asked.

“Fine, I guess.”

Motioning for her to pick up the pace, Eli broke back into a jog. Not wanting to be left behind, not to mention curious, Leila joined him. Her muscles didn’t appreciate her curiosity very much. She ignored them and pushed forward.

“Look, Leila, I’m glad you had a good time with Luke, but I’ve been thinking. You need to get out more.”

Leila’s nose crinkled. “Luke said the same thing.”

“Well, he’s right. You can’t settle for the first person you meet after revamping your dating techniques. You need to meet more people, people you don’t work with.”

“When? Where?” she demanded. “I don’t have a lot of time to socialize, especially lately. The show’s over, but now I’m up to my eyeballs in marketing the new line, pushing extra hard since Ana was forced to reveal so late in the season. And I have even less desire than time to waste time hanging out in bars with sleazy guys looking for a one night stand.”

Now Eli was the one scowling. “I was not suggesting you troll bars or indulge in meaningless sex. When I say meet people, I mean quality people. People you actually have a chance of having a meaningful relationship with.”

Having lived in the city for three years, Leila should have known where to go to meet the kind of people Eli was talking about. But if it didn’t have something to do with work, there wasn’t much of a chance Leila knew about it. It was more fear, but she felt like this time, at least, it was legitimate fear. Jaunting off to places she didn’t know well all by herself did not sound like a good idea.

“Eli, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Why can’t I just go out with Luke again?”

“Because Luke is not the only man in this city who thinks you are gorgeous and intelligent and worthwhile. You need to experience life and love, Leila, and not on a small scale. You deserve better than that.”

Did he really mean that? Leila wondered. Did he think she was gorgeous and smart and worth a man’s time? She hoped he did. She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she really, really hoped he saw her as more than a shrewish marketing manager whose most notable accomplishment outside of school or career was keeping the same two goldfish alive since her senior year in high school.

“I will teach you how to meet people, how about that?” Eli said.

“What?”

“I’m going out with some friends this week. Why don’t you come along? You’ll get a chance to see some of Chicago’s nicer clubs, and meet some people who aren’t going to try and buy you too many drinks in the hopes that you’ll be too drunk to say no.”

“You want me to go out with you and your friends?” Leila asked.

“Sure. Luke’s out of town anyway, and it’s not like you’re an exclusive couple after one date, so why not? It’ll give you a chance to see if Luke is really what you’re looking for, too.”

Leila considered what he was suggesting. It was more than a little intimidating to think of hanging out with people in Eli’s circle. No doubt they were all sophisticated and charming like he was. She would stand out like plaid at a black tie event. But as much as Leila liked Luke, she knew it was a bit foolish to dive into a relationship with him at this point. Besides, it might give her the chance to learn a little more about Eli.

“Um, okay, but only if you’re sure. I don’t want to crash a night out with your friends.”

“Not at all.”

Eli took a right, and Leila prayed that meant they were heading back to the park. The rest of their run was relatively quiet. Eli kept the pace at a manageable level, but Leila was still panting and feeling generally miserable by the time they made it back to where they had started. She tried to puddle on the bench, but again Eli yanked her up to stretch out. The stretching eased a few of her most immediate aches. The majority of her muscles were still pretty upset with her. She was going to feel their agony tomorrow.

“Well, thanks for the advice, and the torture,” Leila said. “I think I’m going to go take a bath, a long hot bath.”

“That would probably be a good idea.”

A short, listless wave was her goodbye. Leila turned in the direction of her apartment, but Eli caught her arm. “I think you’re forgetting something, Leila.”

She looked around, confused. Eli grinned.

“I kept my part of the bargain last night. I want the Mary Poppins purse.”

“Oh, for crying out loud! Are you serious? What on earth are you going to do with a sequin purse?”

“Hey, a deal is a deal. I at least want to see it, make sure you aren’t suffocating any small reptiles.”

“Are turtles reptiles? I thought they were amphibians or something.”

“Turtle biology wasn’t covered in your marketing degree?” Eli shook his head. “Disgraceful. Turtles are indeed reptiles, I had one when I was six.”

Leila started walking away from her running partner-slash-encyclopedia. Over her shoulder she called, “Well, you better come with me, then, because I’m not walking all the back to my apartment then all the way back out here just to prove I’m not hiding lamps or animals in my purse.”

Leila was attempting to give him a little taste of the medicine he doled out to her this morning. Like her, Eli followed because he had no choice. Unlike Leila, Eli’s triumphant smile said he had gotten exactly what he’d wanted.

Chapter 10

Jealousy

Eli waited a few seconds before catching up with Leila. He couldn’t help it. Watching her walk away from him in her running clothes was too tempting of a sight to pass up. Even though she was walking proof that a trim, attractive body did not equate good fitness, Eli thought she was amazingly beautiful. Not even her exhausted droop took away from her appeal. When Eli caught up with her, he slung his arm around her shoulder. He thought she might need a little support.

“You did pretty good today.”

“Ha!”

“No, I mean it. When you told me you didn’t work out I thought we’d be turning back a lot sooner. Do you know how far you ran today?”

“It felt like a thousand miles,” Leila said as she opened her apartment complex door, “but it was probably a lot less. Half a mile?”

“Mile and a half, actually.”

Leila paused and looked back at him. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. I said you did pretty well.”

“Huh,” Leila said.

Going up the stairs with his arm around Leila was going to be awkward, in more ways than one most likely, so he let his arm fall away as they approached the stairs. He thought Leila paused for a moment when their contact ended, but he wasn’t sure. She was probably just tired. The climb up the three flights to Leila’s apartment probably only took her a few minutes usually, but after the workout Eli had put her through, she took her time. When they finally made it up the stairs, Leila walked in, leaving the door open for Eli to close behind him.

He walked in and closed the door as he watched Leila rummage around in her living room. As cute as she was crawling around between her couch and coffee table, Eli was more interested in his surroundings. The questionnaire he’d had her fill out before their first date held a lot of clues about who she was and how she lived, but it gave him nothing compared being in her home.

It was so different from what he had expected. Leila was adorable, but often negative and borderline depressing. One of the questions asked what the most useful invention in the last decade was. Her answer had been technology that let her keep up with people’s lives without actually having to see or talk to them. She seemed capable of finding the dark side to every situation. So the bright yellow walls of her apartment paired with a variety of fresh, silk, and painted flowers seemed a strange sight to Eli. Even though Leila had mentioned her love of old movies, the full-size movie posters featuring Grace Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, and all her other favorites posed in classic coy or romantic postures seemed contradictory to much of what he knew of Leila.

Eli had believed the answers to his carefully thought out questions would reveal the most basic inner workings of a person’s relationship troubles. His first date with her had shown him how conceited his beliefs were for the first time. Stepping into her apartment had somehow done it all over again. Leila was more complicated than a two page questionnaire could handle.

Leila was still searching her apartment for the purse, so Eli took advantage of her preoccupied state to investigate who exactly Leila Sparro was. He started at the photographs on the wall opposite the front door. A man who looked to be in his early thirties sat posed with a lovely woman and two small children. His resemblance to Leila marked him as her only brother. Their smiling faces were the center of the display. Around her brother’s picture were smaller frames that held pictures of Leila with her nieces, her father, her mother who had died when Leila was sixteen, and Leila and her brother at a baseball game with their father.

Thinking like a psychiatrist, Eli could say that Leila’s placement of the photos so they were the first thing anyone saw when they came into her room showed the importance of family to her. The brother’s family taking center place was an example of what she wanted: a happy marriage with smiling children. The picture of a teenage Leila with her mother placed below eye level didn’t mean she wasn’t close with her mother, but that thinking of her death was still painful. He could see things he had been trained to pick out. Did that make them true, though? Leila was hardly a textbook case.

He moved on to the living room. Leila had disappeared somewhere else, so he browsed the bookshelves on either side of her mounted plasma TV. Dozens of classic movies adorned the first two shelves, followed by CDs, and then books. Leila’s music collection was as paradoxical as she was. Everything from Michael Franti singing “The Sound of Sunshine” to Enya’s soulful celtic voice adorned her bookcase with a sprinkling of artists like the Beastie Boys and Airborne Toxic Event thrown in as well. Her choices in books were interesting as well. College textbooks that looked very well used were on the bottom shelves, while classic literature was mixed in with an impressive collection of fantasy novels.

Eli refrained from making any analysis of her entertainment preferences, but when he noticed several thick, colorful binders stacked under the coffee table, his curiosity was too much to ignore. He glanced around the apartment, and after not seeing Leila anywhere in the vicinity, he pulled out the top folder. Bright blue with white flowers, it had caught his eye immediately. The binder was an odd size, large and perfectly square. He didn’t realize until he opened it that it was a special type of binder. It was a scrapbook.

On their date, Leila had been very critical of her own artistic abilities. Either she had been lying—which he doubted—or she didn’t consider what filled the notebook to be art. Eli stared at the page. Pictures of what looked to be one of her nieces’ birthday parties were expertly arranged on the page. Party themed paper lay beneath the pictures with accents of birthday cakes, party hats, and streamers decorating the pages. The edges of each element had no trace of being stamped out by a machine. Leila had crafted each one by hand.

As much as he wanted to, Eli didn’t look through the rest of the scrapbook. He did, however, open the other scrapbooks just to make sure that was what they all were. He had looked at two others, picked up a third one, and realized it was different from the first three. There were no photographs in this binder, only clothes. Different types of papers with a variety of textures and patterns had been cut up into pieces and fit together to make fascinating clothing designs. They were beautiful.

“What are you doing?” Leila demanded.

The binder slapped against the coffee table when Eli dropped it. He stared back at her, fumbling for something to say. “Sorry, I … I didn’t mean … I just noticed …”

His complete inability to speak softened Leila’s irritation. Somewhat. His blundering surprised Eli completely. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so off balance. He couldn’t come up with a single time he had gotten so flustered by a woman. All he could do was stare at her, knowing his face was slowly going red. Even worse was that she seemed to be enjoying his discomfort.

Blue sequin flew at his chest. Only reflex brought his hands up in time to keep it from falling to the floor. It was enough to let him break eye contact with Leila. He sighed in relief.

“That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? Not to snoop through my things?” Leila’s voice had an edge to it that finally broke through Eli’s muddled brain. He stood up and faced her.

“Leila, I’m sorry. I was curious why you had so many binders under your coffee table. I picked on up just to see what they were. I promise I didn’t snoop through them.”

Leila eyed the one on the coffee that he had dropped. It was clearly open to the middle of the notebook. Eli cringed. “Except that one. I couldn’t help looking through it.”

“Why? Those are private, Eli. I didn’t think I’d have to worry about that with you, given all your oaths to secrecy with your work and patients. Why did you even pick one up? You had no right to look through my things.” The pink in her cheeks rose with every sentence.

Eli was itching to pull her into his arms, hold her until she forgave him. He shoved his hands in his pockets instead and stared at his feet. “I’m so sorry, Leila. I wasn’t trying to be a creep. I’m just so curious about you. I can’t figure you out.”

Leila took a step back, turning away as she did. When she spoke, Eli had never heard such a bitter edge to her voice before. “You mean you can’t figure out what’s wrong with me.”

She turned toward him, but not enough to actually face him. “Is that why you’ve let me call you, why you want to hang out with me? It bugs you that you couldn’t pinpoint my problem and you want to keep poking at me until you figure it out?”

“What?”

“It’s okay if it is,” Leila said quietly. Her sudden change in tone startled him, but she didn’t give him a chance to jump in.

“I get like that about things sometimes,” she said. “I always have. But I don’t appreciate being your science project, Eli. I’m sorry if I’ve thrown a wrench in your batting average, but if that’s the only reason you’ve been hanging around, I don’t think we should be … whatever we are, anymore. You should probably just leave.”

Her hand moved—most of the gesture was blocked because she was facing away from him—but Eli recognized wiping away tears when he saw it. The purse slipped out of his hand. Where it landed, he had no idea. When his fingers lighted on her shoulder, she flinched. That simple movement killed him. He removed his hand slowly and sank down to her couch.

For once I felt like I was the reason instead of the excuse.

That was what Leila had said to him, the reason she enjoyed her date with Luke so much. The other men she had dated had only used her as a means to an end. That was exactly how she saw Eli now. He was just another man too self-absorbed to see her real worth in her eyes. Eli had his reasons for wanting to be with Leila, but using her wasn’t one of them. That had never once been motivation for him to see her. Eli had never felt like a bigger jerk in his life.

“Leila,” he said softly, “can I admit something to you?”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t tell him to get out again, either, though. Eli took a chance and kept talking.

“I have treated you differently than my other clients. I never give the women who hire me my personal phone number. I never have coffee with them after our final meeting or ask them to come and hang out with me and my friends. I give them the best advice I can, and I send them on their way.”

Eli took a deep breath. He wanted some indication from Leila that she was listening, that she didn’t hate him, or did. He begged for something from her, but she stood perfectly still. Not a muscle moved. He couldn’t even tell if she was breathing. Eli scrubbed his hand through his hair. He knew telling her how he really felt wasn’t an option, but he had to tell her something that would make her forgive him. He couldn’t bear the thought of her shutting him out of her life.

“You’re different,” he said, “but not in the way you think. I’m not here because I think there’s something wrong with you. It’s the opposite, Leila. There is nothing at all wrong with you. I don’t want to figure out your problem because there isn’t one, but I do want to get to know you.”

Finally, Leila moved. She didn’t face him, but her shoulders softened and her arms, which were wrapped around her body, stopped trying to squeeze herself in two. Eli stood and slowly walked up behind her. He stood close, too close. The heat of her body, her anger and hurt, radiated off her perfect skin. Eli wanted to press his lips against her bare shoulder. He wanted Leila more than he had wanted anything in a very long time. It was almost physically painful not to kiss her.

He leaned forward.

Leila started to turn and Eli took a quick step back. He held his breath when Leila paused halfway through her turn and stared at him. He could see the red in her eyes. If there had been even one tear on her face he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from brushing it away and giving away everything.

“Why are you really here, Eli?” Leila asked.

Because I’m falling in love with you? Part of him wanted to scream the words. Medical school had been an excellent lesson in patience and keeping his mouth shut. Eli settled for the closest thing to the truth he dared let pass his lips.

“Because you are the most interesting person I’ve met in a long time, Leila. I’ve never met anyone who could see the world as such a dark place, yet have bright yellow walls and more flowers in her apartment than a florist. I have fun talking to you, and being with you. I want …” There were so many things he wanted right then. “I want to be your friend, Leila.”

A bitter taste rose in Eli’s mouth. Never before had he found the word friend so distasteful.

Turning to face him squarely, Leila eyed Eli. “My friend?”

“Is that so strange?”

“Um, kind of.”

“Well it shouldn’t be.”

Leila bit at her bottom lip. “What do you get out of being my friend?”

“A friend in return,” Eli answered. “What more would I want?”

Eli almost kicked himself for saying it. He meant that he wasn’t trying to get anything from her, but one look at Leila’s expression told him that wasn’t how she took it. What more would Eli ever want from her than to be friends? The words almost jumped out of his mouth, a mistake telling her that friendship was the least of what he wished they could share. Eli knew he had no right to intrude on her life like that. She had met Luke, needed time to build her confidence when it came to dating, and deserved the chance to find out how amazing she was for herself. She didn’t need him to screw that up for her.

“You really want to be friends?” Leila asked, shrugging off the pain Eli had inadvertently doled out. She seemed to accept what he had said and put any emotions attached to it on a shelf somewhere in the back of her mind. Eli forced himself to do the same.

“Yeah. I want to be friends. I think the only thing you need in your life is a little more happiness.”

“And you can help me find that?” She looked doubtful. Given what Eli had just put her through, he didn’t blame her.

He smiled as genuinely as he could manage. “If running until you’re ready to puke and eating food you hate doesn’t improve your outlook on life, I don’t know what will.”

“You’re not making a very good case for yourself, you know?”

“You’ll look back and laugh one day.”

Leila crinkled her nose at him. “You’re insane.”

Eli thought she might be on to something there, but he kept his opinion to himself. “I really am sorry, Leila,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I know.” The corner of her mouth twitched, like she was trying to keep herself from crying again. “I know you wouldn’t try to hurt me, Eli. You’ve done nothing but try to help me since we met, but those books really are private. I don’t like people looking at them.”

“Why not? There great.”

“It’s embarrassing, for one, and I’m not very good at it. And …”

“And what?”

“Oh, never mind. The first two reasons are good enough.”

Eli picked the scrapbook back up, but he didn’t close it. He turned another page. “Leila, not only are you wrong about not being very good, but I have no idea why you would be embarrassed by these.”

“Oh, come on, have you met anyone else in Chicago who makes scrapbooks?” She waited for him to answer, and Eli had to shake his head. “It’s a silly hobby. Only bored woman from tiny towns in the middle of nowhere scrapbook. My roommate in college said it was like kindergarten arts and crafts for adults who never grew out of the cutting and pasting phase.”

“It is not. Look at these,” he said. “You said you weren’t artistic, but you obviously know color and design and clothes! Has Ana seen these?”

“No!” Leila gasped. “And don’t you dare think of telling her about them.”

“Why not?”

Leila looked absolutely horrified at the thought. “Why? Because she’d probably think I was secretly trying to become a designer like her! She’ll think I’m trying to cut into her business or tell her how to do her job better. Don’t even mention these to her, please.”

“Fine,” Eli said, surprised by her eruption.

“You promise?”

“Yeah, sure, I promise. I have no idea why you’re so worked up about this, but I’ll promise if it makes you feel better.”

Sighing in relief, Leila said, “It does.”

She grabbed the scrapbook out of his hands and flipped it shut. The snap of all the pages slapping against each other had an oddly final sound to it. Eli watched her carrying it off to her bedroom. His curiosity about where she was putting it was muted enough to keep him still. He’d already gotten himself into enough trouble with Leila for one day. She was back out quickly, shutting the bedroom door behind her. She stopped, then, looking decidedly unsure of what to do next. Eli supposed it was his responsibility to remedy that. He leaned down and picked up the sequin purse she had thrown at him and held it in his hand.

“You probably have stuff you need to do today,” he said. “I’ve already stolen most of your morning, so I’ll get going before I do anymore harm today.”

Relief flashed across her face, something Eli deserved, but there was some hesitation before she said, “Yeah, I guess. I kind of had fun today … earlier, I mean.”

Yeah, the last few minutes definitely had not been fun for her. Every second of the last fifteen minutes was going to haunt him either until he died, or he finally had Leila in his arms for real.

“So, what time do you want to run tomorrow?” Eli asked causally.

The sickened look that sprang onto Leila’s face made him laugh. “Tomorrow? Are you freaking kidding me?”

“You’re going to be really sore tomorrow if you don’t come running with me again.”

“I’m going to be sore regardless. Why would I want to make my pain worse?”

“If you run tomorrow, it will help loosen up your tight muscles. Eventually your body will get used to it and you’ll feel great about running,” Eli promised.

“I highly doubt that.”

Eli grinned. “Well, you won’t know if you don’t try. Besides, even you have to admit you need to work out, and doing it with a friend makes it more fun. What time?”

Leila’s arms folded across her chest. Actually, it looked more like she was hugging herself fiercely. Maybe she thought she could disappear if she folded in on herself tight enough. Eli wasn’t letting her go anywhere. He waited patiently, and she finally gave in.

“Seven?” she suggested. “I know it’s early, but if you’re really going to drag me out to run all the time it’ll have to be before I go to work. I’m usually too tired to do much of anything after work.”

“Seven sounds perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Eli turned to leave before he could say or do anything stupid. Leila’s voice stopped him before he got very far.

“Are you really taking my purse home with you?”

“Hey, a deal is a deal.” He smiled when she smirked at him.

Eli was about to leave, but was again stopped. It wasn’t something he heard this time, but something he saw. He hadn’t noticed anything behind Leila before. She captured his attention too completely for him to notice the fireplace behind her while they were arguing. This time he saw the mantle, and the picture frame setting on it. He forgot everything else and walked over to it.

The rectangular frame held three pictures, all of them Leila. Judging by the clothes strewn all over the floor, the row of vanities off to one side, and the clothes racks, Eli guessed this was after Ana’s fashion show. In one picture, Leila sat on some steps looking beat, but satisfied. Another was a full view of her standing up looking like she was ready to throttle someone. The last picture was gorgeous, but when he looked at it, a strange heat started building in his chest. Jealousy.

It wasn’t until he looked at the third photo that he realized Luke must have taken these pictures. Eli knew Leila had met Luke after the show, and that he was a photographer. Neither of those realizations had been the reason for Eli’s sudden desire to punch Luke in the mouth. It was the smile Leila wore in the photo. She looked so happy. It made Eli incredibly jealous that within minutes of meeting Leila, Luke had been able to produce such a happy, baggage-free expression. He stared at the pictures, silently wondering if he had already lost his chance with her.

Chapter 11

Assignment

Eli was a big fat liar. That had become Leila’s mantra about five minute after waking up Monday morning. Now with her work day not even halfway over, she swore at him under her breath every time she was forced to stand up. He’d promised running would work out her sore muscles. He promised her body would get used to the torture. He had been dead wrong. Her legs, her abs, her ankles, they all hurt. The next time she saw him, Leila planned on stomping on his toes really hard—if she could lift her leg high enough to even manage it.

“Hey, Leila,” Ana said as she breezed into Leila’s office. “I just saw the window banners you designed. They look fabulous. I thought the Buxton font was the way to go, but you were absolutely right about the one you designed. Writing out the new line in a font that looks like dozens of little beads looks a million times better. A customer just came in and told me how great she thought it was.”

“Glad you liked it.” Leila’s cell phone started ringing. She patted the papers all over her desk to try and find it with no luck. She finally spotted it over by her fax machine and groaned. “Ana, could you grab that for me?”

Ana crooked and eyebrow at her. “Are your legs broken?”

“No, just on fire.”

“Huh?”

Leila groaned. “Could you just grab my phone? I’ll explain in a minute.”

Ana sauntered over to the fax machine and snatched up the phone. Her face split into a grin. “Luke? If he’s calling that must mean your date with him this weekend went pretty well. That was the other thing I came in here to ask you about.”

Leila blushed and held out her hand for the phone. For a moment, she thought Ana was going to hold onto it until she told her everything. Leila held her ground. Ana finally handed it over reluctantly, but didn’t leave. She clearly wanted the details on Leila’s date. Leila reminded herself that Luke might just be calling about business and answered as professionally as she could manage with her boss’s eager eyes following her every move.

“This is Leila Sparro.”

“Hello there, Miss Leila Sparro. This is Luke Deveron. Is there a reason we’re speaking so formally?”

His humor and casual nature instantly put her at ease. She laughed. “No, I guess not.”

“Well, good. You had me worried for a minute. I thought maybe you’d changed your mind about how much fun you had with me.”

“No, of course not. I’m looking forward to lunch tomorrow.”

Ana perked up, leaning in as if that would make her get details any faster. Leila shooed her back to no avail.

“That’s actually what I was calling about,” Luke said. “Could we do lunch today instead? My departure got pushed up a day because my boss wants me to make a pit stop in New York to cover some speech. Are you too busy for lunch today?”

“Lunch today?” Leila glanced at Ana for approval. Her boss motioned for her to take the date. “No, I can meet you today.”

“Actually, I’m on your side of town. How about I pick you up in about fifteen minutes?”

“That sounds great.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon.”

The second Leila dropped the phone, Ana demanded to know everything. Knowing she only had fifteen minutes, Leila gave her the short version of her date with Luke Friday night, her run with Eli the next day, and select bits of what she and Eli talked about. She held back on the scrapbook because she knew Ana was still mad at Eli and didn’t want her to think badly about him, but she also worried about what the reason behind Ana’s animosity towards Eli was. She thought it had something to do with her, but wasn’t sure what. So she kept the recounting of her morning spent with Eli to a minimum. She guessed she had made the right choice when Ana’s first comment was about Eli and not Luke, despite her hawkish interest in him a few minutes earlier.

“So Eli actually encouraged you to go out with Luke? What did he say after you told him about your date?”

“Well, he warned me that Luke’s adventurous nature might present some problems for me … since I’m kind of boring, and all.”

“He said you were boring?” Ana asked.

“No, he said I was careful, but it’s pretty much the same thing. When I said I’d have to compromise with Luke, you know try some of the things he likes and say no when I wasn’t confortable, Eli seemed pleased. He said compromise was good.”

Ana folded her arms. “Huh, well that’s good. I’m glad he was able to help you.”

“That’s what friends are for, right?” Leila said it hoping for a reaction, and she got one.

“Friends? Is that what you two are now?”

“Yeah, that’s what Eli said anyway, that he wanted to be my friend. He even invited me to go hang out with him and a couple of his friends this weekend when Luke’s out of town.”

For some reason, that put a sour expression on Ana’s face. Leila was about to ask her what was wrong when Luke knocked on her office door. She waved him in and stood up before remembering her aching legs. She clutched at the desk and forced herself to stand up completely.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked. Ana only snorted and walked out with a quick goodbye to Luke.

Leila loved working for Ana, but lately she had become as much work to figure out as everything else about her job put together. She was almost as confusing as Eli. Leila reached for her purse and winced.

“Really, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I was recently forced to take up running. My legs are extremely sore, but I’m great otherwise. Better now that you’re here.”

Luke grinned. “How coincidental, I feel exactly the same way about seeing you.”

“Were you forced into running too?” she asked with a smile.

“No, but it has been a hectic day dealing with my travel plans, my boss, some of the writers, and everything else. I would like nothing more than to disappear with you right now,” he said.

“Sounds perfect … as long as I don’t have to walk very much.”

“Would you like me to carry you to my car?” Luke asked. He looked hopeful she would take him up on the offer.

Not that Leila didn’t dream of having her own personal white knight, she just thought it might be a little conspicuous. “Just walk slowly, if you don’t mind.”

Luke laughed. “No problem.”

The mad dash Leila usually found herself making in and out of work every day while dealing with her designers and printers was considerably slowed by her aching legs. Halfway out of the building, she almost reconsidered Luke’s offer to carry her. Then the movement actually started to feel good, her muscles loosening a very small amount. They made it to the car and Luke started driving. After a few blocks, the thought occurred to Leila that he hadn’t bothered to ask her where she wanted to go. Finding that slightly annoying, but not enough to complain, she sat back and watched the buildings and pedestrians fly by. When Luke pulled up to a park covered in huge old oak trees Leila looked over at him for an explanation.

“I’m going to spend the next two weeks eating fast food and living in a cracker box hotel room. Being outside and eating normal food is something of a ritual before going on assignment. Do you mind?” he asked.

Leila smiled. “No, of course not.”

“Maybe I should tell you first that I am a lousy cook. All I’ve got are turkey sandwiches and some chips and soda.”

“Sounds perfect,” she said.

Not fooling herself into thinking she was some kind of savant in the kitchen like Conrad seemed to be, Leila’s mom did not skimp on her domestic education. Leila could cook all the basics, and even a few more elegant dishes. She often ate out because of her busy schedule, but Leila always preferred home cooked meals when she had the opportunity.

After grabbing their picnic lunch out of the trunk, Luke came around to help Leila out of the car. She waited patiently only partially because of Eli’s advice. Mainly she just wanted to use him as a crutch. He didn’t seem to mind, keeping his arm around her waist until he found a suitable picnic spot. Leila was grateful for his foresight when he pulled a blanket out of his bag and spread it out. She had just happened to wear a skirt today and didn’t feel like having the prickly grass poke at her legs the entire meal.

“So,” Luke asked once they were settled and eating, “what are you going to do for the next two weeks while I’m gone? Aside from calling me every night and telling me about your day, that is.”

“Calling you every night, huh?”

The playful grin on his face made Leila smile. “How else am I going to keep from getting incredibly bored and depressed?”

“Read a book?” she offered, grinning back at him.

“Hmm, I doubt any book would be as interesting as you.”

Leila snorted at that. “You’re delusional. My life is pretty boring. I’m pretty boring.” Just ask Eli, she thought. Or Luke, for that matter. They were in agreement that Leila needed to up the interest factor in her life.

Finished with his sandwich, Luke laid down on his side and looked up at Leila. She had already finished her meal, so he tugged her down next to him. Their bodies were separated by the accumulated dishes and packaging of their lunches; however, their faces had ended up quite close. Leila found herself holding her breath in the face of such close proximity.

“Your life is not going to be boring over the next two weeks,” Luke said, “because I have an assignment for you.”

“An assignment?”

He nodded. “If I have to go on assignment, so do you. I think that’s fair.”

Leila chuckled at his nonsense. “By whose standard?

“That’s not important,” he said with a grin.

“Oh fine. What’s my assignment?” Leila asked.

A subtle shifting of Luke’s body brought him even closer to Leila. That twisted up mixture of fear and excitement started beading on her skin. Luke’s fingers stroked her arm from shoulder to fingertips as he said, “For every day I’m gone, you have to try something new. Then call me and tell me about it.”

“What?” Leila asked, pulling back a little. But not too far. “I don’t have time for that.”

Luke was not about to be put off. “It doesn’t have to be big. Eat somewhere new. Watch a horror movie. Whatever you want.”

“Why?”

“Because trying new things is fun,” he said casually, but then his expression turned more serious. “And because then you’ll have a reason to call me every night, something I would very much like you to do.”

“Really?” Leila squeaked.

Luke pulled her back to him. “Yes.”

Leila was pretty sure her breathing had stopped. His lips were so close to her. The intensity in his eyes was captivating. She was almost positive he wanted to kiss her. She was almost as sure that she wanted him to. There was a part of her that was terrified of him actually doing it, though. Maybe that part shone through the most, because eventually Luke sat up. Uncertain, Leila tried to follow him. She was surprised when he stopped her.

“Just relax, Leila, and give me your foot.”

“What?” she demanded.

He grinned at her startled expression. “What kind of guy would I be if I left town knowing you were in so much pain? Give me your foot so I can massage it for you.”

Leila hesitated. Was this one of those things she shouldn’t refuse because it would hurt his feelings? Leila wasn’t sure. It seemed rather intimate, but her muscles really, really hurt. Still unsure, she timidly shifted her foot into Luke’s waiting hands. He smiled warmly at her as he removed her sensible black flats. Leila’s eyes closed in pure bliss as his hands started working to take away the pain. She barely even noticed his hands moving up her leg. All she cared about was that he was taking away the awful ache.

At some point, he took her other leg and went to work. Leila was pretty sure she was in heaven. Eli might not approve of her letting Luke put his hands all over her legs—although he never went past her knees—but Leila thought that if he had a problem with it he should have offered to do it himself.

Freezing at the thought of having Eli massage her legs, she momentarily forgot about Luke. What would that be like? she wondered. Would he stop at her knees? Leila mentally slapped herself. He wouldn’t need to stop at her knees, because he’d never be the one touching her legs. Eli was a friend. Nothing else. He’d made that pretty clear. Her mind would just have to remember that.

Minutes later, Luke’s hands slid off her legs. She didn’t bother trying to stop the small whine that escaped her lips. Her displeasure at no longer having his fingers trailing across her skin made Luke smile. Lying down next to her again, Luke asked, “Are you going to accept your assignment?”

Feeling vaguely like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, she couldn’t help asking, “Will you self-destruct in five seconds if I don’t?”

Luke chuckled. “It’s very possible. I don’t like the prospect of not hearing your voice for two weeks.”

“Do you really want me to call you every night?” she asked, honestly curious.

He nodded as he drew his fingers slowly across her cheek.

“Okay,” Leila said, “but there are a lot of very small, very simple things I have never tried. This may not be nearly as interesting as you think it will be.”

“It will be interesting because it’s about you,” Luke said.

Looking for any sign that he was joking, Leila was relieved when she found none. It was a refreshing feeling to have someone want to know about her life, even if it wasn’t very interesting. She felt like that hadn’t happened in a very long time, but thoughts of Eli quickly crept in to remind her that Luke wasn’t the only one who thought she was fascinating. But Leila wasn’t sure Eli counted because she still had no idea why he wanted to be around her so much.

An alarm on Luke’s phone sounded a moment later. He groaned at having to get back to work, which made Leila smile, and helped her to her feet. On the drive back to work, Leila thought about the deal she had just made. Something new every day for two weeks. Realizing what a challenge that was going to be for her, her first thought was to call Eli and ask him for his help. He had invited her to go out with his friends, which was definitely something new for Leila. She supposed that should count for one day at least. No doubt Eli would be willing to help her, but a certain amount of guilt crept into her mind as she considered spending the two weeks Luke was gone with another man, even one who was only a friend, probably wasn’t what Luke had in mind when he proposed the assignment.

Chapter 12

Under Control

Leila’s flustered call the previous night had certainly been a surprise to Eli, but her request had been even more unusual. I need you to help me come up with something new for me to do. Quick! It had taken him a few moments to figure out what she was even asking him. He had to get the whole story about the assignment given to her by Luke before he really understood.

After Leila had explained everything, Eli had been confronted with a very odd set of emotions. Respect for Luke’s insight into what Leila needed. Jealousy that he had thought of it first. Smug satisfaction that Leila was calling him for help.

It hadn’t been hard to come up with something Leila had never done. When he suggested he take her out for sushi, the line went dead quiet. Her quiet squeak asking him if he was serious about eating raw fish made him laugh. He smiled at the memory of her trying to get up the courage to take her first bite as he checked his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The way her face had crinkled up when she finally took her first bite, only to have her eyes widen in delight a few seconds later was adorable.

The only sour part of the evening had been knowing that as soon as he dropped her off at her apartment she was going to be calling Luke to tell him all about her encounter with sushi. Eli tucked in his midnight blue dress shirt, wondering if Leila had told Luke who she ate the sushi with. In fact, it was almost all he could think about as he drove across town to her apartment. Until she opened the door wearing only a towel. Then all he could think about was how silky and gorgeous her skin looked.

“Are you going out wearing that?” Eli asked, sincerely hoping she was.

Leila giggled nervously. “I didn’t know what to wear.” She bit her lip. “I tried on everything in my closet, and I just don’t think anything is right.”

Eli tried not to picture Leila shimmying in and out of clothes. “Leila,” he chided, “you’re thinking too hard about this. Anything you wear will be fine. You would look fabulous in jeans and a t-shirt.”

“I’m not wearing jeans to meet your friends!” She sounded horrified by the thought.

Eli couldn’t help laughing, which made her glare at him. “Leila, I was wearing jeans when we went out last night. My friends wear jeans. Vance and I lived on Ramen noodles all through college. We’re no different than anyone else. You’ve got to stop thinking you’re so different from me.”

“I am different,” she stated emphatically.

“No you’re not. You’ll fit right in with my friends.”

Her expression said she thought he was nuts. Eli was forced to ignore her for the sake of meeting Vance and the others on time. “Come on, let’s pick out some clothes and get going before they think we’ve ditched out on them.”

Leila sighed dramatically. “Fine.”

When Eli walked into her bedroom a few seconds later he realized she hadn’t been kidding when she said she had tried on everything she owned. The room was littered with clothes. He turned around to look at her and only chuckled at the sight of her red face buried in her hands.

As Eli quickly assessed her clothes, he shook his head. Just about anything she owned would be perfect for tonight, but he wanted to help her be confident, so he picked out a pair of black skinny pants, mid-calf black boots, and turquoise satin tank top covered in glittery beads. When he dumped the clothes into her arms she looked dubious.

“Put them on,” he ordered. “Do you need me to pick out your bra and underwear as well, or can you handle that one on your own?”

Turning scarlet again, Leila only wrinkled her nose at him before pushing him out of her room. Eli immediately tried to find something to distract himself from thoughts of Leila dressing. He wandered over to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of cold water. While he was in there, he looked at the flower shaped magnets on her fridge that held up reminders of groceries she needed to buy or errands she had to run. There was a sink full of dishes that needed to be washed, and Eli was once again surprised by the bright cheerful colors she had chosen. Red, hot pink, lime green, fuchsia. The rubber spatulas sitting in a utensil holder were a veritable rainbow.

The click of a door being opened pulled Eli out of the kitchen. His eager steps carried him to the living room just Leila stepped out. He had picked out the clothes, but he hadn’t been prepared for the effect she would have wearing them. Every curve of her legs was expertly displayed, drawing his eyes up in sweet torture. The glittery tank top had a more generous neckline than he had originally thought. The cleavage it showed was minimal, but created a tantalizing hint of what wasn’t revealed. The color brightened Leila’s face, making her beautiful face angelic.

Leila stared back at him, waiting for some kind of comment. Eli was at a loss for what to say. The right selection of words that would allow him to compliment her without gushing about how amazing she looked simply would not come to him.

“Maybe this is too much,” Leila said. “I’ll change.”

“No,” Eli said abruptly. Leila paused, unsure. “No, you look perfect. Don’t change.”

There was a faint flash of pleasure in Leila’s eyes at his words, but it was shaken off quickly. “Let me just grab my purse then,” she said before brushing past him to snatch her handbag off the coffee table. Eli’s eyes followed her.

Holding up the little black handbag, Leila said, “Before you ask, the only thing in this is a tube of lip gloss and my credit card.”

Eli grinned and snatched it out of her hands before she could react. Belatedly, she tried to get it back, but Eli was taller than her. Holding it above his head was enough to make it impossible for her to reach the bag.

“Eli, give it back,” she whined. “That one is my favorite. You can’t have it.”

“I’m not going to keep it.”

She eyed him, clearly not convinced. “Then why did you so rudely yank it out of my hands.”

Taking a precautionary step back, Eli lowered the bag and unzipped the top. Leila’s inquisitive expression intensified, but she held back on retrieving her purse.

“The lip gloss you can keep,” Eli said, “but the credit card stays here.”

He slid it out of the little bag and set it on the mantle. He graciously handed the bag back to her with a smile. Leila was rolling her eyes. “That’s ridiculous. I’m paying for myself.”

“I’ve already explained that I refuse to let a woman pay when she’s with me.”

Leila’s eyes narrow. “Are you paying for all the girls tonight? I’m sure you mentioned at least two that were coming.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure Vance is paying for Stephanie, since she’s his girlfriend, and Leo is paying for Julie for the same reason. But if they weren’t, then yes I would pay for them too.”

Eli had no problem standing up to Leila’s scrutinizing. He meant every word of what he just said. It took a few moments, but eventually she seemed to accept that he wasn’t going to back down. She slid the zipper of her purse closed, but some other problem seemed to occur to her. The change in her expression could hardly be missed. Interpreting it, well—that was another matter.

“I thought this was a bunch of friends going out, but now it’s starting to sound like a group date.”

Eli shoved his hands in his pockets. He kept his expression even, not letting it show how much he wanted that to be true. “Not entirely,” he said. “Avery and Guy are coming too, and neither of them have dates.”

“Guy?” Leila asked.

“He’s French, but don’t hold it against him. He’s also very handsy, which he tries to blame on his culture, but it’s really not. Don’t be afraid to tell him to back off.”

Eli chuckled as Leila’s eyes widened. “Um, okay,” she said quietly.

After a quick check of the time, Eli ushered Leila out of her apartment and down to his car. After helping her into her seat, he hurried around to the driver’s side and got in. At first, he didn’t notice how quiet Leila was being, but after a few blocks the silence seemed to take on weight. One glance over at her told him something was wrong. Hating to see her frown, he knew he had to ask.

“Leila, is everything okay?”

When she looked over at him, Eli expected her to brush it off as she usually did. Her honesty surprised him, but made him proud as well when she said, “Do your friends know anything about me? Do they know how we met?”

Eli considered lying. He knew his answer might make her even more nervous. After a moment’s thought, he decided she deserved the truth, especially after being so straightforward with him. “Only Vance,” he said.

Instantly her posture tightened. “Why?”

“Because Vance is my best friend, and also because he’s my psychiatrist.”

“You have a psychiatrist?” Leila asked in surprise.

Her shock made him laugh. “It’s a standard practice,” he assured her. “Imagine having people coming to you all day with their problems and not being able to talk about it with anyone. If you didn’t have someone to talk to yourself, you’d get burnt out or go crazy.”

“You talk about me during your sessions with Vance?”

“Not everything people tell their shrinks is bad.” Eli looked over at her with a smile. “Yes, I talk about you.”

“What do you tell him?”

“I tell him how much I enjoy being with you, how you’re the only bright spot in my day sometimes. Trust me,” Eli said, patting Leila’s leg, “I never have anything bad to say about you.”

Leila’s eyes met his with one eyebrow cocked. “Yeah, sure,” she muttered under her breath.

The rest of the drive passed quietly, and soon enough Eli pulled up to the club where his friends were waiting. There was no line of people outside vying for position, which Leila seemed to think was odd. There was, however, a bouncer perched at the door to check IDs and wave them inside. Leila hesitated at the door, but Eli pressed his hand to the small of her back and pushed her along with him. He had no intention of letting her out of tonight early.

When they reached the main section of the club, Leila’s eyes took in the entire space. Eli gave her a moment to take it in and measure it against her expectations. When he felt the tension in her body begin to relax, he leaned in closer to her. “Not as scary as you were expecting, right?”

“It’s nice,” she said. “I expected blaring music and hot sweaty bodies filling every nook and cranny.”

Eli forced away any thoughts related to hot sweaty bodies. “Follow me.”

He guided Leila across the room to a circular booth were his friends were waiting. They were halfway to the table when Leila suddenly stopped and grabbed Eli’s arm. She peered up at him looking alarmed. “How are you going to introduce me?” she demanded.

Eli pondered her question for a moment, and then asked, “How do you want me to introduce you?”

The question in the place of an answer caught her off guard. Every second she was silent grated on Eli. He wanted to hear her answer. He wanted to know how she saw him. The confusion and uncertainty in her eyes when she glanced up at him was almost enough to break him. Instead, he smiled gently and said, “How about I introduce you as Leila, and leave it at that for now. If you figure out the answer to that question later, you can let me know.”

Leila looked at him quizzically, but nodded and allowed Eli to guide her the rest of the way to the table. As it turned out, they needn’t have worried about how to introduce her. As soon as they neared the table and Vance saw them, he was out of his seat. First, he clapped a hug around Eli then offered his hand to Leila. She took it graciously, though Eli could feel the tension quickly returning.

“You must be Leila,” Vance said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Still holding onto her hand, Vance pulled her over to the table. “Everyone, this is Leila, a brave new addition to our little group. She’s a friend of Eli’s, so be nice. We’d like her to stick around a while.”

Vance then introduced Leila to each member of the group while Eli stood back. He was actually grateful for his friend’s interference. As much as he wanted Leila with him, introducing her hadn’t only been a concern for Leila. He was sure that as soon as his friends heard the way he said her name, or saw the way he looked at her they would know. More than that, he didn’t want to introduce her as his friend, his pal, or even just as Leila. Vance had saved him from having to face that mountain just yet. Eli gave him a thankful nod the next time their eyes met, which Vance returned with a nod of his own.

When the introductions were done, Vance urged Leila to sit. She looked at Eli first, making sure he hadn’t disappeared. He was at her side a moment later. They sat next to each other, quite close thanks to the size of the booth and the number of people they were attempting to fit into it. Eli certainly didn’t mind, but he noticed Leila didn’t appear to be bothered, either.

“So, Leila,” Guy said with his altogether too French accent, “what do you do?”

“I’m the marketing director for St. Claire Designs.”

Stephanie gasped. “I love St. Claire’s! You’re so lucky.”

Her enthusiasm made Leila laugh. “It’s a great place to work. My boss, Ana, is wonderful. She’s the one who introduced me to Eli.”

In that instance, Leila’s body froze, and Eli knew exactly what she was thinking. She was thinking that his friends were aware of his date shark business. In her mind it was probably a straight shot assumption for Eli’s friends that she would have met him in that manner. Eli hated lying, so he did his best to tell as much truth as possible as he attempted to rescue Leila.

“Yes, Ana and I ran into each other about a month ago at Dolcini and she happened to mention Leila. She was so enthusiastic about her that I couldn’t resist being introduced,” Eli said, which was almost entirely true. Ana did mention Leila to him the last time they talked. She did praise her for her work and creativity, but along with that she mentioned Leila’s dating problems.

Stephanie broke what tension remained when she starting telling Leila how much she loved the catalog from St. Claire’s, and how gorgeous the displays were the last time she had been there. Leila accepted her praise gratefully, but her attention wasn’t wholly on Stephanie, Eli discovered when her hand reached over to his. All she did was squeeze his hand once in appreciation before letting go. Eli lost track of the conversation after that. His mind was firmly stuck on her brief touch.

“Enough about clothes,” Guy suddenly broke in. “Steph will talk about clothes and shoes all night if someone doesn’t put a stop to it. Looks like that has to be me. Leila, would you care to dance?”

His request was enough to bring Eli out of his fog. “Guy … ” he said warningly.

His friend darted a challenging glance over to him. “We came here to have fun, right? What do you say, Leila?”

“Sure, I guess,” she said, surprising more than one person at the table.

Eli knew that was his cue to stand up and let her out. Actually doing so was not very easy. His movements were stiff when he slid out of the booth and offered his hand to Leila. She took it and slid out as well, releasing him too quickly. Guy was there promptly with a brilliant grin for Leila. His was quick to grab her hand, but before he could pull her away, Eli rested his first two fingers on the crook of her elbow. It was enough to make her turn back.

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” he said in a low voice that the music drowned out for everyone else but her.

There was a nervous tension in her smile, but she said, “I came out with you to meet people, right?”

“Yes … ”

“I’ll be fine,” she said before slipping away from him.

Eli had every intention of watching Guy’s every move. Vance foiled that plan when he stepped up next to him and clapped a hand down on his shoulder. “The girls would like some drinks. Come with me,” Vance said. When Eli hesitated, Vance tightened his grip and forced him away from the image of Guy placing his hands on Leila’s hips.

When they reached the bar and put in the girls’ orders, both men leaned against the counter. Vance was the first to speak. “You didn’t tell me you were in love with her, Eli. That makes this whole stupid situation ten times worse.”

“I’m not in love with her,” he argued.

Vance only laughed, which made Eli unusually angry. The hot retort on his lips was stalled by his friend’s calming hand on his shoulder. When he spoke, all trace of humor was gone. “Eli, I’m worried about you.”

“You don’t need to be. I’m fine. I have everything under control.”

“Really?” Vance asked. “How are things with your mom?”

Eli didn’t answer.

“How many desperate women have you turned down since meeting Leila?”

Again, Eli didn’t dignify that with a response. Vance already knew Eli had only agreed to meet with three clients since going out with Leila.

“How jealous are you right now that Guy’s hands are about half an inch from Leila’s … ”

That got Eli’s attention. He was stepping away from the bar before Vance could finish his sentence, only to be yanked back a second later. Eli’s growl did nothing to loosen his friend’s grip. Vance held him tightly against the bar.

“You warned her about Guy, I’m guessing?”

“Of course I did,” Eli snapped.

“You’ve talked to her about how to spot a worthwhile prospect over a ‘good time,’ right?”

Eli relaxed somewhat. “Yes.”

“And regardless of Guy being our friend, we both know exactly which category he falls into. Will Leila?”

Grudgingly, Eli admitted, “Yes.”

“Then why don’t you give her some credit. Let her prove she’s been paying attention to what you’ve taught her.”

The bartender set their drinks on the counter. Each of them grabbed a few drinks, but they didn’t return to the table immediately. They had a much better view of Guy and Leila from the bar. Eli was silently rooting for Leila as Guy’s hands slip a little lower. He was smooth, and he knew how to make a woman feel comfortable before pouncing. His hands hovered right at her waistline, waiting for the chance to move lower. Eli’s hand tightened on the glass he was holding as he watched.

Even Vance seemed to hold his breath when Guy’s hand finally crossed the line. Neither of them heard the light slap Leila’s hand inflicted on Guy, but they both broke out in laughter at the shocked expression plastered across Guy’s face. He seemed even more surprised when she didn’t run off crying to Eli, but kept right on dancing as if nothing had happened. Guy fell back into step with her quickly enough, but his hands stayed firmly on her lower back for the remainder of the song.

Vance and Eli made it back to the table with the drinks, with Eli much calmer than he had been when they left. Guy and Leila made it back to the table shortly after them. Leila sat down next to Eli and immediately fell back into a conversation with Stephanie about fabrics. Guy avoided making eye contact with Eli, which only made Eli smile.

It was some time later when Leila leaned over to him and whispered, “Thanks for the warning.”

“You would have handled him even without it,” Eli said.

She beamed at his compliment. “Can I … ” She hesitated, chewing at her bottom lip. “I’d really like to do this again. Would that be okay?”

Inside, Eli was elated. “How do you feel about the symphony?” he asked.

Chapter 13

Mother’s Pearls

Leila sandwiched her cell phone between her shoulder and ear as she tried to pin a stray hair into place. “Come on,” Luke said in her ear, “you’ve seriously never been to the symphony?”

“Never,” she replied, her voice slightly muffled by the awkward position.

“Why not?”

Leila finally got the unruly hair taken care of and grabbed her phone again. “I’ve been too busy.”

“You’re not busy now?”

Stumbling as she tried to latch her shoe with one hand, Leila almost dropped the phone. Once she was righted again, she said, “No, I’m still really busy. I’ve got a stack of invitation mockups to review before tomorrow, but a friend invited me so I’m going.”

“Ana?” Luke questioned.

Leila hesitated. She hadn’t specifically mentioned Eli to Luke. In the nearly two weeks that Leila had been telling Luke about her adventures, she had only spoken of friends in a general sense, not individual names. Guilt assaulted her even though Eli was no threat to Luke at all.

“No,” she said, “I’m not going with Ana. My friend Eli had tickets and he offered me one. He and his friends had arranged to go and one of them had a change of plans.”

“Oh, well that was fortunate,” Luke said. Leila didn’t miss the undertone in his voice that said he didn’t find it all that fortunate at all. “How long have you known Eli?”

How long had it been since she first went to dinner with Eli? As she thought back to that night she was surprised to realize it had only been about three weeks. For some reason she didn’t want to admit that to Luke. “Oh, Eli is an old work friend. He always tries to include everyone.”

“Sounds like a great guy,” he said rather flatly.

Leila really wasn’t trying to dodge the rest of the conversation. She noticed the time when she rushed through the living room in search of her purse. “Luke, I’m sorry, but I better get going.”

“What are you wearing to the symphony?” Luke asked before she could say goodbye.

The sultry tone of his voice made her abandon her search. Smiling, Leila lowered herself to the couch. “A very simple black satin evening gown. I looked it up online.”

“You looked it up online?”

“Of course. I didn’t want to wear the wrong thing.”

Luke seemed to find that very funny. Leila rolled her eyes and resumed the search for her purse. She found it under the coffee table. As she was standing up, Luke said, “Tell me more about the dress.”

Leila had meant to hang up before leaving her apartment, but Luke’s question proved too irresistible. As she made her way down the three flights of stairs, she told Luke every detail of her dress, from the beading on the bodice to lightly fitted skirt that felt like a cool, liquid night as it brushed against her skin. He listened attentively. When she reached the first floor landing, her skin was flushed and her thoughts were focused on Luke. Only the arrival of a smiling Eli was able to pull her away from him, quickly.

“Luke, my ride just got here. I have to go,” she said, desperate to end the call before Eli reached her. She thought he gave a hasty goodbye as well, but she wasn’t sure given the speed with which she shoved her phone into her purse.

Eli grinned when she stepped out onto the street. “Leila, you look gorgeous. I didn’t see that dress last weekend when I was searching through the clothes you’d tossed all over your room. Is it new?”

Basking in his compliment, Leila all but forgot her conversation with Luke. “Yes, it is. Anna sent me in the right direction for a symphony-worthy gown.”

“She certainly knows her designers.”

Leila had checked how she looked after putting the gown on, and had decided she pulled it off pretty well. The way Eli’s eyes seemed to linger on her made her think he agreed, which made her flush, and inspired an oddly guilty feeling. A niggling voice in the back of her mind knew the reason for her guilt. It whispered that it shouldn’t matter to her what Eli thought. He was just a friend. She should stay focused on Luke and his opinion of how well the snug bodice outlined the curve of her hips.

A more sensible, but not necessarily more correct voice reminded her that she’d only been on two actual dates with Luke. And besides that, what did it matter if she enjoyed the fact that Eli thought she looked nice. It wasn’t like he was actual competition for Luke.

Shaking away the argument inside her head, Leila finally took in Eli’s appearance. There were no jeans present today. The perfectly pressed slacks of his suit accentuated his slim hips and waist—no doubt thanks to his incurable penchant for running. Not even the vest and double breasted jacket could hide his strong shoulders and fit physique. He looked amazing. That thought made Leila’s guilt bubble back up, but she quickly silenced it.

“Wow, Eli, I feel underdressed standing next to you.”

“That,” he said, “is the most foolish thing you have ever said, Leila Sparro.” He reached over, took her hand, and placed it on his forearm. “You are the only thing anyone is going to notice tonight, although …”

Leila’s eyes widened. Had she missed something? Luke had called while she was putting on mascara. Perhaps she had slipped without realizing. “What?” she asked, her free hand reaching up to check her face. Eli pulled it back down before she could ruin her makeup. He smiled, chuckling at her panic.

“All I was going to say was that you seem to be missing something. Jewelry.”

Heaving a big sigh of relief, Leila says, “You scared me half to death, Eli. I hardly ever wear jewelry. What little I do have didn’t go with the dress and I didn’t have any time this week to pick something out.” She paused and bit her lip. “Do you think anyone else will notice?”

“There’s no rule saying you have to wear jewels to the symphony,” Eli said with a teasing shake of his head. “But if you’re worried about it, I think I can help, as long as you don’t mind stopping off at my apartment on the way.”

“No, I don’t mind,” Leila said, “but I’m only worried about it because you brought it up!”

“Then I should be the one to fix it, right?”

Leila nodded. He better. Although, in reality she didn’t care that much about wearing jewelry. The thought of seeing where Eli lived was too enticing to resist. She often wondered what books he would have on his bookshelves. Would they all be scientific and work related? He had once commented on the brightness of her apartment. Was his a boring beige? Leila was sure he lived in a much nicer neighborhood than she did, but she had trouble picturing him living next to snooty neighbors who carried around the miniature dogs in their purses, or whatever other strange things rich people did.

Eli helped Leila into the car and pulled into traffic with an effortless grace that Leila knew from personal experience wasn’t easy. If Eli thought she was timid when it came to dating, he’d probably lose it if he saw her drive. She was frequently getting honked at for letting gaps pass her by because in her mind there had not been enough room to pull out safely. It happened when she tried to make left turns, stopped at crosswalks, or start driving when a light turned green. It wasn’t that she was unfamiliar with big city traffic—she grew up in Grand Rapids, after all. It was just her nature to be careful.

A surprisingly short distance later, Eli pulled into a parking garage in the Lakeshore East neighborhood. Unsure of whether he expected her to wait for him in the car or follow him up to his apartment, Leila didn’t react right away. Eli was out of the car before realizing she hadn’t moved. He leaned down and asked, “Are you coming?”

“Oh! Yes,” Leila said before hurrying to join him.

The quiet beep of his Audi locking was the only sound in the garage. It took a little work to keep up with Eli’s long stride while wearing her heels. Relief spread through her when she saw the elevator looming in front of them. Instant jealousy sprang up. Regardless of the fact that Leila loved her apartment and its proximity to Holstein Park, there were days when she did not like having to climb to her apartment. She watched as Eli pushed the button for level ten, and suddenly her whining about having to mount two lousy flights of stairs vanished. If Eli’s elevator ever went out he would have a lot further to climb.

A soft toned beep announced that they had reached Eli’s floor seconds before the doors slid open soundlessly. Leila stepped out of the elevator and was instantly enveloped in luxury. In reality, it probably was far below the penthouses and mansions of the truly affluent, but the lush carpet and beautiful sconces were a bit nicer than the faded wood paneling and bare bulbs in her apartment building. She followed behind Eli, trying to enjoy every minute.

When they reached apartment 1071, Eli held the door open for Leila. She appreciated the gesture and strode in eagerly. She was sure Eli had analyzed very inch of her apartment, and she intended to do the same to his. He disappeared somewhere off to her right while Leila wandered through the living room. Everything was very tidy, which she expected. His leather sofas were beige, but the magenta accent rug beneath them was a surprise. As was the rusty orange wall opposite the sofas. The rich, dark hardwood floors were gorgeous. Leila couldn’t guess whether Eli had done the decorating himself or hired a designer, but she absolutely loved his apartment.

Catching sight of a bookshelf, Leila approached it and began scanning titles. The bottom two shelves were full of old textbooks and thick books with distinguished sounding authors. Moving up the shelf, she found a very thorough collection of the classics including Dickens, Poe, and Hawthorne. Leila giggled when she saw the remaining shelves packet full of ratty looking science fiction paperbacks. She had not pegged him as a Star Wars or Ender’s Game fan, although the Asimov books weren’t that surprising.

Next, she inspected his kitchen and noted all the sensibly colored dishes and professional cookware. The cookware inspired a few questions for later. She wanted to peek into his cupboards and refrigerator to see if Eli’s health conscious running translated to him eating boring food, but she resisted. She did, however, peek at the stack of mail lying on his counter. She didn’t try to read anything. Mainly she was looking to see if he subscribed to any magazines she might want to know about. She once walked into a date’s apartment—he needed a ride to his cousin’s engagement party—and found a stack of Playboys on the coffee table. She should have turned around right then, but of course she didn’t. She did make a hasty excuse when he tried to kiss her at the end of the date.

Nothing too suspicious in his mail. Mostly junk mail or bills. A letter from Mount Rose Hospital did catch her eye, but about that time, Eli reappeared. She tried to act casual as she left the kitchen, but Eli was already scrutinizing her with a coy smile.

“Were you snooping?” he asked.

“Just admiring your apartment,” Leila replied, despite the fact that she could feel her ears turning red.

Eli laughed at her lie. “It’s alright. I don’t mind. Besides, you caught me looking through your scrapbooks, so it’s fair.”

He held out a rectangular velvet box, which Leila assumed was what they had come here for. She was profoundly startled when he opened it to reveal a perfect string of pearls. Just because Leila rarely wore jewelry by no means meant she couldn’t tell the difference between costume and the real thing. The milky depth of the pearls belied their authenticity.

“Eli, they’re beautiful.” But then she wondered, “Why do you have pearls?”

Not distracted by her blunt question, Eli handed her the velvet box after removing the pearls. “These were my mother’s. I thought you might like to borrow them for tonight.”

“You mother’s? Is she …”

“Dead?” Eli finished as he stepped behind her. His hand crossed in front of her body with the pearls. A slight gasp escaped her lips as the cold pearls rested on her bare skin. As Eli clasped them onto her neck, he said, “No, my mother isn’t dead.”

There was a strange flatness to his voice as he said it that made her curious. “Does she live here in Chicago?”

“Yes.”

The sharp, one word answer was almost enough to quiet Leila. Almost, but not quite. “Do you see her very often?”

“No.”

Another one word response. But Leila couldn’t let it go. Eli was so kind, so intent on helping people, she could not imagine him brushing off his own mother so completely. “Do you and she not get along?”

“Not anymore.”

Two words that time. Leila considered that progress. “What …?”

“Leila,” Eli said sharply, “if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about my mother.”

The severity in his voice shut her up. She muttered a quiet “sorry” and dropped her gaze. She could hear Eli’s sigh, but she didn’t react to it. She stepped away from him, wanting to give him space. When he caught her hand it surprised her. Still, she didn’t look at him.

“Leila, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“It’s okay,” she mumbled.

His hand forced her chin up. She met his sad eyes and felt even worse for dredging up what must be painful memories. “No, it’s not. Don’t let people talk to you like that, even if it’s me. Especially if it’s me. I was incredibly rude.”

“I shouldn’t have pried in your personal life.”

“Why not?” Eli said, his smile beginning to return. “I’ve dug all through your personal life.”

“Yes, but I asked you to. You didn’t.”

“Regardless, I didn’t have to bite your head off about it. I apologize.”

Leila smiled up at him. “Fine. I accept. Now we better get going or we’ll miss the beginning and have to wait until intermission.”

That made Eli laugh. Leila loved to hear him laugh, but she wasn’t sure why he was laughing until he spoke. “You looked up the rules for attending the symphony, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” she said, grinning. “They have a question and answer section on their website about bringing kids, what to wear, and when to arrive. It was very helpful.”

“Good girl, and you’re right. Let’s go.”

The trip back down was a bit more harried than the trip up, and thank goodness for Eli’s driving skills or they wouldn’t have made it on time. They were practically running into the theater when they finally arrived. Vance and Stephanie were anxiously waiting for them in the lobby as the other patrons filed into the hall.

“Where have you been?” Vance demanded. “I told you to get here early.”

“Sorry, I had to stop back by my apartment on the way,” Eli said. “Are Leo and Julie already inside?”

“Yes, now let’s go.”

Stephanie grabbed Leila’s arm as soon as they started to walk. She wanted to know all about her dress and where she had gotten it from. Stephanie tended to prattle, but Leila didn’t mind. The conversation was one-sided enough that when Eli and Vance starting speaking behind them she heard every word.

“What was so important you almost missed the first half?” Vance demanded. Leila was surprised at his irritation. Guys usually complained about coming to events like this, but perhaps Vance truly enjoyed the symphony.

“I accidentally made Leila self-conscious about not wearing any jewelry, so I ran by my apartment to get the pearls for her.”

“The pearls?” He asked it as a question, but then his voice changed, becoming honestly stunned. “The pearls?”

“Yes, and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

“But, Eli … your mother’s pearls?”

“I said I don’t want to discuss it,” Eli snapped.

Vance sighed. “We’ll talk about this next week.” Eli had no reply for that.

Leila’s hand drifted up to the pearls as she answered another one of Stephanie’s fashion related questions. She was able to hold her own in the conversation, but inwardly she was worried. Why would Vance be so upset about Eli lending her the pearls?

The sudden pressure of Eli’s hand on the small of her back made Leila jump. Eli’s mouth appearing next to her ear didn’t help. “These are our seats,” he said.

She let Vance get in ahead of her so he could sit next to Stephanie, but ended up sitting between him and Eli because of it. The tension between them made her sink into her seat. She had been looking forward to the symphony all week. The idea that she may have ruined the experience for three people—herself included—made her very anxious. She turned to Eli to ask … maybe apologize … she wasn’t sure, and was surprised when she found him smiling. Her eyes whipped over to Vance, only to see him grinning at Stephanie as he whispered something in her ear.

“Are you okay?” Eli asked.

Almost, she asked him what Vance had been so upset about, but she swallowed her curiosity now that they seemed to have put it behind them. “Yes, I’m fine.” She rubbed absently at her arm, a nervous habit, as she tried to turn her words into the truth.

“Are you cold?” Eli asked.

“No, no. I’m fine, really.”

Eli didn’t look convinced. That was probably because Leila wasn’t convinced, either. “Well, if you need my jacket, just let me know.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, knowing Eli meant it.

That was why his behavior tonight seemed so odd. He was a very open person, but apparently not when it came to his mother. Leila knew it was none of her business, but she also knew Eli was hiding something about his mother. The why of what he was hiding was a concern, but knowing that it now had something to do with her worried her most of all.

Chapter 14

Not Entirely Altruistic

Walking into Vance’s office had never been so anxiety ridden for Eli. He had half expected his friend to show up at his door Sunday morning to discuss the pearls. True to his word, Vance waited until their regular session. The fact that he hadn’t called during the week was a telling sign. The two usually talked regularly, and Vance’s silence left Eli feeling wary as he sat down across from his friend.

Most of their sessions started off with Vance clapping him on the back and asking Eli how his week had been. This session began with Vance folding his arms across his chest and voicing a demand rather than a question. “Tell me about the pearls.”

Eli sighed and sunk into the armchair. “Tell you what? I lent them to Leila. She returned them after the symphony and they went back into the box.”

“The box, that until that night, they hadn’t left since you found out about your mom.”

Vance didn’t miss the way Eli’s fingers dug into the armrests. Eli saw how his friend’s left eye twitched, something it often did when he was upset. At least they were on even ground.

“Eli, did you manipulate the situation so you could see Leila wearing the pearls?”

The shock Eli felt at his friend’s question was profound. “What? No! Why would you say something like that?”

Vance held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. “Look, I had to ask. You’re fixated on her, and capable of doing something like that.”

“I didn’t manipulate anything,” Eli said angrily. “And I’m not fixated on her.”

“You think about her constantly. Your entire day revolves around finding opportunities to see and talk to her. You’ve talked to me about her almost exclusively for the past month.” Vance looked at his friend seriously, but with the hint of a smile. “You’re happy, too.”

“So?”

The hostile posture Vance had been holding began to soften. “So you’re either developing an unhealthy fixation on Leila, or you’re in love with her.”

Eli did not respond, and Vance let him sit in silence for several long minutes. Maybe he knew his friend wasn’t ready to answer. Or it might have been that he was sick of waiting. Either way, he moved on. The new topic was hardly any easier for Eli to discuss.

“How did Leila end up wearing your mother’s pearls?”

Scrubbing his hands through his hair, Eli stared at the carpet. “When I saw her walk out of her building, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was so beautiful.” He paused. “I don’t know why I noticed she wasn’t wearing a necklace.”

“Yes, you do,” Vance argued.

Eli’s head dropped into his hands. Yes, he did. He took notice of Leila’s bare neck right away because every time his mother took him to the symphony as a child, she wore the pearls. His dad had given them to her on their wedding day. The symphony had been their favorite place to go, and it was the only time she removed her most prized possession from the velvet box. Not seeing a string of pearls around Leila’s neck when he picked her up stood out right away to him.

“I made the mistake of mentioning her lack of jewelry,” Eli said.

“And she had none of her own?”

Eli shook his head. “She said nothing she had looked right. She hardly ever wears jewelry, and what she does have are items Ana has given her, nothing meant for the symphony.”

“What made you consider the pearls?”

“That’s what they were meant for, weren’t they?” Eli growled under his breath. He wasn’t even speaking to Vance. His anger was directed at his mother. Vance didn’t even seem to know what he meant by the comment.

“Pearls are meant to be worn? That’s a pretty weak excuse, considering everything.”

Eli was surprised he even heard him. His question finally caused him to look up at his friend. “That’s not what I meant,” he said with a sigh. “The pearls, they were meant to be passed down. She wanted … ” Eli’s hands curled into fists. “She said she wanted me to give them to my wife someday, but we both know what a lie that was, don’t we?”

“Eli, let’s try to stay focused on Leila today, alright?”

Nodding, he desperately tried to shove away thoughts of his mother, of his anger at her.

“What made you give Leila the pearls?” Vance asked. “They obviously evoke a whole horde of difficult emotions for you. Why bring all of that to life?”

He pondered the question. Leaning back into his seat, a thought occurred to him then that he hadn’t noticed at the time he was placing the pearls on Leila. “You know, it wasn’t hard like I thought it would be.”

That comment perked Vance up considerably. “What do you mean?”

“When the thought first occurred to me to lend Leila the pearls, I got excited about seeing her wear them. On the ride over, I started to doubt myself, and I’ll admit that taking them out of the closet took me a good ten minutes. I didn’t even want to touch the box.”

“Then why didn’t you stop? Leila wouldn’t have cared, I’m sure,” Vance said.

Eli smiled. “Because I wanted to see her wear them.”

“You wanted to move on.”

Brushing away his friend’s comment—Eli didn’t want to talk shop right then—he looked at Vance. “Despite the emotions connected to the pearls, to my mother, it meant a lot for me to see Leila wearing them. I wanted to see them and have a better memory.”

The thoughts forming in his head brought a more profound smile to Eli’s mouth. “I know my mother never intended me to actually find someone and have a real life, but for so long, that was what I believed. I would see her wearing the pearls and know that one day I would be walking into the symphony with my wife wearing them. When I put the pearls on Leila, I felt like that innocent childhood dream I clung to for so long had life again. The pearls weren’t about my mother and her past. They were about my future.”

“How did it feel seeing the pearls on Leila?”

The tension he had been holding mellowed. Eli finally felt himself relaxing. “It felt great. She looked beautiful in them, didn’t she?”

“Yes, she did,” Vance agreed, smiling at his friend.

Leila looked beautiful without the pearls. She looked beautiful even when she was grumpy with bed hair at seven in the morning when they ran together. But with the pearls, she was a treasured vision, because in that moment, she erased so much of his pain and replaced it with her warmth without even knowing.

“So, back to my earlier question,” Vance said, “is Leila becoming an unhealthy fixation, or are you in love with her.”

With the question posed again, Eli couldn’t refuse to answer. His head fell back into his hands as he groaned. “I’m definitely in love with her.” He shook his head then looked back up at Vance. “What am I going to do?”

“Tell her, you idiot!” Vance stared at him like he had just said the most obvious thing in the world.

“Are you kidding me? Ana would kill me, for one. She’s in a relationship with Luke, for two. And three, I can’t tell her until I’ve helped her,” Eli argued.

Vance threw a pen at Eli’s head. Eli dodged the missile easily enough, but his friend’s insistence annoyed him. Vance was pretty annoyed himself. “You have got to be the stupidest person I have ever met.”

“Do you throw things at all your patients and call them stupid?” Eli shot at him.

“Only the ones that deserve it.”

Eli shook his head. “There’s no way.”

“Why not? All Ana wants is for Leila to be happy. Can you make Leila happy?”

That was all he wanted out of life lately. “Yes, but … ”

“This Luke character, they’ve been one what, three dates?”

“Four,” Eli grudgingly admitted.

Vance rolled his eyes. “Wow, that definitely means they’re on the road to spending the rest of their lives together. You’re the one who told me you didn’t see the relationship lasting because you thought Luke’s adventure enthusiasm was going to push the limit too far at some point and cause problems.”

“Well, yeah, but look how much Leila has already tried because of him!” Eli argued. “She’s been excited to try new things. Maybe their relationship will work out fine. I don’t know! How can I step in and ruin something that may be a good thing for her?”

“Because you love her,” Vance said frankly.

“She wants to be with Luke right now.”

Sitting back into his leather arm chair, Vance pressed his lips together. Eli knew that meant he had something to say, but didn’t know if he should, didn’t know what effect his words would have. Eli had seen that look dozens of times on his friend while working with patients. Eli squared his shoulders. He wasn’t letting Vance get out of telling him now. Having recognized that, Vance relented.

“If Leila knew you were interested, Luke would only be a memory.”

“What?” Eli demanded.

Vance frowned. Apparently that was the reaction he had been hoping to avoid, but he continued anyway. “Leila obviously won’t let herself believe you would ever be interested in her. You’ve already established she has confidence issues. She sees you as a friend because you’ve told her that’s what you are, but I can guarantee you she wishes it were different.”

“No, she sees me as a mentor or something.”

“That’s all she’ll let herself see you as.” Vance leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers laced together. “Don’t you see the way her eyes follow you? She smiles every time you’re near her. Sometimes her fingers twitch because she wants to touch you, but she thinks she shouldn’t. When she looks at you there’s a calmness that settles over her. She wants you …”

“… but she doesn’t see a future with me as a reality so she dismisses it as soon as the idea forms,” Eli finished. He wasn’t admitting Vance was right—he still had his doubts—but if he was, he knew Leila was doing exactly as they guessed.

While Vance looked eager that his assessment would inspire his friend to take his advice, Eli rubbed a hand across his forehead. “And that only backs up my third reason. I can’t tell her, not until she sees herself as someone who is good enough to land any guy she wants. She’s such an amazing person. I don’t want to have to convince her she should be with me.”

At that, Vance sat back in his chair. His eagerness backed off. “You’re a better man than me, Eli,” he said. “I’d just tell her and hope for the best. I couldn’t take the torture you’re putting yourself through.”

It was a compliment, but his words made Eli wonder. Talking about his mother had brought up memories he had kept tucked away for a long time. Part of him wondered if his unwillingness to tell Leila how he felt about her had more to do with his mother than chivalry.

“Hey,” Vance said later when the session was over and they were walking to the door, “are we still on for poker tonight? Steph’s going out with friends, and I’ve got Castelli’s pizza on speed dial.”

“I’ll be there. Leila has a date with Luke anyway.”

Vance shook his head. “You’re messed up, man.”

“I know. See you tonight.”

Eli walked away, sullen after remembering he wouldn’t see Leila that night. His gloominess only lasted until he got into the car and noticed the time. It wasn’t even noon yet. His next patient wasn’t due until one-thirty. What really lifted his sour attitude was realizing he was only a few minutes from St. Claire’s. There would be no chance of finding an excuse to see Leila later, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t pick her up for lunch on his way back to the office.

When he pulled up to the boutique, the realization hit him that he would have to make it past Ana in order to invite Leila to lunch. Fear of facing her was nearly a good enough deterrent to make him drive away. Vance’s words lingering in his mind and a powerful sense of curiosity won out in the end. He cut the engine of the Audi and left the safety of his car behind.

“Welcome to St. Claire’s Boutique,” a cheerful voice said as soon as he walked in. “If you need help finding anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Eli smiled at the chipper young woman. “Actually, I was hoping to speak with Ana. Is she in?”

“Yes she is. May I ask your name?”

“Eli Walsh.”

The young woman went from overly perky to rather unsure, her smile going lopsided. “Um … just a minute.”

She scurried off to the offices as fast as her ridiculously tall heels would allow. Eli closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply. Apparently, even the sales girls new Ana was angry with him. That truly surprised him, as well as annoyed him. Ana was a very private person, and respected her friends enough to keep an argument between her and whoever she was angry with. He had to wonder if word had gotten out some other way. She had never been one to gossip. Leila certainly seemed to have no idea of the real reason Eli had been uninvited to the recent fashion show.

The sound of heels on the hardwood floor opened Eli’s eyes once again. The sales girl rushed back into the room. Her mouth opened to say something, but clamped shut when Ana nearly barreled her over. One look at her boss’s face and she beat it back to the sales counter.

“Eli, what brings you here?” Ana asked politely. The frosty undertone was plainly obvious despite her words.

“Can we speak in your office?”

Ana seemed to debate his request before nodding and turning on her heel. Eli followed with a sigh, knowing this was not going to be the most pleasant conversation. Ana walked into her office and sat down behind her desk with her arms and legs crossed in a less than welcoming posture.

“What are you really doing here?” she snapped.

“I wanted to take Leila to lunch.”

“Then why did you ask to see me?” she asked.

Eli sat down in the only available chair. He met her eyes with more confidence than he felt. “Because you deserved to know I was here. I know you don’t approve of me being around Leila. I had no intention of trying to sneak by you.”

Ana softened at his words, but only marginally. “Why are you doing this, Eli? She’s dating Luke. He seems like a great guy. Why are you risking that for her? And I want an honest answer, not any of your psychoanalytical babble.”

“Because I’m in love with her and I can’t stand not to see her,” Eli said.

He laughed when Ana’s mouth actually fell open. Apparently she didn’t expect him to be that honest. Or perhaps she didn’t expect him to have that startling of a reason. Eli gained a little more ground when he saw Ana’s mouth begin to curve up in a smile. Maybe Eli being with Leila wasn’t as repulsive of an idea to her as she had first said it was.

Suddenly, Ana shook her head. “She’s still dating Luke. You can’t mess that up for her. It isn’t right.”

“Who said I was here to ruin her relationship with Luke?”

Ana eyed him. Her glare made it clear she didn’t believe him. “What else would you be doing?”

“I’m doing what you told me to do. Helping her,” Eli argued. “She needs to gain some confidence, realize what an amazing person she is. I can do that better as a friend.”

Toying with several scraps of fabric, Ana considered what he was saying. “How exactly do you expect this to work?”

Eli shifted under her suddenly intense gaze. This would make or break his relationship with Ana. He knew that without a doubt. They were very good friends, but if she thought he was out to hurt or manipulate Leila he knew she would cut him out of her life, and do her best to cut him out of Leila’s life as well. Eli thought, choosing his words carefully.

“Leila sees herself as this boring, non-special, uninteresting person. She doesn’t think the people around her would find her good enough to be a friend or a girlfriend,” Eli said. “I know that if I told her how I felt right now she would dismiss it and probably run away from me. She doesn’t see herself as someone that would be with someone like me.”

“You’re not that special,” Ana said to him, though her lips were beginning to curve up again.

Eli smirked at her. “Believe me, I know that, but Leila sees me as an attractive, successful, wealthy guy that is way above her. It’s ridiculous, of course, because she’s also attractive, successful, and decently well off.”

“I pay Leila very well,” Ana defended.

“I’m sure you do,” Eli said with a smile.

“What does this have to do with you being her friend, and supposedly not screwing things up for her with Luke?” She tossed the fabric swatches down and folded her arms again.

Eli answered her honestly, hoping she wouldn’t misunderstand his methods. “If I can get Leila to see me as a real friend, two people on equal ground, it will not only mean a big change in her confidence level, but it might mean she’d be able to see the possibility of having me, or someone else, as more than a friend.”

Ana was smiling again, but hadn’t uncrossed her arms. “So you admit your motivation is not entirely altruistic.”

“Not entirely, no,” Eli admitted.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Ana picked up a pen, tapped it on the desk as she thought. Every tap spiked Eli’s anxiety. He was sure his heart was going to give up altogether after the first minute, but it managed to hold on and pound away. Eli knew Ana might take his attempt at friendship with Leila as a form of manipulation, something she detested very much.

He had to admit to himself, that in a way, he was manipulating Leila. He was inserting himself into her life with the hope of pulling her into situations where she would be forced to see herself as she truly was, a beautiful and fascinating woman any man would be lucky to have. Would a real friend do something like that? Eli argued with himself that any true friend would want to help a friend and see them happy. That was what he was doing for Leila. Right?

As deep in his thoughts as he was, when Ana spoke, it startled Eli.

“I’m still not sure I believe you about Luke,” she said, “but I have to admit that Leila does seem to enjoy having you around. She couldn’t stop talking about the symphony for days.” Ana smiled at Eli, but it was tempered. “But I want a firm promise from you that you will do nothing to interfere with her seeing Luke. You may be in love with her, but that gives you no right to decide who she ends up with.”

Eli let out a deep breath. “Ana, you have my promise. I won’t interfere.”

She seemed to debate whether or not she believed him, but in the end she stood and walked around her desk to him. Eli stood as well. “Go take my marketing director to lunch.”

“Thank you, Ana.”

When Ana reached out for a hug, he gratefully accepted. They stepped back and Ana eyed him once again. “This doesn’t mean you’re invited to the fall show,” she said.

“No?”

Ana shook her head. “Your plan sounds all fine and dandy, but the jury is still out. This could go very badly for Leila. It’s her happiness I’m worried about, not yours. If Leila is happy and progressing by the time the fall show comes around, you can come, but if not …” She smiled, and it wasn’t a friendly one. “Just make sure she’s happy, Eli, regardless of who she’s dating.”

“It’s a deal,” Eli said.

Ana released him from the confines of her office and sent him on his way after that. Eli knew she would be watching him like a hawk, but he was glad of it. She didn’t entirely trust him to make the right decisions, but to be honest, Eli wasn’t sure he trusted himself all that much either. If he got out of line, he knew Ana would be there to slap him back into place and he was grateful for that knowledge.

It was only a short stretch of hall before he was knocking on Leila’s office door. An offhanded “come in” was the reply. Eli imagined there were people in and out of her office all day. When she looked up to see him standing next to her desk, he basked in the delight that shone in her expression.

“Eli!” She grinned up at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I was on this side of town and thought you might want to have lunch.”

“You’re so sweet,” she said. Then her face scrunched as she peered back at her desk. For a moment Eli worried she would refuse him. Then she shook off her mental to-do list and grabbed her purse. “It can wait,” she said to whatever it was she happened to be abandoning. “Where should we go?”

“Are we still trying new things?” Eli asked, smiling as well.

Leila laughed. “Sure, why not.”

“I have the perfect place, then. There is a charming Japanese tea house not too far from here.”

“That sounds perfect.”

All during the drive to the tea house, throughout lunch, all Eli could think about was what Vance had said. Did Leila really wish their relationship were different? He found himself studying her smiles, memorizing the brief moments they would touch, the tone of her voice when she spoke to him. He wanted to find some undeniable indication that Leila was secretly wishing he would dismiss his own advice and admit his true feelings, but every time he thought he was sure, he just as quickly convinced himself that he was only seeing what he wanted to see.

When he drove Leila back to the boutique, she waited for him to come around and open her door. He offered her his hand to help her out of the low riding Audi. When she didn’t immediately release his hand, Eli grew brave. He pulled her closer to him and pressed her into a hug. His breath held for a moment before Leila responded and return the hug wholeheartedly. When Leila pulled back she was smiling softly and holding his gaze.

“Thank you for lunch, Eli. I loved the tea house.”

“Thank you for coming with me.”

They stood in front of the boutique, closer than they usually stood, saying nothing. Eli kept thinking the moment would become awkward and Leila would pull away. He knew he should be the one to step back before they got to that point, but he couldn’t force himself to break contact. The way one corner of her mouth was pulled up in a content smile had him captivated. He wanted to take her back into his arms. He wanted to kiss her and hold her. His body ached to feel her pressed against him again.

Leila was the first to speak, her reluctance at ending the moment clear in her voice. “I’m expecting a call from the newspaper in five minutes, or …”

“I have a patient at one-thirty as well,” Eli said, finally taking that treacherous step back.

“I hope I haven’t made you late,” Leila said apologetically.

“Not at all.”

Leila smiled and surprised Eli by hugging him again. It was a soul-stealing moment and Eli was too weak to resist. He dropped a brief kiss on her cheek before breaking away and sending her off to talk to the newspaper. He tried not to read too much into the way Leila’s fingers touched her cheek after she turned away. When she looked back at him before going inside, he told himself it didn’t mean anything. He worked to convince himself that taking Vance’s advice would be a bad idea, but the more he thought about Leila, the harder it was to listen to himself.

Chapter 15

Pink Elephants on Parade

Leila stared at the massive climbing wall in front of her and started shaking her head. Luke was talking to one of the friends they were meeting who had just arrived and didn’t notice her trepidation until she started backing away. The sight of her getting ready to bolt for the door was apparently enough to break him away from his conversation. Luke practically dove for her hand.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

His friend was staring at them with a somewhat baffled expression. Leila didn’t care. She was not getting near that thing. Vocalizing just how much she hated the idea of climbing anything higher than a step stool wasn’t easy. All she could do was continue to shake her head as her chest tightened in fear.

“Leila,” Luke repeated, “what’s wrong? You’re starting to freak me out.”

The concern in his voice loosened Leila’s throat enough to say, “I can’t do that.”

“Climb the wall? Sure you can. I’ll help you.”

Her head shook faster. “No. I can’t. No way. I’m not getting on that. No.”

It irritated Leila quite a bit that Luke started chuckling. He thought her abject fear of high things was funny. Well, she didn’t. Spinning around, she tried to get away from the looming wall. But Luke held on too tightly for her to get away.

“Leila, wait. What’s going on?”

She just wanted to get out of there. She had no interest in climbing, or watching someone else climb and plummet to their death. She wanted to leave. Now. Her breathing started escalating. “Luke, let go of me.”

He didn’t. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her trembling body. “You’re shaking!” he said, startled. “Are you really that scared?”

“Obviously I’m scared,” she snapped. Instantly, she regretted her harsh words, but she was frustrated he had brought her there, upset he hadn’t warned her, furious at herself for being so weak.

“Are you afraid of heights?” he asked. His voice was concerned despite her wicked tongue, which only made Leila feel worse.

Her hands gripped his shirt as she buried her face against his chest. “Terrified,” she admitted, mortified at her frailty.

“You’ll have a harness and rope around you the entire time,” Luke said trying to persuade her. “You’ll be perfectly safe. I won’t let you fall.”

“I don’t care. I can’t do this.”

Pushing her back just enough that they could walk without tripping over each other, Luke led her over to a bench. Leila collapsed as soon as she was near enough. Her hands were still shaking. She couldn’t seem to get them to stop.

“Take a deep breath. Calm yourself down, okay? Let’s talk about this,” Luke begged.

She tried. She really tried. The fact that a monstrous tower of death was lurking behind her every second made that impossible. “I need to go home,” Leila said as she wrapped her arms around her body.

“I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager. There are certified instructors here to help you, too. You’re going to be perfectly safe. You can go as high as you want to. Nobody will try to make you go any higher than you feel comfortable,” Luke assured her.

Didn’t he understand that two feet off the ground was too high for her? There was no way he was ever getting her to climb that thing. “I don’t want to climb at all,” Leila argued.

Luke frowned. She could tell her was frustrated with her, and she felt badly that she was ruining their date, but there was just no way she would ever be able to do this.

“Okay, what about bouldering?” Luke asked.

She was almost afraid to ask, but she did anyway. “What’s that?”

“It’s where you climb around just on the bottom portion. You hardly even go up at all. You follow the colored paths around the base. You don’t even have to use the rope.” He looked so hopeful as he said this. Leila wanted to throw up.

“No rope?” she squeaked in horror.

Luke stared at her. He didn’t seem to know what to say to her. In Leila’s head she knew she was being ridiculous. That hardly helped her get over her fear, though. “Luke,” she said as calmly as she could manage, “I’m not going anywhere near that wall.”

“But this is the first time we’ve hung out with Rick and Andrew. They want to meet you. I thought you wanted to meet some of my friends, too.” His voice was dangerously close to whining, but Leila could hardly blame him.

“I do want to meet them, Luke, but I am not climbing. No. I won’t.”

Luke ran a hand through his hair. “Come on, Leila. It’s not that bad. Don’t you trust me to keep you safe?”

She shook her head, which obviously hurt his feelings, but it was the truth. “When it comes to heights, I don’t trust anyone. I’m not doing it.”

Feeling a little calmer and more in control now that she had made her objections very, very clear, Leila stood. Luke jumped up as well. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Yes.”

“But …” He glanced over at Rick and Andrew who looked confused and irritated that they were still standing there waiting for us. Luke glanced back at Leila. She knew he had been looking forward to seeing his friends. Andrew didn’t live in town, and Rick was a travel writer that spent more time away from Chicago than in it. Leila’s head was beginning to hurt, and she desperately wanted to leave. She decided to make it easy on Luke.

“I’m going, but you should stay. Tell them I’m sick. Or tell them I’m a huge chicken and won’t get within ten feet of a climbing wall. I don’t care. Either way, I’m going home.”

“Leila, I don’t want you to go. Won’t you at least stay and hang out? You don’t have to climb. I promise I won’t try to change your mind.” His puppy dog eyes were not going to budge her an inch this time.

That squirmy icky feeling that was a sure sign of her last meal coming up started building in the pit of her stomach. Leila shook her head quickly. “Watching you climb would be even worse. I would be sick the entire time thinking you might get hurt.”

“I’m not going to get hurt,” Luke argued.

Leila took a deep breath. “I’m going home, Luke. I’m sorry.”

She turned and began walking away. At the least she knew she should have taken the time to introduce herself to Rick and Andrew, but they were still standing right next to the wall. She made it to the lobby doors before Luke caught back up with her.

“Leila, wait.”

She stopped, but didn’t turn around for fear of seeing the wall again. Luke bounded around in front of her and took her hands in his. “Leila, I’m sorry. I should have asked you before I planned this. I had no idea you were scared of heights.”

Leila sighed. “I know you didn’t. I should have mentioned it, I guess. It just never crossed my mind.”

“Are you angry with me?” Luke asked, his fingers sliding around her waist.

“No, of course not.” Leila felt some of her tension slip away as he pulled her against him.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

One of Luke’s hands came up to tangle in her chestnut hair. The caress of his fingers did wonders for her anxiety. “But you won’t stay?” he asked again.

“No.”

Disappointment and bit of lingering frustration echoed in his sigh, but Luke didn’t push her. “Can I call you later?”

“Definitely.”

Luke perked up a bit. His mouth split in a slow smile. The space that had remained between their two bodies disappeared completely. The wall was beginning to fade from Leila’s mind. “I’m sorry about tonight,” Luke said.

“Me too.”

“Do you have any other deep seeded fears I should know about?” Luke asked with a smile. “I’d like to avoid situations like this in the future.”

“I don’t do well with elephants,” she said, “and this isn’t a fear, but I should probably tell you I’m allergic to strawberries.”

“Elephants and strawberries. Duly noted.” Luke’s smile turned seductive. His thumb stroked from her ear to her lips in a soft, lazy way that brought heat to her stomach. “That’s really too bad about the strawberries. There are some interesting ways to eat them.”

Not that Leila had any intention of letting Luke eat any type of food off her bare body in the near future, but she could feel her skin flushing to what was probably a very good impression of a strawberry. The effect made Luke laugh.

“You are so beautiful,” he said. “Do you know that?”

Leila was saved from having to answer when Luke leaned toward her. She froze as his lips met hers. It was a momentary failing on her part. A second later, once the surprise wore off and the rush of adrenaline started racing through her veins Leila returned his gentle kiss. She was smiling when he pulled back.

“I’ll call you later, okay?” Luke said.

Leila nodded.

One more light kiss, and Luke released her from his enticing hold. The walk back out to her car was unhurried. She slipped into the driver’s seat and sat staring out the window. It had been a while since she had been kissed like that. Not since college, she was sad to admit. But as Leila sat in her car, she was really quieted when a thought whispered into her mind that Luke’s kiss wasn’t the only one she had received that day. Her fingers rested against her cheek where Eli, and not Luke, had kissed her earlier.

Before Leila realized what she was doing she had pulled into traffic, but not in the direction of her apartment. She was sure Eli would want to know that she had stood up to Luke when confronted with an adventure she wasn’t ready for, and he had said she could come by any time. Sure, she could have called him easily enough, but she rationalized that she was near enough to his apartment that stopping by made just as much sense. She was parking in one of the parking spaces reserved for visitors before she could talk herself out it.

Her plan was almost stymied when she entered the building through the street entrance rather than the resident entrance Eli had taken her through before the symphony. The doorman looked polite enough, but he had surprised her when he asked who she was there to visit. Part of Leila feared, for some reason, that he wouldn’t let her up. Perhaps he would recognize that Leila didn’t belong in this building.

After looking at something on his computer, the doorman smiled at Leila and introduced himself as Howard. “You can go on up, Ms. Sparro.”

“I can?” she asked in surprise. Surely there was more to it than that.

He laughed, but did so politely. “Mr. Walsh left instructions that you were to be admitted any time. The elevators are around the corner to the left.”

“Oh, thank you.” She smiled and followed his directions to the elevator.

A silly sort of satisfaction began to build in Leila’s heart as she rode the ten flights to Eli’s floor. The doorman, Howard, hadn’t batted an eye at the idea that Eli would give her such open ended access. She wasn’t even dressed to look the part of someone who lived in Eli’s building. In running tights and a racer back workout tank top, she was sure she looked rather underdressed. But the doorman seemed to think it was perfectly natural that Leila should be a friend of Eli’s.

What also made her smile was that Eli obviously meant his invitation to visit him. He had no objections to her being seen traipsing around his building, unlike other men she had dated. That alone erased all the nervous energy that had been lingering from being faced with the climbing wall and her insecurity about showing up at Eli’s door unannounced. She was feeling quite confident when she knocked on his door.

That only lasted a precious few seconds. When Eli opened the door, the shocked expression on his face combined with the sounds of rowdy laughter stole it all away.

“You have company,” she said stupidly. “I’m sorry, I should have called first.” She took a step back, spurring Eli to take action.

“Leila, I thought you were going out with Luke tonight.”

“I was, but it didn’t go that great. I’m sorry for just dropping by.” She knew she was blushing again, which only made her think of Luke and strawberries—something she didn’t want to think about around Eli—and that only made her skin turn even redder.

Eli’s expression turned inquisitive, probably wondering why such a simple statement would inspire so much embarrassment, but thankfully he didn’t ask. “No, it’s not a problem at all. Come in.”

“I don’t want to intrude. It sounds like you were having fun.”

Grabbing her hand, Eli pulled her into his apartment and shut the door behind them. “It’s just the guys over to play poker.”

“That sounds like some serious guy time, Eli. I should go,” Leila argued.

Eli was about to argue more when Vance came around the corner, followed by Guy and Leo. Guy clipped Leo’s shoulder, saying, “Told you it was Leila. Anybody need a drink while we’re all up?”

He counted the raised hands, gave a quick hello to Leila and disappeared back around the corner. Leo followed soon after. Vance stayed where he was. His eyes dropped for a moment, and Leila wasn’t sure what had caught his attention until Eli’s hand suddenly released hers. She hadn’t realized she had still been holding onto him. She was sure another round of blushing would have cropped up if Vance casually hadn’t slung an arm around her shoulder right then.

“I was under the impression you’d be out with Luke tonight,” he said.

“Yeah, well …” She trailed off, not wholly sure she wanted to discuss it in front of Vance.

Eli noticed her hesitation and made a gesture to dismiss his friend. Vance was gracious enough to take the recommendation. Eli stepped closer to Leila, concern lining his features. “Is everything okay?”

“Sure, it’s not a big deal.” Her attempt at casual didn’t get her very far.

Eli’s eyes narrowed. “Leila, what happened?”

She sighed. “It’s stupid really. Don’t worry about it.”

“Leila,” Eli said warningly.

“Oh fine,” she said. “Luke planned for us to go rock climbing with a few friends of his. I didn’t want to do it, so I left.”

“Why didn’t you want to climb?” Eli asked as he just about pushed her out of the entryway and into the living room where the guys were getting set back up for another hand.

“Leila,” Vance asked, “do you play?”

She grinned despite the lingering conversation with Eli. “I could lie and say I’d never played before, but that wouldn’t be fair. Yes, I play, and very well.”

“Ooh, that sounds like a challenge,” Guy said.

“Deal her in, Leo,” Vance ordered.

She hoped Eli would have the sense to wait until later to continue their conversation. Not that it was a big secret, but still. Leila wasn’t so lucky. “Are you afraid of heights?” Eli asked her. When she didn’t answer right away, he explained to the guys, “Leila’s date tried to take her rock climbing. Judging by the fact that she’s here with us instead of him, she must be afraid of heights. The real question is why. Any guesses?”

“It’s because she’s kind of short,” Leo offered with a cheeky grin.

Leila laughed. “I’m not that short. I’m a perfectly average height for a girl.”

“How tall are you?” he asked. “Five-two?”

“Five-three,” she said, which made everyone laugh.

Eli leaned over, his shoulder bumping into hers. “You are a little short.”

“Thanks a lot,” she muttered, but she was smiling. To Leo she said, “My height has nothing to do with the fact that you will never, ever catch me on a climbing wall.”

“I’ll go with subconscious fear of failure,” Guy offered.

Leila groaned. “Are you a shrink too?”

Guy found that rather amusing. “You’re surrounded by shrinks, my dear. Didn’t Eli tell you?”

“No, he most certainly did not.” She threw him a nasty glare, but it only made him laugh.

“Vance,” he said, “you’re up. What’s your guess?”

Going into full out psychoanalytical mode, Vance propped his elbow on the table and stroked an imaginary beard. “Based on careful analysis, I have no choice but to conclude that Ms. Sparro’s fear of heights stems from traumatic experience in her early childhood years.”

Leila started giggling uncontrollably at his performance. Eli’s was laughing as well when he said, “Well there you go, Leila. Did you fall out of a tree as a kid?”

She couldn’t stop laughing long enough to answer. Shaking her head was the best she could manage.

“Were you dropped as a baby?”

“How about fell out of a swing?”

“Spun off the merry-go-round?”

Leila was laughing so hard she could barely breathe as they threw out ridiculous guesses.

“Tall boyfriend that broke up with her,” Leo interjected with a laugh. “I’m sticking with being short as the root of the problem.”

“No, it’s definitely a failure complex,” Guy argued playfully.

Finally, Leila regained enough control to defend herself. “I’m am quite successful, thank you very much, Guy. I think you’re getting the two of us confused.”

Guy brought his hand to his chest in mock offense. “Me failing? Absurd. What could you possibly be referring to?”

“I can’t quite recall,” Leila teased, “but I do believe the incident ended with me slapping you.”

To Guy’s credit, he took the dig with a laugh, giving Leila the win on that one. The other three guys clapped and cheered for Leila’s take down of their friend. She beamed, feeling welcomed and embraced by their easy camaraderie. She had enjoyed a small circle of friends in college, but hadn’t realized until meeting Eli’s friends just how much she missed relaxing and having pointless fun with others.

“Okay,” Vance said, “I think we’re all dying to know now. Why are you really afraid of heights?”

Leila shrugged. “I don’t know. Always have been. Always will be.”

“There’s got to be a reason,” Leo argued.

She rolled her eyes at all four of them. “This is what happens when you tell a shrink you’re afraid of something. Can’t a person have a completely irrational fear without being badgered about it?”

They all seemed to think about it for half a second.

“Nope.”

“Not a chance.”

“There’s always a reason.”

“Always.”

Leila shook her head. All four of them were hopeless. “I’m afraid of elephants, too. What’s your diagnosis for that? Never even seen a real elephant.”

“Oh, that one’s easy,” Guy said. “Dumbo.”

Everyone at the table stared at him. “What?” Leila asked.

“That cartoon about the flying elephant. Dumbo. Haven’t you seen it?”

“Sure …”

Guy nodded like that explained everything. When everyone kept staring at him he said, “Oh, come on, that movie freaked me out as a kid. Baby elephants getting drunk on champagne and having hallucinations of pink elephants on parade? That’s totally messed up.”

Giggling again, Leila said, “Well, at least I’m not the only one with problems. Guy’s afraid of cartoon elephants. At least a real elephant could squash me. That’s a valid fear.”

As Guy continued to defend his fear of Dumbo, the hand started. The rest of the night was filled with laughing and poking fun. Half the jokes Leila didn’t get because they were the kind of thing only a psychiatrist would find funny, but she enjoyed every minute of it. She was almost convinced the night would last forever, but eventually Stephanie called to ask Vance when he would be home, which got Leo thinking of Julie. Guy had no one calling to check in on him, but Leila suspected that was how he wanted it. She had no illusions that his wandering hands the first night they met were a sign of genuine interest. Guy had no intentions of settling down any soon.

“Thank you for spicing up an otherwise bland poker night,” Vance said to Leila on his way out.

“It was my pleasure. Tell Stephanie hi for me.”

Leo and Guy said their goodbyes as well, after which Leila went on a hunt for her purse. She wasn’t sure where Eli had put it. She was checking the kitchen counter when he came back in and grabbed her hand. Startled, she abandoned her search and looked up at him. There was a serious look in his eyes that worried her. Maybe he wasn’t as glad as the others that she had shown up unannounced after all. He pulled her over to the couch and gestured for her to sit down. She readied an apology in her head.

“Leila, what really happened with Luke tonight?”

His question caught her off guard. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, that. I already told you. I didn’t want to climb, so I left.”

“How did Luke react when you said you weren’t going to climb?”

Leila shrugged. “I think he was frustrated, but he didn’t get mad or anything.”

“Did he try to pressure you into changing your mind?”

His question sent a spark of annoyance through her. “He tried to tell me it was safe and that he wouldn’t let me fall, but he wasn’t aggressive about it, if that’s what you mean.”

The snippy tone to her voice pushed Eli back a few inches. His next question was phrased more politely. “Why didn’t the two of you do something else? Why just end the date?”

Was he disappointed that Leila hadn’t spent more of the night with Luke. She hoped that wasn’t the reason for his question. “Well, it wasn’t just us. Two of Luke’s friends were there, too. I didn’t want him to miss out on spending time with them, so I told him to stay.”

“And he did?” Eli asked. The incredulity in his voice made it pretty clear that he would have chosen differently.

Feeling the need to defend Luke, she said, “He doesn’t get to see Rick or Andrew that often. And at the time, I just wanted to go home.”

Eli leaned back against the couch, abandoning his overly alert posture. He had been sitting so close before. She doubted he had meant his closeness to feel threatening, but that had been the effect. Leila would never actually be afraid of Eli, but he had the ability to be forceful without ever raising his voice or appearing combative. It put his body close to hers when he did that, and as he relaxed he stayed close. His thigh pressed up against hers, and if he were to uncross his arms, his left arm would not be able to find a position where it wouldn’t be touching her. It was happenstance that they ended up so close, but Leila enjoyed his warmth either way.

“So why didn’t you go home?” Eli asked.

Quickly, Leila pushed away thoughts of how nice it was to be touching Eli and focused on his question. Unfortunately, that proved much harder than she would have liked. “Well, I just … I wanted to talk to you, I guess. Tell you what happened.”

“Not that I’m sad you came over, but you could have called.”

None of Leila’s earlier arguments seemed to hold up now. She dug around for the real reason she wanted to see Eli rather than simply explain the climbing wall situation over the phone. It took a few long moments before she was able to answer.

“Luke and I worked it out. I wasn’t mad and neither was he, but I guess I was still kind of upset about the whole thing. I stood up to Luke, but I was mad at myself for not being able to put my fear aside.” Leila took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“I didn’t want to sit at my house alone and stew about it. I wanted to be with someone.” Then more quietly she added, “With you.”

The ability to breath altogether abandoned her as she waited for his response. It didn’t come in words. Eli’s arms uncrossed, one slipping around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. “I’m glad you came over,” he said, “and I’m proud of you for saying no when you weren’t ready to try something new.”

“Thanks,” Leila said, perfectly content. She treasured Eli’s friendship more than she had any other friend. His praise and acceptance meant so much to her. Having him in her life gave her confidence she had never felt before. It was only somewhere in the back of her mind that she remembered Luke had promised to call her.

Sometime later, when Leila started having trouble keeping her eyes open, Eli walked her to his door. He had found her purse somewhere, and even offered to drive her home if she was too tired. It had been a long day, but Leila knew she would be fine driving. It was probably just her imagination when she thought Eli’s hug goodbye lasted a little longer than usual. The kiss he placed on her cheek was very real. It was friendly, nothing overly intimate, but Leila wondered, hoped even, that it would become the norm with Eli.

Chapter 16

Unspoken

Every time Leila stopped by, Eli silently thanked Luke for his poorly planned climbing date. Since that night, Leila had become a frequent visitor. It seemed to open up any barriers left between either one showing up at the other’s apartment unannounced. Eli was, of course, always mindful of when Leila and Luke would be together, and never tried to intrude.

Leila was very open about how things were going with Luke. She confided in him when they argued, and even when she had a great time with him. It was twisted, Eli was well aware, that a part of him enjoyed hearing about time when they did not get along, but surprisingly, when she told him about the good dates it also made him happy. In the darkest part of his mind, he hoped her relationship with Luke failed. He wanted her very much, but he wanted her to be happy too, and he had to admit that she was happy with Luke. For now.

Regardless, if he knew they were spending time together Eli made sure he avoided Leila’s neighborhood completely. Sometimes the temptation to step in was almost too strong to resist, and while Leila kept very little from him, there were some areas she did not discuss.

She had been dating Luke for almost two months. Eli was sure they had at the very least kissed by that point, but Leila had never mentioned it. It caused him physical pain to think they might be sleeping together, but he knew it was a possibility. The last thing he would want would be to give in to the temptation to see her and interrupt something like that. He shivered from thinking of it as he buttoned up his dress shirt.

With the last button secured, Eli slipped his suit jacket on and walked out to the living room for Leila’s approval. Surprisingly, he didn’t find her. He doubted she would step out without telling him, so he glanced around for any sign of her. Previous to meeting Leila, his apartment was often quiet. Leila, however, loved music, he had discovered, and she often turned on his stereo when she visited. He was sure she was nearby, but sultry bassanova music was doing a stellar job of hiding any sound she might be making.

Making an educated guess, Eli headed for the kitchen where he suspected she was making herself a snack. She ate a surprising amount for being such a petite woman. She took advantage her naturally high metabolism. Although, the running he had forced her to take up as a hobby had certainly had an effect, he realized as he entered the kitchen.

She had her back to him as she made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The music had apparently covered up his own steps. For a few precious moments he was free to watch the way her hips swayed to the music. Even more entertaining was the way her feet shuffled in what he knew was a perfect bossanova step.

It was a challenge not to slide his hands along her hips. He forced himself to settle with closing the distance between them and saying, “I had no idea you knew how to dance.”

Leila jumped in surprise, dropping the knife she was holding and spinning around in fright. When she saw it was only Eli she burst into embarrassed laughter. She swatted him gently in irritation. “You scared me!”

“Sorry,” Eli said.

She pushed him away and reached down for the butter knife. Then she was wiping up the peanut butter that had splattered along with the knife. Eli waited until she was finished before posing his question again. “For someone who frequently tells me she has no talents and is boring, you sure seem to have a surprising amount of secret abilities.”

“What are you talking about?” she said with a dismissive laugh. She quickly spread the jelly and smashed the two halves of her sandwich together. Eli reached across her and took both the peanut butter and jelly.

As he put them away, he asked, “Where did you learn to dance the bossanova?”

Leila flushed a bright red. “It was just a silly class I took in college.”

“You danced in college?” He was even more intrigued now.

“I took a semester of ballroom dancing,” she corrected, “for fun.”

“Hmm, I’ll have to remember that for future reference.”

She gave him a look that dared him to bring it up again. He would, and she knew it. She tossed her head in irritation at his stubbornness. Eli wasn’t fooled. She would no doubt claim that she was not a very good dancer, but he was quickly learning that whatever Leila set her mind to learn, she excelled at. She was a very smart and talented woman despite her claims to the contrary.

“What are you wearing?” Leila asked, sounding slightly sticky from too much peanut butter on her sandwich.

Eli had come out to get her opinion on his choice in clothing, but he hadn’t honestly expected her to object. He glanced down at his suit and green dress shirt. “What’s wrong with it?” he asked.

“I thought you were going to a luncheon, not your own wedding. Why are you wearing a white suit?” she asked with a wrinkled nose.

“I’m going to a spring garden luncheon. White or beige suits are perfectly acceptable, the standard, in fact.”

She wasn’t buying it. “With a dark green shirt and cufflinks?” She rolled her eyes at him. “Give you a velvet hat and some bling and you’d be a dead ringer for some kind of creepy pimp. Ana would kill me for letting you out of this apartment looking like that. Come on.”

Leila abandoned her sandwich and headed to Eli’s bedroom. He had little choice but to follow her. By the time he caught up with her Leila had found his walk in closet and was shuffling through his dress shirts in search of something she deemed more appropriate.

“I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Eli said. “I have been told by several women that this shirt looks very nice on me.”

Pausing in her search, Leila looked back at him. “You look great in the shirt. It’s the perfect color for your eyes,” she admitted, “but not with that suit.”

“What suit should I wear it with?” he asked. “For future reference.”

She didn’t even have to think about it. “Your charcoal grey, single breasted suit with the emerald geometric tie.”

She turned away from him, leaving him to marvel that she knew his clothing so well. Her fingers flipped through several more shirts before removing one and holding it up. The pale lavender shirt was pure cotton, one he very rarely wore. His skepticism must have shown, but Leila was not backing down. She held the shirt out with a demand for him to put it on. He took the shirt while she dove back into the closet in search of a tie.

Eli could admit that Leila had never been so bossy with him before. He found it both delightful and annoying. Regardless, he knew he would do just as he asked, so he laid his jacket aside and started unbuttoning the offending green shirt. It was set back on its original hanger and Eli retrieved the purple one. He stared at it, not quite ready to put it on. He couldn’t remember where he had gotten the shirt, or even why. The color was too feminine for his taste, but he supposed Leila was probably right.

He was sliding his arm into the first sleeve when Leila reappeared with a silk tie slightly darker than the shirt. It wasn’t the sight of more purple that halted him, it was the expression on her face. It wasn’t until that moment that Eli began to believe Leila was harboring unspoken feelings for him.

Eyes wide, she drank in the sight of his bare chest. He could almost feel their caress. The strength it took not to shiver with pleasure as she watched him was tremendous. Not grabbing hold of her right then and confessing everything should have been enough to grant him sainthood. He wanted her so badly, and he finally understood that she wanted him, too.

But she wouldn’t let herself give in to what she thought was a fantasy.

And he refused to admit his own desires.

Neither of those facts stopped Eli from reveling in the moment. He slipped his other arm into the shirt, but didn’t button it quite yet. Eli had promised himself, and others, that he would do nothing to interfere with Leila’s love life. In that moment, he gave himself the leeway that if she were to initiate a change between them, there was no way he was holding back.

Pushing the odds in his direction, Eli took a step closer to her. His skin hummed being so close to her body. The blood racing through his veins was about to boil over. “I’m not sure about this shirt,” he said quietly.

Leila gulped. Her eyes slid up his chest to meet his. The heat behind her gaze nearly broke Eli. The shake of her head was slow. “No, it’s perfect.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded, and Eli realized she had moved closer to him as strands of her long hair brushed against his chest. “I’m sure.”

Her eyes dropped, and for a frightening moment Eli was sure she was going to withdraw and break the moment. When he felt her fingers brush against his skin, an indescribable feeling spread through his body. His hands were reaching for her, about to take hold of her and refuse to let her go—never mind Luke—when he felt the slightest tugging on the fabric of his shirt.

Confusion set in when he realized Leila was buttoning his shirt for him. His mind raced to determine whether she was trying to cover him up, or if the slow movement of her fingers was meant to entice him, give her a reason to touch him. She finished with the last button before he could figure it out. Panic gripped Eli when her hands left him entirely. Leila had turned away, but he reached out for her, unwilling to let her slip away from him. His hand hooked around her waist as she turned around with the tie in hand.

She froze. The tie quivered in her hands. When Eli placed his other hand on her hip, the trembling in her hands only got worse. Every thought in his mind was begging him to pull her closer. He wanted to quiet her hesitation with his love. It was right there in her eyes. She wanted him to do it. But the equal amount of pure fear held him back. She was poised between running and giving in. He couldn’t bear the thought of her running from him, but couldn’t let go of her either. His hand stayed in place on the perfect curve of her hip as he begged her to make the first move.

Slowly, Leila’s hand rose. Her breathing was forcibly calm as she draped the tie around his neck. Eli’s muscles bunched with delicious anticipation as her fingers turned his collar up and guided the tie into place. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning when her hands worked their way down the tie, adjusting the length. His fingers dug into her flesh as she carefully tied the tie and slid it into place. Every movement drew her closer to him. By the time she was finished their bodies were pressed together. Both were breathing hard, locked in an embrace that neither one was willing to deepen or pull back from. Eli was more clothed than when they had started, but he felt utterly bare in her arms.

“Leila,” he whispered.

Something in his voice registered with her, scared her. She took a step back, but only a small one. Her hands which had been pressed against his chest a moment before, now brushed nonexistent lint from his shirt front. “There,” she said, sounding very small, “now you’re dressed for a garden party.”

“Thank you,” Eli said. She tried to step back again, but Eli held tight. “Come with me.”

Leila’s mouth opened. The words she wanted to utter refused to slip past her lips.

“Come with me,” he asked again.

“No,” Leila said suddenly. She pulled out of his arms and spun away from him. “I have to meet Luke later.”

Eli wanted to push her. Just having her out of arms reach was killing him. Eli was sure that if he pressed her to come with him she would give in. The words were on the tip of his tongue. Knowing the cost of manipulating his precious Leila would never let him voice a single word of it.

“Of course,” Eli said, defeated.

Picking his suit coat up, he shrugged into it efficiently and quickly. He hated the idea of leaving her, but there was no way he could be in this room with her for another five seconds without breaking all his rules. Eli stalked over to Leila. Her back was still turned to him. Hugging her was out of the question. He would never let her go. Leaving without touching her was out of the question as well. Eli leaned over her shoulder and pressed his lips against her cheek. “Stay as long as you want,” he whispered before walking away.

Chapter 17

Wanted

After the botched rock climbing trip, Luke made a concerted effort to always check with Leila before choosing anything he thought might make her nervous. When he first mentioned horseback riding, visions of quiet rides through a park had entered her mind. She was thrilled, especially since she had grown up riding horses at her aunt’s home in the country. It turned out that hadn’t quite been what Luke had in mind.

The jump was not even a foot high, but when Leila rode she preferred to keep the animal’s hooves firmly on the ground. She stared at the bar hovering above the dirt. Her hand patted the dappled grey she was perched atop. It was a mild mannered mare, which made Leila feel better. She had spent the past hour riding the mare around the practice ring and felt very comfortable. The horse wasn’t the problem.

“Are you ready?” Becca, the girl holding the lead, asked. She couldn’t have been more than fourteen years old. Leila felt like a child being nervous about something so trivial. She refused to admit she was scared, so she smiled as she nodded to the teenager.

“Great. Use your heels to signal Starburst for the jump.”

“Okay,” Leila agreed.

The girl clucked to the horse and they started moving. Surprisingly, the steady gait of the horse settled Leila’s nerves. The breeze rolling through the park brought the scent of horse and leather to her nose, and with it the memories of summers spent in the sun with friends. Horses and grass were the scents of happiness for Leila.

“We’re coming up to the jump,” Becca warned her.

It seemed natural to Leila for her knees to tighten against the mare’s body, lifting and shifting her weight. She leaned into the minimal jump along with the horse and settled back into her seat when they landed. It was so short, and took barely any effort. The calm inspired by riding the horse increased. Leila rolled along with Starburst’s steps. They continued on to the next jump, which was slightly higher than the first. Leila squeezed the horse, leaned forward and grinned as they cleared the next jump. When she thought each higher jump would only make her more anxious, she was pleasantly surprise to realize the opposite was true. She had cleared a two foot high jump before Becca called for Starburst to halt.

“You did great, Leila!” Becca gushed. “See, there wasn’t anything for you to be afraid of. You’re a natural jumper.”

“Thanks. It was easier than I expected it to be.” Leila certainly wasn’t saying she intended to take up show jumping any time soon, but she had enjoyed herself.

“Now,” Becca said, “let’s see how your boyfriend does.

Usually, Luke’s adventures stemmed from his own interests, activities he had been participating in for years. This was the first time they were trying something they were both familiar with, but neither one had actually tried this aspect of horse riding before. Leila was interested to see how Luke would react if he didn’t manage to conquer show jumping on the first try.

The young man leading Luke’s horse, also a teenager, reminded Luke of the instructions for guiding the horse to the jump and signaling when to take off. In reality, the horses were most likely so practiced at the course they could make a perfect run riderless. Luke, however, listened intently to each instruction. Leila covered up a chuckle at his serious expression.

Luke and his chestnut mare eased into a canter and approached the first jump. She could tell even from a distance that Luke had mistimed his signal. He tried to spur the horse to jump too early. Luckily the steady mare ignored him and jumped when she was ready. Luke was not prepared.

It was such a small jump there was no real danger of his falling, but he was jostled on the landing and had to correct his posture once they were back on the ground. Every time, Luke tried to jump too early as his eagerness pushed ahead of logic. An early jump led to a rough landing. It put them off rhythm for several steps after each jump.

“Is your boyfriend the competitive type?” Becca asked.

Leila considered the question. Energetic and adrenaline fueled, definitely. Competitive? They had never actually competed at anything, but Leila could make an educated guess. “I’m sure he is.”

“That sucks for you.”

Leila looked down at the girl. “Why?”

The “you just asked the most obvious question” expression was one Leila had failed to master as a teenager. Not so for Becca. It was plastered across her face. “Hello, because you’re obviously way better at this than him. I bet he’s going to whine about this forever.”

At the time, Leila passed off her words as juvenile, but she soon realized how right Becca had been. Luke didn’t exactly whine about his failure to mastering jumping, but his copious comments on how good she did made it very clear that he was having a hard time dealing with being shown up by his girlfriend. There was a small amount of satisfaction his behavior inspired, but mostly she felt bad for making him uncomfortable. Leila wouldn’t have purposely done worse to appease his ego. She was competitive as well, in her own way. She was, however, the type of person who thought everyone should get a prize for competing no matter how badly they did.

That opinion did falter a bit after the dozenth mention of how easily she picked up jumping as they ate lunch. At first, she did what she usually did in a situation like that. She played down her accomplishment. After a while, she got tired of Luke’s veiled whining and said that riding had been her favorite pastime on her aunt’s ranch and jumping was merely an extension of that.

Her frank words were enough to stifle Luke’s wounded pride. He nodded, and moved on to a new topic. Leila was thankful for the change. The rest of their lunch passed pleasantly. The only downside after that was Luke telling Leila that he would be going out of town again. It was only for a few days, but the news worried Leila.

As they walked from the bistro they’d had lunch at and back toward the stables, Leila knew her first reaction shouldn’t have been worry, because her worry wasn’t for his safety while traveling. For just over a week, Leila had been admittedly using Luke as a distraction from Eli. Escaping him entirely since … Leila shook away the memory of Eli standing in front of her without his shirt, his runner’s body begging for her touch. She tried to forget how having his hands on her hips had electrified her whole body. Most of all, what had troubled her sleep since that day, she wanted desperately to get rid the feel of his lips pressed roughly against her cheek.

A shiver ran through Leila’s body in spite of the warm summer day. She glanced up, searching for something to take her mind off Eli. As luck would have it, two women jogged past her and Luke at that moment. The sight of them only made it more difficult to escape her thoughts. Leila had not called Eli or stopped by his apartment all week, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t seen him.

Every morning, Eli met her at Holstein Park to run. Once it had been her favorite time of the day, but lately their time together had been quiet and strained. She walked the two blocks to where they met every morning fearing and also hoping that he wouldn’t be there. It was impossible for her to say which feeling was the strongest. What had really been torture was that even though Eli carried on as if nothing had happened, he had yet to kiss or even hug her again. That, Leila feared, was gone forever.

She sighed and looked away from the runners. Her gaze landed on the familiar sight of the Japanese tea house that had recently become her one of her favorite spots in town. She was so startled she stopped. She hadn’t realized they were so close. For a very brief moment, she wished she had remembered sooner and chosen it for lunch, but the twisting of her stomach that sharing the special place with anyone other than Eli threw the idea away.

“Leila?” Luke asked. “Something wrong?”

Feeling foolish, she tried to wave him off. “No, sorry. I’m fine. I just … I didn’t realize we were so close to this place.” Luke’s expression became confused. Leila gestured at the tea house. “Have you ever been here?”

“No. I’m not much for tea,” Luke responded, “but I’m guessing you are?”

“Yes, actually, and this place makes the best.”

Luke looked around the street. What he was searching for, Leila had no idea, but when he turned back to her he seemed perplexed. “How did you find this place? It’s a bit out of your comfort zone.”

The hint of irritation she felt at his assumption was quickly beaten down by the truth of it. “A friend introduced me to it. We have lunch here every once in a while.”

Every week actually. What day depended on Eli’s schedule, but whenever he ended up near her office he always stopped by and invited her to the tea house. The disappointed she often felt when he didn’t show up made many lunches a rather dismal experience.

“Why is it,” Luke asked as he pulled Leila into his arms, “that I keep hearing about these mysterious friends of yours, but I’ve yet to meet any of them. I’m beginning to think you’re making them up.”

Leila tried to smile, tried to laugh off his teasing, but she couldn’t. His assumption that she had multiple friends he had yet to meet pricked at her sense of honesty. There were no friends, there was only Eli. And aside from mentioning that he had offered Leila an extra symphony ticket, his name had never come up again. Any other mention of him was a vague reference to a friend she went out with.

“Are you hiding your friends from me?” Luke teased.

It wasn’t his question that drained every last bit of color from her face, it was the melodic ring of the tea house door hitting the wind chime as it was pushed open by Eli Walsh. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before Eli broke contact and directed his gaze at Luke. They had never met, but it obviously wasn’t hard for him to guess who she was with.

Leila’s eyes widened as Eli approached Luke. She squeaked something incoherent as Eli extended his hand. “You must be Luke,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

He appeared casual and friendly, but Leila knew that slight tightening of his jaw gave away his true discomfort at seeing her. The fact that he didn’t even say hello to her before turning to Luke spoke volumes.

Luke took the offered hand, but was baffled at the intrusion. “I’m sorry, you are …?”

“I apologize. I’ve heard so much about you I feel like I already know you,” Eli said. “I’m Eli Walsh, a friend of Leila’s.”

After mulling over the name again, Luke remembered. “The symphony. You’re the one that gave Leila that extra ticket to the symphony.”

Eli tactfully withdrew his hand from Luke’s. His lips pressed together before saying, “Yes, I’m the one who took Leila to the symphony.”

“Huh.” The sudden clip to his voice put Leila on edge. “Funny running into you, Eli, we were just talking about how Leila’s friends all seem to be ghosts. And yet here you are. Not a ghost at all.”

Eli smiled, but it wasn’t very warm. “Quite the opposite,” he said.

Leila wasn’t entirely sure of what he meant by that comment, but she knew the conversation was about to take a nose dive. She wanted to run. That would hardly make anything better, though, so she opted to take control of the situation instead.

“Eli, what brings you to this part of town?” She wanted very much to slip away from him, but she also wanted an honest answer. It was absurd that she should care if Eli had been having lunch at the tea house with someone else, or even alone. She had no claim to the place, or to Eli’s time. Beneath her fear that the awkward conversation would turn south, she was hurt that he would visit the tea house without her.

Her question brought the first genuine smile to Eli’s lips. His hand reached into the small, elegant paper bag Leila hadn’t noticed he was holding until that moment and pulled out a canister of tea. “I was out of genmaicha. You drank the last of it and didn’t tell me,” he chided.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to mention it,” Leila said before thinking of how Luke might take Eli’s insinuation. The tightening of his hand on hers was a good indicator that he realized it meant Leila spent time in Eli’s apartment. Enough time that she felt comfortable making herself tea without mentioning it to Eli. Her heart rate spiked along with her desire to run.

Eli seemed unaffected by the exchange. “Well, now I’ll have some the next time you want a cup.”

“Great,” she said quietly, even though she very much appreciated his thoughtfulness.

The air between them grew stale within seconds of no one speaking. Rooted to the spot by a whole host of conflicting emotions, Leila felt powerless to do anything. Luke seemed unwilling to let her off the hook. Eli was the only one still smiling. In the end, it was him who ended the stalemate.

“You two look to be off to some kind of equestrian lesson, judging by Leila’s breeches and boots,” Eli said, “so I won’t take up any more of your time.” He nodded to Luke, saying, “It was nice to finally meet you.”

A none-too-friendly, “Likewise,” was Luke’s response.

“Leila, I’ll see you in the morning,” Eli said, but the tone of his voice phrased it more as a question, to which Leila nodded mutely. Eli smiled and gathered her up in a quick, modest hug. The kiss she was half expecting—wanting for and dreading at the same time—didn’t come. Eli pulled back then, and continued a few yards away to his car. Luke watched him drive away every bit as intently as Leila did. The second he disappeared from sight Luke spun her to face him.

“That’s Eli?” he demanded.

“Yes,” Leila said timidly.

Luke’s body tightened. His arms folded across his chest, dropping her hand in the process. “When you said he was an old friend from work, I thought you meant Eli was old!”

She couldn’t blame him for thinking that. She could, however, blame herself for expecting he had made that assumption and not doing anything to correct it.

“Let me guess, Eli is the one who introduced you to this place. Is he the one you have lunch here with?”

“Yes, but …”

“But what?”

Leila’s jaw clenched together at his interruption. “Eli is a friend. That’s it.”

That mantra had been running on a loop in her head for the past week. It hadn’t helped her much, but she hoped the effect on Luke would be better. Judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t.

“How long have you known Eli?”

“A few months,” Leila admitted, “but he and Ana have been friends for years. She introduced us. He’s just a friend.”

“I thought you said you worked with him.”

Leila shook her head. “I met him through work. Eli is a psychiatrist.”

“Is he yours?” Luke asked, disgust etched into his face. Whether it was thanks to the assumption that Leila needed a shrink, or the however unlikely thought of their relationship being an ethical breech, Leila wasn’t sure. She didn’t particularly appreciate either one.

“No, he’s not my shrink,” she answered.

“What did he mean by seeing you in the morning then?”

Leila blanched, but she didn’t lie. “We run together most mornings through Holstein Park.”

Luke was always bursting with emotion, whether it was excitement or pleasure. She loved how full of life he was. The anger that blossomed on his cheeks was new and shocking. She didn’t like it at all, and hated that she had inspired it.

His fingers shot through his hair, almost tugging at it. “You didn’t think I’d like to know that you spend your free time hanging out with another guy?” Luke asked. The anger in his voice made it hard and cutting.

“Luke, I knew Eli before I ever met you,” she argued. Sure, it was only by about a week, but it still counted. “I didn’t mention it at first because I had no idea how things would go between us and there didn’t seem to be any reason because I knew there was nothing between Eli and I. After a while, well, I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression. Eli is a friend. We hang out sometimes and run together. I didn’t want you to assume there was anything else between us and get upset like you are now.”

“Why isn’t there anything between you and Eli?”

Leila was now the one taking up a combative stance. As slender and petite as she was, she doubted she made a very threatening figure, but she didn’t care. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I mean, guys aren’t friends with women. Ever. If this Eli guy is such a great friend, why aren’t you dating him?” Luke asked.

“Because I’m not!” Leila spluttered. She had no intention of standing on the street all day arguing about Eli, or anything else for that matter.

“Is he gay?”

A sudden remembrance of Eli’s muscles tightening at her touch, the soft moan that had escaped his lips jumped into her mind. “No,” she said adamantly, “he is definitely not gay.”

“Married?”

This was getting ridiculous. Leila scoffed. “Of course not.”

Luke threw his hands up. “Then why?”

“It’s just … we’re friends …” Leila faltered as she really considered the question. In her deepest fantasies she would lie in Eli’s arms. But those were only bits of little girl foolishness she never quite outgrew. She knew the answer. “Because I’m not Eli’s type,” she admitted.

Luke reacted to the sadness in her voice. His bunched up shoulders relaxed along with his anger. “What is Eli’s type, exactly?”

Everything Leila wasn’t. But she didn’t say that. She said, “Sophisticated, cultured, confident, gorgeous … the type of girl that feels at home in ball gowns and garden parties.”

“And you’re not that girl?” Luke asked.

Leila shook her head. “And I wouldn’t want to be.”

Part of her meant the words. Leila knew she would never want to be in the spotlight, never want to be the gracious host to dozens of people she didn’t know or like just for the sake of showing off her beautiful home or designer clothes. Despite her shortcomings in the confidence department, Leila liked who she was, smart and pretty and a little bit odd. But that was only part of her. The rest wanted … not to be able to change into the girl she imagined Eli wanted, but just be the girl he wanted—the girl she was, no changing required.

Breaking out of her own thoughts, Leila folded her arms around her body and looked at Luke. She was glad to see that much of his anger had left, but there was still hesitation in his stance. “Why didn’t you tell me about Eli?”

“I didn’t want you to be jealous.” It was the honest truth, mostly. She also didn’t want to share Eli with anyone even in such a small way as having to admit her friendship with him. She wanted him to be hers alone. She didn’t want to answer questions about Eli or be quizzed about what she did with him.

Leila realized her answer didn’t do anything to turn away Luke’s hurt feelings. Trying again, she said, “Even though I know there’s no reason for you to be jealous, I get why me hanging out with him would bother you. If the table was turned, I’d feel the same way. I just didn’t want anything to ruin the fun we have together.”

“Will you stop seeing him then?” Luke asked.

“No,” she said without having to think about her answer. The very idea of not having Eli made her chest tighten to the point of pain. Tears pricked at her eyes as she imagined not being able to talk to him and drink tea as she curled up on his couch and watched Frank Sinatra in black and white.

The tension in Luke’s body returned at her answer. “Why not? If you understand why it would upset me, why wouldn’t you stop seeing him?”

“Because he’s my friend.” Leila shrugged, having no other answer, and refusing to budge.

“You’re not going to stop seeing him?” he asked in surprise.

“Luke,” she said, “I’m not like you. I don’t have dozens of friends. I have a few very close friends, and I would never abandon any of them. If it were Eli asking me to turn my back on you, I wouldn’t do that either.”

“But, Leila …”

She shook her head firmly. “No.”

She would not give Eli up. A week of only seeing him to run was painful enough. Never seeing him again, she couldn’t handle that. In fact, she made a promise to herself to end the awkwardness between them before it got any worse.

“Do you realize how bizarre this is? How many other guys would be okay with their girlfriend hanging out with another guy when they weren’t around?” Luke argued, unaware of her internal conversation.

Leila fully understood how odd her stance was. She wasn’t going to change her mind, though. “Eli is my friend, and nothing more. He’s important to me. I know I’m asking a lot, but if you can’t deal with me having a male friend, you need to tell me right now.”

“Have you slept with him?”

Her laugh caught him off guard. “Are you serious?” she asked between laughs. “No, I haven’t slept with him. I told you, we’re just friends.”

“Well,” Luke defended, “I needed to know if it was a with benefits kind of friendship.”

“I don’t do friends with benefits,” Leila said seriously. “With me it’s either all or nothing, no in between.”

The start of a smile made an appearance on Luke’s face as one corner of his mouth turned up. “Good to know.”

The two stood in the middle of the sidewalk. The early summer sun was not yet hot, but it was warm enough to make Leila not want to stay there much longer. She didn’t want to make the first move, though. She knew she had dumped a lot on Luke, and very unexpectedly. Forcing him to decide his reaction would likely only guarantee a bad one. So Leila made herself wait patiently as Luke mulled over meeting Eli and their entire conversation.

A bead of sweat rolled down her back before Luke finally made a move. He slid his arm around Leila’s waist. A gentle push started them back on the path toward Luke’s car. His hold on her was not as relaxed as is usually was, but Leila had no trouble understanding why. She was only grateful he hadn’t walked away without her.

“So, exactly how many other friends like Eli do you have?” Luke asked.

“Guy friends?” Leila wondered if Vance, Leo, and Guy counted.

“Secret friends,” he clarified.

Leila chuckled. “Oh. Well, you already know Ana, so … zero.”

“Ana and Eli, that’s a pretty short list.”

Knowing that he wasn’t poking fun at her, she said, “That’s why I hold onto my friends so tightly. I don’t have many of them.”

“You could.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

To be honest, she didn’t want loads of friends. Mindlessly texting or going out to clubs with other girls didn’t have much of an appeal to her. Leila would rather have a few close friends that understood her well enough to know who she really was.

“So,” Luke said, pulling her back to the conversation, “all the times you’ve told me you were doing something with a friend—like that highbrow club, or lunch, or whatever that play was last week—those were all with Eli …”

“Or Ana.” Leila rationalized that it was only a little white lie to spare Luke’s feelings. She did go to a movie with Ana a few weeks ago when her husband was out of town, but the rest of the instances he was talking about were pretty much all Eli.

Luke’s silence made her wonder if he had heard the lie. They walked several blocks without speaking. The noises of the city filled the silence with children playing on a front stoop, music from a window, motors purring down the street, and the slap of tennis shoes on pavement as a runner sped by them. The sight of apple blossoms on a lone tree in front of a brownstone made Leila smile and curl against Luke. He welcomed her, pulling her in more tightly.

A few blocks later, they made it back to Luke’s car. He reached for her door, but stopped before grabbing the handle and looked back at Leila. His brow furrowed. The change worried Leila, but she stayed silent. Eventually Luke looked at her and asked, “On your all or nothing scale, where are we?”

Not prepared for a question like that, Leila leaned against the car for support. Her mind raced to define their relationship in mere seconds. She should have expected Luke would want to know where he stood with her after meeting Eli—no doubt needing confirmation that he was the center of her thoughts—but she hadn’t considered it until that moment.

“Well,” she said slowly, “we’re definitely not at nothing, but I’m not quite ready for all yet either.”

Luke grinned at her and pressed his body against hers. “But I thought it was either one or the other, nothing in between. I think those were your exact words.”

Tall and athletic, Luke’s weight was hardly minimal, but he only leaned in enough to capture her attention. Which he did. It was hard to deny that the heat surrounding them had nothing to do with the sun. Luke’s hips were tight against hers with his hands wrapped around her waist. His chest was inches away from her, and she swore she could actually hear his heartbeat speed up in reaction to their contact. Leila’s mind was scattered beyond belief, but his words demanded some sort of reply.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she said.

One hand left her back and trailed its way up to her cheekbone where he stroked her skin slowly back to tangle in her hair. “Oh? Then, please, what did you mean?”

“I was talking about sex, not a relationship.”

The way Luke’s teasing smile deepened into something infinitely more seductive sent a rush through Leila’s veins. “You were talking about sex?” Luke asked.

“Not anymore,” Leila managed to say, though her intelligent thought was quickly abandoning her.

He shook his head. “You’re the one who brought up the word sex.”

“You were thinking about it,” Leila argued.

Luke leaned in close. His lips brushed against her ear. “So were you.”

In that moment, Leila knew she had never blushed as deeply as she did then. There was no way for Luke to know she had been wondering just how his toned abdomen and chest would look without his shirt covering it, how it would feel to run her hands across his skin. He couldn’t know the things her mind had been imagining, but he was right either way. Not that Leila was going to admit that to him, though.

“Am I just a friend, like Eli?” Luke asked.

Eli was a fantasy. Luke was reality, a very enticing bit of reality. “No, you’re not just a friend. You’re my boyfriend.”

“But what am I to you?” Luke sighed. “We’ve been dating for two months, but sometimes I still feel like you’re trying figure out whether or not it’s going to work out between us.”

“Well I don’t know for sure. Do you?”

“I know that I want it to work out. Isn’t that enough?” Luke asked.

Was it? Leila didn’t know.

Luke’s arm tightened around her body. They were chest to chest, and there was no way Luke could miss the sudden spike in her breathing. His eyes locked with hers in a soulful caress. “Leila, I know you’re careful, and I know you don’t trust easily, but sometimes you have to be willing to take a risk on someone.”

“That’s not easy for me,” Leila said honestly.

“I know.”

Luke’s lips touched the curve of her neck and began making their way upward. Every touch weakened Leila’s fears. The warm breath pulsing across her sensitized skin made her shiver against him. She was hopeless putty in his hands by the time his lips grazed her ear.

“All I’m asking,” he whispered, “is that you stop waiting to see if our relationship will work out, and find out for yourself.”

The trail of Luke’s heat slid along her jaw, his mouth pressing against her parted lips. Leila’s hands twisted around his shirt and pulled him closer. He didn’t resist. Luke kissed her once more, then asked, “Will you find out?”

“Yes,” Leila breathed.

Ready to convince her, Luke deepened their kiss. He crushed Leila against his body. The only thought in her mind at that point was how the sun had nothing on Luke’s passion. She reveled in his desire, more happy than she could express to be wanted so much.

As passion mellowed into an enveloping embrace, Leila knew the conversation was far from over, but for the moment she was happy. She would discover exactly what Luke meant to her, and how far she wanted their relationship to go later. The topic of all or nothing, and whether or not that included sex would come up again soon, and Leila could only hope she would be ready to face it when it did. After experiencing Luke’s desire, it seemed an easy choice.

But as often happened, as soon as the excitement died down, Eli returned to her mind. Leila hoped that with Eli no longer a secret, those kinds of thoughts would stop, but she couldn’t have been more wrong.

“You’re wrong about Eli,” Luke said quietly.

“What … do you mean?”

Luke kissed her nose. “You are his kind of girl. You’re any guy’s kind of girl. You are sophisticated and gorgeous. He’s not too good for you. No man is. You’re too good for me.” He smiled and kissed her again. “You, my beautiful girl, are the kind of woman every man dreams of.”

Her skeptical expression made him smile.

His responding grin was followed by another kiss, this one on her forehead. “I know I dream about you.”

Part of Leila’s mind begged to know just what he dreamt, but the other half had more traitorous thoughts. Thoughts like whether or not Eli dreamed of her, too.

Chapter 18

Lost

As Eli paced in front of the bench where he usually met Leila, his mind wandered. First, there was the recently acquired fear that Leila would not show up. After convincing himself she would meet him, he wondered what she would wear. For the longest time it had been the same running tights and sport top, but last week she had finally shown up in something new, a sign that she accepted exercise as a part of her life. She seemed to have purchased a new athletic wardrobe. He hoped the black and pink capris with the racerback tank top would make a reappearance.

Fantasizing about her clothing only lasted so long before his thoughts slipped back to the previous day. Eli was still battling mixed feelings about the run-in. On one side, finally setting eyes on the famed Luke had been crushing. He was man enough to admit that Luke was attractive, slightly taller than him, and very fit, although Eli felt they were fairly equal in physical fitness if not in exact build. Seeing his hands on Leila, and her acceptance of it had been cutting.

On the other hand, Eli had walked away with a deep sense of satisfaction on several levels. Luke’s obviously jealous response had been a boost. The desirable Luke saw him as a threat. Even though Eli knew Leila held no illusions about a relationship with Eli at the time, Luke seemed to have no problem imagining it. His jealousy could cause problems, but Eli felt confident Leila wouldn’t drop out of his life just for Luke’s sake.

Eli smiled as he remembered her shock at seeing him. It had not been only surprise at running into him unexpectedly. Luke’s bafflement when Eli approached him made one thing clear. Leila had never told Luke about him. Eli supposed he should have been disappointed by that, but in reality he was thrilled. Even if Leila wouldn’t admit it to herself, she harbored feelings for him and knew Luke would be jealous of their relationship. She had kept him as her secret, something she didn’t want to share. That made Eli very pleased.

A vision in pale blue leggings and a matching blue and white top, Leila crossed the street and pushed everything else out of Eli’s mind. He allowed himself a few brief seconds to appreciate how her body had responded to his insistence that she work out with him. She was slender before, a dancer’s physique, but the softness had been replaced by shapely muscle. She was stunning.

“Hey,” she said as she approached, “ready to run?”

Her brisk greeting was disappointing, but something that was hardly new. “Whenever you are.”

They took a few minutes to stretch in silence, and then began their run at a leisurely pace. It was slow enough that Eli could speak without being winded. “How were the riding lessons, yesterday?”

“Jumping.”

Eli’s brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of her response.

Seeing his confusion, Leila said, “I was learning to show jump, not ride. I already knew how to ride.”

“That’s right, your aunt’s ranch.” Eli nodded, remembering that she had mentioned how much she loved visiting the country and spending time with the animals her aunt raised. “How was the jumping then?”

She actually smiled. “It was fun. The girl teaching me said I picked it up fast.” Leila frowned. “She was only fourteen, though. Maybe fifteen, tops.”

“What does her age matter?” Eli asked. “If she was teaching, she’s probably been jumping for years.”

Leila conceded his point, but picked up the pace, making conversation impossible. They continued on in quiet rhythm. Their routine path had become ingrained in them both. Eli could run for hours, or at least he felt like he could. He enjoyed the strain on his muscles and the comfortable exhaustion running provided. Leila, however, was firm about limiting her running to two miles. She handled the distance well by that point, but Eli knew she still held no great love for running, so he went along with her demands.

Even without speaking, the time spent with Leila was enjoyable. Being in her presence made him happy. Vance told him constantly that whether he was in love with Leila or not, his refusal to tell her how he felt was becoming sadistic. He was right, but Eli couldn’t change. He had to be around her. So he ran alongside her, only becoming despondent when they turned back toward the bench that marked the end of their run.

Leila immediately began to stretch out. When she finished and looked up at Eli, he expected her usual thanks for the run and brief agreement to see him the next day. When she looked up at him through trouble eyes, he began to panic. The feeling only intensified when she spoke.

“Hey, do you want to come up for a few minutes,” she said, giving Eli a shot of hope, “I need to talk to you about something.”

And then his hope went crashing to the pavement. “Uh, sure.”

Leila smiled and started toward her building without waiting for him. He was forced to jog a few steps in order to catch up with her. Desperately, he hoped she would say something, give him a hint of what was bothering her. She kept her thoughts to herself as they climbed the two flights of stairs. When Leila unlocked and opened her door, Eli hesitated at the threshold. He had been so sure earlier that Leila wouldn’t abandon him at Luke’s request. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

Regardless of his fear, Eli crossed into the apartment and closed the door behind him.

“Do you want something to drink?” Leila asked over her shoulder.

“Water would be great,” he responded.

Unsure of what to do with himself, Eli wandered a bit before seating himself at the breakfast bar. He watched Leila fill two glasses with water, her motions seeming so normal. Inside he was bristling with anxiety. His mind started running through scenarios. There was no way he was walking out and leaving her behind without a fight.

The dull plink of a glass being set down on the counter drew his eyes up to Leila’s. She had acted so casual while filling the drinks, but now her hands were shaking. Eli couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Leila, is everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said quickly, but then she started shaking her head. “I acted like such a fool.”

Confused, Eli asked, “Did something happen with Luke yesterday?”

“No, I mean with you.”

“I know I surprised you yesterday …”

“No,” Leila said, ready to burst with frustration, “I mean last weekend.”

Eli had no trouble remembering the previous weekend. The hungry look in Leila’s eyes as she looked at him and touched him was impossible to forget. She had consumed his thoughts the entire week. But he couldn’t think of anything she had done that had been foolish. The only thing he regretted was leaving her standing in his bedroom alone.

Leila gripped her glass and didn’t look at Eli. “Look, last weekend, I don’t know what I was thinking. I had no business commenting on your clothes, or … or invading your room. I stepped over the line and I feel like an idiot.”

“What line?” Eli asked. As far as he was concerned there didn’t need to be any lines between them. Sitting next to her at that moment, he didn’t even care about his own self-imposed lines.

Leila finally met his eyes. “We’re friends, not …”

Some thought brought a blush to her cheeks. Eli had no idea what she had been thinking, but he very much wanted to know. He found himself leaning toward her against his better judgment. “Not what?” he asked.

“Not … no benefits. Friends. We’re just friends, okay?” Her whole face was red, and Eli was pretty sure she was holding her breath. He found her sudden inability to form a coherent thought oddly funny.

“Of course we’re friends. Benefits? I’m not sure …”

“Forget that part,” Leila demanded, now a deep scarlet.

Eli laughed. He tried not to, but she was making very little sense. “Leila, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The effort it took for Leila to take a single deep breath was tremendous. Her palms rolled forward, pressing flat against the counter top. “I had no business commenting on your clothes.”

“Friends comment on each other’s clothes all the time.”

“But, I made you change them,” she argued.

Eli smiled. “Good thing, too. I got several compliments on the purple shirt. You were right.”

“I dug through your closet like I lived there and didn’t even let you dress yourself.”

“Leila,” he laughed, “you were trying to help.”

“I was in your personal space, touching … I mean buttoning, and I just barged into your room,” she spluttered.

“You didn’t …”

“Stop arguing with me!” Leila suddenly demanded.

Her frantic, red faced expression made it very difficult for Eli not to laugh. Only the serious edge of embarrassment underlying everything else kept him in check. It kept his mouth shut as well. Seeing that he was going to behave, Leila calmed herself back down and continued.

“I can’t believe how forward I was. I shouldn’t have been pushy about your clothes, and I had no business making you undress in front of me.”

Eli had to interject there. “You didn’t force me to do anything! I took my shirt off in front of you. What is so wrong with that? If I had a problem with you seeing me without my shirt on I would have asked you to step out while I changed. You’re getting upset about nothing.”

“But … I still …” Her head cocked to one side, still red raced and flustered, considering. “You weren’t bothered by that?”

“No, but if you were, I apologize.”

Leila shook her head quickly. “Of course I didn’t mind!”

Her adamant denial made him smile, but the return of her distressed frown pulled it back.

“Either way, I took too much liberty. I lost myself for a few minutes, when I turn around and saw … and you didn’t have your shirt on,” Leila admitted, the blush creeping back in.

Eli’s body reacted to her words, his pulse jumping ahead. He wanted to see that same look on her face again. He wanted to feel her hands on his skin. And he loved how she phrased her reaction. She lost herself. Clearly, she didn’t understand that he wanted her to lose herself completely in him, like he had lost himself in her.

Unfortunately, Leila was too busy wallowing in her unfounded misery to notice his agitation. “The way I acted wasn’t like a friend should have behaved.”

No, and Eli was glad for it. “There was nothing wrong with how you acted,” he argued.

Leila sighed. “I was kind of caught up in the moment, but after you left, I sat on your couch for an hour. The way you left so suddenly when I said I couldn’t go with you to the luncheon was like a slap in the face.”

Eli’s mind stopped drifting and focused intently. “Leila, I never meant to hurt your feelings. I understood why you couldn’t go. I was disappointed because I love spending time with you, but I wasn’t mad. I just needed to go before …”

She waved him off, keeping him from explaining that he only left because he knew that if he stayed in that room a moment longer he wasn’t going to be the only one missing a few articles of clothing. “When you left, I realized I had crossed the line with you and I felt horrible for doing it. I would never want to jeopardize our friendship. I felt so stupid because I know you don’t think of me as more than a friend.”

“You weren’t jeopardizing anything! We are friends, but …” His fingernails dug furrows in his palms when Leila interrupted him again.

“I think of you as a friend,” she said, crushing his argument even more. “I can’t even explain why I acted the way I did. I mean, you’re gorgeous, of course …”

That eased Eli’s clenched hands somewhat. It had other effects as well.

“… but that’s no excuse. You were perfectly capable of buttoning your own shirt.” Leila’s eyes dropped. “You tried to tell me, make me back off, but I didn’t listen.”

“What?” Eli was baffled by her words. When had he tried to stop her? All he had done was encourage her, beg her to forget everything but him.

“When I turned back around with your tie, you started to push me away. You should have. You tried to stop me again, but I ignored it, or didn’t understand. I know why you left after I said I couldn’t go with you to the garden party. I can’t imagine what you thought of me after acting so … forward and then turning my back on you. I felt horrible after you left.”

The red in Leila’s face had been replaced by glassy eyes. Eli ached for her sadness. It was so completely undeserved. A battle between keeping his distance so Leila could figure out what she wanted from him and giving in to his own desires raged in his heart. Before one could overpower the other, Leila continued.

“This week has been absolutely miserable for me. I half expected to walked down to the park the next day and find it deserted.” Leila hiccupped as she tried to suppress a sob. “Eli, I can’t stand the thought of you not being there every morning. Can we please just forget about last weekend and go back to how things were before?”

Eli’s lips parted, but he couldn’t find the words he needed. No, he didn’t want to go back. He wanted to see that look of pure desire in Leila’s eyes again. The feel of her hands on his skin was addictive. But Eli knew that if he didn’t grant Leila her request, everything might change between them. The distance they had felt the past week would only widen, until even the running stopped. It was too big of a risk to take. Right? Eli knew he should give her space and time, but she was so close to admitting she wanted him as more than a friend. Would a nudge in the right direction really be so bad?

Looking straight at her, intent on telling her he didn’t want to go back, Eli stopped when he saw the desperation in her eyes. Nothing he said was going to convince her that her guilt has unfounded. If he tried, he might lose her. Eli sighed.

“Of course, Leila.”

Her breath shuddered back into her body with relief.

“But …”

She choked up, drawing her arms around herself.

“But,” Eli said more gently, taking her hand in his, “you have to understand that I was never upset with you. I left because I thought I was making you uncomfortable. I wasn’t trying to push you away. I never meant to make you feel bad.”

Leila shook her head. She looked ready to argue, but Eli wouldn’t allow it. He had no intention of listening to her interpret his every move in the wrong way, but he also wouldn’t let himself correct her like he wanted to. Drawing on his education, he redirected.

“What brought all this up?” Eli asked. “You’ve apparently been holding everything in for a week. Why did you bring it up now?”

Taking the bait, Leila switched gears. Her shoulders drooped. “Luke asked me to stop seeing you.”

Eli nodded thoughtfully. That was what he had expected her to say. “What did you tell him?”

The look on Leila’s face made him smile. There was such disbelief in her eyes. “I told him no, of course.”

Inwardly, Eli was dancing in pure joy. On the outside he merely squeezed her hand appreciatively.

“Eli,” she said, “I love being around you. I care about you. I’m not going to give you up any time soon, but Luke’s request made me realize how much I wanted to fix things with you. I couldn’t bear to go another week without calling you or spending time with you.”

“You’re just using me for my apartment,” Eli teased, an attempt to lighten the mood.

Leila smiled. “True, but you being there makes it even better.” Her smile lasted a moment longer before slipping again. “Eli, I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

As a friend. His body shrunk in on itself. As a friend.

When would Leila realize how much he loved her? He wondered how long she could keep convincing herself that he could never want her.

“Eli, are we okay?” Leila asked timidly.

His hand closed around hers more tightly. When he pulled her against his chest, she didn’t resist. Eli cradled her in his arms, wanting so much more. “Of course we’re okay, Leila.”

She pulled against him more tightly. For too brief of a time, Eli relished her embrace. When she pulled back she was smiling. He knew he had missed her very much over the past week, but seeing her smile made it so much more apparent. How had he survived not seeing her smile or hearing her laugh for so long?

“Eli,” Leila said, “would you think it was totally pathetic if I told you that you’re my best friend?”

Eli grinned. “Not at all. You’re my best friend, too.”

“Really?” she asked, smiling. “What about Vance?”

“Oh, I’d choose you over Vance any day,” Eli said. And he meant it.

Chapter 19

The Most Average Request

Leila opened her apartment door with a nervous smile. The way Luke pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her upturned lips did little to ease her anxiety. She invited him in regardless, and led him to the living room where she had nearly every flat surface covered with paper, stencils, pens, and decorative scissors. She watched as Luke’s cheerful expression gave way to confusion.

“Uh, what is all this stuff?”

“Well,” Leila said, her hands clasped together in front of her, “you said something the other day about how you’re always choosing our activities.”

“Because you never suggest anything.”

Leila nodded, admitting he was right. “Truthfully, it’s because you have all these crazy, adventurous hobbies, and I just don’t.”

The way Luke eyed her made it clear he wasn’t convinced.

“Not that I don’t have any hobbies, they just aren’t all that exciting.” Her hands clutched together even tighter. When she had mentioned the conversation to Eli, he had made the suggestion that she try to get Luke interested in her hobbies. “But I do have hobbies, and one of them is scrapbooking.”

Luke scanned the room with a new interest. “That’s what all the paper and stuff is for?”

Nodding, she guided him over to the couch and handed him the large binder she had most recently been working on. The previous weekend she had flown home to Michigan for her brother’s wedding anniversary party. They had hit ten years and had a beautiful dinner party at the local country club to celebrate. Leila had taken dozens of pictures and promised her sister-in-law, Denise, that she would compile them into a scrapbook for her. It had turned out to be a bigger project than she had anticipated, which was another reason she had decided to follow Eli’s advice.

She watched as Luke flipped through the completed scrapbook pages. “Did you take all these pictures?” he asked.

Of course he would focus in on the pictures, but the admiration in his voice made Leila smile. “Yeah. They’re just snapshots, nothing like what you could do.”

“They’re great, Leila. What kind of camera do you have?”

She shrugged. “It’s a Nikon, but I can’t remember what kind. My brother, Caleb, bought it for me a few years ago.”

The gentle shake of Luke’s head made her smile. There were a few of his hobbies that she had come to really enjoy, like Frisbee golf, but as hard as he tried to get her to take an interest in photography all she cared about was snapping a few cute pictures of friends and family. She still couldn’t remember what the F-stop was, and which ISO was best for outdoors.

Luke set the scrapbook on the covered table and looked expectantly at Leila. “So, what did you want to do today?”

“This,” she said, gesturing at the papers and photos.

“You want me to help you make a scrapbook?” His scrunched up nose said that wasn’t what he had been expecting.

He was probably trying to come up with a handful of alternatives he thought might entice Leila out of her apartment, but she was determined to stand firm. They were close to hitting four months since their first date and it had been a rush of new experiences. Eventually, even Luke was going to run out of fun and crazy ways to bring some excitement to her average life. He had asked her to stop waiting to find out whether their relationship was going to work out and find out for herself. That was harder to do than Leila expected, but she had spent the last month trying. And part of that effort was to see if Luke could handle spending time together when there was no adrenaline or danger involved.

“I could use some help with this,” Leila said. “I’m going home again in a few weeks and I want to have it finished by then so I can give it to Caleb and Denise. It’ll probably be the last time I go home until Christmas.”

Luke’s eyes drifted to the window before answering. The heat of July and the crystal clear skies made it perfect for some outdoor adventure, Leila was sure, but she smiled when he turned back to her.

“I’ve never made a scrapbook before, so this should be interesting. If fact, I’m pretty sure I haven’t pasted anything together in years, and why do these scissors look weird?” he asked as he held up a pair of scalloped scissors.

Taking them from him, Leila demonstrated their use by cutting a piece of scrap paper. The pretty scalloped pattern it created made Luke nod. “That’s neat. I didn’t know they made scissors like that.”

“They make all kinds,” she said as she pointed to a box with half a dozen pairs of decorative scissors in it.

It took a few minutes to acquaint Luke with her various supplies. The variety of patterned papers weren’t too hard to explain, but the sticky glue dots she preferred were a surprise for him, as were the felt flowers and colored brads. The look on his face was probably the same one Leila had worn when he tried to explain what Aperture Priority mode was. But after giving him some instruction on how to glue the borders around each photo he looked a bit more comfortable and got to work.

“So what are you going back to Michigan for so soon?” he asked a few minutes later. “I thought you didn’t go home very often.”

“Normally, I don’t,” Leila said, “but this year was different. Caleb’s ten year anniversary was a special occasion. I don’t usually fly home for things like that. Ten years is something to celebrate. This next trip is one I make every year. It’s my mom’s birthday.”

Luke’s head tilted to one side. He looked unsure, but asked, “Didn’t your mom pass away?”

“When I was sixteen.” She secured a purple and white felt pansy above the picture of Caleb and Denise’s beautiful cake that featured the same delicate flowers. “When Mom died, Dad took it pretty hard. Her birthday is still a tough day for him to get through. Caleb and I both make sure we spend the day with him no matter what else is going on.”

The glue dots Luke was fumbling with were abandoned. He leaned closer to Leila and slid his arm around her shoulder. “How did your mom die?”

“It was a car accident. The car in front of her had a tire blow out on the freeway. They were all going so fast there was nothing anyone could do. The car spun out of control, hit my mom’s car, and the cars behind them couldn’t stop in time.”

Leila shook her head at the memory of being called to the principal’s office. A decade later, and remembering walking in and finding an officer waiting for her alongside Mr. Menard still brought tears to her eyes. She blinked rapidly to keep them away, but a few slipped free. She brushed them away quickly, but the hurt lingered.

“It was only a few days before her birthday. It was hard for everyone, but she and my dad were so in love, best friends. We were worried for a while that he wouldn’t be able to go on without her.” Leila sniffed and wiped her eyes. “He’s so much better now—especially now that he has his grandkids to spoil—but her birthday always brings back that worry. Plus Caleb and I still miss her, too.”

“Of course you do,” Luke said as he stroked her back. “I can’t imagine losing one of my parents, even now as an adult. Losing one as a kid … I don’t know how I would deal with that.”

Leila was glad that Luke still had both his parents. She had yet to meet them since they had retired to Florida and rarely made it back to Chicago, but Luke talked to them often and visited them whenever he was in the area. There was a small pang of jealousy when Leila imagined him sitting with both of them, not burdened by loss. She knew he was sympathetic to her, but she also knew it wasn’t the same.

Oddly, thoughts of Eli crept into her mind as they went back to work on the pictures. It seemed like forever ago that Eli had strung the pearls around her neck then balked at telling her a single thing about his mother. He had never brought her up again, and neither had Leila. Although, that had much more to do with her respect for his privacy than any lack of curiosity.

Her mind wandered through the possibilities of why Eli would so carefully safeguard his mother’s pearls, yet not speak to her. She refused to believe he was one of those ungrateful children who turned his back on an aging parent because he saw her as a hassle not worth dealing with. That simply wasn’t Eli. There was something deeper to his supposed abandonment.

Eli had forgiven Leila for so much, and brushed off many others. He was not the kind of person to hold a person’s flaws against them. Whatever had happened between him and his mother, it was big enough that even Eli wasn’t willing to forgive her. Her mind wandered down a multitude of paths as she pasted and cut. Some were rather dark, and she hoped very much that those were not even close to the truth. She also wondered if she would ever have the chance to find out.

The past month with Eli had been wonderful. Despite his arguing that she had done nothing wrong that day, he had stuck to his promise not to bring it up again. She had been so scared that their relationship would change, all because she had given in to her fantasies for a few brief moments. Dreams of Eli still haunted her nightly, but when she was with him she forced those kinds of thoughts away. They were friends again. Not even another chance to run her hands along Eli’s warm flesh could make her risk that. So she settled for curling up on his couch and drinking Japanese tea as they watched movies, or laughing and joking on poker night until her sides ached. It was almost perfect.

“Luke, could you hand me the crinkle scissors?” she asked when she noticed they weren’t next to her anymore.

The silence of the room was only punctuated by the sound of heavy breathing. Leila looked up to find Luke asleep on her couch, his scissors and glue dots abandoned. A flash of irritation snuck into her mind until she saw the clock on the mantle and realized she had been quietly working for hours. She had been so absorbed in her work and thoughts it was no wonder he had fallen asleep.

Leila quickly finished up the page she had been working on and set the book aside. She slid over next to Luke, momentarily captivated by the rise and fall of his chest. She didn’t think she had ever seen him so restful. The way he was sprawled on the couch made her smile. He looked comfortable, but Leila risked disturbing his peace by lying down next to him. She closed her eyes when his arms automatically folded around her.

She wasn’t sure how long she laid in his arms, enjoying his warmth, before he began to stir. The shadows had lengthened across the floor when he yawned and blinked away the remnants of sleep. His eyes opened slowly, at first confused before remembering where he was. When he saw Leila his lips pulled into a smile.

“Hmm, I like waking up with you next to me.” He kissed her lips, lightly at first, and then more deeply.

A familiar sense of excitement began to build in Leila’s body. She loved how gentle his hands were as they moved across her body. One hand slid up her back to her hair—trailing miniature lightning storms in its wake—while the other hand slid down to the curve of her hip. He pulled her against him, sending of jolt of fire through her. Her lips left his and wandered down his neck. Luke’s arm tightened around her. His desire washed against her. She wanted him too, but a part of her refused to give in just yet.

Luke’s fingers slipped under her shirt and began making their way up her abdomen, making Leila shiver with pleasure. Her uncertainty weakened with every inch. By the time his hands had covered half the distance her eyes were closed so she could focus solely on the heat his touch inspired. Gently, he pushed her back and held her. When his lips pressed against her belly she gasped. Her muscles contracted and her hands pressed against his back, begging him to kiss her again.

His lips caressed her skin again, and once more … before Leila’s cell phone started ringing. The sound startled her so much she nearly tumbled off the couch. Luke’s strong grip kept her from falling, or from reaching her phone.

“Just leave it,” he said.

She was tempted, so very tempted. But the memory of Ana rushing off from work earlier that day—which was almost unheard of for her—claiming she had a doctor’s appointment was enough to wrestle her out of Luke’s oh-so-enticing embrace. She stumbled off of him in a rush to get to her phone. “It might be Ana,” she said hurriedly. “I think she may be sick.”

She could hear Luke’s frustrated groan, but if there was really something wrong with Ana and she needed a friend, that was more important. Her index finger slid across the screen on reflex as she whispered another apology to Luke.

“Ana,” Leila said in a rush, “is everything okay?”

The silence on the line made her nervous. “Uh, this isn’t Ana, but maybe you should tell me what’s going on,” Eli responded.

A smile sprang to her lips at the sound of his voice, but it was quickly replaced by worry. “Hey, Eli.”

The annoyed expression that settled on Luke’s face when he heard Eli’s name was impossible to miss. Hand covering the receiver, Leila apologized again. She cringed when he stood up and walked over to the big picture window, away from her.

When she spoke again her voice was muted. “Sorry, Eli, I was hoping you were Ana. She practically ran out of the office this afternoon to hot-foot it to see her doctor. I was worried something was wrong.”

“She didn’t mention anything before she left?” Eli asked. The concern in his voice only made Leila more anxious.

“No, just took off.”

She could almost hear Eli’s analytical mind jumping into action. “Did she seem nervous? Excited? Worried?”

“Those pretty much all look the same on Ana. Happy or sad, she always looks like she’s going to throw up.”

Eli’s chuckle helped her anxiety climbed back down a few notches. “Maybe it’s good news, then. Ana and Warren have been trying to get pregnant for quite some time now.”

Leila’s face broke out in a huge grin. “Do you think that might be it? Oh, that would be so great if Ana was pregnant!”

The pleasant sound of Eli’s laugh rang in her ear, but Leila was distracted by Luke turning around to stare at her with a strange expression. She couldn’t quite read what he was thinking, but the look made her want to tone down her enthusiasm.

“Uh, sorry, you called for something. What were you going to say before I took over?”

“Yes, I did have a reason for calling,” Eli said. “I have a work function next Wednesday evening, a dinner. Vance in bringing Stephanie, and she insisted I bring you so she’d have someone to talk to.”

Leila ran through her schedule quickly. The whole next week Luke was going to be out of town, and things were relatively quiet at work. “Yeah, sure,” she said after a moment’s thought.

“Really?” He sounded surprised.

“Yeah.”

The line was quiet for a moment, and Leila wondered what he was thinking. “Great. Having you there will make the evening infinitely better. I’ll pick you up at eight.” Eli grumbled something she didn’t quite catch, before saying, “Can I fill you in on the details later? Vance is trying to call me right now.”

“Sure. I’ll talk to you later,” Leila said. And after a hasty goodbye she hung up.

Luke surprised her by wrapping her up half a second later. He slipped her phone out of her hand and tossed in on the coffee table. There was no irritation in his eyes, but Leila felt the need to apologize anyway. “Sorry, Luke, I thought it might be Ana and I was worried.”

“Hmm,” he said as he kissed her. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. Eli thinks maybe she’s pregnant.”

Leila reached up to kiss Luke again, but something—probably either hearing the word Eli or pregnant—made him pull back. His eyebrows pulled together in thought. “You sounded pretty excited about her being pregnant.”

“Yeah,” she said slowly, “I know they’ve been trying for a while.”

Luke’s hands slid down and settled on her lower back. He looked at her seriously. “Do you want kids?”

The abruptness of the question surprised Leila, but she didn’t have to think about the answer. “Yes. Do you?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”

His answer surprised her. Maybe it was just being a woman, but Leila had known she wanted children from a pretty early age. She had loved her mom dearly and wanted to share that bond with her own children. The idea that Luke had never thought seriously about whether or not he wanted children made her wonder.

“What about getting married?” she asked.

Luke didn’t answer right away. “I want to get married, but I’m in no hurry. I want to be sure before I commit to something like that.”

Leila found that almost funny given his love for risky adventures. “How long do you think it would take you to be sure?”

He shrugged. “It’s not like I have a time limit, but a couple of years probably. I’m not one of those people who would marry someone after a couple of weeks or months. My parents dated for five years before they got married, and they’re still together and happy.”

“My parents dated for three years,” Leila said.

Luke nodded, as if that confirmed his point. Leila wasn’t convinced. “You don’t think you’d ever meet someone, and know right away that they were the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?”

“No.”

“So,” Leila said, probing, “when you met me, what were you thinking about me? You asked me out that night, so you were obviously interested.”

“I was interested,” Luke agreed, “but I wasn’t thinking that I wanted to marry you in that moment.”

“Then what? And I swear, if you say you were looking for a romp between the sheets I will kick you out,” she warned, though she didn’t really mean it. Her thoughts that night certainly were centered on whether or not he would make a good catalog photographer.

Luke responded to her teasing by pulling her onto the couch with him. She curled up on his lap, folding her arms across her chest as she waited for his answer. He grabbed her chin and kissed her fiercely before giving in.

“I will admit that I thought you were incredibly sexy the first time I saw you—eyeliner on you cheek and all. I very much wanted to kiss you that night and see where it led, but I wanted to know more about you, too. I wanted to know why a marketing director was herding models, and why you had sounded so frazzled on the phone earlier that week.” Luke kissed her more gently. “I didn’t think about proposing to you right there in the dressing room, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

Without warning, Leila’s head felt like it was trying to float free of her body. Her brain tried to process what Luke had just said. Was he admitting that he thought about marrying her, or just that it was a possibility—vague or otherwise? If he did think about marrying her, would it really take him a few years to know for sure? Was Leila willing to wait that long? Her mind raced to the point of making her dizzy on top of lightheaded.

She laid her head against Luke’s chest. His arms immediately folded around her. She was still trying to straighten out her thoughts when Luke made a wild change in topics and threw her for another loop, saying, “We should double date with Eli some time.”

“What?” Leila asked, sitting back up.

“Why not? He’s your best friend, but I barely know the guy. You know it bothers me that you hang out with him, so why not let me get to know him better? Why don’t we all go out after I get back? Next Saturday.” He said it like it was the most average request in the world. Maybe it was. Leila could not seem to wrap her head around it.

“Okay,” she heard herself mumble, not sure why she had agreed to such a terrible suggestion. She had no idea how they had gone from talking about marriage to inviting Eli along for a double date. Luke seemed pleased by her response, but Leila wanted to cry.

Chapter 20

Breaking A Promise

Eli was reaching for his keys with his white bow tie still dangling around his neck when the doorbell rang. He groaned at the interruption. He should have left ten minutes ago to pick up Leila, but a call from Mount Rose Hospital about his mother had put him off schedule, not to mention ruined his pleasant mood. Eli hurried over to the door. The tux he was wearing should have been excuse enough for whoever it was, but he prepared a quick getaway response as well.

Pulling the door open, Eli was greeted by a long black dress bag. He was rather confused until Leila’s head poked out from behind it “Would you take this please? I’m about to drop everything.”

Obediently, Eli took the bag. The shoe box and shoulder bag, along with a stack of notebooks and folders bearing the St. Claire logo that were clutched in her arms provided a very valid reason for her request. Eli quickly took the stack of work papers from her as well and stepped back from the door.

“What are you doing here? I was just about to leave to pick you up at your apartment.”

Leila dumped her packages on the couch and flopped down beside them. “I got held up at work, and then I had to pick up my dress. Thanks, by the way, for forgetting to tell me until two days ago this so called business dinner was a formal occasion.”

“Sorry,” Eli said as he laid the dress carefully across the couch back, “I meant to tell you when I called last week, but I got interrupted and forgot.”

She waved him off looking tired and a bit frazzled. “You were very close to having me show up in this.” She gestured at her grey dress slacks and cream colored cashmere sweater.

“You look beautiful,” Eli said.

His thanks for the compliment was a scowl. “I tried to call you to tell you that I was coming over to change, but I kept getting your voicemail.”

Eli’s expression darkened. “Sorry, I had a call earlier. Business.”

“Well, thank goodness they held you up long enough for me to get here.” Leila sighed and pulled herself up from the couch. She took the dress bag from the back of the couch. “How much time do I have?”

Eli glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. “We should leave in half an hour if we plan on making it to the hotel on time.”

Her frown wasn’t encouraging. “I’ll hurry, I promise.”

The shoe box and shoulder bag joined the dress in Leila’s arms. “Do you mind if I change in your room? The guest bathroom doesn’t have anywhere for me to hang my dress.”

“Go ahead.”

She smiled thankfully before dashing off to make the change from bedraggled marketing director to veritable Cinderella. He wondered if she knew the bathroom was through the washroom, and that there was a much bigger mirror there. His feet carried him forward, but his rational mind forced him to a stop. The last time they were both in his bedroom together things got … complicated.

Eli suddenly felt the need to be as far away from his bedroom as possible. He turned before thoughts of Leila slipping the buttery soft sweater she was wearing off of her body could take hold. The kitchen became his haven, preparing the genmaicha tea he had bought especially for her a task to occupy his mind. It was her favorite blend. It always seemed to ease away her stress. He figured they could probably both use a cup that night. By the time Eli heard the familiar sound of his bedroom door opening, the scent of the genmaicha had saturated the air.

“Did you make me tea?” Leila asked from behind him.

Eli turned with the travel mug in hand, but nearly dropped it when he saw her. The pale green taffeta was wrapped around her body in the most flattering way possible. It swept down from her left shoulder and up from the hem of the dress to gather at her slender waist. The ends bunched together there, creating a rosette flare. The bodice was covered in an intricate lace that spilled over the edge of the dress to curl up toward her right shoulder. The pearly green color made the bare skin of her right shoulder glow. The skirt of the dress flowed down from her waist to her toes, completing the transformation into a beautiful princess.

“You look amazing,” Eli said.

She beamed and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Eli! I was hoping you would like the dress. It reminded me of Grace Kelly when I saw it, and I couldn’t resist buying it.”

“You look even better than she did,” Eli said, “and yes, I did make you tea.”

Her expression was blissful as she took a sip of the tea. “Thank you, Eli. You’re the best.”

“I won’t argue with that,” he said with a grin, “but we should really get going.”

They were in the car a few minutes later, making their way toward the hotel that was hosting the annual American College of Psychiatrists award banquet. Leila quietly sipped her tea and let her hectic day dissolve away as they drove. She looked so peaceful by the time they reached the hotel Eli was sad to disturb her. Leila, however, perked up when she saw that they had arrived and abandoned her tea excitedly when the valet opened her door.

When Eli walked around the car to her, she slipped her hand onto his arm and walked toward the hotel with as much poise as Grace Kelly. Eli smiled, reminded of their first date when she had latched onto him like the very ground was going to fall out from under her feet at any moment. Although her claims that she didn’t belong in Eli’s kind of crowd had died away recently, he had worried she would feel out of place at such a posh affair. She proved he had no reason to worry not five steps into the banquet room when Edgar Stanfield, one of the most prominent psychiatrists in the area, approached them.

The man exuded confidence and power, not to mention wealth. He shook Eli’s hand firmly and welcomed him. When he turned to Leila, a snatch of fear that she would balk shot through him. It wasn’t that he worried she would embarrass him. He wanted to prove to her that she could be every bit as polished and competent as these people. He worried she would blame herself is she wasn’t perfect. He held his breath when Edgar greeted her.

“And who are you, my dear? Eli didn’t tell me he was bringing such a delightful young woman with him tonight.”

Leila smiled and took his offered hand. “I’m Leila Sparro. Are you and Eli friends?”

“Oh yes,” Edgar laughed. “I was Eli’s mentor all through his college years.”

“You still are,” Eli argued.

Edgar clapped him on the back and laughed. “You hardly need me looking over your shoulder anymore, not with the award you’re receiving tonight.”

“You’re getting an award?” Leila asked. She frowned at him. “What else did you forget to tell me?”

“I may have neglected to mention that you have to sit next to Guy,” Eli teased.

Leila wrinkled her nose at him, but she was smiling. She and Guy actually got along very well. Slapping him within the first twenty minutes of meeting him usually was the best way to handle Guy. Edgar chuckled along with them. He knew Guy very well, and was all too familiar with his knack for causing trouble. Edgar had fielded far too many complaints about Guy’s aggressive nature when it came to the opposite sex.

“Oh, Eli,” Edgar said, suddenly looking very serious, “I wanted to ask you how you mother was doing.”

The question soured Eli’s disposition immediately, but Leila was suddenly very attentive. “She’s about the same.”

“That’s a shame,” Edgar said sadly. “I had really hoped she would be doing better by now. Perhaps …”

Whatever he was about to suggest was interrupted by his wife, Genevieve, walking up and stealing him away with a quick apology. Eli breathed a sigh of relief when his mentor disappeared into the crowd. The curious glint in Leila’s eyes made him want to shrink away as well. He hadn’t said a word about his mother to her since the symphony, but he knew she must be dying to know more. That subject was not one he planned on discussing with her any time soon.

Thankfully, Eli spotted Vance and Stephanie at their table a moment later. He led Leila toward them at a brisk pace. When they arrived at the table he was spared from having to explain any of Edgar’s comments by Stephanie. She jumped up right away to offer Leila a hug. Two seconds later she was gushing about Leila’s dress, asking a million questions about the fabric and designer. Vance stepped back from her bubbling enthusiasm and walked over to Eli.

“She came, huh? Her boyfriend didn’t have a problem with that? Or does he not know?” Vance asked.

“Luke knows she’s with me tonight.”

Vance raised an eyebrow. “And he didn’t mind?”

Eli scoffed, unable to keep a small smile from his lips. “Oh, I’m sure he did, but he’s in Oklahoma, and Leila has made it clear to him that we are just friends—and not the kind with benefits.”

That last part Leila hadn’t actually said. The word benefits had slipped out that day, and at first he hadn’t known what she meant. Once her babbling apology settled down he had realized what benefits had to do with them. After that, remembering her scarlet blush made him smile whenever he thought about it.

“Luke actually believes you and Leila are just friends?” Vance asked.

“I doubt it, but I think he realizes that Leila thinks we’re just friends.” Because that was all she would allow them to be. “Not to mention that when he asked her to stop spending time with me, she flat out refused.”

Vance grinned. “Did she now?”

“She did.” Eli was smiling as well.

For several moments they were both quiet. Eli couldn’t take his eyes off Leila. Stephanie talked way too much, but Leila never seemed to mind. She answered her questions, returned compliments, and enjoyed their friendship. It was encouraging to see Leila talk to another woman besides Ana. Making friends wasn’t easy for her, but luckily Stephanie had no sense of personal boundaries when it came to pushing her way into other people’s lives. She built friendships by sheer enthusiasm.

“You’ve done a great job with Leila,” Vance said as a psychiatrist name Karen Peterson approached the table and began speaking with Stephanie and Leila. “Look at how natural she is with everyone. She never would have considered attending an event like this when you first met her. She barely made it through that night at the club. It was obvious she felt intimidated by everyone. Now it’s like she’s been a part of poker night for years.”

Eli watched as Leila spoke easily with the woman. Stephanie had met Karen several times before at similar events, but Leila didn’t know the woman at all. He smiled as he watched her. There was none of the hesitation and hiding he had seen when she first met Vance and the others. Leila talked to her like an equal, which was perfectly fitting. Then he thought about Vance’s comment.

“I didn’t do anything with Leila—nothing more than be her friend, anyway,” he said.

Vance made it sound like he was secretly treating Leila, manipulating her into becoming more confident. That wasn’t it at all. He gave her advice like any friend would, encouraged her, and told her what a wonderful person she was. There was no trick to it, no treatment. It worked the same way beating down a person did. If you told someone something for long enough they eventually believe it, for better or worse. This time happened to be for the better.

“How’s the date shark thing going?” Vance asked.

The change in topic pulled Eli’s mind away from Leila. “I’ve only been doing lunch dates lately so I can spend time with Leila in the evenings, and only one or two a week. I’ve turned down at least a dozen in the past month.”

“You know you have to give it up before anything can happen with Leila.”

Eli bristled at the comment. Of course he knew. He and Vance had spent the last four months talking about him giving up the date shark business. Eli had tried. He thought it would be easy now that he had Leila in his life, but the wounds that inspired him to start the service in the first place went too deep to ignore.

“You can’t fix them,” Vance said. “And even if you could, it won’t change the fact that your mom is where she is.”

“Maybe I can’t fix them, but what if I can prevent them from ending up like her?”

The shake of Vance’s head was both sad and frustrated. “Eli, what is the first thing that has to happen before behavior can change.”

The answer rolled off Eli’s lips with practiced ease. “The patient has to want to change.”

“Exactly.”

“But they do want to change,” he argued. “Why else would they call me?”

Vance sighed. “They want you to give them the magic key to relationship happiness. They don’t want to change. They want to be less lonely. Most of them, anyway.” He glanced at Leila in concession.

“Leila doesn’t count,” Eli admitted. “There was nothing wrong with her. She just needed someone to believe in her.”

“If you agree that one date with a woman who has obvious psychological issues isn’t going to change anything, why are you still taking clients? Isn’t Leila worth giving that up for? You’re in love with her!”

The panic that welled up in Eli’s chest at his friend’s words sent his eyes snapping over to Leila. Thankfully, she was busy laughing with Karen and Stephanie and hadn’t heard Vance. All the same, Eli shoved his friend a little further away from the table before speaking in a low voice.

“Yes, Leila is worth giving up the date shark business, but it’s not that easy.”

Vance rested his hand on Eli’s shoulder. “I’m speaking as your psychiatrist now. This date shark thing is a substitute for your mom. We both know that. If you want to get over the obsessive need to save mentally unstable women, go talk to your mom.”

“No.”

“Eli, you need to.”

“I can’t.”

His friend looked past him, and Eli knew his eyes were resting on Leila. “You only have two months left before Ana’s fall show. If you’re not there, Leila will know she’s the reason. You promised me and yourself that you would tell her everything if it came to that. If you tell her you’re in love with her, but can’t give up your side business for her … it won’t end the way you want. You’ll lose her for good.”

“I know,” Eli said quietly.

A voice filled the room, announcing that it was time to begin. Everyone, including Eli, quickly found their seats. A hush spread over the room as the speaker introduced important people and laid out the schedule for the night. Eli heard little of what he said. His thoughts kept wandering to the future, and for the first time a real sense of fear that he would not meet his deadline crept into his mind.

Leila asking him a question after the speaker stepped down pulled him back toward the present, but the fear never left completely. Every time she touched him or leaned closer so he could hear her better, every time she laughed or smiled, he pushed his worry further back. Eventually it was enough that Eli could enjoy the evening. He listened to the keynote speaker, applauded when Edgar took the podium, and even found himself smiling when his mentor presented him with an award for distinguished service to the field of psychiatry. It helped that Leila was beaming at him the entire time.

By the end of the night, he was actually sad to see it end. The drive back to his apartment was quiet, but comfortable. It didn’t bother him that Leila nestled into her seat and closed her eyes when they got in. He loved that she felt comfortable enough with him to not try and fill the empty silence with small talk. The first step in trying to make Leila see him as someone she belonged with was to become her true and real friend. Knowing that she had accepted him as such was gratifying, but it had taken four months to get there. How long would it take before she would see him as anything more?

Eli pulled into his usual parking space before remembering Leila had probably left her car in the visitor’s lot. “I’m sorry, I forgot where you parked,” he said. “Would like me to drive you to your car?”

“Actually, is it too late to come up? I left all my clothes from earlier in your apartment.”

“If you’re tired I can bring them too you in the morning,” Eli offered, although inviting Leila up was an appealing idea.

Leila chewed at her lip, hesitating. Eli’s hope that the clothes weren’t only reason behind her desire to come up was dashed a moment later when she said, “I kind of needed your help with something for work, too. Ana and I couldn’t agree and I thought you could tell me which one was better. Do you mind?”

Not exactly what Eli had been hoping for, but it meant more time with Leila. “No, I don’t mind. Come on up.”

Eli remembered taking the stack of St. Claire embossed notebooks from Leila earlier that night, but hadn’t given them much thought at the time. He supposed he should have questioned why she would bring them up to his apartment. At the time he had been too surprised and thrilled to see her that it hadn’t occurred to him. As they sat down on the couch with the notebooks open, Eli wasn’t sure what Leila expected from him.

“What is all this?” he asked as he looked through dozens of different product logo designs.

“Ana is ready to retire the Bohemian Bead line and debut something new in the fall.”

Eli frowned. “I thought the bead stuff was doing well.”

“Oh it is,” Leila assured him, “but with fashion it’s best to go out before your sales start to drop. If customers are still adoring your current line when you switch they’re more likely to pick up your new line right away. The Bohemian Bead line won’t go extinct, it’ll just take a back seat to her new brand, Goldenline. It’s a retro style from the 30s and 40s with a contemporary face lift.”

The Golden Age of Hollywood. Eli had no trouble imagining what had inspired this new line. Clearly Ana had spent too much time watching classic movies with Leila. He smiled at the idea of Leila influencing such a major direction change in her boss’s career interests without her even realizing it. It was a thought that took an interesting turn, leading him to the beginnings of an idea.

“So, what I need your help with is to help me figure out which of these designs are the best,” Leila said. She looked at him expectantly.

Eli was lost. “What would I know about logos? Or color and design? I think we already established the fact that I can’t even choose my own clothing without screwing it up.”

The exaggerated roll of Leila’s eyes was amusing. “It was only that one outfit,” she said, “and I’m not asking you to help design anything. I need you to tell me what customers will think when they see each of these designs so we can pick the one that draws the right response.”

“Oh.” Now that made sense to him. He sat forward on the couch and looked at the mockups again, this time was a more analytical eye.

First, he glanced through each image looking purely at the esthetics of each one. Of the twelve, he picked up four and set them aside with a quick explanation to Leila of why he had cut each one. The reasons varied from problems with symmetry to displeasing color combinations, or layouts that drew the eye to the wrong aspect. She agreed with each one. His second pass through looked more closely at fonts. Another three were removed because the fonts chosen evoked feelings of sadness because of drooping letters, tension from strict and compact lettering, and one because it looked so happy and bubbly that he felt it clashed with the idea of the line.

He stared at the remaining five, selected two more to cut, then looked over at Leila. “How am I doing? I haven’t cut the top choices, have I?”

“No. Those were the ones we threw out pretty fast as well.” She smiled and bumped against his shoulder. “See, you are good at this.”

“We’ll see.”

After yawning, Leila gestured at the remaining logos. “Tell me about the rest of these.”

“Okay, let’s start with this one.” He picked up the image and held it between them. “The color layout puts the focus on this flower in the corner. It’s big and gold. Yes, the gold inspires thoughts of wealth and society, but it completely drowns out the rest of the logo. No one will pay attention to the brand name, they’ll only remember the giant golden rose. And even though the rose is gold, is doesn’t translate to Goldenline naturally.”

Leila’s body tensed up immediately. At first Eli thought he had said something to offend her, but then she spilled out her frustration. “That is one of the arguments I’ve been having with Ana. She wants a rose because roses are classic. She thinks a classic rose will remind them of classic movies.”

“Nine times out of ten, people see roses and think of love and romance. For people like you that might bring up thoughts of Bing Crosby and Audrey Hepburn, but for most it won’t. Roses are too strong of a symbol by themselves to try and attach it to something else.”

“Thank you,” Leila said, dropping back against the couch looking quite vindicated.

One more glance at the remaining two logos made him realize that they also had roses. “What flower do you want to use?” he asked.

Leila chewed at her lip. “Tell me about the other two first, and then I’ll show you.”

“Okay,” he said, not totally sure why she wouldn’t tell him then. But he did as she requested.

The next logo he picked up was better, but still not what he wanted to see. “This one, I don’t care for the brand name being written in gold. It doesn’t stand out enough. The white background makes it look dull and this deep reddish color inspires darker emotions. Together they remind me of a funeral.”

“Well, we definitely don’t want to bring up thoughts of death with the new line, so that one’s out.” She looked at the last remaining image. “What about that one?”

Eli picked it up and examined it carefully. “The maroon background could be slightly lighter to give an impression of opulence without detracting from the rest of the logo. I like the brand name in white with the gold line under it. The name stands out very sharply and the line emphasizes it and ties it to the name. The rose still doesn’t work, though.”

He set the logo back down and looked over at Leila. She sighed. “That’s the logo Ana wants, but I agree with you. It’s not perfect.”

She took the image from the table and stared at it. “It’s no problem to lighten the maroon. I see what you mean about it being too dark. It misses that universally royal shade. I doubt Ana will have a problem with that.”

“It’s the flower she’s stuck on, right?”

Leila nodded.

“Show me your idea.”

Still somewhat hesitant, Leila removed a piece of paper from another folder and held it. She looked over at Eli very seriously. “You have to be honest.”

“I will,” he promised.

Leila held it for a few more seconds before handing it over with a nervous huff. She seemed unsure that he would like it, but as soon as Eli looked down he knew she had hit the mark exactly. The big white flower corresponded to the brand name and helped to tone down the maroon. And in the center was a golden yellow tuft of pollen atop a stem. It was exactly what the other logos had been missing. It tied the name of the line to the image perfectly.

“What is this flower?” Eli asked. The large, broad petals looked familiar, but he couldn’t place them.

“It’s a magnolia. It reminded me of Marilyn Monroe’s famous white dress. You know, the one she wore standing over the air grate.”

Eli laughed when he realized how right she was. The layered, curled petals looked exactly like Marilyn’s dress as it billowed up, tantalizing everyone who looked with the promise of even more luscious skin being revealed. Even the pollen tuft in the center resembled Marilyn’s bleach blonde hair. The magnolia was exactly what Ana needed to pull customers in.

“Ana has to use this one,” Eli said. “Magnolias are familiar, but exotic. There are no strong connotations to the image, and it pulls the eyes right to the brand name in the same colors. People will remember this. And it does look like Marilyn. Classic, sophisticated, beautiful, and not to mention sexy and a little bit exotic. It’s perfect.”

Leila’s sigh was profound. “Thank you, Eli. Ana will be more willing to give in after hearing your analysis. I know she trusts my judgment on almost everything, but I’ve never out right contradicted her on a design like this. Usually we’re so likeminded we agree right away.”

It was probably a shock for Ana to have Leila tell her she was wrong, too. Ana had heard the same complaints from Leila that she wasn’t artistic many times that Eli had heard. Although Ana knew Leila could put together eye catching displays and print work with no problem, it was usually all designed around Ana’s ideas. Eli supposed it was like a painter who could duplicate the old masters flawlessly, but failed to create anything unique and original. Only Eli had the benefit of knowing Leila was artistic, and very good as well.

The idea he had been toying with a few minutes earlier came back with even more force behind it. It would involve breaking a promise to Leila, but he felt it was worth the risk. At least he hoped it was. His mind was tearing off down paths to make his plan into a reality, but apparently Leila’s mind had switched topics as well.

“This is going to sound kind of random, but Luke wants to get to know you better. He had this idea that we should go out together … on a double date.” Leila promptly tucked her lips between her teeth as she waited for his response.

Eli feared she would be waiting for a while. Spending time with Leila and Luke sounded unpleasant enough. He had a feeling Luke would make a show of keeping Leila close. Leila may think he was okay with them hanging around each other, but Eli knew better. This wasn’t a bid to get to know his girlfriend’s friend. It was a chance to show Eli that Leila belonged to Luke, not him. That was enough reason to say no.

Bringing a date along to watch the carnage, that made it immensely less appealing. Eli had no desire to date anyone else. He didn’t even know who to ask. Outside of his date shark business, he hadn’t dated seriously in quite a while. He could borrow Stephanie, but Luke would see right through that. However, bringing an actual date might confirm to Leila that he was interested in seeing other women. There was no good way to say yes, but saying no would be even worse.

“Sure, that sounds great,” he said, his attempt at sounding positive falling flat.

Maybe Vance would know what to do. Or maybe Guy. Eli thought about his friend. Yes, Guy would know exactly what to do.

Chapter 21

Such A Good Boy

Luke’s work schedule postponed the double date for two weeks. It was still too soon for Leila’s taste. She was dreading the whole thing. Luke put up with her friendship with Eli, but Leila wasn’t naïve enough to think he liked it. This was a ploy to feel out Eli’s real interest in Leila. Once she would have felt certain that romance was nowhere in sight. She wasn’t so sure anymore.

She watched Eli pace back and forth on the balcony. His hushed tone and tense shoulders worried her. He had been pleasant enough when she had dropped by to let him know they had to change their plans for dinner from six to eight for the double date that night because Luke’s flight was delayed leaving Denver. His phone had rung soon after, and as soon as he saw the caller ID he had gone rigid and excused himself to the balcony.

Knowing that whatever had him pacing and waving his free hand around wasn’t going to be explained when he came in from the balcony, Leila wandered into the kitchen. Normally, tea was her first thought when she entered Eli’s kitchen, but she had just been forced to endure a Zumba class with Ana and was starving. The class had actually been a lot of fun. She didn’t admit that to Ana, of course.

Leila searched through the fridge looking for something to eat. Eli’s fridge was always stocked with interesting things. The variety of cheeses always surprised her. She hadn’t known what a dragon fruit was before meeting Eli, either. There were some small oval orange looking things that she thought might be kumquats, but she decided to go with the familiar and grabbed a banana instead. She wanted some peanut butter to go with it and sighed when she remembered Eli kept it on the top shelf.

A glance at the balcony showed him still pacing. She opened the cupboard that housed the peanut butter and reached for it. Her not so impressive height left her several inches short. Leila glanced around the kitchen, hoping for a step stool. But why would there be? Eli could reach all of his cupboards just fine. Trying again, she lifted onto her tip toes and was able to brush her fingers against the jar.

The heat and weight of another body pressing close startled her and she fell back onto her heels. Eli grabbed the jar of peanut butter and handed it to her with a smile. “You could have just asked,” he said.

“You were busy.”

“You could have waited.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I was hungry.”

Eli didn’t have an argument for that. He leaned against the counter, watching as Leila scooped out a spoonful of peanut butter and stuck it in her mouth. He shook his head at her eating habits and put the jar back in its place. She watched him, concerned when his face slipped back into a strained expression.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

He looked up at the sound of her voice, almost as if he had momentarily forgotten she was there. That worried her even more. Eli was always extremely attentive. He smiled again, but it was forced. “Yes, just some issues with a patient.”

“I’m sorry.”

Eli dismissed her worry. “It’s nothing, but I do have an appointment in half an hour. You were about to tell me something before I was pulled away.”

“Oh, yeah. We have to push dinner back to eight. Luke’s flight got delayed leaving DIA, big surprise. Is that okay?”

“That should be fine.”

Leila frowned. “Is it okay with your date?”

His date, whom had remained nameless over the past few weeks. It annoyed her very much that Eli had not told her who he was bringing. The idea of him going out with someone who wasn’t a client was difficult enough. She tried not to be jealous, but it was difficult.

“Oh, I’m sure it will be fine,” Eli said casually. The soft crinkle of paper rolling out of a fax machine caught Eli’s attention and yanked him from the kitchen.

Curious, Leila followed him after a moment. By the time she walked up behind him he was scribbling his name across whatever had just come through the fax machine. Once he was finished, he gathered everything up and sealed it in a manila envelope. When he turned around he was again startled to find her there.

“Leila, my dear, I’m sorry to rush out, but I have to deliver these before my appointment and I’m going to be cutting it very close as it is,” he said. “You’re welcome to stay, of course.”

“Why can’t you just fax them back?” she asked.

Eli shook his head. “They can’t accept a duplicate in this case.”

“I can drop it off for you. Where does it need to go?”

The hint of panic in Eli’s expression hurt her feelings. Didn’t he trust her enough to deliver the envelope? His head started to shake, declining her offer, but when Leila glanced at the wall clock his eyes followed. “Uh,” he hedged, “are you sure?”

“Eli, it’s Saturday. I have nowhere to be, but you obviously do. Let me help you out. You can trust me to deliver your documents. I do it all the time at work, remember?” she said.

Finally, Eli smiled again. “It’s not about trust,” he said. “I trust you completely, you know that.”

“Then what is it about?”

Eli looked at the clock again. He seemed pained when he turned back. “Nothing. Of course you can drop them off. Thank you, Leila. They need to go to Mount Rose Hospital. Just drop them off at the front desk and tell them they’re from me, okay?”

“Sure. No problem.”

With no warning, Eli’s arm shot around her. His parting kiss was abrupt and fleeting. Then he was out the door, as if he wanted to get out before changing his mind. When the door fell shut behind him, Leila stood staring at it. Eventually, her eyes dropped down to the envelope in her hands. Not opening the flap and sliding the papers out was torture.

She believed Eli when he said he trusted her completely. She trusted him the same. But there was something in the packet he really did not want her to see. That bothered her. A lot.

Leila carried the envelope clutched in both hands the whole way to her car. She didn’t want to touch it, but she also couldn’t let it out of her sight. The way she felt about the envelope was as big of a mystery to her as Eli was. He trusted her enough to give her the envelope and know she wouldn’t open it, but he clearly wasn’t going to explain the pacing on the balcony or his strange behavior. She set the packet down on the passenger’s seat when she got into her car, but fear that it might be lost or spontaneously open gripped her a second later. She pressed her palm onto the envelope and kept it there until she reached the hospital.

Walking up the steps, Leila was made even more nervous by the signs on the front doors stating that the building housed mentally disturbed individuals and the visitors should stay in the designated areas at all times. She admired Eli for his desire to help people, but she could admit, to herself at least, that walking into a psychiatric hospital kind of scared her.

She practically tiptoed up to the front desk. When she spoke, she wasn’t sure why her voice came out as almost a whisper. It just seemed like the sort of place you would really want to use your indoor voice.

“I needed to drop off some paperwork,” she said quietly.

“What kind of paperwork?” the receptionist asked at a perfectly normal volume.

Leila was stumped for an answer. “Um, I don’t know. Eli just told me to drop it off at the front desk.”

“Eli who?” she asked.

Of course they didn’t know him as just plain Eli. “Sorry, Dr. Eli Walsh. He was faxed these documents earlier and I guess they needed the originals back with his signature.”

“Let me call up and check,” she said. “Someone may need to sign for those.”

She turned her attention to the phone then and explained the situation. A minute later she hung up and turned back to Leila. “Dr. Evans will be down in a moment.”

“Thank you.”

Leila spotted a few chairs to the side of the reception desk and headed over to them. The wait wasn’t long. A smiling, white haired man who looked to be in his early sixties walked up to her. She stood and shook his hand when it was offered. “Dr. Evans?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“Leila Sparro. I’m a friend of Eli’s—I mean Dr. Walsh. He had another appointment to get to so he asked me to drop this paperwork off with you. I hope that’s okay,” she said.

Dr. Evans smiled warmly. “Of course. That’s fine. I had hoped Eli would come down himself, but a friend is nice, too. Do you know her?”

“Know who?” she asked, confused.

“Mrs. Walsh. Eli is so protective of her, I doubted he would let just anyone come here, so I figured you must have known her before,” Dr. Evans explained.

Mrs. Walsh? Leila’s brain started running overtime. Unless Eli was married and had failed to mention that small detail to her, Dr. Evans must have been referring to Eli’s mother. The owner of the pearls. The source of so much obvious pain and contention. Normally, Leila tried to be honest with everyone, but the lie slipped out before she could stop herself.

“Yes, I did know her. Before.”

Dr. Evans’ whole body brightened. “Would you like to see her? She is always asking for Eli, but I’m sure she’d be glad to see any familiar faces. She never receives visitors.”

Saddened and disturbed by that, Leila asked. “Could I? That’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay. I have been telling Eli for years that I thought his mother would benefit from seeing him.”

“Well, that’s obviously a tall order,” she defended. The night Eli lent her the pearls and she tried to ask about his mother was the only time Leila could remember Eli being upset enough to snap at her like he did. Eli was one of the kindest and most forgiving people she knew. If he refused to see his mother, there must have been a good reason. She hoped there was a good reason.

Dr. Evans gestured for Leila to walk with him. “Yes, I know seeing her is difficult for Eli, but letting a friend visit her is a good step.”

One he didn’t know he was taking, Leila thought guiltily. But it wasn’t enough to make her turn back. They stepped into an elevator and rode it up to the second floor. She was led halfway down the hallway before Dr. Evans knocked on room 231. The answer was a bit garbled through the thick steel door, but he must have understood it. Leila winced when he had to unlock the door before opening it, and again doubted the wisdom of the idea. Dr. Evans ushered her in before she could backtrack.

“Elizabeth, you have a visitor,” Dr. Evans said.

The frail looking woman sat up in her bed at once. Her eyes scoured the room as she asked, “Eli? Eli, where are you?”

The pleading in her voice made Leila’s breath catch. When Elizabeth realized her son had not come once again, tears formed in her eyes. It nearly broke Leila’s heart. She was thankful Dr. Evans spoke again, because there was no way she could utter a word at that moment.

“No,” Dr. Evans said, “but Leila is here to see you. Do you remember Leila?”

A look of confusion spread across Mrs. Walsh’s face. Leila began to panic. What had she been thinking, lying about knowing Eli’s mother? An apology was on the tip of her tongue, as well as the desire to bail on the whole experience, but Dr. Evans’ hand landing on her shoulder prevented both.

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly, “she’s forgotten most of her old friends and acquaintances. Eli is the only one she has really held onto.”

Dr. Evans left Leila’s side and walked over to Mrs. Walsh. He patted her arm gently. “Elizabeth, Leila Sparro is here to see you. Would you like to talk with her?”

“Who is she?” Mrs. Walsh whispered to him.

“Leila is Eli’s girlfriend.”

It felt as if an electric shock ran through her body when Leila heard Dr. Evans mistake her relationship with Eli. Her mouth popped open to object, but he was already speaking again. She knew she should correct him, certainly not let a fragile old woman who obviously had mental problems believe a lie like that. Finding out Leila was only a friend might harm Mrs. Walsh in some way, and Leila would never want that.

She was about to break in and clear everything up when something odd happened. Leila started smiling. She wasn’t even sure why, at first. Part of her still thought she should fix the misunderstanding, but the rest of her was basking in the fact that the mistake had been made in the first place. Dr. Evans, for whatever reason, had made the assumption that she and Eli were romantically involved. It hadn’t seemed odd or unbelievable to him. He didn’t even ask her before voicing his thoughts. To him, it appeared there was nothing unusual about Leila being with Eli.

It was hard to explain exactly how happy that made her.

“Leila?” Dr. Evans said as he stepped back over to her. “Mrs. Walsh would like to speak with you. I’ll be in the room the whole time, and I can only allow you half an hour, but I think this will be a good thing for her. Are you still willing to stay?”

“Yes, of course.”

Dr. Evans smiled. “Wonderful. Go ahead and take the seat next to her bed. I’ll sit back here.”

Her first step was cautious. She watched Mrs. Walsh for any sign of anxiety or fear. Leila really had no idea what was wrong with her, and she didn’t want to do anything to upset her. So she moved slowly with no sudden movements, and when she spoke it was in a soft voice.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Walsh. How are you doing today?”

Eli mother eyed her warily. “Where is my Eli?”

“He had a patient this afternoon and couldn’t come,” Leila answered.

Mrs. Walsh’s whole body drooped. “He never comes. My little boy never comes.”

“I’m sure he’ll come soon,” Leila said. She squeezed the woman’s hand lightly, and was surprised when Mrs. Walsh grabbed her. Leila’s eyes darted to Dr. Evans, but he wordlessly reassured her.

“My Eli was such a good little boy,” Mrs. Walsh said. Her eyes were far away and glistening. “He’s always helped me. He was such a good boy. He held the clothespins for me when I hung the laundry. He took care of Polly, too.”

“Polly?” Leila asked. Where there more secrets Eli had kept from her? Siblings?

Ms. Walsh smiled, a quiet laugh shaking her thin body. “Little Polly, Eli adored that puppy. And Polly adored him. Followed him everywhere, she did.” Suddenly Mrs. Walsh’s expression darkened. “Until Polly got sick. Poor little Polly. Eli was so devastated when she died. Cried for two days straight, he did.”

Responding to that was difficult. Leila could imagine Eli crying over a sick puppy. He was a very compassionate person. She knew he cared about people, so animals were a natural extension. That was the man she knew. Connecting that with a son who had abandoned his mentally ill mother was impossible. Was it pride? She couldn’t imagine him doing something like that.

“I didn’t want to get Eli another pet after that,” Mrs. Walsh said, “he had been so upset, but Arnold didn’t listen to me.”

“Eli’s father?” Leila asked. Eli never spoke about his mother, and he was not much better about talking about his dad, but he had mentioned his name several times. He had always seemed happy when speaking about his dad.

“Yes, everyone insisted I get Eli a new pet after Polly died. I said it wasn’t good for him. They didn’t listen to me, kept pestering me until I gave in.” Mrs. Walsh glanced away from Leila and stared at something unseen. “I got my Eli a parrot. Eli thought he could teach it to talk. He spent hours sitting by that bird’s cage trying to get it to say something.”

“Did it ever speak for him?” Leila asked.

Mrs. Walsh shook her head sadly. “Birds are frail creatures. The parrot got a parasite or something like that and died after a few months. It never spoke.”

Grief for Eli’s losses, even if they were only childhood pets, welled in her heart. “Did you get any other pets after that?”

“No, everyone listened to me after that. No more pets.” She sighed. “But then my Eli got older and made friends.”

That should have been a good thing, but the way Mrs. Walsh said it didn’t sound very happy. Leila was curious about what kind of friends Eli had as a child that would make his mother so sad. “Were Eli’s friends good kids, too?”

The skin of her forehead creased as she considered. “Some, maybe. They kept him away from home.”

“Why didn’t Eli invite his friends to his house?”

“They didn’t want to,” she snapped, “they said so.”

Leila was too curious not to ask. “Why didn’t they like going to your house?”

“They wanted to be outside running and playing, the boys did.” The disgust in her voice sounded strange to Leila. It only got worse. Her whole face wrinkled with it as she continued. “The girls were worse, always filling his head with silly notions.”

“You didn’t approve of Eli’s girlfriends?” Leila asked, very curious to hear the answer. Did she remember that Dr. Evans had called her Eli’s girlfriend?

Mrs. Walsh shook her head. “Needy, whiney bunch. Always trying to pull him away from me. Thoughtless girls. They were no good for him.”

“Ah,” Leila said slowly. It was hard to call her a liar—she really didn’t know enough about Eli’s past to contradict her—but Leila had a hard time imagining Eli bringing home girls like that. Trying to fix them, definitely, but having a relationship with one of them? That seemed unlikely.

Leila was not as bad as what Mrs. Walsh had described, but she had been very dependent on Eli at first. He claimed she wasn’t a project to him, but why else would he have stuck around? He wanted to get her all fixed up and on her way. The fact that they had become friends seemed to her like more of an accident. If Eli wanted the kind of girl his mother described, the misunderstanding about her relationship with Eli may have actually been true.

“Did you steal Eli?” Mrs. Walsh blurted out suddenly.

The angry expression and harsh voice startled Leila. “Steal Eli from who?”

“From me,” she snapped.

“No. Why would I?”

“People are always trying to take him away from me,” she said darkly. “The girls are the worst.”

Unsure of how to respond to that statement, Leila was quiet for a few moments. She didn’t understand enough about Eli’s mother to know what she was talking about. Eli had never meant for her to meet this woman, but Leila was beginning to think the secrecy surrounding his mother needed to change. Not just for Leila’s benefit, but for Eli’s as well.

“My little Eli,” Mrs. Walsh said dreamily. Her mind had obviously switched gears. “He was such a good little boy. Always taking care of me, always keeping me safe, he was. When I was sick, he made me soup all by himself and brought it all the way upstairs so I didn’t have to get out of bed. Even when he was grown and at college, he always called and checked on me. He was such a good boy.”

She continued on, reliving dozens of instances when Eli had shown his love for her. Leila listened, but instead of smiling adoringly as Mrs. Walsh did, she grew angrier with every story. Why had he changed? In her heart she saw Eli as a compassionate and kind man. He wanted to help people. That was what had brought them together. Why then, was his mother sitting in a locked room alone every day? Why did he never visit? Had he tired of her? Would he tire of Leila?

None of her questions could be answered by Mrs. Walsh, who seemed to be unaware of anything other than Eli not being there for her. She barely even noticed when Dr. Evans told Leila it was time for her to leave. The goodbye she offered Mrs. Walsh went unanswered. Every step she took away from the sad, lonely woman infuriated her even more. By the time she reached her car, she was positively livid.

Eli’s mother obviously loved him very much, yet she was alone and forgotten by him. There was no question now that she was going to confront him about his mother. Maybe it wasn’t her place to interfere, but she didn’t care. Leila pulled out of the parking lot with the intention of driving straight over to Eli’s. She was halfway there before she got a text from Luke saying he would be landing in an hour. Leila had promised to pick him up from the airport. She growled at nothing particular as she turned in the other direction and fought against the traffic to reach O’Hare in time. Somewhere along the way, she remembered that even after picking Luke up she wouldn’t be free to get answers. No, first she had to suffer through dinner with Eli and his mysterious date. She had already feared the night was going to be a disaster; now she knew it would be for sure.

Chapter 22

Discovered

Eli pulled up to Dolcini, glad Leila had chosen somewhere familiar. He hoped the restaurant would help calm the anxiety he was sure she would be feeling. It did irk him just a little that he had to share his favorite restaurant with Luke, but it was worth it if it made the night more pleasant for Leila. Parked in his customary spot, Eli didn’t get out of the car.

“Are we going in?” Sabine asked, her words accented with long vowels and a rolling cadence.

“We should wait for Luke and Leila to arrive first. They invited us, so we should give them control.”

Sabine rolled her eyes. “This is why I don’t date psychiatrists. Everything is so much more complicated than it needs to be.”

Her complaining made Eli laugh, and not just because her S’s sounded like Z’s and the long I sounds were drawn out made her too adorable to take seriously. No, he laughed because he had heard the same argument from her for years. It was a miracle she agreed to be his date for the night.

“Thank you, Sabine, for coming with me. I really do appreciate it,” Eli said.

The smile she gave him was sincere. “Of course, Eli. I’m happy to help.”

A few minutes later, Eli spotted Luke and Leila walking up the street. When they were almost to the door he got out of his car. On his way around, Luke spotted him and gave a casual nod of acknowledgement. Leila saw him as well, but oddly, her eyes narrowed upon seeing him. Not sure what to make of Leila’s reaction, Eli continued around the car and opened Sabine’s door. She took his hand and stood gracefully.

He and Sabine had been friends for years, and she meant wholeheartedly that she would never date a psychiatrist, but even still, Eli could admit that she was a beautiful woman. Her black pencil skirt and chiffon blouse accentuated her tall, slender build. Sabine knew she looked good, and took Eli’s arm with a natural sense of confidence. The perfection of her stride betrayed her for the fashion model she was to anyone who watched her for more than a few seconds.

As they approached Luke and Leila, a hint of satisfaction hit him as Luke’s eyes widened in surprise. When he fairly ogled Sabine, however, Eli’s shoulders stiffened. Sabine could handle the attention, he was quite sure, and if it proved unwanted … she knew how to handle that as well. He hardly had to take care of her. Knowing that, Eli changed his focus. His eyes landed on Leila, curious to see her response to Sabine.

Usually, he had no trouble reading Leila’s expressions. That was not the case in that moment. The way her lips were pressed together suggested anger or irritation, but that contradicted the widened surprise in her eyes. Her arms were folded across her chest, clearly a hostile stance. What Eli couldn’t figure out was whether she was upset about Sabine, or him. She wouldn’t look at Eli.

Feeling the need to explain his guest and allay any misgivings Leila may have had, Eli said, “Sabine, this is my good friend Leila Sparro and her boyfriend Luke Deveron.” Sabine smiled winningly at her introduction.

“Luke, Leila, this is Sabine,” he continued. “Sabine is my friend, Guy’s, sister. She’s in town for work and I offered to show her around the city tonight.”

“You’re Guy’s sister?” Leila asked, finally breaking her silence.

Sabine laughed. “Yes. Guy is my brother, though I try not to let too many people know that. He has a bit of a reputation, does he not?”

“I imagine he does,” Leila said. Eli was pleased when some of the tension in Leila’s shoulders diminished, but concern lodged itself in his chest at what remained, and the fact that Leila still refused to meet his gaze.

“What business are you in?” Luke asked Sabine as they walked into the restaurant.

“I am a fashion model in Europe,” she answered, which attracted both Luke’s and Leila’s interest, though for different reasons.

Still not meeting his eyes, Leila frowned in his general direction. Luke’s eyes lit up. The rest of the way to the table, Sabine and Luke rambled on about photography, fashion, and travel. Leila feigned interest. Eli didn’t even attempt to hide his fixation on Leila. He wanted to know what was bothering her. Surely it couldn’t be Sabine. She had looked angry before Sabine even stepped out of the car. Whatever it was, he had the feeling it wasn’t going to be resolved easily. And that scared him.

“Mr. Walsh, it’s so nice to see you again,” Megan said. She was Conrad’s best waitress, and ever since the incident with Tony, she was the only one who served Eli when he came to Dolcini. She turned to Leila. “Ms. Sparro, it’s nice to have you back as well.”

Leila smiled lightly at the warm welcome. Luke looked irritated.

“Welcome to Dolcini, everyone. My name is Megan and I will be your server tonight. If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Megan recited the house specials for the night, then took their drink orders and excused herself.

As soon as she was out of earshot Luke said, “So, Eli, I take it you come here often?”

“Yes,” Eli responded, enjoying Luke’s annoyed expression just a little. “I conduct many of my business meetings here. The owner, Conrad, is a very good friend of mine.”

Luke seemed skeptical. “Business meetings? I thought you were a psychiatrist. How many business meetings can you possibly have?”

“The business meetings I was referring to aren’t for my psychiatry practice,” Eli began. He hesitated when Leila suddenly looked at him. After ignoring him all night, the intensity of her stare startled him. There was panic in her eyes. Eli realized then that Leila hadn’t told Luke how they met.

Eli smoothed his expression, saying, “I also do some freelance consulting on the side. My schedule is usually quite full with patients, so I conduct my other meetings at lunch or dinner.”

“What kind of consulting?” Luke asked.

“Psychological assessments,” Eli said, which was only partly untrue. “Companies often want opinions of how some aspect of their business will be perceived by consumers. Things like logos, mergers, slogans, that sort of thing.”

“Interesting,” Luke said, sitting back in his chair appeased.

The conversation turned back to the European fashion market. Eli listened politely, but glanced casually in Leila's direction a few minutes later. The anger she was harboring was still hidden behind her brown eyes, but for the moment, relief and thanks overpowered it. He nodded to acknowledge her gratitude, but anything else that might have passed between them was interrupted by Megan returning with their drinks.

“So, Sabine,” Luke began after taking a drink, “how long have you known Eli?”

Sabine glanced at Eli, her head tilted in thought. “We met, what was it, your second year in medical school?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“So that would make it about five years, I suppose,” Sabine said.

Luke’s eyes zeroed in on Eli, though he spoke to Sabine. “How long have the two of you been together, then?”

Not caring how Luke interpreted his attention, Eli broke away from Luke’s gaze and watched Leila. She was back to not looking at him, but Eli knew how Sabine would answer and wanted to see Leila’s reaction.

“Oh, Eli and I aren’t dating. We went out a few times after we first met, but that was it.”

Leila’s held breath released slowly at her answer. Eli was sure he saw the corner of her mouth turn up. It was the reaction he had been hoping for, even if not as enthusiastic as he had hoped. Originally, Eli hadn’t been convinced Guy’s plan to take his supermodel sister to dinner would be wise. He feared it would only exacerbate Leila’s insecurities. Guy had explained that Sabine was the perfect choice. She would be a distraction to Luke, which could help Eli gauge how distractible Luke was when it came to other women. She would also be the right person to prove to Leila that Eli wasn’t looking for the perfect woman to fill out his high society dance card. And to the casual observer, Sabine was perfect. She was beautiful, poised, and confident. Sabine would be at ease anywhere there was fine china and crystal.

Sabine just showed Leila that Eli wasn’t interested in her. He didn’t want a woman like Sabine, because even though she was the picture of bourgeois etiquette, Eli knew Sabine better than most. She was very self-centered, and had been long before her modeling career exploded. She had a few close friends she was willing to make small sacrifices for, like she was for Eli, but most others in her life were there to serve a purpose. She saw little benefit to marriage and family. Her interests were limited to keeping her tan perfect and line free and getting the best invitations to parties.

Eli knew she wasn’t as shallow as she pretended to be. Sabine had a very complex personality. She loved to read the classics, had a small menagerie of rescued animals, and gave generously to charities. She was a good person at heart, but she didn’t want the general public to see her that way. She enjoyed having a private life and a public persona. That was not how Eli preferred to live, and Sabine’s beauty and poise held no temptation for him.

“Really?” Luke asked, interrupting Eli’s thoughts. “You two are both attractive, single people. Why didn’t it work out?”

Even Leila looked annoyed at the impertinent question. Sabine, had the good grace to field the question. “I decided fairly early on that I had no interest in dating a shrink,” she said with a smile. “All they want to talk about is their problems, or other people’s problems. I found that rather depressing after a while.”

Eli was thanking her silently, until she spoke again.

“But,” she said, looking at Leila, “if I were to ever reconsider, Eli would be the only one I’d ever consider breaking my rule for.”

The smile that followed her statement was a clear challenge to Leila. If you don’t step up and snag Eli, somebody else will. She meant it to be helpful—a push in the right direction for Leila—but inwardly Eli groaned. This night was a flat out disaster.

“This is a delightful restaurant, Eli,” Sabine said by way of changing the subject. Her comment forced Eli back to the conversation. “How did you come across it? Did you know the owner before he opened it?”

“Yes, but only by a few years. Conrad was head chef at another restaurant in town where a friend of mine, Edgar,” he added for Leila’s benefit, “liked to eat. Edgar was my mentor in college and we would occasionally meet for lunch to discuss my various projects and college requirements. I guess that’s where I got the habit of having business meetings over meals.”

Luke interjected then. “And Leila knows this restaurant because …”

The slightly acidic tone of Luke’s voice annoyed Eli. He wanted to tell him that Leila knew about Dolcini because he had taken her there on a date, and that they had come back on several occasions. He wanted to tell Luke that this whole night was juvenile and ridiculous, that he should either sweep Leila off her feet and make her fall so desperately in love with him that she forgot about Eli, or get out of the way and let him have her to himself.

Eli wanted to say a great many things to Luke, but all he said was, “Business meeting. Ana wanted my opinion on a logo for her new line, so Leila and I met to discuss it.”

“Why didn’t Ana come herself?” Luke asked snidely.

Eli’s temper was quickly growing short. “Why would she?” he said, coming very close to snapping. “Leila is her marketing director. I’m sure it made a lot more sense to send the one who actually designed the logo than for her to come.”

Luke sat back in his chair looking smug. “Of course,” he said. “I thought this was something like the tea house.”

Not entirely sure how to interpret Luke’s expression or word choice, Eli crossed his arms over his chest. It was going to be a very long night. The chime of a cell phone interrupted the uncomfortable silence. Eli’s eyes shot immediately to Luke. The ring tone was unfamiliar to him, so it couldn’t have been Leila’s, and Sabine was too well mannered to have left her phone at full volume during a private dinner. Sure enough, Luke pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the image of the caller displayed there.

“Excuse me, I need to take this,” he said before stepping away and answering the call.

Everyone seemed to take a breath as he walked away. One glance from Eli, and Sabine said, “I need to visit the powder room. Please excuse me.”

Eli and Leila were left alone at the table, and it took a conscious effort not to grab her and pull her into his arms. Leila seemed not to be having the same problem. She was staring at her fork when she said, “Thank you … for lying, I mean.”

“No problem, but why didn’t you tell him the truth about how we met? He’s obviously having some jealousy issues. Telling him you hired me as a date shark could really only help your situation,” Eli said. He didn’t like saying that, but it was true.

“I don’t know,” Leila said, shaking her head. “No offense, but it’s kind of embarrassing to admit I hired you to give me dating advice.”

“It would have been better than telling him I’m your best friend, because it’s obvious he isn’t buying that.”

Toying with the remainder of her calamari, Leila kept her eyes lowered. “If I told him you were some kind of dating coach, it would have been weird that we hang out so much. I don’t want to have to defend myself every time I need to see you.”

Eli smiled at her reasoning. “But I get the impression you have to do that anyway. That’s why we’re here tonight, isn’t it? To prove that there’s nothing going on between us?”

Meeting Eli’s eyes, Leila stared at him drenched in uncertainty. A huge part of Eli hoped that her uncertainty was about whether or not there was something more than friendship between them. That was part of it, he was sure, but tonight there was much more weighing on her than whether or not she wanted to move forward with Eli. It was a risk, especially given where they were, but Eli reached across the table and took her hand in his.

“Leila, is everything okay? You seem upset, and I don’t think it has to do with how tonight is going. Are you alright?”

“Are you?” she asked, her voice suddenly icy.

Stunned, Eli couldn’t stop her from pulling away from him. She averted her eyes and didn’t look at him for the rest of the night. He wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. When Sabine came back from the lady’s room she cast a worried glance at Eli. He could only shrug. He had no idea what was happening with Leila. Luke seemed pleased with the change of events.

By the end of dinner, Eli was dying for answers. He had seen Leila only a few hours earlier, and she had been smiling and eating peanut butter and bananas. What had happened between now and then? His mind drifted back to earlier that day, to Leila stopping by and him getting interrupted by the call from Mount Rose. He had rushed off soon after, but he doubted that was why she was mad at him. Leila had understood his need to hurry. In fact she had even offered to drop off the paperwork for him so he could get to his appointment on time.

Eli froze.

The paperwork. Mount Rose.

An icy ball of fear formed in the pit of his stomach and slowly began to spread to every part of him. What had Leila discovered at Mount Rose?

Chapter 23

Numb and Electrified

Call me. Please.

I need to talk to you.

Call me as soon as you get home.

Where are you? Call me, please.

The text messages started as soon as Leila walked out of Luke’s house. She wasn’t sure if it was sweet or weird that he knew exactly how long it would take her to drive to Luke’s house and say goodbye to him. Maybe she would have been able to figure it out if she weren’t so angry at him. And not to mention, her anger was totally being confused by her relief that Eli hadn’t brought a real date with him to dinner. The whole night … no pretty much the whole day, had turned into a frustrating mess.

Her phone chirped again. At the next red light she hit, Leila checked the newest text message from Eli. Leila. Call. Me.

Leila knew good and well that if Eli could time his first text so well, he knew she couldn’t have possibly made it back to her apartment by then. Then again, Leila wasn’t going back to her apartment.

What really made Leila the maddest was that Eli had acted like everything was completely fine as they ate, only to start sending her texts like a madman after dinner. If he could pretend so well all through dinner, how was she supposed to trust he was being honest at other times? She promised herself she would give Eli a chance to explain himself. It would be difficult to sit and listen to him attempt to give a rational reason for abandoning his mother when she didn’t know if she could trust him. A million accusations and angry words were clambering around in her head.

Another text from Eli. She didn’t bother checking it this time. There was no point because she was already there. Leila threw her car into park and stomped up to the double doors of the apartment complex, the source of the text messages. She yanked one of the doors open, ready to march right through the lobby to the elevator. A familiar voice stopped her.

“Ms. Sparro,” Howard, the doorman, said sounding rather concerned, “is everything alright?”

She faltered in her righteous anger. “It’s fine.”

“It doesn’t look like everything is fine,” he said. He came around the concierge desk and walked right up to her. “You look ready to tear someone’s head off.”

She was, but she didn’t say that. “I’m sorry, Howard. I’m just having a rough night.”

Howard smiled and patted her shoulder. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Mr. Walsh will be able to help. He always seems to cheer you up.”

“Not this time,” Leila grumbled. “He’s kind of the source of my bad mood.”

The surprise on Howard’s face seemed genuine. “You and Mr. Walsh had a fight? But you always get along so well. I have always thought you two were such a perfect couple.”

“Well he …” Leila stopped talking. It was her turn to be surprised. Couple? This whole time Howard thought she was Eli’s girlfriend? A strange desire to giggle tickled the inside of Leila’s ribs.

Howard saved her from being foolish by saying, “Whatever Mr. Walsh has done, try not to be too hard on him. It’s obvious he adores you. I’m sure he didn’t mean to make you so upset.”

“Uh, I’ll try,” Leila said, not even sure what she meant by that. She disentangled herself from Howard and walked sedately to the elevator as her head spun.

On the ride up, Leila tried to tell herself that the amount of time alone she spent visiting Eli was enough to make Howard mistakenly think she was his girlfriend. It was his other comment that was making it hard to think. It’s obvious he adores you. Was it really?

The elevator chimed and opened onto Eli’s floor. She tried to dig back up her fury, but was surprised by how difficult that suddenly seemed. Leila’s steps were muffled as she walked down the hall. Her mind was in a similar state. Twice in one day she had been mistaken for Eli’s girlfriend. It was a dangerous thing for her to let herself believe there was any meaning in the two. She couldn’t let her deepest fantasies break free without serious consequences. Leila wasn’t sure she was ready for the crushing disappointment she feared would follow.

The sound of her own hand rapping on Eli’s door startled her. She stepped back, not at all sure she wanted to confront him right then. Before she could reconsider, the door swung open to reveal a frenzied looking Eli. He all but yanked her into the apartment and shut the door. He didn’t even wait until they cleared the entryway before attacking.

“What happened at Mount Rose today?”

Mount Rose. The name of the hospital snapped some sense back into Leila. Anger was quick to follow. Having found her backbone once again, Leila stormed away from Eli. She didn’t stop until she reached the suede couch, but she didn’t sit.

“Why are you so suddenly hot to talk about it?” she demanded. “You were perfectly happy to let it lie through dinner.”

“What? I had no idea what you were so mad about until we were ready to leave!” Eli exclaimed. “I couldn’t figure out what I had done between leaving you at my apartment and meeting you for dinner. Not until I remembered the papers, anyway. I figured something must have happened there today to make you upset.”

Leila didn’t want to believe him, but his obvious distress made that very hard.

“What happened today?” Eli asked again, this time with a softer voice.

His calm tone instantly irritated her. He wasn’t going to fix this one with a soothing voice and distraction. “I met your mother,” Leila snapped. “That’s what happened today.”

It seemed like confirmation when Eli’s face drained of color. He took a step back, hit the arm of his leather wingback chair and nearly toppled over. It took all his concentration to lower himself into the chair. “You met my mother?”

“Yes, and I spent a good half hour talking with her.”

Eli’s whole body crumpled in on itself. “How?” he begged. “How did that happen?”

“Dr. Evans came out to get the paperwork and asked if I wanted to talk to her,” Leila said. “You act like she’s some big secret—although I guess the fact that you dumped her off in a mental hospital makes that more understandable. You won’t tell me anything about her, so I said I would like to talk to her.”

“Why would he do that?” Eli exploded. “I gave him very specific instructions! You could have been a courier, a total stranger. What was he thinking letting someone he didn’t even know speak with my mother?”

His honest to goodness yelling was a total shock to Leila. She had never even seen Eli raise his voice before! It scared her, made her worry that she had stepped over a line with Eli that couldn’t be re-crossed. Finding out about his mother wasn’t worth that. When she answered, her voice was shaking.

“He thought … we talked for a few minutes. I told him we were friends … and I guess he assumed that if you trusted me to drop off the paperwork, I already knew about your mom. He thought I was … um, your girlfriend, and well, he asked if I wanted to visit with your mom for a few minutes. He said it would make her really happy.”

Eli’s anger wavered. “He thought you were my girlfriend?”

She nodded, feeling very stupid in that moment. Why had she even brought it up?

“And you didn’t correct him?” Eli pressed.

Leila could feel her cheeks turning red. “No. I mean, there didn’t seem to be any point. And I didn’t know if he’d let me meet your mom if I told him the truth.” Her head dipped down shamefully at that last part.

“He had no right to disregard my instructions,” Eli said, his anger returned.

Leila’s anger made a reappearance as well. “What were your instructions, exactly? Keep her locked up and don’t let anyone see her? Are you ashamed of her? Does it hurt your image to have a crazy mother? Is that why you abandoned her there and refuse to see her?”

Leila was trembling by the time she finished her rant. How could he do that to her? What kind of person had she spent the last five months with? Eli had been everything she wanted until earlier that day. Why did he have to go and ruin her fantasy by being an ungrateful, prideful prick! It was almost worse than abandoning his mother to be so utterly disappointed by him. She wanted to cry, the ache was so profound. He was supposed to be better than that! Leila’s legs buckled and she fell to the couch along with her tears.

“What did my mother say to you?” Eli asked in a voice that was almost a whisper.

Swiping away tears, Leila said, “All she talked about was you. What a good boy you were, how much she loved you. She told me about your dog, Polly, and your bird. I don’t know how many times she said you used to take care of her. The soup. The clothes pins. You were all she could think about, and all she wanted was for you to come and see her, Eli. I broke my heart when Dr. Evans told her that she had a visitor, and the visitor wasn’t you. You haven’t seen her once since she was put in there, have you?”

Eli looked up at her, meeting her gaze with hollow, haunted eyes. “No, I haven’t.”

It was worse, so much worse hearing it from his own lips. What explanation could he possibly give that would explain treating his own mother so horribly? In her heart, Leila knew there wasn’t one. She couldn’t bear the thought of listening to lies, so she stood. Her feet propelled her across the room. She wanted out so badly, and she hated Eli for breaking her trust in him and taking away a place she loved. Leila’s fingers touched the door knob, but before she could twist she was yanked away from the door and crushed against Eli’s chest.

“Leila, please don’t go,” he begged. “Please don’t leave me like this. Please.”

She fought against him, crying and pushing his arms away. “Let go of me!”

“No! I won’t let go, not ever. Please, Leila, please.”

The agony in his voice, the emotional hurricane she had been subjected to, the physical exhaustion of such a horrible day … it was too much. Leila sagged against the door and sobbed. “Why would you do that to your own mother, Eli?”

Eli pressed against her, wrapping her up in his arms completely. “I had no choice,” he said.

Even though Leila knew she probably shouldn’t, she believed him enough to let him try and explain. But not without a warning. “Eli, if I don’t believe you completely … this isn’t something I can just forget. Or forgive.”

“Please, just let me explain. I wouldn’t ask you to if I didn’t feel sure you would understand. Please, Leila, you can trust me.”

Leila looked up at him. “Can I?”

Eli looked as if she had just slapped him. “Of course you can. I would never lie to you.”

It seemed like such a boldly honest statement that Leila gave in. Eli felt her response and gently led her back to the couch. When they sat down, he didn’t release her. In fact, he clung to her more tightly with both of his hands encircling one of hers. Eli took a deep breath, but he didn’t start where she expected him to.

“My dad died when I was seven. It was a very unexpected heart attack. I loved my dad very much, and I took his death hard, but so did my mom. I turned to books and locked myself away for as much time as I could. I read every book in my dad’s library,” he said with a sad smile. Then his expression darkened. “My mom handled his death in her own way.”

One of Eli’s hands slipped away from Leila. He scrubbed at his face as if trying to wash away difficult memories. It could never be that simple, though. Eventually he calmed himself and continued. “I was too young to realize what she was doing at the time. I thought she was keeping me close because she loved me.”

“Eli, she did love you. She still does.”

Eli scoffed. “In her own way, I guess.”

The bitterness in his voice drew Leila closer to him. “Eli, what happened?”

“The whole time I was growing up after my dad died, she did everything she could to keep me secluded. Polly was a bribe to keep me from playing with the other neighborhood children,” Eli said.

“But she said Polly was your best friend. Polly loved you.”

Eli nodded slowly. “I loved Polly, too, but she wasn’t just my best friend. She was my only friend. Mom made sure of that. And it only got worse as I grew older.”

Her first instinct was to argue with him. Becoming a bit overprotective of her son after losing a husband wasn’t such an unbelievable thing. What mother wouldn’t be afraid of losing her only other family? It was remembering Mrs. Walsh’s comment about Eli making friends and the girls being the worst of them, and how bitter she had sounded when she said it that made Leila hold her tongue.

“When I started junior high, her behavior started to change. It wasn’t enough that I was always home for dinner and went to church with her on Sunday. Making curfew and running errands for her was the least I could do,” Eli said. “Any time I asked to go out with friends she had a reason that she needed me at home. But I loved her, so I did as she asked. I told myself she was lonely without Dad and it was my responsibility to take care of her. So I did. I took care of her.”

Eli shook her head and leaned forward. Once again, he let go of Leila with one hand. His elbow went to his knee and he propped up his hanging head. Understanding was still out of reach, but Leila responded to his pain with compassion. She switched the hand he was holding for the other and draped her now free arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her embrace.

“I thought I could keep going without complaint during high school, but it got harder. There were sports I wanted to play, parties I wanted to go to, girls I wanted to date. It got harder to always be at home missing out on everything.”

Something seemed to give Eli strength. He came up off his elbows, and instead of being comforted by Leila, he pulled her under his arm. Leila’s head fell against his shoulder as if it were perfectly natural to do so. She let him hold her, and waited for him to continue.

“At the start of my junior year I tried out for the high school varsity soccer team. The coach said I was good and offered me a spot as a forward. When I told my mom, for some reason I thought she would be proud, but instead she got angry at me. I couldn’t take it anymore after that.” Eli’s arm tightened around her at his admission.

“What did you do?” she asked.

“I played soccer,” he said. It was such a simple statement, but Eli’s body reacted to every word, drawing in on itself. He was crushing her against his body. “I dated, too, and went out with friends. I wasn’t home every night for dinner. I had a life for the first time, and I was … happy.”

But he didn’t sound happy when he uttered the word. His voice was laced with sadness and regret, overlaid with a fury so deep Leila knew she could never truly understand it. “Eli,” she whispered, “what happened after that?”

“Mom got sick.”

Leila sat up, even more confused than she was before. She could understand Eli was drowning in guilt for rebelling, but even though there was some guilt in his voice, the more consuming emotion was anger. That didn’t make any sense to her.

“Eli, I’m lost. Your mom getting sick couldn’t have been your fault …”

“No, it wasn’t,” he interrupted, his voice sharp.

Okay …. “You’re angry she got sick?” she asked in disbelief. “You of all people should understand that you can’t blame people for having a mental illness.”

“I’m not talking about her psychological problems. I was referring to a physical illness.” Saying that only made him angrier. Leila had no idea what was going on in his head. Thankfully, Eli tried to explain. “It started with her feeling tired all the time. Then she started throwing up every day. Headaches, weight loss, confusion at times. She could barely even get out of bed some days.”

“What did you do?” Leila asked, fearing his answer thanks to not be able to understand his logic.

Eli looked at her like she had just asked an incredibly stupid question. “I took care of her,” he said. “I quit playing soccer, pretty much abandoned any kind of social life. I gave up a full ride scholarship to Harvard for my undergraduate degree so I could stay here and take care of her. She became my entire life.”

The first two fingers of Leila’s hands pressed against her temples and started rubbing. He hated her for getting sick, but he gave up pretty much everything to stay close by and take care of her? She really hoped he would start making sense soon. It had already been a very long, very draining day.

“What changed?” she asked. “You went from doing everything for her, it sounds like, to dropping her off at Mount Rose and never seeing her again. How could you go from one extreme to the other?”

Eli stood abruptly and began pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table. His arms folded, then unfolded. His fingers ran through his hair as he struggled to find the words he wanted. All Leila could do was sit on the couch and watch him pace. Her head was throbbing, and his back and forth motion was bordering on irritating, but she waited as patiently as she could.

Without stopping his incessant pacing, Eli said, “None of the doctors we saw could figure out was wrong with her. She would be near death, then suddenly recover to almost full strength. Around the time I was graduating with my bachelor’s degree she started doing a lot better. I started to hope that she was going to be okay. I brought up medical school, and where I wanted to go. That was when things got bad again.”

“Where did you want to go?” Leila asked.

“The West Coast,” Eli said without hesitation. He shook his head and folded his arms again. “I needed a break. Six years of taking care of her, every single day. I was about to reach my breaking point. I couldn’t do it anymore. Not while trying to get through medical school.”

“You said she got sick again after that?” Was it something to do with stress? Leila knew she always got caught some nasty bug when she was really stressed out.

Eli seemed to have a different opinion. “It seemed odd to me that she would relapse right then. I talked to Vance about it, and as we talked I realized something I hadn’t before. There was a pattern. Every time I tried to pull away from her she got worse. As long as I was glued to her side she did better.”

“That could be a lot of things,” Leila said.

“It was suspicious.”

Anger started building around Eli again, and this time Leila really started to worry. Not about Eli blowing up, but that he really did have a reason for abandoning his mother. Suddenly she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know.

“I started checking her room, the bathroom, the kitchen. I paid closer attention to everything she did. I came home unexpectedly, anything to figure out what was really going on.”

“And did you?” she asked quietly.

Eli’s chest began to rise and fall more quickly. Red crept into his face. His hands balled up so tight his knuckles turned a snowy white. “Yes, I did.”

He looked ready to explode. Leila had felt so betrayed, so hurt that Eli would do something so unforgivable as abandoning his unwell mother only a few hours earlier. Now, she realized her mistake. Eli was the one who had been hurt. Whatever his mother had done, it had broken her son’s heart. Tears welled in Leila’s eyes and she left the couch and approached Eli. She worried he would be angry at her for treating him so badly, but as soon as she was within reach, he swallowed her up entirely.

For a long time they held each other without speaking. Leila ached for her friend and whatever pain had been inflicted upon him. She wasn’t sure if the moisture on her cheeks belonged to her or Eli, but she didn’t pull away to find out.

After some time, Eli spoke again. “I came home one day and found her lying on the kitchen floor. I thought she was dead, but once I got my panic under control I found a pulse and called for an ambulance. When I stood up to answer the door I realized my pant leg was wet. It wasn’t until that moment that I noticed the smell of cleaners. I saw the bottle of floor cleaner lying on its side next to her. I smelled her breath and realized she had been drinking it.”

Shocked, Leila pulled away from him. “She tried to kill herself?”

Eli shook his head slowly. “No, that’s what she had been doing all along. There was no mystery illness. She was poisoning herself with whatever she could find, keeping herself sick enough that I would stay with her. She knew I would never leave her if she was ill. So she made sure she was always sick, and I stayed, just like she wanted.”

A weak, sickening feeling came over Leila. She felt her legs becoming unstable. Eli must have as well, because he guided her back to the couch and sat her down. He followed suit, putting an arm around her shoulders to steady her.

“Why would she do something like that?” Leila asked.

Eli sighed. “I don’t know if my dad dying caused something to snap with her, or if she was always like this, but she couldn’t handle the idea of being alone. She couldn’t even stand someone else competing for my attention. Not even Polly.”

“She killed Polly?” Leila squeaked.

His nod made her sick. “She admitted later on that she poisoned Polly, and my parrot, because I spent too much time with them.”

“That’s horrible.”

“She was completely unstable by the time I found her that day. She nearly killed herself just to keep me from moving out.”

“But you still would have visited her and included her in your life,” Leila argued. “That’s why I was so upset thinking you had just abandoned her, because that’s not who I believed you were. And you’re not.”

Eli pulled her against him even more. “For her, it wasn’t enough for me to call or stop by on the weekends. She needed that constant attention, and in her mind, making herself sick was the only way to get it.”

“She took so much away from you,” Leila said. “I would be angry, too. I don’t understand how someone could ever do that to a person they loved. I’m so sorry I judged you for not visiting her, Eli. I had no right to question your decision. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Of course I can,” he said as he stroked her hair. “You were dropped into the middle of a situation with no explanation. I don’t blame you for not understanding. I’m just sorry I didn’t tell you all of this sooner.”

A heavy dose of guilt settled in Leila’s stomach. “It was none of my business. I shouldn’t have agreed to meet you mom without asking you first. It wasn’t my place.”

Eli relaxed against her. “It’s okay. I was more scared of how she might have treated you than anything else. I wanted to tell you about her, but it isn’t easy to talk about what she did. When I realized why you were so angry, I thought she might have done something to drive you away from me. She has a knack for scaring away my friends, especially girls.”

“She didn’t say anything like that,” Leila assured him. “When I thought you had left her alone, I was so hurt that you would be so unkind to her and treat her so poorly. It scared me to think that you could be that two-faced. And I got scared that I would end up like her, forgotten and thrown away.”

“Oh, Leila,” Eli said with such profound anguish it brought Leila’s face up to look at him. He pressed the palm of his hand against her cheek and held her. “Leila, I could never forget you.”

The day had been so filled with emotion already, but Leila was surprised when a new emotion blossomed in her heart. It started as a tightening in her chest, a warmth that threatened to consume everything. As Eli held her so close, touching her with more care than anyone had ever shown her before, the world around her seemed to disappear. The feeling was new and frightening, and she wanted to drink it in until she burst.

All night there had been something in the back of her mind telling her that she was overreacting, that her anger was more than it should have been at Eli. If he were only a friend. But he wasn’t just a friend, and she knew exactly what she was feeling in that moment. It was ridiculous to deny any longer that she was in love with Eli. That was why it hurt so much to think he could cast off someone he should have loved. She didn’t want to be like his mother. She wanted him to love her forever and never have any reason to doubt him.

Leila’s faith had been restored, but she had no idea what to do with this new revelation.

She felt numb and electrified at the same time, too unbalanced to resist when Eli laid her head back against his chest. All she wanted to do was linger in the delicious, yet confusing emotion. It was all she could focus on.

Eli didn’t seem to be having the same problem. “Being angry at her isn’t even what really keeps me from visiting her,” he said.

It was a struggle to get her mind to focus. She was slow to respond, but eventually she said, “Then what is it?”

“Part of me is scared that if I see her again, I’ll fall right back where I was before, her virtual slave with no life of my own.” His raw honesty doubled her respect for him. It was a rare thing to see Eli vulnerable. She felt honored that he would share his deepest fears with her, but she didn’t want him to be scared.

“Eli, that wouldn’t happen,” Leila said.

“How can you be sure? I spent twenty-two years of my life catering to her.”

Leila pressed her hand flat against his chest, just over his heart. “It wouldn’t happen because I won’t let it happen,” she said. “You may be her son, but you’re my …”

Leila faltered for a moment. She wanted very much to claim him as something more than her friend, but she didn’t know how to cross that boundary. She didn’t know if she should. In the end, she settled for stealing a line from his mother. “You’re my Eli now, too, not just hers. And I’m not giving you up any time soon.”

“Thank you,” Eli said as he buried his face in Leila’s hair and hugged her so tightly she thought she might break in two.

When Eli released her, she made no move to leave. Instead, she curled her legs up on the couch and settled against him. It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to be away from him, although that was certainly a factor. She also suspected Eli might not be ready to be alone after talking about something so painful. Her guess seemed to be gratified when Eli propped his feet on the coffee table and laid his cheek against her head.

It didn’t take long for Leila’s eyes to drift shut without her realizing. She had a fleeting thought that she should get up and go home at some point, but it was quickly lost amid her contentment and exhaustion. It was hours later before she woke to the sun pouring in through the big picture windows of Eli’s apartment. The disorienting feeling of not knowing where she was never came. Leila woke feeling perfectly at home.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Eli whispered as he cradled her against his chest.

She loved it when he called her that. “Good morning. I’m sorry for falling asleep on you.”

“It’s no problem,” he said. “Would you like some breakfast?”

“I would love some.” That seemed like the cue to quit lying all over him, so Leila forced herself to sit up and leave the wonderful warmth of Eli’s arms.

Eli stood as well, though he didn’t seem terribly rushed to get away from her. He smiled and smoothed down a portion of her unruly hair. His gesture made her blush. “Do you mind if I freshen up a bit? I’m sure I look like a wreck.”

“You look perfect,” Eli said, clearly lying, “but you can use my bathroom if you’d like. There are about a dozen extra toothbrushes under the sink if you want to use one.”

“Stocking up?” Leila teased.

The causal smile that brightened Eli’s face made Leila’s breath catch, though that had never happened before. “My neighbor is a dentist,” he said. “He must think we all need to brush our teeth better because he’s always giving everyone on the floor boxes of new toothbrushes.”

“Marketing,” Leila explained. “The toothbrushes probably have his office’s name and phone number on them.”

Eli laughed. “I think they do.”

A few minutes later, Leila emerged from Eli’s room feeling much better than she had the night before. It helped that when she stepped into the living room the aroma of omelets and Swiss cheese greeted her. She slid onto one of the barstools with a smile. Eli set a plate down in front of her and walked around to join her at the breakfast bar. The cozy, intimate area made her smile.

“Have I ever told you how much I love your apartment?”

“On several occasions,” Eli said with a laugh.

She took a bite of her omelet, feeling very content. “I could totally live here.”

Eli’s fork stopped before reaching his mouth. He looked over at her with an expression Leila couldn’t puzzle out. “You practically live here already,” he said before bringing the fork to his mouth.

A hint of uncertainty brushed against her mind. “Do you mind that I’m here so often?”

“I love having you here,” Eli said, smiling at her. “In fact, I think we should do this more often.”

For some reason, Leila didn’t ask whether he meant having breakfast together, or Leila staying overnight. Perhaps she was afraid the answer would have been breakfast.

When the plates were both resting in the sink, awaiting some soap and a wash cloth, Leila gathered her things. Before she could say goodbye, Eli surprised her by offering to walk her down to her car. Leila hoped he was having as hard of a time as she was wanting to be apart. She didn’t ask his reasoning. She just enjoyed the extra time with him.

They stepped out of the elevator, and Leila’s eyes were drawn to the doorman, Howard. It was his grin that had caught her attention. Usually, he stayed behind the counter. That morning he ventured out from behind his desk, not at all subtly. He shook a finger at Leila.

“I knew you two would work everything out, didn’t I?” he said.

Leila chuckled at his delight. “Yeah, you did.”

“Perfect. Just like I said.”

“Uh, sure,” Leila said, her cheeks pinking as she pushed Eli toward the door. They made it to Leila’s car before Eli spoke up.

“You want to explain that?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Not really.”

“I think Howard has the impression that something more than you falling asleep on my couch happened last night. Any idea why he would think that?” Eli was trying for serious, but the corner of his mouth kept creeping up and ruining it.

“Um, it’s probably because he thinks I’m your girlfriend. Bye!”

Leila flung her arms around him, kissed his cheek like he always did to her, and practically dove into her car. She didn’t take a breath until she was at least three blocks away. When she did, she started giggling like a twelve year old girl who had eaten way too much sugar. A few blocks later, panic began to set in.

She was in love with Eli. She was head-over-heels, together forever, struck by Cupid’s arrow in love with him. And she had no idea what to do about it.

Chapter 24

Sleeping Arrangements

Something changed after Eli told Leila about his mom, but he wasn’t totally sure what that was. In truth, the something that had changed had very little to do with his mom, and more to do with the way Leila looked at him. The perpetual air of being in Eli’s background had been replaced by a comfortable confidence when they were together. Unfortunately, that wasn’t nearly as often as he would have liked. Preparation for the fall fashion show had quickly taken over nearly every waking minute of Leila’s life, and some of the ones that should have been devoted to sleeping, as well.

It was a blessing and a nuisance. Her absence made the days long and dull, but it did give him a chance to think about the night they fell asleep on his couch. He couldn’t even begin to describe how wonderful it had felt waking up next to her. It occupied his mind frequently. Trying to gauge where to go in his relationship with Leila since that night was tricky. She hadn’t broken up with Luke, which was hard to deal with, but she seemed to be testing the waters with Eli. Before, Eli had often kissed her cheek when they parted, but now Leila did as well. If they watched a movie together at either of their apartments, she didn’t seclude herself on the opposite side of the couch. She called more often and stayed longer, though not overnight. Eli wanted to encourage her outright, but he knew a cautious approach would be best.

Eli unlocked Leila’s door and slipped in before any of her neighbors took notice of him. That was part of Leila’s testing, or at least he was pretty sure it was. Leila had given him a key to her apartment, as a backup. Naturally, he had followed her example, even if he was a bit stunned. As far as Eli knew, Luke didn’t have a key to her apartment. That had been all the encouragement Eli needed to follow through on the plan he had come up with the night of the awful double date.

True, sneaking into her apartment when she was at work probably wasn’t what Leila had in mind when she gave Eli the key, but if he was going show her exactly how he felt about her, it had to be done. After relocking her door, Eli hurried into Leila’s bedroom and started searching for the scrapbook. He found it on the top shelf of her closet. Half a second later it was laid out on the coffee table and Eli was dialing.

“Did you find it?” Ana asked.

“Yes. Will pictures from my phone be good enough?”

Ana considered. “It should be. Send me the first one and I’ll tell you what I think.”

The picture was snapped and sent quickly. Waiting for Ana to get it and decide if the quality was good enough for her to work with took a little longer. As he waited, Eli flipped through the pages. Every outfit Leila had designed was gorgeous. He was sure Ana would love them and go along with his plan. Eli turned another page and all of his thoughts focused on the image in front of him.

Despite being friends with Ana and Leila, fashion was still not one of Eli’s best subjects. He was sure there was a name for the style of the bodice, a strapless, sparkling number that showed off every curve of the paper model. Maybe there was even a name for the bottom half of the dress, but the best way Eli could describe it was that it looked like a waterfall. Layer upon layer of sheer material flowed down the dress in varying lengths. The same crystals that adorned the bodice began sparingly at the top of each layer then clustered together at the hem. It looked like water falling into dozens of glittering ponds. And he couldn’t help but notice the model looked an awful lot like Leila. Eli knew this was the dress his plan hinged around.

“I just got the image,” Ana said. “Let me open it up.”

He could hear her mouse clicking, then silence. Eli held his breath. He had sent her a picture of a yellow sundress that reminded him of a marigold with its gathered, full skirt.

“Leila made this?” Ana questioned.

Eli wasn’t sure if the tone of her voice said that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Yes. What do you think?”

“It’s incredible. I love it!” Ana laughed. “I could just strangle her for hiding these from me. Why on earth wouldn’t she tell me she could design something like this?”

A huge weight lifted from Eli’s shoulders. “I think she was worried you would think she was trying to upstage you.”

“Are you kidding me? This is exactly what I need to start thinking of expanding. Hurry up and send me the rest of them.”

Eli did as he was asked. He listened happily as Ana open each file and doled out praise. When she got to the last dress, the waterfall gown, she went quiet. This time Eli didn’t worry.

“Eli, this is beautiful. This is the dress you want, right?”

“Can you think of a better one?”

“No,” Ana said, “it’s perfect.”

Eli grinned. It really was. “Can you do all of this in time?”

“You had to wait until the last minute, didn’t you?” she grumbled. “A month isn’t nearly enough time, but I’ll get it done.”

“Thanks, Ana.”

The line was silent for several seconds. It made Eli nervous, and rightly so. “Eli,” Ana said, “I’ll follow through on this regardless, because I can already tell I’m going to make a bundle on her designs, but the last dress and everything that goes along with it … it isn’t happening unless Leila dumps Luke and you ditch the date shark business. You know that, right?”

He had four weeks, and very little time to see Leila as she got ready for the show. But he was so close already. Everything was going to work out, he was sure of it. Mostly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready. And so will Leila.”

“I really hope so,” Ana said softly.

Eli ended the call soon after that and put the scrapbook back where he had found it. There was a temptation to linger in Leila’s bedroom. It wasn’t that he wanted to snoop through her underwear drawer—Eli wasn’t a creep—but more than once he had fantasized about being in this room with Leila. Making that a reality was so close. His fingers trailed across the violet and chartreuse comforter spread neatly across her bed. One corner was turned up slightly. Eli reached to correct the blanket, his eyes falling on Leila’s nightstand where there was a picture of her at his house one of the nights they played poker with the guys.

It was a poorly posed picture, Leila holding her phone out in front of the group to snap the photo. Guy was only halfway in the frame and the top of Vance’s forehead had been chopped off. But Eli and Leila were dead center. Eli’s arm was around her shoulders, their heads leaning against one another, and Leila’s was wearing the most brilliant grin. She was gorgeous.

The picture couldn’t compare to the three paneled work of art Luke had taken of her, but it was on her nightstand where she could see it every night before bed. Eli turned away with a smile. There was no other temptation to stay. He walked away happy, missing Leila even more than before, but glad he had seen the photo. The feeling carried him through the rest of his day. Angry couples, fighting, even screaming at one point didn’t get under his skin as it did some days. His whole body felt light as he walked up to his apartment hours later.

Eli pushed into his apartment considering what he should make for dinner. A sound from the kitchen made him pause. “Hello?” he called out.

In the back of his mind, it occurred to him that if it was a burglar it probably wasn’t the best idea to announce his presence. Luckily, what darted out of the kitchen at his voice wasn’t covered in all black and a ski mask. She was covered in flour.

“Leila,” Eli exclaimed, “what are you doing home … uh, here.”

She grinned. “Ana told everyone to go home early and take a break. We’re all about to lose our minds with the fall show prep.”

Eli brushed a smear of flour off her cheek with a chuckle. “And what exactly are you doing that has you covered in flour?”

“I’m making you dinner,” she said, as if it should have been obvious.

Then she turned around and walked back to the stove to stir something that smelled of cream and saffron. The tantalizing scent drew Eli into the kitchen. He leaned over her shoulder, his sudden closeness to her almost overpowering the scent. “What are you making?” he asked.

“It’s a potato and leek soup my mother taught me to make,” she said. “It isn’t fancy, but it’s delicious.”

“It smells wonderful,” Eli said as he deposited his keys and phone on the counter. “What’s in it?”

Leila pulled away from the stove and opened the oven. After a quick peek at the biscuits, she answered his question. “Yellow gold potatoes, leeks, bacon, crème fraiche, white wine, saffron, a few other things. I don’t know where my mom learned the recipe, but it was always one of our favorites.”

One quick taste to convince herself the soup was perfect, then Leila turned off the heat and moved on to the biscuits. A small tornado seemed to be unleashed then as Leila bustled about the kitchen pulling down dishes and plating the meal, setting the food at the breakfast bar—her favorite place to eat—and pouring drinks. Eli would have stepped in to help, but she moved too quickly to intercept. The table was laid before she stopped moving.

“Did you have a good day today?” Leila asked when they were both seated.

Eli smiled. “I did. How was yours?”

“Better now,” she said.

It was almost too much to come home to Leila, to eat dinner with her, to have a seemingly mundane conversation. Eli needed a dose of reality before he upset dinner by grabbing Leila and kissing her until she gave in to him completely. He needed a distraction.

“So,” Eli began, “you finally get a night off, and you aren’t out doing something exciting and death defying with Luke? Why not?”

Leila’s head ducked down briefly, but popped back up right away. “Luke already had plans tonight.”

“And he wasn’t willing to break his plans for you?” Eli asked. That truly surprised him. Leila had been so busy lately, anyone other than Ana getting to spend time with her was rare. When she did have a moment, Luke quickly swooped in and stole it away from Eli. He had been more demanding of her time since the double date. Not commandeering Leila again seemed unlikely.

Turning so she could just barely see him from the corner of her eye, Leila said, “I didn’t ask Luke to change his plans.

“Then I have you for the rest of the evening?” Eli asked, unable to contain his smile.

“Yes, I believe you do.” She was smiling as well.

A while later, Eli cleared the breakfast bar and left the dishes for later. Leila was already curled up on the couch clicking through the menu of online movies when he made it to the living room. She settled on one of her favorites, Singing in the Rain, and leaned against Eli when he sat down next to her. He loved that she hummed along with the songs, completely unaware she was doing it. She snuggled closer as the movie went on and toward the end her eyes were drifting closed. But she didn’t quite fall asleep.

“I should go,” she said, rubbing her eyes as the credits scrolled across the screen.

He knew she was beyond tired, but Eli wasn’t ready to let go of her. “Have breakfast with me in the morning,” he said.

Leila smiled sleepily. “I would love to, but there’s no way I could squeeze in running, coming over for breakfast, and going home to get ready for work in the morning.”

“Why don’t we cut out some of the driving then?”

She didn’t ask what he meant. All she said was, “I don’t have any clothes here.”

“You asked me to pick up your dry cleaning a few days ago. It’s in my closet.”

“I’m not running in heels and a skirt.”

“Missing one day of running won’t make a difference,” Eli said. “Stay with me tonight. I don’t want you to go. I’ve missed you lately.”

Still leaning against Eli, he could feel it the second she gave in. Her body released the tension it was holding. Her hand curled around his biceps. “Can we watch My Fair Lady next?”

Eli started the movie and dropped his arm around her shoulders. There was some relief that she hadn’t asked about sleeping arrangements. He would have offered her his room, of course, but he didn’t know if he could resist the allure of her in his bed. Eli wanted her close, and he hoped her request for another movie meant the same.

Leila’s eyes began to close again shortly after Eliza met Professor Higgins in the street and the bet was wagered. Eli wasn’t sure she was totally awake when she left his shoulder and laid her head on his lap, but she did seem lucid when she pulled him down next to her. Eli fell asleep pressed against Leila with one arm draped over her body, happier than he had ever remembered being.

Chapter 25

Girl Friday

Leila’s phone buzzed in her pocket. It was the second time in so many minutes, but she had no time to check her messages. She pulled another lid off of a box and nearly cried when she finally found the programs that had been missing since Tuesday. How they ended up with the general office supplies was beyond her, but she wanted to kiss the intern, Cecily, for mentioning the ridiculous number of boxes clogging up the supply room.

From her place on the floor, she hit the button on her phone that dialed Ana’s office. It was picked up immediately. “Please tell me you found them,” her harried voice nearly yelled.

“I found them. They were in with the printer paper.”

Leila could hear Ana plop down in her chair. “I think I would have lost it completely if we hadn’t found the programs. Will we ever get through a show without something going wrong?”

“I seriously doubt it,” Leila said.

The grunt that came over the phone said what she thought about Leila’s pessimism. “Well, thanks. I owe you double the whipped cream on your blueberry pancakes after the show.”

“I might need something stronger than whipped cream.”

Ana laughed. “You and me both.”

With that, Ana hung up and both women went on to the next impending crisis, whatever that happened to be. The list changed frequently. Before trying to find the quote from the caterer to prove that they were overcharging Ana, she slipped her phone out of her pocket to see who had been trying to get a hold of her. When she opened her messaging program, Leila stared at messages from both Eli and Luke. She hesitated only a moment before selecting Eli’s message.

I’m sure you’re about to tear your hair out, but don’t worry. Everything will fall into place. I’m thinking of you.

His words made the whole world take a breath. The storm of fashion mayhem that had been hanging over her head for the past month dissipated. Leila knew it wouldn’t last, but that only made her savor the moment even more. It cleared her head enough for her to ask a question that she had been curious about for some time.

Are you going to be at the show tomorrow?

She waited anxiously. Neither Eli, nor Ana had ever explained the real reason behind Eli being banned from the show. Leila knew it had something to do with her, but she had never figured out what. She had suspicions that Ana disapproved of Leila and Eli having a relationship. The why was what really confused her. Eli had been a wonderful friend. He had helped her through tough decisions with Luke and other areas of her life. He was everything she ever could have asked for in a friend. Eli was everything she could ever ask for, period. It was frustrating that Ana couldn’t see that.

When Eli texted back, the buzzing startled her into almost dropping the phone. Once she was recovered, she opened the message.

It depends.

Leila’s brow furrowed. She started typing back immediately.

It depends on what?

Before she could even hope for answer from Eli, her office door swung open. The image of Luke standing in her doorway with a bouquet of gorgeous flowers stunned her into silence. He swept in and scooped Leila off the floor and into a hug. An enthusiastic kiss followed as soon as he set her back down. Leila was giggling with delight when they finally pulled apart.

“Luke, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Didn’t you get my text?”

A small rush of guilt swept through her mind. She had bypassed Luke’s message to read Eli’s. Leila had meant to look at Luke’s right after, but had gotten distracted. “Uh, sorry. I felt it buzz a few minutes ago, but I hadn’t had a chance to check it yet. What did it say?”

“It said that I was coming to whisk you away from this insane place. Let’s go.”

Leila’s phone buzzed again, making her jump. Luke was too observant not to notice. There was no way she was going to read Eli’s text in front of Luke, so she shoved it in the back pocket of her jeans. Luke gave her a questioning look.

“Do you need to check that?”

“No, I’ll read it later.”

A teasing smile spread across his lips. “Not checking your text messages is a bad habit. You’re likely to miss something important, like me coming to rescue you.”

That brought Leila back to his early statement. “Luke, you’re sweet, but I can’t go. There’s still too much to do before the show tomorrow.”

“I already cleared it with Ana,” Luke said. He grabbed her sweater off the back of her office chair and held it out for her. “There’s nothing so important that you have to be here tonight. It’s already nine o’clock.”

He didn’t wait for her to argue anymore. Luke pushed her out of her office and into the hallway. As they were passing by Ana’s office, Leila broke out of Luke’s grip and darted in to see her boss. “Ana, Luke’s here, and …”

“Oh, yeah,” she said rubbing at her eyes. “Go ahead. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“Are you sure? I can stay if you need help with anything.”

Ana seemed to debate her answer. Leila wasn’t sure which she wanted to hear more, that Leila could take off, or was still needed to tackle some other fiasco. She only got more confused when Ana answered, saying, “You can go … if you’re sure you want to.”

There was an odd expression on her face. Hopeful? Worried? Before Leila could puzzle it out, or respond, Luke pulled her away from the door calling out a thanks to Ana before she disappeared from view. They were to Luke’s car before Leila pulled herself together, somewhat.

“Luke, listen. I have been at work for thirteen hours. I’m exhausted, and I look terrible. I don’t know what you have in mind, but …”

Luke cut her off before she could continue. “What I have in mind is a quiet, relaxing, stress-free dinner at my apartment. After, well—that’s up to you. I have movies prepared, ice cream, or I could always massage your feet if you would like. It’s completely up to you.”

“What’s for dinner?” Leila asked after a moment’s hesitation when thoughts of Eli crept into her mind. In reality, she was only able to push them out because she knew Eli wasn’t home.

“I thought you might appreciate something familiar,” Luke said as he helped her into his car. He slid into his own seat before answering. “I have food being delivered from that American diner down the street from my apartment you like so much.”

“Pot roast and mashed potatoes?” Leila asked. Her mouth was already watering.

Luke took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Of course, it’s your favorite.”

Half an hour later, they were walking through the door of Luke’s apartment. His timing was just about perfect, because the delivery girl knocked no more than five minutes later. Leila wasn’t nearly as familiar with Luke’s apartment as she was with Eli’s, but she did know where the plates were kept. She had the table set by the time Luke returned with the food.

Luke set the food on the table and kissed her cheek. She turned into his embrace and he kissed her again. “Go ahead and sit down. You look beat. I’ll dish out the food.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Leila slumped into the chair and tried to keep as much weight off her feet as possible. Luke filled each plate and sat down across from her with a smile. The romantic air was stifled just a little by the fact that Leila was ravenous. She downed nearly half her food before she could be bothered to take more than a breath between bites. The half-smile on Luke’s face made her self-conscious, but not enough to keep her from taking another bite.

“Will I see you at all tomorrow?” Luke asked when the feeding frenzy had calmed.

Leila sighed. “I doubt it. I’ll be back stage all day, and you’ll be out in front shooting the models. And I know you have to leave as soon as the show ends to catch your flight to New York.”

“Lunch?”

She shook her head. “Lunch will be catered, but I usually only have time to snag a bite here and there. You saw the aftermath of the last show. It’s total chaos.”

Luke smiled at the memory. “When is Ana going to hire someone to help you? You’re the only marketing director I’ve ever met that does as much as you do.”

“Maybe once Ana works out whatever expansion project she’s working on.”

“What expansion project?” Luke asked.

Leila shrugged. “I’m not sure. She’s been very secretive about it. I know she’s working on a second line, maybe even a second store, but aside from having me feel out customer responses and developing preliminary plans for what it would take to branch out, I haven’t seen a single design.”

“That’s not like Ana. I thought she ran pretty much everything by you.”

“Usually,” Leila agreed, “but I think she’s overly protective of this project. It would be a huge step for her to open a second store with a completely unknown brand. If it tanked, it could ruin St. Claire’s. I don’t blame her for keeping it close. I wouldn’t trust anyone with something like that until I was absolutely sure.”

Luke set his fork down and leaned back into his chair with a frown. “It isn’t about trust. Ana trusts you implicitly. She wouldn’t ask so much of you if she didn’t. That’s the real reason she hasn’t gotten you an assistant. She trusts you so much it’s hard for her to bring anyone else in who might screw things up. There must be some other reason.”

If there was, Leila wasn’t going to worry herself about it in the middle of a delicious dinner. Whatever Ana was planning, it was months in the future. Getting through the fall show was more important than anything else at that moment. She would ask Ana for more details after the show.

Sensing the topic had fizzled, Luke dove into a new one. “This is nice, eating dinner together like this.”

“It is,” Leila said with a smile. They had never actually had a meal at either of their apartments before. Dinner plans usually included a new restaurant with foods that made Leila nervous. It wasn’t homemade, and it wasn’t at a breakfast bar, but it was … nice.

“We should do this more often,” Luke offered.

Leila smirked at him. “I don’t know. You’re likely to fall asleep on me any minute.”

Luke laughed as well, but underneath Leila’s facetious exterior, a burr of irritation rubbed against her mind. The first time they had taken a break from the exciting world of Luke Deveron, Leila had attempted to introduce him to scrapbooking. It wasn’t the first time he fell asleep on her. She thought he would be interested in helping her with a print layout for the fall show banner, given his artistic nature, but he only lasted an hour. Even the cooking class she signed them up for had been interrupted by Luke nodding off and knocking over the utensil caddy. Sure, he had just gotten in from a flight, but after a while Leila began to feel like her hobbies were simply too boring for him.

Unaware of her internal frustration, Luke continued. “I’m serious, though, Leila. We should do this more often, hang out and relax. I like the idea of being with you at home, just knowing you’ll be here.”

Home?

“I know I can get a little caught up in all the rock climbing and travelling and kayaking, but I love being with you. The past month has really opened my eyes. I’ve barely seen you, and I don’t like it. I miss you too much. I want to be able to come home and know that you’ll be here, too.”

Leila was honestly too stunned to respond at that point. To be perfectly honest she hadn’t even considered what Luke was suggesting. If that’s what he was actually suggesting. Leila struggled to center her thoughts and ask, “What do you mean about coming home, and …”

“I don’t want this to be a rare thing. I’ve realized that even though we have fun going out and trying new things together, I like this too. I’m not asking you to make a decision right now, but I’d like you to think about moving in together.”

“Moving in together?” Leila said slowly.

They had been dating for almost six months, so maybe his request shouldn’t have been such a surprise to her, but it was. There was still so much she was unsure of. Moving in with Luke meant giving up the possibility of “what if” with Eli. Every day she spent with Eli, that elusive dream felt more realistic, but what if she gave up what she had with Luke for something that would never materialize?

Luke reached across the table and took her hand. “Leila, this doesn’t have to happen next week, or even next month. I brought it up because I want you to know I’m thinking about it. I want you in my life more.”

“You’re gone so often, and I get so busy, we’d hardly even see each other more than we do now. What would I do when you’re travelling for the paper?” Leila asked.

“What do you do now when I’m gone?” he asked.

Go to Eli’s house.

“Look,” Luke said, “it’s not about that. When I’m gone, it would make me happy to know I can walk through my apartment door and see you. I don’t like being away from you. I told you before that I wouldn’t make a commitment to anyone without a long track record with them, but I only thought that because I’ve never dated anyone I felt was worth giving up my freedom.”

An odd, tingly feeling started in her fingertips. “You feel that way about me?”

“I do.”

The feeling spread all over her body. “Really?”

Luke laughed. “Really.”

The constant on-the-go, thrill seeking lifestyle Luke usually led was a testament to how much he valued his freedom. He was self-sufficient and didn’t like relying on other people. Dashing off all over the country kept life from getting boring, something Leila suspected he feared. But he was suddenly changing his tune. He wanted Leila with him, in his life for real. It would mean making decisions together, compromising, giving up some of his endless adventures. He knew that, and still he was asking her to move in with him.

“Luke … I think I’m too surprised to react right now,” Leila said honestly.

His small smile was understanding and kind. “I know. Just promise me you’ll think about it, okay? And don’t feel like it has to be you moving in here. I love your apartment, too, or we could find somewhere new together. You think about it, and let me know when you’re ready to talk more, okay?”

Leila’s head bobbed up and down. A sense of excitement she couldn’t quite quell was building in her chest. Thinking clearly was becoming difficult. This would be a new experience for her. What would it be like living with someone again? Having a roommate in college was the closest she had ever come before, and she doubted it would be quite the same. For one, there wouldn’t be separate beds. That thought alone scared her and delighted her at the same time. Luke had been very respectful of her cautious nature, but living together would certainly imply a new level in their relationship. Was Leila ready for that?

“Are you finished eating?” Luke asked.

Leila nodded, though she couldn’t remember if she actually was.

“Good,” he said, “I have a surprise for you. Come with me.”

Gently pulled from her chair, she followed him to the living room and sat down on the couch. She watched as he slid a DVD into the player and rejoined her on the couch. Unsure of what to expect, Leila watched the screen, waiting for a verdict on this surprise before cuddling up to Luke. When the flourish of music and black and white credits burst onto the screen, she smiled.

“You were talking about some of the old movies you couldn’t find anywhere last week,” Luke said, “so I did some hunting around and found a copy of His Girl Friday for you.”

“Did you really?” Leila grinned and tucked her feet onto the couch before leaning into Luke. His Girl Friday had been one of her mother’s favorites. They had watched it together before she died, but Leila had been unable to find a copy of the movie anywhere. After going home for her mother’s birthday, she had wanted to find the movie even more. She kissed Luke heartily for his unexpected gift.

He laughed at her enthusiasm and kissed her back, but his kiss was soft and languorous. It was the kind of kiss that hinted at more lying just beneath the surface. Pulling away from him was more difficult than it had ever been.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome, Leila.”

The start of the movie barely managed to redirect their attention. If it had been any other movie, Leila may have pushed it aside in favor of another kiss like that from Luke. This movie was dear to her, so she curled up next to Luke and let herself get lost in the movie and the memories that went along with it.

Leila couldn’t specifically recall what the movie was about—it had been so long since she had seen it—but as the film continued she almost wished she had kept it that way. Almost from the moment Luke had brought up moving in together, he had been the sole focus of her attention. As Walter, the movie’s main character, finds out his ex-wife is planning to remarry and becomes determined to stop the wedding no matter the cost, a strange feeling settled in Leila’s stomach.

She was not sure why, but Walter’s plight brought Eli to mind at once. The giddiness she felt at Luke’s profession that he wanted her turned sour at the thought of telling Eli she was considering the monumental move. She was sure, now, that he felt something for her, but he refused to act on his emotions. What was holding him back, she didn’t know. Would telling him about Luke’s request spur him to make a choice, or push him away altogether? Would he become like Walter, too late and desperate, or would his response mimic Rhett Bulter’s famous, “Frankly, Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.” Would Leila ever be anyone’s Girl Friday? Leila missed the end of the movie completely because she was so consumed with wondering.

“Hey,” Luke said softly, “are you okay?”

Leila nodded a confused yes and no answer. When Luke pulled her into his lap, she didn’t resist. She was so confused.

“This was the movie you watched with your mom before she died, right?”

“Yes,” she managed to croak.

His fingers swiped away errant tears. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about how this movie might make you feel. I know you were close with your mom.”

Leila was happy to let him think her suddenly muddled mood was due to memories of her mother. “We were very close.”

“That’s one of the things I love about you, Leila. You don’t let people in very often, but when you do, you hold onto them for life.”

Was that really true? No matter what decision she made, she would lose one of the men in her life. Another tear slipped down her cheek.

“Hey, don’t cry,” Luke pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Luke. It’s been a long day. I’m a bit of a mess right now.”

Slowly, softly, Luke pushed Leila down to the couch. His hands slid back down to her feet, careful not to miss a single inch of her along the way.

“I know just how to fix that,” Luke said as his fingers began soothing away the aches and confusion she was harboring.

His touch was a caress. Her skin begged for more the second he moved on to a new area. It was more than the fact that her body was weary from non-stop running and moving for the last month. This was a fantasy being fulfilled. There were a lot of nights she had collapsed on the couch after a long day wishing for someone to be there for her when she didn’t even have the energy to draw a bath. It felt so good to be taken care of.

Luke’s hands left her feet and worked their way up her calves one at a time. The tired muscles were delirious with joy. Leila was slowly losing the will to ever leave Luke’s couch. The slightest prompting from Luke bent Leila’s leg and he massaged her thigh. It would have been a lie to say that Leila’s heart rate didn’t skyrocket the further up his hands went. When he abandoned her legs altogether and began sliding his hands up her stomach she gasped in a breath and held it until his hands slid back down.

She closed her eyes as his fingers slid under her blouse and pushed the fabric back far enough that he could press his lips just below her navel. A soft moan of pleasure slipped out as he trailed kisses along her abdomen. Luke’s mouth pressed against her more urgently when he met up with the fabric of her shirt again. Suddenly, he skipped up to her lips. She drank him in eagerly.

“Leila,” he whispered against her mouth.

That stole her last modicum of resistance. Her hands curled around his neck, pulling him down on top of her. He wanted her. It was such a beautiful thought. No wondering, no games, no uncertain plans. He wanted her, right then, and he made no secret of his feelings. Leila twined her fingers in Luke’s hair as he ran kisses down her neck, pushing down her blouse and bra strap to bare her shoulder.

Luke pressed against Leila. His mouth and body became more eager, and Leila reveled in his desire for her … until he said, “Stay with me tonight. I don’t want you to go.”

His words made her entire body go numb. Eli had said the exact same thing to her. His image sprang up in her mind, the same words echoing in her ears, as if he was pleading with her.

“Leila,” Luke said urgently, “I want you. Stay with me.”

She squeezed her eyes shut against the image of Eli. She heard the words again, the feel of his arms around her. Leila’s body was begging for Luke. The energy and excitement bursting through her veins wanted release. But her heart was pleading with her to be sure. Staying would be choosing, and Leila knew she wasn’t ready.

“Luke …”

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, misinterpreting her calling of his name.

“Wait, Luke,” she begged between kisses.

His hands ran along her skin, pushing her blouse further up. The passion in every movement was almost too much. Barely, she held onto her clarity. She pressed her hands again his chest. He took it as encouragement and pulled her against him even more tightly. There was no way she could push him back then.

“Luke, stop!”

That got his attention. He pulled back, but only slightly. They were both breathing hard. Leila’s eyes were wide while his brows were knit together with confusion. “Am I hurting you?” he asked.

“No, I just …” Leila bit at her lower lip. “I’m not ready, Luke. I’m sorry.”

Luke looked as if he had just been slapped. “What?”

The stark tone of his voice startled her. “I can’t …”

“Why?” he demanded. “Don’t you want me?”

“Yes,” she blurted out automatically. Luke tried to move back in but she held him off. “Yes, I want you, very much, but I need more time.”

“For what?”

“To be sure,” she explained.

Leila knew this couldn’t be easy for Luke, but she didn’t expect the anger that flickered in his eyes. “To be sure? To be sure of what, Leila? That I’m a better choice than Eli? Is that what you’re still trying to decide? Does what I said earlier not matter to you at all? I want you in my life! What does Eli want from you? What has he given up for you?”

“I … It’s not …”

Red flushed Luke’s skin. “It’s not Eli? Is that really what you were going to say? Of course it’s Eli!”

“He’s my friend,” Leila said weakly.

“No. He’s not!” Luke pushed away from Leila and walked across the room. He spun back around to face her from the dining room. “I have put up with you spending time with him, not because I buy into your delusion that he’s not interested in you, but because I knew demanding you give him up would make me lose you. I couldn’t stand the idea of never seeing you again. I put up with him for six months! Now when I ask you to take a real step forward in our relationship, something that isn’t easy for me, you’re thinking of him! What do I have to do to make you forget him?”

Regardless of the fact that Leila wasn’t sure anything Luke could do would ever make her forget Eli entirely, she became suddenly very angry herself.

“You act like you’re the only one who’s had to do something difficult in this relationship! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to swallow my fears to go along on one of your adventures,” Leila said. “And heaven forbid you take an interest in something important to me! I love that you encourage me to try new things, talking about moving in together doesn’t erase my fears that the second things get too dull around here you will bolt. That holds me back as much as anything else.”

“More than the fairytale idea of Eli sweeping you off your feet?” he sniped.

Leila scowled at him. Yes, Eli was a big part of her indecision, but everything else was true as well. Why did he want to move in together? Was it really about wanting to see her more?

“If you want to make this solely about Eli and not about anything else, fine! Prove to me that you asked me to move in with you because you want me to share your life and not because you want to cut Eli out of mine,” she snapped.

The door slammed behind her before she remembered she had left her car at St. Claire’s. Deciding she didn’t care, Leila practically ran down the stairs of the apartment building, dialing as she went. The cab company promised a car would arrive within minutes. Her anger and guilt swirled around her as she burst onto the street. The cool, dead quiet of late night pressed against her and she started shivering. Tears were a willing companion. She was so confused and frightened, not to mention furious at both herself and Luke, that she could hardly form a coherent thought. When the cab pulled up, she mumbled an address and fell back against the seat in misery.

She must have fallen asleep purely out of defense, because rapping on the plastic separator woke her a few minutes later. “Hey, we’re here. Fare is fifteen dollars.”

Leila mumbled grouchily under her breath as she handed over the cash. She stepped out of the cab and it drove away immediately, too soon for her to call it back when she realized what address she had given him.

Chapter 26

End of the Line

The sound of banging roused Eli from a restless sleep. He stumbled through the apartment in the dark because turning the light on didn’t occur to his groggy mind. He did, however, have the presence of mind to look through the peep hole before opening the door. The sight of a tear streaked Leila sent sleep packing.

He yanked the door open saying, “Leila, what happened?”

“I don’t know,” she said through trembling lips.

Eli took her hand and led her out of the hallway and into the living room. She sat on the couch and immediately pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her body. It was the equivalent of an old world castle. Impenetrable. The last thing Eli wanted to do was sit down next to her calmly and give her space, but that was what he did. After several minutes, the strain was too great.

“Leila, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Did something happen at work?”

She shook her head. Eli sighed, because that left only one other option. “With Luke?”

Her body shuddered as she nodded. By that point, her forehead was pressed to her knees, blocking any view of her expression. Eli waited as long as he could before forcing her chin up. “What happened with Luke?”

Leila’s chin began to quiver. “He asked me to move in with him.”

The pain those few words caused him was only tempered by her obvious sadness. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to punch Luke for jumping the gun, or kiss Leila for refusing him, or whatever it was that had led to her huddling on his couch in tears. Before he could figure it out, he needed to untangle Leila’s night with Luke.

“He asked you to move in. What did you say?”

“I said I needed some time to think about it.”

Eli’s testosterone started to edge up to a higher level. “And how did Luke respond to that?”

“He was so sweet about it,” Leila said, confusing Eli. “He understood it was a big step I would need to really consider.”

“And then what happened?”

“We watched a movie,” Leila said slowly.

She was hiding something, or trying to work up the courage to say what she wanted to say. Eli forced himself to indulge her. “What movie?”

“His Girl Friday,” she said. “He knew I’d been looking for it, and he surprised me with it tonight. It was one I watched with my mom.”

Eli begrudgingly gave Luke credit for the thoughtful gift. “After the movie?”

That was where the problems started. He could tell by the way her body tensed up. The blush that spread across her cheeks was hard to figure, but Eli waited semi-patiently for Leila to respond. She directed her eyes strictly at the carpet before speaking.

“After … Luke offered to rub my feet because they were hurting from work, and things …” Her knuckles turned white under the force of squeezing her knees. Eli sank into the couch, not sure if he could handle listening to Leila recount what things happened after the movie. But he would have to leave if he didn’t want to hear it, and that was something he knew he couldn’t do. He felt sick, but he listened.

“At first I wanted Luke to … I mean, it felt good to know he wanted me like that. I didn’t want him to stop. But then …”

But then was a good sign. “Yes?” Eli prompted.

“Then he said something, and I realized I wasn’t ready yet. I told Luke to stop.”

There were half a dozen questions Eli should have asked at that point. What did Luke say? What happened when she told him to stop? Why wasn’t she ready? But the question that popped out of his mouth was, “You and Luke haven’t slept together yet?”

Leila's head popped up at his brash question. “No,” she spluttered, “of course not.”

Not grinning like an idiot took superhuman strength, but somehow Eli managed. He couldn’t manage the right question, though. “Why not?”

“Because I wasn’t ready,” she said, as if the answer should have been transparent.

“Are you …?”

“A virgin?” Leila finished. “No, but I won’t jump in bed with a guy just for fun. I have to know it will mean something, that the other person really cares about me.”

Inside, Eli was thrilled, but Leila still hadn’t gotten to the reason for her being at his apartment in the middle of the night. “What happened when you told Luke you weren’t ready to have sex?”

The word “sex” sent Leila diving for cover again. He could barely hear her response with her face buried against her knees. “He yelled at me.”

“What?” Eli demanded.

Leila peeked up from her hiding place. “He got mad and said it wasn’t fair that he was willing to give things up for me, but I wasn’t willing to give anything up for him.”

Eli had given Luke way too much credit. He was flat out, the biggest idiot in the world. “You have gone on more harebrained dates with him that any other woman on the planet would have ever agreed to. You have pushed yourself and grown for him.”

“I said the same things—yelled them, actually,” Leila said with a wry smile. “But there was something else he wanted me to give up, and I think that was the real reason he asked me to move in with him.”

“What did he want you to give up?” Eli asked warily, not sure what the answer would be.

Leila hesitated, then said, “You.”

Eli’s world seemed to shrink to nothing more than he and Leila and the couch they were sitting on. She didn’t sleep with Luke because it meant giving Eli up for good. Eli had been in love with Leila almost since the first time they met, but it wasn’t until that moment that he realized how deep his love for her went. She was the girl that he would love for the rest of his life. If they were together, he could survive any hardship or trial because she was with him. If he somehow managed to lose her, there would never be anyone else. Leila was not the kind of woman a man got over.

“Eli,” Leila said quietly, “can I stay here tonight? I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to be alone.” The sniffle that followed her words broke through Eli’s forced calm. He pulled her into his arms and cradled her like the precious gift she was.

“I’m so sorry Luke hurt you,” he whispered. And he truly was.

Leila nestled her head against this chest. “I never expected that from him. It scared me, especially after … I was actually thinking about moving in with him.”

“You were?” He hoped Leila couldn’t hear the surprise in his voice.

She nodded, but the motion seemed guilty or ashamed. “He told me how he wanted me to be there when he got home from a trip, how knowing I would be waiting for him would make being away from me easier. I believed him, and it felt good to know someone wanted me in their life so much.”

Eli wanted her! He wanted to shout it at her, confess everything, but she was already dealing with enough emotion and turmoil.

“After we argued, I didn’t know what to believe. I just had to get out of there.”

Pressing his lips against her temple, Eli said, “You can stay here with me as long as you want.” Forever. She could stay forever.

“Thank you.”

At some point in the early morning hours, Leila fell asleep in his arms. He was tempted to stay with her on the couch, but he knew that what few hours of sleep she would get needed to be as restful as possible with the fall show looming in the morning. So Eli carried her to his bed, removed her shoes, and gently laid her under the blankets. It took him considerably longer to conquer the urge to slip into bed next to her. He settled for kissing her cheek and whispering what he wished he could say out loud.

“I love you.”

He woke on the couch hours later with a monstrous kink in his neck. At first he thought it was the pain that woke him, but then the muffled sound of voices hit his ear. There was only a small amount of guilt when Eli crept over to his bedroom door to eavesdrop. Leila must have put her phone on speaker, because he heard Luke’s voice first.

“Please, Leila. I need to talk to you.”

“I have too much to do today to deal with this,” she snapped.

“Leila, I’m sorry. I’ll say it as many times as I have to until I convince you I mean it.”

Leila must have been trying to dress as she talked because her next few words were even more muffled. “I told you no to sex and you attacked me. Sorry won’t cut it, Luke.”

A spark of triumph burned in Eli’s chest. Good for her.

Luke sighed. “I wasn’t mad about not having sex. If you’re not ready, I’ll wait. You know I will. I’ve never tried to pressure you before. I thought you wanted me to keep going last night.”

“I did,” Leila admitted, sending a dagger into Eli’s chest, “but not anymore.”

“You’re not being fair.”

“I’m not?” She laughed, but not happily. “You were the one who wasn’t fair last night.”

“It wasn’t about the sex,” Luke said again.

“Then what was it?” she asked. “I want an honest answer.”

“I told you last night it was because of Eli, and I’m sorry I yelled at you, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Are you going to deny he’s part of the reason you pushed me away?”

Eli could picture her chewing on her lip as she decided between answers. “No, I won’t deny it, but what I said last night isn’t any less true this morning.”

“I know,” Luke said. “I was too angry last night to listen to what you were saying, but I’ve been up all night thinking about it. I know you’re right. I also know you’re mad at me. All I’m asking for is a chance to talk. About Eli, about everything else, too. You asked me to prove to you that I wanted you in my life for no other reason than because I want to be with you. Give me the chance to do that. Please, Leila.”

The silence in the room was terrible. Eli wanted to pound on the door and demand Leila give him an answer. But only the answer he wanted her to give. He begged silently for the next words out of her mouth to be ones telling Luke she never wanted to see him again.

“Okay, we can talk,” Leila said quietly, “but I don’t have a lot of time.”

Whatever they said next was lost on Eli. He stumbled back to the couch and sank into it. She was giving him another chance. After the things he had said to her, and the way he treated her, she was giving him another chance to convince her that he wanted her. There was no question in his mind about whether or not he would be successful. Even Luke wasn’t stupid enough to not want Leila with all his heart. How could a man not want her?

Everything Leila had said the night before ran through his mind. She was considering moving in with Luke, which meant she was considering giving up on Eli. He had waited too long. She admitted she wanted to have sex with him. Leila had said herself that she wouldn’t even consider sex unless she knew the relationship had a future. And Eli finally had to admit to himself that Luke’s complaints were valid. It was a miracle he had put up with Leila’s friendship with him as long as he did. Eli was sure he had only done it because Leila meant so much to him. There was no way Leila would make a commitment to Luke and still drop by for dinner or fall asleep on Eli’s couch.

Luke would convince Leila that he really did love her, and Eli would fade from her mind. It was over. He had taken the careful route and put faith in his master plan. He had reached the end of the line with no Leila, and no chance of ever forgetting her.

Somewhere in the distance, Eli heard a door open, but he couldn’t respond. Leila was sitting in front of him on the coffee table before he managed to take notice. “I’m sorry,” she said sweetly, “did I wake you?”

Eli wasn’t sure whether he answered yes or no.

“I was hoping we could have breakfast together this morning, but I have to run. I have to be to work in an hour or Ana is going to kill me.”

An hour would have been plenty of time if she weren’t dashing off to meet Luke.

“Eli,” Leila said softly, “thank you for being there for me last night. You have no idea how much that meant to me.”

Maybe not, but Eli knew it hadn’t meant enough to make her stay.

Leila’s slender fingers pressed against his cheek. He had to close his eyes to stop his misery from spilling over. A gentle tug forced his chin up. She waited until his eyes opened. Her smile was so beautiful. She laughed softly. “You look as bad as I feel. I’m sorry I kept you up so late. You really are the best. Go back to bed. I’ll call you later, okay?”

Eli nodded, but he knew she wouldn’t.

The buzz of Leila’s phone against the wood of the coffee table jarred Eli’s senses. It pulled her away from him, too, which made it even worse. He watched sullenly as she skimmed through a text message.

“Ana is already freaking out,” she grumbled. She sent a message back, then looked to be about to close the app, but stopped. Her eyes darted across what Eli supposed was another message. She looked up at him, her eyebrows drawn together. “I guess I never saw your last text yesterday.”

If Eli thought he had been depressed before, now he was ten times worse. He had agonized for hours the night before when he never got a response from Leila. Luke must have been the reason she never saw it, but now he wished it had stayed that way.

“I asked you if you were coming to the show, and your response was, ‘That depends on you.’” She glanced at Eli. “What did you mean?”

He looked away. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Don’t worry about it.”

“But, are you coming or not?”

Eli hated lying to her, but he couldn’t deal with the questions telling the truth would elicit. “I’ll see you there later.”

Shaking off her confusion, Leila smiled. “I’ll see you tonight, then.”

She hurried off, and Eli took her advice. He went to bed, lying in the sheets that had cradled the woman he loved, knowing it was the closest he would ever get to sharing his bed with her.

Chapter 27

Validated

Today is really not the day for this, Leila thought as she hurried down the hall to the elevator. Ana was expecting her at work to help prep for the fashion show in one hour. That didn’t give her very much time to meet with Luke. In a way, that was good. She was still angry at him, but she had to admit she shared a portion of the blame for the argument the night before, as well. After talking to him on the phone, she understood better why the fight had happened. She had been sure as she ran out of his apartment that she never wanted to see Luke again. Now she was hurrying off to eat breakfast with him.

Flagging down a taxi, Leila looked at her phone for the tenth time as she slid into the seat. She only had fifty minutes to apologize to Luke in person and set things right. The idea of seeing him made her stomach tighten, but she also wanted to see him. The buildings flew by, thanks to the early hour and sparse traffic. Every block they passed was like a shock to her body, infusing her with excitement and a little bit of fear.

After months of waiting and wondering, Leila had finally made her decision. She knew exactly what she wanted to say to Luke. Normally so cautious and careful, taking a risk felt exhilarating. She couldn’t wait to leap and start a new life. She was grinning by the time the driver pulled up to the diner.

The sight of the big glass windows and fake leather booths tried to quash her excitement. Just barely, she was able to hold onto it, but her smile had mellowed into a nervous, thin line. She paid her fare and stepped out onto the sidewalk with a gulp. As she walked to the front door and pulled it open she was giving herself a mental pep talk.

You know what you want. Don’t chicken out now. For once in your life, be brave, take a risk, and be happy.

It helped, a little. She slid into the booth across from Luke and folded her hands in her lap. The words she was so sure of a few moments ago had evaporated. Luke looked even worse. His tortured eyes gazed at her, locked on her face.

“Leila, I’m so sorry, about everything,” Luke began. “You’re probably sick of hearing me say that, but it’s true. I feel horrible about last night.”

Leila smiled. “I’m sorry, too.”

Her words seemed to catch Luke by surprise. “Sorry about what? I was the one who started yelling and making accusations.”

Even though that was true, Leila knew it wasn’t the whole truth. “I wish your frustration about Eli hadn’t come up like it did, but I understand why you were mad. I’ve been unfair to you, and I’m sorry. I never should have expected you to be okay with me hanging out with Eli so much. You didn’t deserve that.”

“Um, thanks,” Luke said. He shook his head, as if trying to catch up with her. “Still, I never should have yelled at you, and I shouldn’t have tried to manipulate you into giving up Eli.”

The waitress set down glasses of orange juice, followed by short stacks of pancakes. Neither of them spoke until she walked away. The first voice to be heard was Leila’s, and it was small and sad. “Was that really the only reason you asked me to move in with you? To get rid of Eli?”

Luke grimaced at her question. “No, of course not. That wasn’t what I meant on the phone.”

“Then what did you mean?” Leila asked. She wanted and needed an honest answer.

The feel of Luke’s hand closing over hers brought Leila’s eyes up from her plate of uneaten pancakes. “Leila, I want you to move in with me. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and that has nothing at all to do with Eli. I really do love having you near me, and I want to share more of my life with you. I meant every word of what I said last night.” He paused, sighing as his eyes dropped. “I knew you probably weren’t ready for me to ask you, but lately it has seemed like Eli has been taking up more of your time than I have. I was afraid he was stealing you away from me. I should have waited to bring up moving in together, but I pushed because I wanted to keep you away from Eli before it was too late.”

It wasn’t the best reason for asking her to move in, but Leila’s heart warmed knowing that the desire was real. It hadn’t all been about getting her away from Eli. Luke did actually want her. Being wanted wasn’t a completely new feeling to Leila—her family had always been very loving and supportive—but being truly wanted by a man left her giddy. But was that enough?

“Why I left last night wasn’t only about the reason for asking me to move in,” Leila said. “It’s nice to know you want me all to yourself, but how long will that last?”

Luke frowned. “Leila, I can’t tell you the future. I hope it lasts, but I can’t promise you a certain amount of time. Either one of us could decide we want something different.”

He was being honest. Leila appreciated that, but that hadn’t been exactly what she was after. “I’m not asking for a contract.”

“Then what are you asking?”

“I’m asking,” she said, “how long you’ll be interested in staying at home with me, not running off every night for a new adventure. Not that you would have to quit doing the things you enjoy, but when I come home tired from a long day and you have a choice between lying on the couch with me and going out to water ski with one of your friends, how long will it take before I’m not the most exciting option?”

The fact that Luke didn’t immediately allay her fears made her sad, but she waited for him to respond in full. Luke ran his fingers through his hair then folded his arms across his chest. “Before the fight, last night was great. It was new territory for me, but I liked it. It’s not the same as getting a rush of adrenaline, but it made me happy to be with you like that. I want that more often, but I don’t think I could ever settle down to that life completely. It would always be a balance, but I promise I won’t leave you sitting home alone every night.”

Leila wanted to smile at his reassurance, but she needed to ask another question. “It wouldn’t just be a balance between your adventures and relaxing at home with me. It would also be about you taking an interest in my life, my work, and my hobbies. I’ve done that for you. I don’t know if you can return the favor. Do you?”

It was the first time she had ever seen true embarrassment on Luke’s face. “Leila, I’m sorry about the times I’ve crashed on you. It isn’t that I’m not interested in your life. I’m just not used to such … calm activities. I’ll try harder. I want to know more about you. I actually liked decorating those photos with you. It was fun to watch how concentrated you got.”

“But not fun enough to keep you awake.”

Luke reached across the table for her hand. “I’ll do better, Leila. I don’t want to lose you.”

She sat back against the booth. Her hand was still in Luke’s. His grip was firm, and she believed him when he said he would try harder. His desire to be with her was honest. She didn’t doubt that Luke was a good man. Leila thought about all of these things, all the while knowing in the back of her mind that she had already made her decision. She just wanted that decision to be validated before she let the words slip free. In order to do that, she had only one more question.

“Luke,” Leila asked when their eyes met, “do you love me?”

The hesitation in his eyes pulled at her. Luke sighed. “I don’t know. I want to say yes, but I don’t want to lie to you either.”

“Thank you for being honest,” Leila said calmly despite the hurt his words caused her. Her eyes had dropped. She wanted to draw her hand away, but he wasn’t letting go just yet.

“Leila,” he said, nearly desperate, “that doesn’t mean I’m not falling in love with you. I think about you all the time. I love being with you. I want you in my life. All of that is true.”

“But you don’t love me.”

Luke’s free hand fidgeted the more anxious he grew. “Not yet, but I will. Not everyone can fall in love at first sight. I need time.” He tugged at her, pressuring her to look up at him. When she did, she was captured by his intense expression. “I’ve given you space and all the time you’ve needed. All I’m asking for is the same thing in return.”

There was simple logic in his request. It was a fair deal. He deserved a second chance, and the time he needed to sort out his emotions. In her heart, Leila knew all of this. Her decision had been made before she ever agreed to meet Luke for breakfast.

“Leila,” Luke said softly, “do you love me?”

There was no hesitation on her part.

“No.”

The single word struck Luke deeply. He let go of her hand and sat back. “Are you in love with Eli?” he asked quietly.

This answer wasn’t as easy to give. Not because she was unsure, but because she didn’t relish the idea of hurting Luke. She took a deep breath and said, “Yes. I’m sorry, Luke, but you made me realize that I have to make a choice … and I have.”

“You’re choosing Eli?” he asked. “Do you even know how he feels about you?”

This was the decision Leila had made while on the phone with Luke. No … she had made it the night before. She knew when Eli held her that no one else’s arms could ever cradle her so perfectly. No other man could mend her heart like he had. It was a terrifying risk to walk away from Luke and hope for a future with Eli, but Leila knew she could make no other choice. Eli was a part of her. He always would be. Even if he never returned her love, she would never feel the way she did about him for anyone else. He was the only man she wanted.

“I don’t know,” Leila admitted to Luke, “but I have to find out.”

“What if he doesn’t love you back?” he asked. The hope in his eyes was bittersweet.

“If he doesn’t,” Leila said, “then at least I’ll know.”

But in her mind, Leila told herself that even if Eli didn’t immediately feel the same, she would do everything she could to change his mind. Eli was her choice, and she refused to give him up easily.

“Is there nothing I can say that will change your mind?” Luke asked.

Leila shook her head. “I’m sorry, Luke. You’re a wonderful man, and I’ve loved having you in my life, but we don’t love each other. And if we’re both perfectly honest with each other, I don’t think we ever will.”

“Maybe if we had more time …”

Smiling sadly, Leila said, “Luke, do you really want to sit around waiting to fall in love with me, for me to fall in love with you? We have fun together, sure, but I want more than that. Don’t you?”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Luke said.

“I don’t think you really ever had me,” she admitted.

Luke’s shoulders drooped, an admission that her words were true. For several long moments they sat in the bright red booth and said nothing. There was sadness that their friendship was over, but for Leila at least, there was relief and excitement. She would miss Luke very much, but she was already itching to be back in Eli’s arms.

“I’ll miss you,” Luke said.

“I’ll miss you too, Luke.”

When Leila stood to leave, Luke didn’t move from the booth. His head fell into his hands and he closed his eyes against her walking away. After six months, leaving him behind wasn’t easy. More than a few tears trailed in her wake. She hoped he would find someone who loved wild and crazy adventures as much as he did, someone he didn’t have to try to fall in love with.

As the cab dropped Leila off at St. Claire’s, her heart lightened as thoughts of Eli crowded in around her. She wanted to dash back to his apartment and fling herself into his arms. Ana scrambling out of the boutique in a frenzy killed that idea, but Leila was grinning as her boss yanked her inside. Eli would be there for the show in a few hours. When she found him, she had every intention of kissing him until he had no other choice but to fall in love with her.

Chapter 28

Glassy Hope

The dream Eli had been clinging to for so long was gone. His whole body hurt. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the day at Mount Rose hospital, but he walked through the doors anyway. Usually, nothing short of a catastrophe brought him to Mount Rose. Even as he walked across the lobby he wondered what had possessed him to come. He thought about turning around. He thought about Leila a second later and knew he couldn’t leave.

Leila had never asked him to start visiting his mom, or even hinted that he should. But he knew she hoped he would. It was still difficult for him to talk about his mother, but Leila made it easier. On the few occasions he brought her up, like to explain the significance of the pearls, he could see her sad smile and the wish in her heart that Eli could have had the relationship he wanted with his mother. Eli also remembered how hurt Leila had been when she thought he had abandoned his mother. She accepted his explanation, but that didn’t change the fact that Eli really had abandoned his mother. If he could do nothing else for Leila, he wanted to give her that wish as best he could.

“Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?” the receptionist asked.

Eli swallowed hard. “I’m here to see a patient.”

“What patient?”

“Elizabeth Walsh.”

The young woman typed something into the computer before looking back up with a smile. “She’s in her room. Can I have your name so I can sign you into the visitor’s log?”

“I’m her son, Eli Walsh.”

“Thank you.” She typed his name into the log and handed him a visitor’s pass. “Dr. Evans will meet you at her room.”

A sharp pang of fear darted through his body. What would Dr. Evans say to him after so long? Would there be judgment in his eyes? He feared there would be, but it didn’t really matter. There was no turning back. Eli plodded down the corridors. He had never once visited his mother since her placement at Mount Rose, but he knew exactly where her room was. He had stood outside of it many times as he spoke with Dr. Evans, not willing to even see her through the little glass window. He turned the last corner and noticed a figure moving toward him. Eli had to force his eyes to stay level as he walked up to the man who had been caring for his mother.

“Eli,” Dr. Evans said. Eli met his eyes and was surprised to see tears in them. The older man, several decades his senior, embraced him as they drew near each other. “I’m so glad you came, Eli.”

“Is everything okay?” Eli asked.

Dr. Evans smiled. “Yes, of course. Your mother is doing very well. It will be good for her to finally be able to speak with you. She has talked of little else since your lovely girlfriend visited with her.”

Girlfriend. The word stabbed at him relentlessly, but Eli swallowed the pain of his failure and embraced it as best he could. “My mother rarely talks of anything other than me. Leila visiting wasn’t the beginning of that.”

“No, but she was a catalyst for change.”

“How so?” Eli asked.

“Why don’t you find out for yourself?” Dr. Evans said as he unlocked the door to Elizabeth Walsh’s room.

He opened the door, holding it at the halfway point as his eyes locked with Eli’s. No doubt he could see the fear in Eli’s expression. Maybe he understood it, or maybe he thought Eli was callous for taking so long to visit his own mother. Either way, he waited patiently for Eli to step forward before opening the door completely. And even then, he stood in the doorway, blocking the occupant’s view of anyone else as he spoke.

“Elizabeth, you have a visitor today. Are you feeling well enough to have company?”

Eli listened for her response, half hoping she would deny him.

“Who is it?” she asked. The amount of change her voice had undergone startled him. Rougher, thinner, weaker than before, it spoke of harshness and abuse. A familiar ache to see her better began clawing at him. Knowing that the only harm or abuse that had befallen her was of her own making made pushing those kinds of feelings back down much easier.

“I’m afraid you won’t believe me if I tell you,” Dr. Evans said cheerily, “so I’ll let him tell you himself.”

Dr. Evans stepped into the room, leaving Eli standing in the doorway feeling completely bare.

Recognition dawned slowly on his mother’s face. Disbelief had her shaking her head. Tears welled in her eyes, dropping down her cheeks with each turn of her head. It was too much for Eli. He stepped into the room. “Hi, Mom,” he said simply.

His mother’s tears started falling in earnest then. Her body shook as she sobbed happily. “Eli,” she cried, “you came. You came.”

“I came,” he repeated, almost as disbelieving of it as she was.

He sat down next to her bed and took her frail hand. She clutched at him eagerly, and slowly her tears began to dry up. She smiled at him. It wasn’t the same smile Eli remembered. Before, there had always been a hint of smug satisfaction along with a heavy dose of fear. There was still the fear, but it was of a different kind. Now it was a fear of rejection. Regret and sadness were its close companions.

“I’m so glad you came.”

“I …” He couldn’t say that he was glad as well. Part of him still wanted to run. “It was time,” was what he said instead.

His mother surprised him by nodding. Her next words were whispered. “I’m sorry, Eli.”

So taken aback he could barely breathe, Eli could not say a single word in response. His mother had said those same words to him many times. I’m sorry you had to stay home with me today. I’m sorry I interrupted you date. I’m so sorry you missed your test today because of me. She was always so full of apologies. But like the fear in her eyes, this apology was different. She actually meant it.

“You’re sorry?” he asked.

“I’m sorry I treated you the way I did,” she said quietly.

This time there was no hope of him responding.

“It was just so hard,” she continued. “All those others, they tried to take you away from me. You were the only one I had left. I didn’t want to lose you. I had to keep you from being stolen away. You understand that, right?”

Eli’s response was slow in coming. An unexpected flood of emotions broke over the carefully maintained dam he had erected. Her reasoning for what she did was still twisted and muddled, but she was beginning to understand that what she had done was wrong. She was sorry. Regret for hurting him had finally begun to outweigh her compulsion to smother him. His mother was asking him for forgiveness. It was something he never thought he could give her. Eli’s hand trembled as he held hers. He tightened his grip in an effort to steel himself, but when her other hand dropped comfortingly onto his, everything crumbled.

Eli hadn’t cried for his mother since the day he found her lying on the kitchen floor. Too filled with bitterness after that day, her struggles and illnesses had only made him angry. Now, tears slipped down his cheeks. His mother brushed his tears away, something she had not done in a very long time.

“I do understand,” Eli finally mumbled through his tears. “I hate what you did to me, and to the others you hurt, but I understand you were scared. You were afraid of being abandoned again.”

His mother stroked his hand gently, her eyes downcast as she spoke. “I was terrified after your father died. I had never been on my own before. I went straight from my father’s home to marriage. Your father took care of everything, the money, the decisions, everything. All I had was you. But I knew one day you would leave me too. I was so frightened of being alone I … I did things I am ashamed of. I just couldn’t let you leave me. I couldn’t survive on my own.”

He wanted to tell her that she could have, but in all honestly, he wasn’t sure. So he patted her hand reassuringly and said nothing. Time held its breath in the silence. It was a moment that should have happened many times between a mother and son, but never truly had. There was a sense of something lost being found, but at the same time it created a standstill because neither person seemed to know where to go afterward.

It was not an end to a relationship, or even a beginning. Eli had no desire to end any more relationships that day. Beginning a new one was wholly distasteful. This was more of a redefinition, one that would take time.

“Why didn’t you bring Leila back to visit me?” his mother asked some time later. “I like her.”

Once again, Eli was surprised. “You do?”

“Very much,” she said primly.

Eli had no doubts about Leila’s wonderful personality, but his mother had never, never liked any girl or woman Eli had introduced her to. He had to ask. “What made you like her?”

“I asked her if she was going to steal you from me, and she said no.”

Eli’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “That’s it?”

“I believed her,” she said, staring at him quite seriously. “She was the only person who’s visited me since I’ve been here. She cares enough about you to visit me when … when it was too hard for you to visit. She’s different than those other girls.”

The last sentence had a rather nasty tone to it, despite the fact that Eli’s previous attempts at girlfriends were also nice women. Still, even Eli had not thought Leila capable of making such an impression on his mother. “Is that so?” he asked.

“Yes, we’ve had several good talks. I like her. It makes me…happy,” she said, her last word passing her lips with considerable difficulty.

Astounded that she could feel even a disgruntled kind of happiness about her son being in a relationship was almost too much, but something else had impacted him even more. He struggled to speak, to ask, “Wait, several talks? You mean, Leila has visited you more than once?”

His mother looked at him with an incredulous expression. “She visits me every week.”

Eli sat back in his chair, utterly floored. It took him quite a while to process this revelation and consider what his response should be. He knew he could lie and spare himself from having to deal with his mother in a distressed state. Telling himself it would only set back her progress was almost enough to convince him to keep up the charade. It was such a tempting idea, but lies and manipulation were what had ruined his relationship with his mother in the first place.

“Mom, I’m glad you like Leila, but she may not be visiting you anymore,” Eli said.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Why not?”

“Because …” Eli hedged, no longer sure this was a good idea. His mother’s insistent gaze would not let him escape. He sighed. “Because Leila and I are not together anymore.”

Eli did not expect his mother to get angry, but that was exactly what happened. She screwed up her face like a petulant child. “What do you mean you aren’t together anymore? What did you do?”

“I …” Eli paused, truly considering what he had done wrong. The answer was much too obvious. “I was too slow, too careful. I waited too long to tell her how I felt about her and she slipped away.”

“She left you?” his mother asked. She seemed incredulous.

Without explaining that Leila was never actually his girlfriend in the first place, giving an accurate account of what had happened was impossible. Eli settled for saying, “She didn’t leave me so much as chose someone else.”

“Why would she choose anyone else over my Eli?” his mother demanded.

Eli sunk into his chair and scrubbed his hands through his hair roughly. “I kept her at a distance because I thought it was the smart thing to do. I was too blind to realize she wanted more, and I lost her.”

“You’re just going to let her go?” his mother asked, gaping at him.

“Yes.”

She shook her head at him. “Why?”

“Because I promised myself I would.” I promised several others as well, Eli thought. And he knew he couldn’t disappoint them. He hoped to lose as few friends as possible because of his foolishness.

“But, Eli,” his mother cried, clearly distraught, “don’t you love her? How can you let her go?”

A sharp pain radiated from the center of Eli’s chest. He pretended the pain was what brought tears to his eyes and not the agony of being without Leila. “Yes, I love her very much, but that’s why I have to say goodbye. She’s happy without me, and I love her enough to step back and let her be happy.”

“But you won’t be happy,” his mother said softly. She reached for his hand and wrapped his trembling fingers around his.

The motherly gesture broke his composure. His face crumbled. Hot tears burned behind his closed eyelids. “No,” he said, “I won’t be happy, not like I was with her.”

Another shroud of silence fell. This one heavier and more difficult to bear than anything previous. It was so oppressive, Eli soon found the simple act of breathing to be too difficult. He wanted to escape, bury himself in his apartment and wallow. Only the quiet simpering of his mother crying broke through his melancholy. He looked up to see her shaking with one hand pressed to her mouth.

“Mom, it’s okay. Please don’t cry,” he begged.

“I did this,” she cried. “This is my fault.”

Being that Eli had no idea what his mother might have said to Leila, he wasn’t able to immediately dismiss her claim. He asked, “What do you mean?”

“I smothered you so much that now you push people away from you. Leila obviously cared about you very much, but now she’s gone because you wouldn’t give her what she needed.” Her sadness deepened. “This is my fault,” she wept.

Some other part of Eli’s brain took over his body then. He felt his hand gently pat his mother’s in an effort to console her, but his mind was elsewhere. It was considering her words very carefully. All the time he had spent with Leila he had planned the perfect ways to guide her. He presumed to know what was best for her and trusted himself that his only motivation for keeping her at a distance was so he could give her room to grow. What if it wasn’t?

Was his mother right? Had he kept Leila at a distance because he was afraid of smothering her, or being smothered? It was such a startling thought, Eli was sure he would ponder it for a long time, but whether it was true or not, he knew it didn’t matter. Leila was gone.

“Mom, please don’t be upset. Everything will be all right.” It was him soothing her after that. A familiar role for him, but he was strong enough not to be pulled under by the need to save her. He proved his strength the next time she spoke.

“I’ll miss talking to Leila, but you’ll still come visit me, right, Eli?” The glassy hope in her eyes was difficult to look away from.

“I’ll visit again,” he said.

“When,” she demanded. “What time will you come? I need to know each day so Dr. Evans doesn’t try to schedule any tests or therapy sessions during those times. I don’t want to miss your visits. Nothing else is as important as seeing you.”

Tension sprang into Eli’s body at the first hint of her effort to lasso him with her control again. “Mom, I can’t, and won’t come to visit you every day. Aside from the fact that I am busy with my practice and research, it wouldn’t be good for either of us. Seeing you is still very hard for me. I can’t commit to a set schedule. I need time.”

“But you will come?” she begged, almost frantic.

“Yes,” Eli said warily, “I’ll come. I promise.”

Knowing that her son was a man of his word, her mounting hysteria lessened. She wasn’t happy by far, but she was controlling herself as best she could. It was tenuous, though, so Eli took that as his cue to leave. Saying goodbye was more difficult for her than it was for him. Eli needed to escape, to process everything his visit had stirred in him. He rushed out of her strangling hug, and out of the room. Dr. Evans followed quietly.

He didn’t speak right away. He gave Eli the moment he needed to shake off the effect his mother had on him. When Eli’s shoulders relaxed to their natural position and his jaw unclenched, Dr. Evans spoke. “Thank you for coming, Eli.”

“Is she always so … almost normal?” Eli asked.

Dr. Evans shook his head. “No, unfortunately. She still has plenty of bad days, and her physical health continues to decline, but today … just be grateful she was having a good day. I know this wasn’t easy for you.”

That was a severe understatement. “I will come back … but it won’t be right away.”

“I understand,” Dr. Evans said, “and on some level, so does she. She’ll be alright until you’re ready to see her again.”

Eli nodded with relief. He still bore a significant amount of anger toward his mother, but he had no desire to cause her intentional pain. There had already been enough of that doled out. Eli thanked him for all his help and turned to leave. Dr. Evans caught his arm before he made it more than a few steps. Eli looked back, concerned.

“Eli, I’m sorry about Leila. She was a lovely young woman.”

Trying desperately to shove away that deep-seated ache, Eli nodded. “I’m sorry, too.”

He made it to his car without any further interruption, and without breaking down. The latter he considered a major accomplishment.

One glance at the dashboard display told Eli he only had an hour before lunch. He dreaded the idea of going, but he intended to follow through. First, he had a few text messages to send. He was, after all, a man of his word.

Conrad’s number came up first and Eli started typing. You were right. It’s over.

Ana’s number was called up next. Eli hesitated much longer before typing this message. It was harder than with Conrad to express everything he needed to say. She made her choice. I’m backing off as promised. I wish things had turned out differently. Thank you for the dresses. I hope she likes them. The last one…he paused, not knowing what to say. The last dress, he had planned everything around that dress. He had been so sure his plans had not been laid in vain. Don’t use it, he finished.

The texts sent, he didn’t wait for a reply. He didn’t want to read their responses. Eli quickly pulled up a third number. Leila’s. It broke his heart to hold his finger over her name and watch the menu come up. There were many options available to him, but only one he could choose. His fingertip hovered over the word Delete. Actually cutting Leila out of his life gave him pause. But he had promised. Pressing down, her name and number disappeared. He blocked her number from making any calls to him. The locksmith should have completed his work by now, as well. It was done.

His fingers danced across the screen to bring up one more name. He completed the call before he let himself reconsider. If he didn’t put Leila firmly out of his mind right now, he knew he never would. The phone rang twice before being picked up with a cheerful hello.

“Sabine,” Eli said, “are we still on for lunch?”

Chapter 29

Defeated

The real chaos had not yet begun, but the backstage area was still humming with the intensity of busy bodies and scattered minds. Rack upon rack of clothing lined the walls. It had taken Leila all morning to get everything in the right order. She grimaced as she set the last garment in place, knowing that as soon as the models started fishing around for their outfits it would all be in disarray ten seconds later. She had no control over that, though, so she turned her attention to the mountain of shoe boxes in desperate need of organization.

Two of the three interns scrambled past her with boxes of jewelry and accessories and started lying everything out in what Leila hoped was the correct sequence. The third intern appeared a few seconds later carrying another pile of shoe boxes. Leila groaned, then became confused.

“What are those for?” she demanded. “I catalogued all the shoes two days ago. Those shouldn’t be back here.”

“Ana said I should bring them back,” the intern said with a mixture of courage and uncertainty.

Leila stood and stomped over to the girl. If Ana was trying to shake things up at the last minute, Leila had half a mind to storm out in protest. She snatched the first shoe box off the pile the girl was holding and whisked off the lid. When she saw the dainty summer sandal she became even more confused. The design looked familiar, but she knew it didn’t belong in the show.

“Where did these come from?” Leila asked.

The intern looked around uncertainly. “Um, they got here last night. With a whole bunch of dresses.”

“What? We weren’t expecting anymore clothes,” Leila said. What on earth was Ana doing?

“Ana was expecting them,” the girl offered. “She was super excited to see them. I thought she was going to start dancing right there in the loading bay.”

Leila rubbed her fingers against her temples. Everything was planned. Ana couldn’t possibly be trying to throw in a bunch of unknown gowns at the last minute. There was no way. Deciding to get this cleared up right away, Leila commandeered the entire pile of shoeboxes from the intern and stormed off to find Ana. It proved to be a bit of a search, but she eventually found her upstairs in the design loft. She was walking out from behind her private screened off corner when Leila breached the loft.

“Leila!” she exclaimed, looking unusually panicked. “What are you doing up here? Is everything all right?”

Throwing off her boss’s odd behavior, Leila barreled forward with the reason she was there. “What is going on with these shoes? And what’s this I hear about a load of dresses being dropped off last night? You can’t possibly be thinking of adding anything right now! Whatever this new stuff is, it isn’t even in the program! You can’t throw something like this at me eight hours before the show.”

Ana’s eyes had grown progressively wider with each word. They were practically bugging out of her head. She darted forward and threw the lids off the top few boxes. Groaning at the sight of them, her hands dropped to their sides. “I told Bali to take them to the loft, not the dressing room. That girl doesn’t listen to a word I say!”

Not knowing the hapless intern well enough to make a judgment, Leila stayed focus on her task. “Where did these shoes come from?”

For some reason, Ana laughed. She giggled, actually, like a school girl with a secret. “Well, I guess the cat’s already out of the bag. Don’t you recognize them?” she asked.

Leila’s face scrunched with confusion. She knew, quite intimately, every piece of clothing, jewelry, and accessory slated for that night’s show. The shoes were not supposed to be there. But … they did look familiar. She couldn’t think of why when she first saw them, but now the reason was sinking in.

Dumping the boxes on the nearest table, Leila tore off every lid. The white summer sandals, the yellow silk heels with sapphire detail, the lavender kitten heels with the broad strap, the black t-straps with satin braid up the center. She knew every shoe she was staring at, because they were hers. A wave of excitement began rushing through her, but it slammed into a brick wall as a thought occurred to her.

“Where did you get these designs?” she squeaked.

Ana took a deep breath and held her hands up defensively. “Don’t freak out, but Eli … well, he kind of stole them. And gave them to me.”

“What?” Leila asked, her voice barely audible over her shock. Why would he do something like that? Those were private. She specifically asked him not to ever mention them to Ana. Why, why, why?

The feel of hands clamping down on her shoulders brought Leila’s eyes up and away from the shoes. Ana stared at her with a smile. “Before you have a meltdown—which it looks like you’re about to do—take a deep breath and let me explain.”

Leila couldn’t say yes or no. She couldn’t manage to say anything at all. The most she could do was stay frozen in stupid bewilderment. Ana apparently took that as a sign for her to go ahead with her explanation.

“I know you forbade Eli from telling me about these because you had some crazy idea that I would be mad, but I’m so glad he did. Leila, your designs are fabulous.”

“But … but they were just for fun. I’m not a designer.”

The look on Ana’s face said Leila was insane. “What do you mean you’re not a designer? You design my marketing packages every day! You’re an exceptional artist. I wouldn’t have hired you if you weren’t. Fashion design isn’t about drawing. It’s about creating. Everyone has their own style and tools. Yours just happens to be paper and glue,” Ana said happily.

Still dumbfounded, Leila said, “I told Eli not to mention those designs to anyone. Why would he go behind my back like this?”

“He wanted to do something special for you,” Ana said. Her hand gently touched Leila’s shoulder. “He wanted to show you how absolutely wonderful he thinks you are, something you don’t seem to understand like everyone else in your life does. This is his gift to you for everything you’ve done for him.”

“Done for him?” Leila questioned. “I haven’t done anything for him. He’s been the one helping me.”

Ana shook her head. “It’s not my place to air all of Eli’s problems, but please trust me when I say you’ve been a good influence in his life. He’s changed quite a lot since meeting you, and certainly for the better.”

Finding words after something like that proved impossible. Leila stood like a fish gulping for air—a million thoughts running through her mind, but incapable of putting any of them into words. “I don’t know what to say,” she finally managed.

“Don’t say anything until you see the rest of it,” Ana chirped. She grabbed Leila’s hand and yanked her toward the secluded design studio. Leila’s mind was floundering. Just as they swung around the divider, she remembered the intern mentioning dresses.

And there they were.

Leila stumbled to a stop at the sight of her paper designs brought to life. The layers of gathered yellow fabric looked as delicious as homemade lemon meringue. Her hand covered her mouth at the sight of the empire-waisted cream gown with ruching on the bodice. The pearls sewn into the diagonal seam were something she hadn’t considered before, but she absolutely loved them. An Audrey Hepburn inspired black tea length gown with off the shoulder sleeves made her want to run home and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, it was so beautiful.

“Ana, they’re gorgeous! How did you manage this?” Leila asked breathlessly.

“I hardly did anything. These are your designs. They’re so beautiful because of you, not me, and …” Ana hesitated when her phone buzzed on the table. She ignored it for the time being and continued. “Leila, I want to use your designs.”

The air seemed to be sucked out of the room at that moment. Leila suddenly had trouble breathing. Ana couldn’t possibly mean she wanted her designs. She wanted to use them. What did that mean?

“I asked you a while ago about branching out, opening a new store. With a brand new line, concept, and name.”

“Uh huh,” Leila mumbled, completely unsure about where this was going. Leila had told her boss she was confident branching out would be a success. Suddenly she had doubts.

Ana grinned. She walked over to the far wall and pulled a sheet of fabric away. Leila was stunned beyond words when she saw Sparro scrawled elegantly across the oval logo. Anna turned back, beaming. “I want your designs for the new store. The new store and line will be named after you. You’ll be lead designer. You can even have your own gaggle of interns and assistants to boss around.”

“But … but, I’m not a designer.”

“You are now,” Ana said.

Leila didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t stop staring at her dresses. She touched the patterned cap sleeve of a minidress paired with snug black leggings. This was beyond even her most treasured artistic dreams. Eli’s deception no longer angered her. Her thankfulness outweighed everything else. She could think of nothing she wanted more in that moment than to throw her arms around him.

Her phone was out of her pocket a second later, her fingers bringing up his name and sending the call. It rang three times before Leila was startled by a message claiming the number she had dialed could not accept her call because her number had been blocked. Confused, Leila dialed again. Met with the same response, she turned to Ana who was staring at her phone looking rather perplexed.

“I can’t get through to Eli,” Leila said.

Ana looked up, her lip tucked between her teeth. “You told Eli about what happened with Luke this morning, right?”

“No,” Leila said slowly. “I didn’t have time. I rushed over here right after Luke and I broke up. I was planning on talking to Eli about it tonight after the show. Why?”

“Did he know you were meeting Luke this morning?” Ana asked.

The strange look on her face began to worry Leila. What was going on? “No. I was in the bedroom getting dressed when Luke called. Eli was still asleep.”

Ana grimaced. “Are you sure?”

About to say yes she was sure—Eli had looked awful when she walked out of his room after just waking up—but a thought stopped her. Her hands started trembling. What if Eli hadn’t been so out of it because he’d just woken up? “Oh no,” she said.

“What?” Ana demanded.

“When Luke called, I was trying to get ready, so I put my phone on speaker while I was getting dressed. If Eli was awake … Ana, he might have overheard my conversation. What if he thinks …?”

Handing over her phone, Ana said, “I think that’s exactly what he thinks.”

Leila’s eyes darted over the text message. She made her choice. I’m backing off as promised. I wish things had turned out differently. Thank you for the dresses. I hope she likes them. The last one … don’t use it. She nearly dropped Ana’s phone, her hands were shaking so bad. He heard the phone call. He heard Leila agreeing to meet with Luke—which must have sounded very much like she was ready to give him a second chance.

“Ana,” Leila said slowly, “why did you really ban Eli from the show last spring?”

Sighing, Ana said, “Because when I realized he was interested in you I got mad at him. I thought he was treating you like a project and I didn’t want you to get hurt. I told him he had to either leave you alone, or prove his interest was real before I’d let him come back to one of my shows.”

In that moment, Leila understood what his response to her text message the night she fought with Luke had meant. She had asked if he was coming to the show, and his response had been that it depended on her. She wanted to cry as she realized that her choice between Luke and Eli would determine whether he would come to the show and remain a part of her life, or walk away forever. She had made her choice. She chose Eli, but he didn’t know that. He thought she was on her way to happily ever after with Luke. Even hearing that Eli was genuinely interested in her couldn’t keep her from going into panic mode.

“No, no, no, no,” Leila whined. Her eyes snapped up to Ana. “He blocked my number.”

Ana grimaced. “You need to find him, now. When Eli makes a decision, he sticks to it. If you don’t talk to him today, there’s a very good chance you’ll never see him again.”

Leila was halfway out the door before she stopped and spun around. “What about the show?”

“That’s what interns are for,” Ana said.

“Thank you!” Leila turned, ready to dash away, but this time Ana stopped her.

“Leila, wait, before you go running off after Eli … go home.”

“What? Why?”

Ana looked uncertain, but she said, “The letter he gave you after your first date, go home and read it.”

More confused than ever, Leila started to object, but Ana cut in again.

“Would you please just trust me on this? If you’re going to run off after Eli, I think you should know everything. Go home. Read the letter. Then decide what to do.”

Leila had no idea why Ana wanted her to put off finding Eli to read a rundown of her faults, but Ana refused to let Leila leave the office without a promise to follow her instructions. Once her boss finally relinquished control, she bolted from the boutique and ran for her car. The careful and cautious Leila everyone knew disappeared. She sped down streets, cutting people off and blazing through yellow lights in order to reach her apartment as quickly as possible. She had never made it up the three flights of stairs to her front door so fast. Seconds after barreling into her apartment, she was on the floor in front of her desk scrounging through paperwork. Nearly desperate after the first few minutes, she was sure she was on the verge of imploding before she found the letter wedged between two expandable file folders. Her fingers tore the envelope open, her eyes reading before the letter was even fully laid out.

Leila,

I don’t know if you will ever read this letter. Most don’t. But perhaps that is why I feel safe enough to write to you. I told you when we met for lunch that this was a copy of the errors you made while on our date. I apologize for that lie, but I couldn’t tell you what I had really written.

I have been running my date shark business since college. It is almost an obsession. Those who know me well would argue and say it is definitely an obsession, and if I was being perfectly honest, I would agree. I won’t go into the reasons behind that statement, but I will tell you that being a date shark is the reason I am still single. Despite having met women that were beautiful and engaging, I have never felt enough for any of them to give up being a date shark.

You have changed that.

I will not claim to have fallen in love with you at first sight, but I was immediately captivated by your beauty and unique spirit. What I can say without a doubt is that I am already falling for you quite fast. You are delightful and I find myself wanting to be around you as much as possible. I never stay in contact with my clients. I have rules that guide my business and help me find success. I have never broken these rules before, but I have every intention of doing so when it comes to you. I can’t walk away.

But I can’t tell you any of this, either.

Your view of yourself is out of sorts with how everyone else in this world sees you. I fear that bowling you over with my attention now would only undermine you. I don’t want to trap you in a relationship before you are ready. You need time to discover how amazing you are. I want to help you come to that realization. I think also that if I told you, now, how much I wanted to be with you I would scare you away. I’m sure you would never consider yourself to be someone I would be interested in, but in time I hope you will.

I want you in my life, Leila, more than you could understand right now, and I will do my best to stay in yours.

With love,

Eli

Leila’s first response was pure giddiness. Her second was a near blistering anger. She didn’t have time for a third response because she was already running out of her apartment in search of Eli. Her hands were itching with the desire to strangle him.

Turning up at his office—which was the closest—proved fruitless, being as it was closed for the day. His apartment only infuriated her even more when she realized her key no longer fit the lock. She wasn’t sure where else to turn since she couldn’t get through to him by phone or text. Nearly defeated, she was on her way back to St. Claire’s to ask Ana for her help when she remembered Conrad. Leila swerved through traffic and redirected herself toward Dolcini. She slid into a parking space and was halfway out of her car when she spotted Eli stepping out of his Audi. His name was on her lips, but stuttered and fell away when Sabine—the gorgeous supermodel who admitted the only shrink she would ever consider dating would be Eli—stepped out of the Audi as well.

Ana’s words rang in Leila’s mind. When Eli makes a decision, he sticks to it. He had written Leila off and turned his attention to someone new. Leila slumped in her seat, defeated.

Chapter 30

Old Wounds

Eli led Sabine to his usual table. The third member of the lunch party had already arrived and was seated when they walked up. He stood and shook hands with Sabine, who was as sultry and sumptuous as she always was. His guest was obviously captivated by her. Eli hardly noticed her fitted dress and bronze skin. After a quick round of introductions, he dropped into his chair and tried to dig up some modicum of professionalism.

“Thanks for coming, Lewis.”

Lewis nodded. “Not at all.”

Eli reached for the attaché he had brought with him. Sabine’s hand falling lightly on his forearm halted him. He looked up at her and was surprised to see a well of compassion in her blue eyes.

“Why don’t we eat first?” she asked. “Business can wait.”

He had no desire to sit there and engage in small talk, but the concern in her eyes softened his bristly demeanor. She was worried about him. “Sure, Sabine. Food sounds good.”

“And maybe a few drinks,” she suggested.

Eli nodded noncommittally. He doubted getting drunk would make him feel better. What he really wanted was to be done with lunch and back at his apartment. Alone.

That word dropped his mood to an even lower level. He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted Leila. Sabine seemed to catch wind of his worsening disposition and flagged Megan down with a murmur of, “Yes, we definitely need some drinks.”

Eli was about ready to agree with her at that point, but the sound of a disturbance at the concierge desk caught his attention. Sitting up, he looked in that general direction, craning to see around the corner. And see he did. Eli nearly fell out of his chair at the sight Leila storming through the restaurant. He was stumbling out of his chair a second later, desperate to intercept her.

He shouldn’t have been so quick to get in her path.

Her slap resounded through the restaurant, sucking the breath out of everyone within earshot. Eli’s cheek smarted, and he supposed he should have been stunned or confused, maybe even angry, but he was so thrilled to see Leila all he could do was grin at her. She didn’t seem to be affected by his happiness.

“Eli Walsh, you have got to be the most idiotic man on the planet!” Leila said.

Still grinning, Eli said, “Excuse me?”

She waved a piece of paper in his face for some reason. His brain tried to come up with an explanation for her actions. He couldn’t think of anything he had written that would have her so incensed. Luckily, Leila was perfectly willing to fill him in.

“You were in love with me practically this entire time and you never bothered to tell me?” Leila shook her head. “What is wrong with you?”

The letter, the list of faults that was actually a confession of his deepest feelings for her. That was what she was waving in his face. Realizing this, Eli’s pleasure at seeing her faltered. His smile slipped off his lips. “Leila, how could I have told you back then? We’d barely met. You weren’t ready.”

His reasoning only made her angrier. “Who are you to decide whether or not I’m ready?”

“But … but, you weren’t!” Eli said. Not the most brilliant defense, but it was the truth, at least as far as he understood it.

Leila growled in frustration. “I don’t need you to tell me when I’m ready to fall in love, or have someone else fall in love with me. I’m perfectly capable of figuring that out on my own. I don’t need you manipulating me!”

“Manipulating?” Eli was shocked she would accuse him of something like that. “I was trying to guide you, help you!”

“You were manipulating me!”

Eli’s hands balled in frustration. “I was not manipulating you. I was helping you figure out who and what you wanted.”

“How did that go for you?” she demanded. “For all your guidance and help you still managed to get it all wrong.”

The whole room fell silent. Eli nearly choked on the thickness of it. “What?” he asked, his voice strangled.

“You screwed up, Eli,” she said.

“How?” he asked. “What do you mean?”

Oddly, much of her anger fell away. The hint of a smile played on her lips. Finally, she said, “I didn’t have breakfast with Luke this morning to give him a second chance. I went so I could break up with him.”

Eli’s knees buckled and he dropped hard into his chair. “What?”

“I broke up with Luke.”

He stared up at her, more than a little confused. “But, why?”

Leila’s laugh echoed through the room. “Because I don’t love him, you idiot. I love you. You didn’t give me a chance to tell you that before you made your own assumptions and changed your locks and blocked my calls.”

Standing back up, though his body was completely numb, Eli faced Leila. “You’re in love with me?”

Her grin was brilliant. “Of course I am. How could I not be?”

There were probably more words that should have been said, but Eli didn’t care. He swept Leila into his arms and let every ounce of pent up desire flow over her as he pressed his lips to hers. There was no hesitation on her part. Leila’s body pushed against his, her warmth sending a new wave of passion through his body. He thought he heard clapping and cheering in the background, but that might have been his imagination.

Pulling back from her was torture. He only got far enough away to whisper, “I love you, Leila.”

“I know you do,” she whispered back.

“Thank you for coming after me.” Eli meant it wholeheartedly. Unshed tears brimmed in his eyes at the thought of how close he came to losing her.

“I almost didn’t,” Leila admitted. “When I pulled up and saw you with Sabine …”

The mention of the supermodel’s name turned Leila’s entire body scarlet. She seemed to realize right at that moment where she was and the disturbance she had just caused. Her eyes darted away from Eli and scanned the dining room full of patrons with their eyes glued to her. Leila went from tomato-red to a deep scarlet.

Eli did his best to help her out. “Sabine, you remember Leila.”

“Of course. It’s so nice to see you, my dear,” Sabine said. “I’m so glad you didn’t let my presence keep you from storming in here and slapping Eli. He needed it, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Turning away from Sabine before Leila had to answer, Eli said, “And this is Lewis Browning. He’s taking over my date shark business.”

“You were really giving it up?” Leila asked.

“Of course I was,” Eli said. “You were the only woman I wanted.”

Leila turned back to Lewis, shook his hand and apologized for interrupting their meal. Lewis seemed rather amused by the whole ordeal, thankfully, and waved off her concern. Eli, no longer in the mood to discuss business, asked, “Would you mind if we did this another time, Lewis?”

“Not at all,” Lewis said happily. His gaze turned back to Sabine and he seemed to forget everything else.

Before Eli could ask, Sabine said, “Go. Leila has a show to get ready for, and you have some business of your own, if I’m not mistaken. Something to do with dresses?”

Eli’s entire body lit up at the mention of the dresses. He thanked Sabine with a quick kiss on her cheek and started pulling Leila out of the restaurant. He hadn’t imagined the cheering earlier, and he didn’t imagine it then, either. The happy clapping and calls of congratulations followed them out of the building. Eli was trying to usher Leila into the passenger’s seat of his car when she remembered her own car sitting across the street.

Eli shook his head. “Not a chance. I’m not letting you out of my sight. We’ll pick your car up later. Get in. I have something to show you.”

Merging into brisk traffic, they were off, but Leila surprised him by saying, “I saw the dresses, Eli. Thank you so much.” She frowned. “Although, I’m not exactly thrilled with the idea of you sneaking into my apartment and stealing my designs.”

“It had to be done,” he said with a guilty smile.

Leila smiled back, her hand tightly gripping his. “Well, thank you. It was so amazing to see them all in real life and not just glued paper in a scrapbook.”

“You haven’t seen them all, yet.” Inside, Eli was bursting with happiness. His day had started out with the collapse of all his dreams. Now the pieces were beginning to glue themselves back together again. Waiting to see everything fall into place was killing him.

“What do you mean?” Leila asked.

Eli wouldn’t tell her. He had to show her.

A few minutes later, they slid into a parking place near the boutique and Eli practically dragged Leila through the building. They were upstairs in the design loft before she could say a word to calm him down. Ana jumped at their sudden appearance, then lit up with joy when she realized who it was.

“You found him!” she shrieked. She ran over to Leila and smothered her with a hug. When she turned to Eli, her motherly finger shake was getting good practice for the little one currently residing in her belly—which was just beginning to show. Eli held up his hands in an attempt to fend off her attack, but she was having none of it.

“You foolish, foolish man,” she chided. “This will teach you to make wild assumptions without checking your facts.”

“I know,” he admitted. “I promise I’ve learned my lesson.”

Appeased, Ana smiled again. So thrilled that her two closest friends had found each other, she bubbled over with excitement. “Are you ready for the dress?” she asked Eli.

“But I thought you already showed me all of them,” Leila asked.

Eli and Ana shared a conspiratorial glance. “Not all the dresses,” Ana said softly. “This one won’t be making an appearance on the runway tonight.”

She turned away from them and walked over to another smaller dividing screen. She pushed the screen back and quietly left the room. At the sight of the waterfall gown Leila had designed, Eli found himself speechless. It was even more gorgeous than he had anticipated. He wasn’t the only one stunned into silence.

Leila let go of his hand for the first time since taking holding of him. Both of her hands reached up to cover her open mouth. She took a hesitant step forward, as if she thought the fairy magic that had conjured it up would evaporate if she got too close. When her fingers braved caressing the gem dappled material, tears began rolling down her cheeks.

“Oh, Eli,” she whispered, “it’s beautiful.”

His feet carried him to her. It was bliss to wrap his arms around her slender waist and pull her body against him. “It’s yours, Leila. It’s beautiful because you made it. You are so amazing. I hope you never doubt that again.”

The tears started falling faster. “But why didn’t Ana show me this one earlier?”

“I … asked her not to.” Eli pressed his cheek against her damp skin. He breathed in her scent, her love. “When I thought I had lost you, I couldn’t stand the idea of this dress being seen by anyone else.”

“Why not?” she asked.

Eli took a deep breath. His mind screamed at him not to say it, but if he had learned nothing else, he had learned to listen to his heart when it came to Leila. Taking a risk, he said, “Because when I saw this dress, all I could picture was you walking down the aisle in it. Walking to me. I couldn’t bear having this dress worn by anyone but you, anywhere but at our wedding.”

Turning in his arms slowly, Leila gazed up at him with bright eyes. “Are you … proposing to me?”

Eli grinned, “Well, I …”

“Yes!” she blurted out, and then slapped her hands over her mouth with a smothered laugh.

Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Eli pulled her in closer. “I was going to say that we might want to date first, but if you meant it … then yes, I’m absolutely proposing to you.”

Leila’s hands fell away from her mouth and slid around his neck. Her smile was so filled with love and adoration it made Eli tipsy. Her lips brushed against his briefly, but didn’t go far. Leila’s warm breath whispered across his lips as she said, “I meant it with all my heart, Eli. I love you, and I would like nothing better than to become your wife.”

The gentle pressure of her hands pulled his mouth back to hers. Joyous warmth infused his soul. Old wounds healed under the power of her love, and Eli knew nothing else mattered more than having Leila in his life.

Acknowledgements

Normally, I have a really long list of beta readers, writer’s group members, friends, and family to thank by the time one of my books finally reaches publication. The truth is, the majority of the help I received on this book came after it was written, since I never actually let anyone read Date Shark before I submitted it to Limitless. That’s a crazy thing to do. I took a risk, though, and thankfully they loved it!

So, thank you to the ladies at Limitless Publishing, Jennifer O’Neill and Jessica Gunhammer, for having enough faith in my writing ability to let me jump into a new genre with Date Shark. Thank you as well to Dixie Matthews for giving this book a chance!

Thank you to Apryl Baker for introducing me to Limitless Publishing. I know she’s always got my back!

I owe a big thank you as well to my bestie, Leah Brimhall, for letting me talk her ear off about my books and answering a bazillion questions no matter how random. When I talked to her about branching out into a new genre, she never doubted me for a minute and encouraged me to get moving. Her advice has never steered me wrong.

A great big thank you goes out to Janet Reid, The Query Shark. Several years ago she tore apart one of my query letters and helped me whip it into shape. The experience sparked an idea. If Janet could rebuild a mangled query letter into something that would catch a publisher’s eye, why couldn’t someone do the same for women in need of a dating overhaul? And so the idea for Date Shark was born! Thank you, Janet!

Thank you as well to Melanie Newton for her help with the dedication, and to the lovely Gail Wagner for her help with the tag line for the front cover. You ladies are awesome!

As always, thank you to my husband Ryan and my two awesome kiddos. They keep me going and keep me anchored.

About the Author

DelSheree Gladden was one of those shy, quiet kids who spent more time reading than talking. Literally. She didn’t speak a single word for the first three months of preschool, but she had already taught herself to read. Her fascination with reading led to many hours spent in the library and bookstores, and eventually to writing.

She wrote her first novel when she was sixteen years old, but spent ten years rewriting and perfecting it before having it published.

Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her husband spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family again. Their two children love having their seventeen cousins close by. When not writing, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and trying not to get bitten by small children in her work as a dental hygienist.

DelSheree has several bestselling young adult urban fantasy series, and her first contemporary romance, Date Shark, will be released with Limitless Publishing in 2014.

Table of Contents

- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30