Page 27 of Dreaming of You

"He said she was just a setup. They didn't know each other. I'm sure he came by to make certain I wasn't thinking of suing him."

"And…" Jessica prodded.

"And he wound up staying to share my frozen pizza. He was hungry, and it was ready. He actually turned out to be nicer than I thought. He helped me put the favors together, since my hand was swollen."

"And…" Maggie said with a laugh.

"He dropped a favor, and we both reached for it at the same time, and then we kissed. It was…amazing. Unfortunately, the cuckoo clock went off, which was like throwing a bucket of ice water on a fire. But it turned out to be a good thing, because I am way too busy for dating, and we have to share a building, and he's my landlord—"

"Stop, Kate," Maggie said. "You are making too many excuses. If the kiss was amazing, why didn't you get back to it?"

"Because my brain started working again, and I remembered all the things I just said."

"It's not like you work for him," Jessica put in.

"No, but he and I are not on the same page when it comes to love and romance. Barrett is very cynical. He's divorced. He hates weddings. He thinks big weddings lead to big marriage problems. Everything I do seems like a joke to him. I mean, seriously, there is no way we could have any kind of relationship."

"He hates weddings, but he helped you make favors?" Jessica gave her a perplexed look. "That says something—like he's interested in you."

"I don't think it says that. He was just trying to ward off a lawsuit."

"That's not even close to being true, and you know it," Maggie said.

"You like him," Jessica added, with a gleam in her eyes. "That's a good thing, Kate. You haven't liked anyone in a while."

"I think it's bad, very bad," she said with a sigh, not bothering to continue trying to deny the truth to two of her best friends.

"It's not bad," Maggie said. "When's the last time you had a boyfriend?"

"I don't know. I'm busy."

"It's not about being busy; it's about taking a risk. You like to play it safe."

"I take risks," she said defensively. "I've risked everything on my business."

"But you don't risk your heart," Jessica said, giving her an understanding smile. "And I get it. I was really battered after my first disastrous marriage. I didn't think I could ever get married again, but then I met Reid, and everything changed. I knew he was worth it. Love isn't something to be missed. You, of all people, should know that. You're the most romantic one of all of us."

"That's not really true," Maggie muttered. "About Kate being the most romantic."

"You don't think I'm romantic?" she asked in surprise.

"I think you're romantic for everyone else, but for yourself…not so much. Why don't you ask this Barrett Fox out for a drink? Thank him for helping you with the favors," Maggie continued.

"No way. I already thanked him, and I fed him pizza. That's all he gets." She picked up her menu. "Now, let's order and then we'll get down to business."

* * *

As much as she'd been reluctant to see Barrett again, Kate was a little annoyed when Wednesday came around, and she realized it had been five days since she'd seen him. She'd heard his voice a few times when he'd walked a client out the door, but that was about it. He'd made no attempt to come upstairs, and every time she'd entered the building, she'd rushed up to her office, trying not to glance at his door, trying not to think about him, trying not to wonder about the kiss she wished they'd kept going.

Pressing her fingers to her temples, she realized she'd drifted off in the middle of a meeting, but her client had been going on and on for a good ten minutes, about pretty much nothing. Jana Davis was a twenty-three-year-old spoiled rich girl, who had been referred by another one of her brides, but so far couldn't seem to find anything she liked, whether it was flowers or cakes or music. She also couldn't pick a wedding venue, even though they'd toured several locations twice already. They were getting nowhere fast, because Jana couldn't decide on anything. Her latest ramble was basically a stream of consciousness monologue about what she might want or not want.

"I just don't know if the winery in Napa is right, Kate," Jana said more loudly. "What if some people don't want to travel? But then, the Vicksham Manor is a little dark and I didn't care for their menu. My mother wants me to do it in Hawaii, but if people won't go to Napa, will they go to Maui? I don't know what to do. Tell me what I should pick."

"I can't tell you. It has to be your choice. We can go over all the pros and cons again," she said, forcing back the urge to scream in frustration. They'd already gone over that list three times.

"Maybe I should have gone with a bigger wedding planning service, one who has florists and caterers on staff."

"I can get you anything you want," she said, realizing that Jana was now taking out her frustration on her.

---