Page 18 of Single Dad's Second Chance

I didn’t have a chance to grumble about Ann. I lacked the opportunity to overthink everything with Mia. I threw myself into searching for that dancer I still couldn’t get out of my mind. I started with looking through the club, Danger, and then I followed a long thread of posts about that one woman who’d entertained many. Numerous people who'd stopped at Danger went home to praiseherand how well she’d danced.

“How can she have a mask on in every picture?” I wondered aloud when my stomach growled hours later. I’d spent all morning looking, and I found no trace of the dancer. Searching for Gina Martinez didn’t get me too far, either, but I wasn’t sure how looking into Danger’s stage manager would get me answers about the dancers themselves.

Maybe they all use stage names. For security and privacy purposes.

“Knock, knock.” Mia tapped her knuckles on my door as she pushed it open

On a sigh, I closed out all my windows and looked up at her. Then I resisted the instinct to let out another long breath at the fresh sight of her. She’d still been in her work clothes when I came home to Jason last night, but now, she looked… elegant? Beautiful as always, but overly dressy.

“Wow.” I raised my brows at her unusual outfit.

“Wow, what?” She furrowed her brow, smoothing her hand down her white skirt. It was simple and basic, hugging her sexycurves and clinging to her lean legs. But it, along with the beige top, lacked color.

“You’re so…” I stood, curious as to why she was wearing such boring clothes. She chose her outfits artistically, and I loved how she kept me wondering and guessing what she’d come to the office in next.

“So…?” She stepped back as I met her at the door.

“So boring.”

“That’s not nice.” She shoved at my shoulder, and I chuckled at her deadpanned reaction.

“And seeing you all white and drab isn’t nice, either. You feeling okay?”

She pursed her lips, looking prim, and that didn’t sit well with me. Since when was she prissy and proper?

“I’m feeling hungry,” she answered.

“Why all the drab white and neutral stuff?” I asked as we reached the elevator.

“It’s notdrab.”

“It is. No color, unlike the usual.”

She shrugged. “Just trying to fit in with the office crowd.”

I stabbed the button for the ground floor, where we both liked to have lunch at the café. “Fit in?”

Her responding groan was cute. “Fine. It’s laundry day, all right?”

I laughed, appreciating her honesty. Because the idea of Mia struggling to fit in with any crowd was laughable. She drew everyone in with her smiles and wit.

As soon as we found a table downstairs, teasing each other the whole way there about the pros and cons of drab clothes, I spotted Owen striding toward us.

“Hey, mind if I join?” he asked, pulling out a chair for himself.

I dropped into my chair. I minded, but I couldn’t say that.

“No, of course not. The more, the merrier,” Mia replied.

Do you mean that?I fell right back into the habit of analyzing every word she said. Did she not enjoy spending time with just me? I worried again about my dad’s comment, that she saw herself as just a worker in the building.

I let them catch up with small talk, but before long, Owen looked at me. “Any luck finding that dancer?”

Mia coughed, damn near choking on the sip of water she’d just taken.

Owen frowned, watching her with concern as I patted her back. “Wrong pipe?”

She nodded, her eyes watery. “Something like that.”

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