his watch. He didn’t feel like chatting, but didn’t want to be impolite, either. And there was the whole gender-bender thing that made him slightly uncomfortable, but eager not to offend. Ben tried to smile. “Well, um, I know we’re in the same film class, but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”
“You’re Ben Sturges. I made it a point to find that out three weeks ago when you started the class. I said to myself, Dede, you are going to get the name of that gorgeous man with the blue eyes and the wavy blond hair.” She snapped her fingers. “And, child, I knew your name by the end of the break that first day.”
“Well, that’s very flattering, thanks, um, Dede.” Ben looked back over his shoulder at the door.
“Dede Liscious,” she said, patting his shoulder with her man-sized hand. “But what do you care, Ben? You only have eyes for Miss Hannah, the ice-queen blonde. Am I right?”
Ben gave her a wary grin.
“Oh, I saw you try, try, and try again with Miss Thing last night. And I couldn’t help overhearing just now. Why do you want that girl’s digits? She’s not buying or selling, honey. The market is closed. Hannah is the teacher’s property.”
Eyes narrowed, Ben stared at her.
She nodded, then placed her hand on her chest. “It’s been going on for a few weeks now, ever since she started class.”
“Well, you certainly know a lot,” Ben said, with a forced laugh. “Um, you don’t happen to know Hannah’s phone number, do you?”
She smiled. “No, Ben, but I can tell you where she works. If you want your heart stomped on by an ice queen, that’s your business. You can call Hannah at Emerald City Video. You can call her, Ben. But she won’t call you back.”
“Is Hannah working today?” Ben asked.
There were only a couple of customers in the video store. Behind the counter was a petite young woman with long, curly blond hair. She gave Ben a little flirtatious pout. “Hannah called in sick today.”
“Sorry to hear that,” he said. “Do you know if she’ll be in tomorrow?”
The woman shrugged, and flicked her hair. “Not until Monday.”
“Oh, she’s that sick, huh?”
“No, she has weekends off. She’s probably okay. Often when Hannah calls in sick, it’s actually because her little boy isn’t feeling well or something.”
Ben nodded. “Oh, yeah. It’s been a while. How old is he now?”
“Four, I think. She brings him in the store every once in a while.”
“Have you ever met the father?” Ben asked.
“No,” she whispered. “Hannah never talks about him. Did you know him?”
Ben shook his head.
“I think he died a couple of years ago,” the young woman said.
“Oh,” Ben said. “Well, I guess Paul comes in here quite a lot.”
She frowned. “Paul?”
“Paul Gulletti. Isn’t he kind of seeing her?”
The clerk laughed. “That’s news to me. I don’t think Hannah’s dating anybody.”
“Really? Huh,” Ben said, raising his eyebrows. Then he smiled at her and casually leaned on the counter. “Listen, it’s been forever since I’ve seen her. You don’t happen to have Hannah’s phone number, do you?”
“My coworker probably has it. Want to hold on for a sec?”
“Thanks.” Ben watched her retreat to the back room.
The young woman glanced over her shoulder and gave him a big smile. She opened the door to the break room, where Scott sat at the desk, labeling a new shipment of videos.
He looked up from his work and squinted at her. “Cheryl, who were you talking to out there?” he whispered.
“I think he might be an old boyfriend of Hannah’s or something. He was asking about her—”
“Yeah, I heard. I was about to come out there. Listen, Cheryl, I don’t think Hannah would be especially thrilled that you’re telling strangers all about her personal life. Is he a customer? Did you get his name?”
Cheryl frowned. “God, do I have to get, like, a security check on somebody just because he asks a couple of
“You’re Ben Sturges. I made it a point to find that out three weeks ago when you started the class. I said to myself, Dede, you are going to get the name of that gorgeous man with the blue eyes and the wavy blond hair.” She snapped her fingers. “And, child, I knew your name by the end of the break that first day.”
“Well, that’s very flattering, thanks, um, Dede.” Ben looked back over his shoulder at the door.
“Dede Liscious,” she said, patting his shoulder with her man-sized hand. “But what do you care, Ben? You only have eyes for Miss Hannah, the ice-queen blonde. Am I right?”
Ben gave her a wary grin.
“Oh, I saw you try, try, and try again with Miss Thing last night. And I couldn’t help overhearing just now. Why do you want that girl’s digits? She’s not buying or selling, honey. The market is closed. Hannah is the teacher’s property.”
Eyes narrowed, Ben stared at her.
She nodded, then placed her hand on her chest. “It’s been going on for a few weeks now, ever since she started class.”
“Well, you certainly know a lot,” Ben said, with a forced laugh. “Um, you don’t happen to know Hannah’s phone number, do you?”
She smiled. “No, Ben, but I can tell you where she works. If you want your heart stomped on by an ice queen, that’s your business. You can call Hannah at Emerald City Video. You can call her, Ben. But she won’t call you back.”
“Is Hannah working today?” Ben asked.
There were only a couple of customers in the video store. Behind the counter was a petite young woman with long, curly blond hair. She gave Ben a little flirtatious pout. “Hannah called in sick today.”
“Sorry to hear that,” he said. “Do you know if she’ll be in tomorrow?”
The woman shrugged, and flicked her hair. “Not until Monday.”
“Oh, she’s that sick, huh?”
“No, she has weekends off. She’s probably okay. Often when Hannah calls in sick, it’s actually because her little boy isn’t feeling well or something.”
Ben nodded. “Oh, yeah. It’s been a while. How old is he now?”
“Four, I think. She brings him in the store every once in a while.”
“Have you ever met the father?” Ben asked.
“No,” she whispered. “Hannah never talks about him. Did you know him?”
Ben shook his head.
“I think he died a couple of years ago,” the young woman said.
“Oh,” Ben said. “Well, I guess Paul comes in here quite a lot.”
She frowned. “Paul?”
“Paul Gulletti. Isn’t he kind of seeing her?”
The clerk laughed. “That’s news to me. I don’t think Hannah’s dating anybody.”
“Really? Huh,” Ben said, raising his eyebrows. Then he smiled at her and casually leaned on the counter. “Listen, it’s been forever since I’ve seen her. You don’t happen to have Hannah’s phone number, do you?”
“My coworker probably has it. Want to hold on for a sec?”
“Thanks.” Ben watched her retreat to the back room.
The young woman glanced over her shoulder and gave him a big smile. She opened the door to the break room, where Scott sat at the desk, labeling a new shipment of videos.
He looked up from his work and squinted at her. “Cheryl, who were you talking to out there?” he whispered.
“I think he might be an old boyfriend of Hannah’s or something. He was asking about her—”
“Yeah, I heard. I was about to come out there. Listen, Cheryl, I don’t think Hannah would be especially thrilled that you’re telling strangers all about her personal life. Is he a customer? Did you get his name?”
Cheryl frowned. “God, do I have to get, like, a security check on somebody just because he asks a couple of
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