Page 26 of Dreaming of You

Chapter Six

"And then I toppled down the stairs, jamming and spraining my fingers in the process." Kate extended her hand for Maggie and Jessica to inspect. Her middle two fingers were in a splint. She'd stopped by the ER just past eight to get an X-ray, but luckily nothing was broken.

After that, she'd crammed in visits to a wedding caterer and a photographer before meeting up with Jessica and Maggie for a late lunch on Chestnut Street in the Marina.

"That looks painful," Maggie said.

"It's better today."

"I can't believe you had to show a bride how to walk down a staircase in a hoop skirt," Jessica said with a laugh. "There is no limit to what you will do to make someone happy. You really go above and beyond, Kate."

"It wasn't my best idea." She paused as the waitress set down three glasses of iced tea. "But despite my hand, I did manage to get your favors done."

"How on earth did you do that?" Maggie asked, her bright-blue eyes curious.

"Well, I had a little help."

"From Shari?"

"No." She suddenly realized that her funny story was going to lead to a lot of questions.

"Then who?" Jessica asked.

"Just a friend. I mean, not really a friend, but someone who helped."

"Okay, that sounds like a story," Jessica said, a curious gleam in her eyes. "Why are you being so vague?"

"Because the two of you are going to jump to conclusions."

"Like sexy conclusions?" Maggie asked.

"Was it a man?" Jessica added.

"It was a man. But it wasn't sexy. Well, it was kind of sexy. But nothing happened. Well, something almost happened, but it didn't."

Maggie laughed. "Kate, I haven't seen you this befuddled since you kissed Dax Holmes in our junior year of college."

Her face reddened at that memory. "Don't remind me. I thought Dax was trying to kiss me, but he was just leaning over to help me with my seat belt, which was stuck in the door. I thought he was making a move. It was so embarrassing. He had only asked me out because he wanted me to tutor him in math. He had the hots for that cheerleader, Dee Powell."

"You were way too good for Dax," Maggie said.

"Did you embarrass yourself last night, too?" Jessica asked. "Come on, spill."

She sighed, realizing she'd gone too far to backtrack. "Fine. When I fell down the stairs, I landed at the feet of my new landlord and fellow tenant, Barrett Fox. He was wearing a tuxedo and he was with a beautiful blonde. They were on their way to the Winter Ball. They looked glamorous, and I looked like an idiot."

"Wait, Barrett Fox as in Fox Management?" Maggie asked. "His father stayed at the Stratton a few years ago, but he was with a young wife. I doubt that was Barrett's mother."

"Barrett said his father has been married a couple of times."

"Well, that family is loaded. They took our best suite."

"Barrett is part of the family but not in the family business. He's a lawyer, and not just any lawyer—a divorce attorney. We've been battling it out since he moved in, because his clients and my clients are on the opposite ends of bridal bliss," she said.

"Get back to what happened last night," Maggie urged.

"Barrett was concerned about me after my fall, so he stopped by my apartment after he left the ball."

"What happened to the beautiful blonde?" Maggie asked.

---