Page 37 of Fierce-Zander

“Got it,” he said.

They sat through their dinner and talked about funny things in the building but never once brought up what they did or where they worked.

Zander mentioned some fictional man’s name and she played along that they were talking about a couple that should be their friends to come across as someone who wasn’t on a datebut rather they’d been together for a while in case someone was listening in on their conversation.

There were a few more texts sent back and forth between them too. Just thoughts and observations.

When the couple left before them, she started to stand. “Do we have to leave?”

“No,” he said. “No reason to draw attention to us. I’d rather talk it over now than in the parking lot.”

“A debriefing?” she asked.

“That’s a word for it. What do you think?”

“I think that they were almost like strangers and not romantically involved. Not even wanting to be romantically involved. I saw her face when I came back from the bathroom and she was paying attention to him and smiling and engaged.”

“But?” he asked.

“But it was for show. At least to me.”

“There was nothing about that conversation that led me to believe they were getting a hotel room,” he said. “We could see from the window that they each walked back to their own cars.”

“Yep,” she said. “Not even a handshake or embrace. No money exchanging, which I’d think would be the case if they were strangers and hooking up or something. Or not. I just don’t see her as someone on a dating app.”

“I’ve checked for facial recognition and I’ve found nothing.”

“You can do that?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Things I pay for.”

“Guess that is why you are so busy. You’ve got all sorts of tools.”

He smirked at her. “You haven’t seen even half of them.”

That was a flirting comment and she felt the heat in her body.

She cleared her throat and the server came over to see if they wanted coffee or dessert. “How about coffee?” she asked.

“That and dessert,” he said. “We can extend the night and not necessarily talk about work.”

“I’d like that,” she said.

They placed their orders and he said, “Give me your opinion of what you saw tonight from a clinical standpoint.”

“I’m not sure if you know or not, but I’ve heard some of my clients mention friends for hire.”

“I’ve heard of it,” he said.

“Men and women are willing to pay someone to go on a platonic date with them. Either because they don’t want to sit home alone or they are trying to work up the courage to get out there and need practice.”

“Like practicing interviewing?” he asked.

“Exactly. Is it possible that she is doing that?”

His head went back and forth. “It could make sense. Without talking to her I’d have no way of knowing, but I’ll run it by Justin and see his take on it once I play it in my head more. My guess is she is the one for hire.”

“The other thing is maybe she is going on a lot of first dates because she knows what her husband is doing and she is baiting him.”

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