sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you. So I called a cab, picked up my car, and went home.”
Kate felt a twinge of guilt, especially since Barbara had been so accommodating. She made her way to her car. It was a clear, bright morning, and she hoped the weather was a good sign. Her meeting with Adam at the gym this afternoon was looming closer, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.
“Well, I must say I think you made quite an impression on Adam Tyler,” Barbara began dryly. “I’m staring at two dozen long-stemmed roses sitting on my table.”
Kate stopped in her tracks. “He sent me flowers?”
“Uh huh. And a card. Want me to read it to you?”
Kate pictured the smug grin on her sister’s face and squeezed her eyes shut. Adam had sent her flowers! She couldn’t ignore the pleasure flowing through her. But why did he send her flowers? God, she was confused. She didn’t know what to feel. Elated, nervous, suspicious.
“Read it to me,” she said, trying to keep the flutters in her stomach under control.
“Let’s start over. 555-1256. Your friend, Adam.”
Her hand trembled as she opened her car door. “I’ll…I’ll pick them up when I have a chance.”
“Kate, what happened last night? And why did he sign the card as your friend ?”
“Nothing happened. I told him we should just be friends.”
There was a long pause before Barbara spoke. “Kate, friends don’t send each other two dozen long-stemmed roses. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing,” she replied tautly. She wasn’t ready for the third degree she knew was coming from her sister. “Look, I have to go. You know I don’t like to drive and talk on my cell at the same time.”
“Then don’t drive.” Barbara made an exasperated sound. “Aren’t you even going to call him to thank him?”
Kate shut her door and leaned her head back on the head rest. “No, maybe. I…I don’t know.”
“I’ve never known you as someone who lacked manners.”
Kate sighed as she started the car. “Barb, it wasn’t a real date, remember? It was pretend. I’m really sorry, but I have to go now.”
“What are you doing today?” her sister asked suspiciously.
“Nothing. I’m going out later.”
“You never go out. Oh my God! You’re going to meet him as the bad girl, as Katrina, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I’m hanging up now, Barb.”
“Fine,” her younger sister snapped, “but I warn you, if you don’t come clean with him soon, I’m bringing in the reinforcements.”
Kate groaned, trying to ignore the alarm her sister’s words invoked. “If you tell mom or Gail any of this, I swear I’ll never speak to you again.”
“Fine. And you can forget about my help with your Katrina disguise. I refuse to take any more part in this.”
As Kate drove home, she thought about what her sister said and admitted Barbara was right. Kate should end the research and explore her feelings for Adam and his feelings for her, but Barbara didn’t have all the facts.
For one, Adam was every woman’s dream. And two, Kate wasn’t every woman. She was scared. Worse, she didn’t know if she was even capable of intimacy with a man after what she had experienced with Simon. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adam was different.
Before she met him, she had wanted to analyze his reaction with her two personas. Now, she just wanted to analyze the man. So much about him interested her, but it was all moot in her eyes now.
The gloom she felt settling in her heart dimmed the brightness of the sunny morning.
He said he wanted honesty first and foremost. She knew he would never forgive her if she told him he had been an experiment.
Kate realized she would never know more about him. His struggles to survive with an eight-year-old sister after his parents died. His will to overcome his challenges. His cynicism toward marriage and love. His driving need to succeed.
Kate would never know more about him because after
Kate felt a twinge of guilt, especially since Barbara had been so accommodating. She made her way to her car. It was a clear, bright morning, and she hoped the weather was a good sign. Her meeting with Adam at the gym this afternoon was looming closer, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.
“Well, I must say I think you made quite an impression on Adam Tyler,” Barbara began dryly. “I’m staring at two dozen long-stemmed roses sitting on my table.”
Kate stopped in her tracks. “He sent me flowers?”
“Uh huh. And a card. Want me to read it to you?”
Kate pictured the smug grin on her sister’s face and squeezed her eyes shut. Adam had sent her flowers! She couldn’t ignore the pleasure flowing through her. But why did he send her flowers? God, she was confused. She didn’t know what to feel. Elated, nervous, suspicious.
“Read it to me,” she said, trying to keep the flutters in her stomach under control.
“Let’s start over. 555-1256. Your friend, Adam.”
Her hand trembled as she opened her car door. “I’ll…I’ll pick them up when I have a chance.”
“Kate, what happened last night? And why did he sign the card as your friend ?”
“Nothing happened. I told him we should just be friends.”
There was a long pause before Barbara spoke. “Kate, friends don’t send each other two dozen long-stemmed roses. What are you going to do?”
“Nothing,” she replied tautly. She wasn’t ready for the third degree she knew was coming from her sister. “Look, I have to go. You know I don’t like to drive and talk on my cell at the same time.”
“Then don’t drive.” Barbara made an exasperated sound. “Aren’t you even going to call him to thank him?”
Kate shut her door and leaned her head back on the head rest. “No, maybe. I…I don’t know.”
“I’ve never known you as someone who lacked manners.”
Kate sighed as she started the car. “Barb, it wasn’t a real date, remember? It was pretend. I’m really sorry, but I have to go now.”
“What are you doing today?” her sister asked suspiciously.
“Nothing. I’m going out later.”
“You never go out. Oh my God! You’re going to meet him as the bad girl, as Katrina, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I’m hanging up now, Barb.”
“Fine,” her younger sister snapped, “but I warn you, if you don’t come clean with him soon, I’m bringing in the reinforcements.”
Kate groaned, trying to ignore the alarm her sister’s words invoked. “If you tell mom or Gail any of this, I swear I’ll never speak to you again.”
“Fine. And you can forget about my help with your Katrina disguise. I refuse to take any more part in this.”
As Kate drove home, she thought about what her sister said and admitted Barbara was right. Kate should end the research and explore her feelings for Adam and his feelings for her, but Barbara didn’t have all the facts.
For one, Adam was every woman’s dream. And two, Kate wasn’t every woman. She was scared. Worse, she didn’t know if she was even capable of intimacy with a man after what she had experienced with Simon. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adam was different.
Before she met him, she had wanted to analyze his reaction with her two personas. Now, she just wanted to analyze the man. So much about him interested her, but it was all moot in her eyes now.
The gloom she felt settling in her heart dimmed the brightness of the sunny morning.
He said he wanted honesty first and foremost. She knew he would never forgive her if she told him he had been an experiment.
Kate realized she would never know more about him. His struggles to survive with an eight-year-old sister after his parents died. His will to overcome his challenges. His cynicism toward marriage and love. His driving need to succeed.
Kate would never know more about him because after
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