it in my office.”
Janet rolled her eyes. “You’d think a
receptionist would know to ask who’s calling.”
Dennis shrugged. “I’ll leave that for
Ham to deal with. Now, I’ve got to go and take my mystery call.”
“Have fun. Don’t forget about tonight.”
“I won’t.”
The moment Dennis left, Janet got back
to work. She had a slew of investigations to get through and staying late in
the office tonight wasn’t an option. She had been so engrossed in her work that
she’d forgotten all about Dennis’s mysterious phone call and was surprised to
find him, looking slightly disheveled, standing on the threshold of her office
thirty minutes later.
“Janet, honey, I’m so sorry,” he began.
“Uh-oh, I don’t like the sound of that.”
Janet looked up from her computer screen. “Don’t tell me you can’t make the
pastry chef appointment.”
“I’m afraid something came up last
minute. A new case.”
“Was it that phone call?”
“No. It’s something Ham just dropped on
my desk. He wants me to get cracking on it right away, so I won’t be able to
make it tonight.”
“Can’t it wait? I’m sure Ham would cut
you some slack if you explained—”
“Normally he would, but this is super
urgent.”
Something in his voice made Janet think
he was lying. “I see.”
“Can we reschedule the pastry chef
meeting?”
“No, we can’t reschedule Francois
Bissette,” Janet said tartly. “It’s a miracle he’s willing to meet with us in
the first place.”
“In that case, you’ll just have to
represent us both.”
“Fine.”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Janet pouted. “I’d like to believe you,
but it’s starting to get harder and harder with you constantly bailing out on
things. If you’re having cold feet you can just tell me.”
“What? No!” Dennis walked across the
office and behind her desk. He took her hand into his. “Janet Maple, I promise
you there’s nothing I want more than for you to be my wife. But all this
wedding stuff—it’s superficial. It’s not important.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Of course I mean it. It’s like the
entire wedding industry has been created to add extra stress and aggravation.”
“I meant about me being your wife.”
“Oh, sorry. You know I do, Janet. If it
were up to me, I’d marry you in city hall tomorrow, or we could always go to
Vegas,” Dennis added with a wink.
“But what about our friends and family?
They’re expecting a wedding.”
“I’m not marrying our friends and
family. I’m marrying you, and I’m telling you what matters to me,” Dennis said
firmly, looking into her eyes. “I understand that a wedding is important to you
and I want you to have what you want. I promise to try to be there as much as I
can.”
Just not tonight , Janet thought,
but bit her tongue. “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off as such a drama
queen.”
“You’re not a drama queen. You’re just
upset. I’ve got to get back to work, okay?”
“Okay. Do you want to have dinner
tonight? Nothing fancy—just takeout.”
“I’d love to, but I’ll probably be
working late. Tomorrow?”
“I just thought you might want to sample
the wedding cake—I was going to bring some back for you.”
Dennis squeezed her arm. “I’m sorry,
honey. You know I’d really love to, but I just don’t think I’ll be able to
swing it tonight. Can you save it in the fridge for me?”
“Sure.” Janet forced fake cheer into her
voice. “All right then, tomorrow.”
Out of the corner of her eye she watched
Dennis walk out into the hallway. The urgency in his step told her he couldn’t
wait to get out of there. A new assignment that just happened to coincide with
their wedding cake tasting? And then there was that mysterious phone call.
Something didn’t add up. As difficult as it was, Janet forced herself to put
the matter out of her mind—she had work to do, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t
going to do some
Janet rolled her eyes. “You’d think a
receptionist would know to ask who’s calling.”
Dennis shrugged. “I’ll leave that for
Ham to deal with. Now, I’ve got to go and take my mystery call.”
“Have fun. Don’t forget about tonight.”
“I won’t.”
The moment Dennis left, Janet got back
to work. She had a slew of investigations to get through and staying late in
the office tonight wasn’t an option. She had been so engrossed in her work that
she’d forgotten all about Dennis’s mysterious phone call and was surprised to
find him, looking slightly disheveled, standing on the threshold of her office
thirty minutes later.
“Janet, honey, I’m so sorry,” he began.
“Uh-oh, I don’t like the sound of that.”
Janet looked up from her computer screen. “Don’t tell me you can’t make the
pastry chef appointment.”
“I’m afraid something came up last
minute. A new case.”
“Was it that phone call?”
“No. It’s something Ham just dropped on
my desk. He wants me to get cracking on it right away, so I won’t be able to
make it tonight.”
“Can’t it wait? I’m sure Ham would cut
you some slack if you explained—”
“Normally he would, but this is super
urgent.”
Something in his voice made Janet think
he was lying. “I see.”
“Can we reschedule the pastry chef
meeting?”
“No, we can’t reschedule Francois
Bissette,” Janet said tartly. “It’s a miracle he’s willing to meet with us in
the first place.”
“In that case, you’ll just have to
represent us both.”
“Fine.”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Janet pouted. “I’d like to believe you,
but it’s starting to get harder and harder with you constantly bailing out on
things. If you’re having cold feet you can just tell me.”
“What? No!” Dennis walked across the
office and behind her desk. He took her hand into his. “Janet Maple, I promise
you there’s nothing I want more than for you to be my wife. But all this
wedding stuff—it’s superficial. It’s not important.”
“Do you mean it?”
“Of course I mean it. It’s like the
entire wedding industry has been created to add extra stress and aggravation.”
“I meant about me being your wife.”
“Oh, sorry. You know I do, Janet. If it
were up to me, I’d marry you in city hall tomorrow, or we could always go to
Vegas,” Dennis added with a wink.
“But what about our friends and family?
They’re expecting a wedding.”
“I’m not marrying our friends and
family. I’m marrying you, and I’m telling you what matters to me,” Dennis said
firmly, looking into her eyes. “I understand that a wedding is important to you
and I want you to have what you want. I promise to try to be there as much as I
can.”
Just not tonight , Janet thought,
but bit her tongue. “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off as such a drama
queen.”
“You’re not a drama queen. You’re just
upset. I’ve got to get back to work, okay?”
“Okay. Do you want to have dinner
tonight? Nothing fancy—just takeout.”
“I’d love to, but I’ll probably be
working late. Tomorrow?”
“I just thought you might want to sample
the wedding cake—I was going to bring some back for you.”
Dennis squeezed her arm. “I’m sorry,
honey. You know I’d really love to, but I just don’t think I’ll be able to
swing it tonight. Can you save it in the fridge for me?”
“Sure.” Janet forced fake cheer into her
voice. “All right then, tomorrow.”
Out of the corner of her eye she watched
Dennis walk out into the hallway. The urgency in his step told her he couldn’t
wait to get out of there. A new assignment that just happened to coincide with
their wedding cake tasting? And then there was that mysterious phone call.
Something didn’t add up. As difficult as it was, Janet forced herself to put
the matter out of her mind—she had work to do, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t
going to do some
Similar Books
