without getting slapped, he would have kissed Scarlet right then and there.
Forty-five minutes later they appeared, Scarlet carrying a Macy’s bag, Jessie empty-handed.
“Did you find what you needed?” he asked.
Please say yes
.
“Yup,” she held up a bag he hoped contained Jessie’s new undergarments.
“This is for you.” He handed her the biggest box of chocolates he could find in the store. “Thank you for coming with us today.”
“Wow.” Scarlet took the box. “The fat cells in my thighs are vibrating with excitement in anticipation of room to expand.”
“I heard how much you and your staff like chocolate,” he said, referring to the box they’d devoured before it could be redirected to his new clerk.
“That we do.” She smiled. He liked making her smile, liked the way her smiles made him feel. “Thank you, from all of us. But in the future, you don’t need to buy me things to spend time with you and Jess. I had fun today.”
“Me, too.” Jessie hugged Scarlet.
Lewis did, too. In fact today had been the most fun he’d had in months. Even with talk of periods and bras.
When they exited Macy’s Lewis asked Scarlet, “Where are you headed from here? You want to share a cab?”
“Nah.” She held up her Metro card. “I’m going to hop a bus to the hospital. I want to stop by to visit Joey before I head home.”
“Is there a problem?”
She shook her head. “No.”
As Lewis watched Scarlet’s appealing form walk away, he realized he was sorry to see her go. And as he raised his hand to hail a cab his mind went to work on creating a reason to see her again soon.
CHAPTER FOUR
“F ANCY MEETING YOU here,” Lewis greeted Scarlet with a big handsome smile as she exited the elevator on her way to the cafeteria.
“A big coincidence indeed on account of it’s Tuesday and you now know I meet Jessie in the cafeteria on Tuesdays and Thursdays around three,” she replied, not letting her happiness at seeing him show. In an unexpected turn of events, she’d been looking forward to the next time their paths would cross. And hoping it’d be sooner rather than later.
“I walked her over.” He held up a cup of coffee. “Then I waited, hoping to see you.”
How sweet.
“I need a favor,” he said.
Not so sweet after all. She tried to walk around him.
He stepped in front of her. “For Jessie. One more and I’m done,” he promised. “Then I won’t bother you again.”
Well forget about the fun they’d had on Saturday, and the signs of a friendship forming between them—that she’d obviously misinterpreted, and the unwanted stirrings of attraction that were totally his fault. All Lewis Jackson wanted from her was help with his daughter. “Lucky me,” she said. “One more favor and you’ll bedone with me. I will have exhausted my usefulness to you, and I didn’t even have to take off my clothes.”
She pushed past him.
“Oh no you don’t.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her, rather firmly, to the quiet back hallway before releasing her. “What’s wrong?”
Scarlet adjusted her lab coat. “This must be a whopper for you to manhandle me into listening.”
“Why are you mad at me?” he asked, looking truly confused.
Because maybe it’d be nice for a man, one man, any man, to see her as more than a neighbor to get his mail while he’s out of town, or a competent professional nurse managing the NICU, or a resource for parenting his teenage daughter. Maybe it’d be nice to be noticed and appreciated as a woman, someone nice to spend time with and not bad to look at, maybe even a little sexy in the right outfit and dim lighting.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Stressful day. Overreaction. Let’s move on. What’s the favor?”
“Did you
want
to take your clothes off?” he asked seriously. “Tell me where and when and I will happily and enthusiastically join you.”
Two weeks ago she’d have fired off a sarcastic
Forty-five minutes later they appeared, Scarlet carrying a Macy’s bag, Jessie empty-handed.
“Did you find what you needed?” he asked.
Please say yes
.
“Yup,” she held up a bag he hoped contained Jessie’s new undergarments.
“This is for you.” He handed her the biggest box of chocolates he could find in the store. “Thank you for coming with us today.”
“Wow.” Scarlet took the box. “The fat cells in my thighs are vibrating with excitement in anticipation of room to expand.”
“I heard how much you and your staff like chocolate,” he said, referring to the box they’d devoured before it could be redirected to his new clerk.
“That we do.” She smiled. He liked making her smile, liked the way her smiles made him feel. “Thank you, from all of us. But in the future, you don’t need to buy me things to spend time with you and Jess. I had fun today.”
“Me, too.” Jessie hugged Scarlet.
Lewis did, too. In fact today had been the most fun he’d had in months. Even with talk of periods and bras.
When they exited Macy’s Lewis asked Scarlet, “Where are you headed from here? You want to share a cab?”
“Nah.” She held up her Metro card. “I’m going to hop a bus to the hospital. I want to stop by to visit Joey before I head home.”
“Is there a problem?”
She shook her head. “No.”
As Lewis watched Scarlet’s appealing form walk away, he realized he was sorry to see her go. And as he raised his hand to hail a cab his mind went to work on creating a reason to see her again soon.
CHAPTER FOUR
“F ANCY MEETING YOU here,” Lewis greeted Scarlet with a big handsome smile as she exited the elevator on her way to the cafeteria.
“A big coincidence indeed on account of it’s Tuesday and you now know I meet Jessie in the cafeteria on Tuesdays and Thursdays around three,” she replied, not letting her happiness at seeing him show. In an unexpected turn of events, she’d been looking forward to the next time their paths would cross. And hoping it’d be sooner rather than later.
“I walked her over.” He held up a cup of coffee. “Then I waited, hoping to see you.”
How sweet.
“I need a favor,” he said.
Not so sweet after all. She tried to walk around him.
He stepped in front of her. “For Jessie. One more and I’m done,” he promised. “Then I won’t bother you again.”
Well forget about the fun they’d had on Saturday, and the signs of a friendship forming between them—that she’d obviously misinterpreted, and the unwanted stirrings of attraction that were totally his fault. All Lewis Jackson wanted from her was help with his daughter. “Lucky me,” she said. “One more favor and you’ll bedone with me. I will have exhausted my usefulness to you, and I didn’t even have to take off my clothes.”
She pushed past him.
“Oh no you don’t.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her, rather firmly, to the quiet back hallway before releasing her. “What’s wrong?”
Scarlet adjusted her lab coat. “This must be a whopper for you to manhandle me into listening.”
“Why are you mad at me?” he asked, looking truly confused.
Because maybe it’d be nice for a man, one man, any man, to see her as more than a neighbor to get his mail while he’s out of town, or a competent professional nurse managing the NICU, or a resource for parenting his teenage daughter. Maybe it’d be nice to be noticed and appreciated as a woman, someone nice to spend time with and not bad to look at, maybe even a little sexy in the right outfit and dim lighting.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Stressful day. Overreaction. Let’s move on. What’s the favor?”
“Did you
want
to take your clothes off?” he asked seriously. “Tell me where and when and I will happily and enthusiastically join you.”
Two weeks ago she’d have fired off a sarcastic
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