flirting with the bartender to do his job.”
Joe half rose and waved, and the faux-hawked twenty-something finally acknowledged that he’d seen Joe. He still took a moment to finish whatever he’d been telling the strawberry blonde working the bar. Joe was indignant. “This guy is getting no tip from me,” he informed Beth in a low tone as the waiter zigzagged his way to their booth.
“Now, Joe—”
“Have you two decided?”
“Yes. Quite. Beth, what would you like?”
Beth flipped the menu open and pointed. “I’ll have the soup and salad special with a diet Coke.”
Joe gave her a quick scolding look before turning his attention back to the waiter. “I’ll have a grilled chicken sandwich and fries.”
“Will that be all?”
“Yes.”
The waiter turned to go, and Joe leaned forward. “You did read the info I sent you on the link between colas and dialysis.”
Beth blinked. “I did, Joe, and I promise I’ll cut back—I have cut back. I just need to find something I like equally well to take its place.”
Joe wasn’t really satisfied with that answer but decided to let it go. He reached over and took her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. “Now what were we talking about. Oh yeah, seeing you less often. I don’t suppose it can be helped, but I’ll get up here a couple times a week anyway.”
“What if I moved to Colorado Springs?” Beth asked with a lift of her brows then bit her lip.
“You have a great deal on that apartment. I doubt you’ll find something that cheap in the Springs that isn’t a falling down rat trap. I still don’t know why the rent is so low at your place.”
“I know, but—”
“And then there’s school. Aren’t you already enrolled for the spring semester at the university?”
“Yes, but I’m sure my credits would transfer. And anyway, I don’t think I’m—” She cut off and took a long drink of her water.
Joe squeezed her hand. “You don’t think you’re what?”
Beth looked reticent. “I really didn’t want to bring this up today, but if I go back to school, it won’t be in accounting, anyway. I think I’ll take some art classes—expand on what I’m good at.”
Joe released her hand and sat back in his seat. “You did turn in your project, didn’t you?”
Beth nodded. “Yes. And I don’t think I did so badly on it that I’ll flunk, but that project showed me something, Joe. It showed me that I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”
“So you don’t want to work with me.”
“Oh, Joe, I wouldn’t really be working with you, and you know it. You’d be out on a job site, and I’d be stuck in an office somewhere with numbers bouncing in my brain until I want to scream.”
Joe sighed. Women. Do any of them have a practical bone in their bodies?
***
Mari stood at the side of her small living room in a plum sweater and jeans, biting a hangnail as Eli wandered around her space. He’d changed into jeans and a black t-shirt and still managed to look sharp, confident, and sexy. If he doesn’t say something soon, I’m going to burst.
She had asked him to give her a couple of hours before coming over, and she had used that time to not only shower, dress, and put on make-up, but she also hung up some modern art prints and stashed the remaining boxes in her small garage.
He had shown up with a pizza in hand, and they had chatted through lunch at her tiny kitchen table, with Eli covertly checking out her space. After the last piece was eaten, he pulled out a notebook and pen and announced that now he had to get down to serious business. Mari knew he was kidding, but she hadn’t pulled any punches in her assessment of Eli’s room, and she didn’t expect him to pull any here either. It was a game that she had started, but one she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to finish. My life has been evaluated far too much lately.
Eli was playing the part to the hilt—looking at her living arrangement
Joe half rose and waved, and the faux-hawked twenty-something finally acknowledged that he’d seen Joe. He still took a moment to finish whatever he’d been telling the strawberry blonde working the bar. Joe was indignant. “This guy is getting no tip from me,” he informed Beth in a low tone as the waiter zigzagged his way to their booth.
“Now, Joe—”
“Have you two decided?”
“Yes. Quite. Beth, what would you like?”
Beth flipped the menu open and pointed. “I’ll have the soup and salad special with a diet Coke.”
Joe gave her a quick scolding look before turning his attention back to the waiter. “I’ll have a grilled chicken sandwich and fries.”
“Will that be all?”
“Yes.”
The waiter turned to go, and Joe leaned forward. “You did read the info I sent you on the link between colas and dialysis.”
Beth blinked. “I did, Joe, and I promise I’ll cut back—I have cut back. I just need to find something I like equally well to take its place.”
Joe wasn’t really satisfied with that answer but decided to let it go. He reached over and took her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. “Now what were we talking about. Oh yeah, seeing you less often. I don’t suppose it can be helped, but I’ll get up here a couple times a week anyway.”
“What if I moved to Colorado Springs?” Beth asked with a lift of her brows then bit her lip.
“You have a great deal on that apartment. I doubt you’ll find something that cheap in the Springs that isn’t a falling down rat trap. I still don’t know why the rent is so low at your place.”
“I know, but—”
“And then there’s school. Aren’t you already enrolled for the spring semester at the university?”
“Yes, but I’m sure my credits would transfer. And anyway, I don’t think I’m—” She cut off and took a long drink of her water.
Joe squeezed her hand. “You don’t think you’re what?”
Beth looked reticent. “I really didn’t want to bring this up today, but if I go back to school, it won’t be in accounting, anyway. I think I’ll take some art classes—expand on what I’m good at.”
Joe released her hand and sat back in his seat. “You did turn in your project, didn’t you?”
Beth nodded. “Yes. And I don’t think I did so badly on it that I’ll flunk, but that project showed me something, Joe. It showed me that I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”
“So you don’t want to work with me.”
“Oh, Joe, I wouldn’t really be working with you, and you know it. You’d be out on a job site, and I’d be stuck in an office somewhere with numbers bouncing in my brain until I want to scream.”
Joe sighed. Women. Do any of them have a practical bone in their bodies?
***
Mari stood at the side of her small living room in a plum sweater and jeans, biting a hangnail as Eli wandered around her space. He’d changed into jeans and a black t-shirt and still managed to look sharp, confident, and sexy. If he doesn’t say something soon, I’m going to burst.
She had asked him to give her a couple of hours before coming over, and she had used that time to not only shower, dress, and put on make-up, but she also hung up some modern art prints and stashed the remaining boxes in her small garage.
He had shown up with a pizza in hand, and they had chatted through lunch at her tiny kitchen table, with Eli covertly checking out her space. After the last piece was eaten, he pulled out a notebook and pen and announced that now he had to get down to serious business. Mari knew he was kidding, but she hadn’t pulled any punches in her assessment of Eli’s room, and she didn’t expect him to pull any here either. It was a game that she had started, but one she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to finish. My life has been evaluated far too much lately.
Eli was playing the part to the hilt—looking at her living arrangement
Similar Books
