Page 18 of Trouble Walked In

“Still not helping,” Renic grumbled. “Focus, please.”

Morgan tapped something like a pen against something wood, like his desk.”You could dress up like a ninja and sneak in through the back door. Oh, or maybe you could hire a messenger to deliver a basket of flowers with a note that says ‘Please come back.’”

“You’re enjoying this.” Renic glared at the steering wheel.

“I kind of am, yes.” Morgan’s voice bubbled with laughter. “You’re normally Mr. Smooth. You could sell ice in the Arctic, and sand in the desert. But all of a sudden you’ve lost your silver tongue. I wonder why. Let me think.”

“I have no idea what you’re trying to say.” He should hang up now.

“I’m saying Lizzie Bellamy looked at you funny, and now you’re all tongue-tied.” A chair squeaked in the background. “It’s kinda cute, actually. I always thought you two had potential.”

A bird landed on the hood of his car and stared at him with judgmental eyes. “Potential…as what? Sparring partners?”

“You two were a half step away from being a thing before everything blew up.”

“We were never a thing. She was married, remember?”

“Marriage doesn’t stop people from falling in love. Just ask her ex-husband. Damn, that man was hot. Shame he was such an ass.”

“Could you focus, please?” The bird gave him a disapproving look and flitted away, but not before it left a load of creamy white crap on his hood. “How am I going to get back in to talk with Della?”

“The two magic words to get any woman to listen to you are ‘I’m’ and ‘sorry.’ Try using them in a sentence.”

Renic frowned. “You think I should apologize. For what, exactly?”

“Doesn’t matter. Get a box of cupcakes, get back in there, and say ‘I’m sorry.’ Be serious when you say it. Girls like that.”

He shook his head, even though they weren’t on video chat and she couldn’t see him. “There’s no way she’s going to buy that, Morgan. She hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you. She’s mad at you, and anger implies passion, and passion, as you know, implies that someonecares. You can definitely work with that.”

“She called me Darth Renic.”

Morgan laughed. “I always did like her. Seriously, you two are well matched.”

“You know, you’re supposed to be on my side. I mean, I’m the one who signs your checks.” He could picture Morgan in the office, spinning her chair around while she teased him.

“Oh, I’m on your side, boss. I’m tickled to watch the master at work. You know, this would all be a hell of a lot easier if you just told her you like her.”

Renic drew the phone back and stared at it. “Who, Della? She’s like a sister to me. I don’t get how that’s going to help.”

“No, you twit. Not Della. Lizzie.”

“I don’t…it’s not like that. I haven’t seen her in years, and she accused me of bullying Della into going solo.”

“You never told her, did you.” Morgan muttered something he didn’t quite hear. “You’re an idiot.”

“She made up her mind about me a long time ago. Telling her Della demanded to go solo and I tried to talk her out of it won’t change that.”

“Damn, men can be so stupid sometimes. Don’t you get it? She thinks youmadeDella do it. She blames you.” Morgansighed the over exaggerated sound of long-suffering assistants everywhere. “You have to tell her. You won’t get past all this until you do. If you don’t get Lizzie on your side, there’s no way you’re getting Della back. You need her, Renic.”

He blew out a breath but said nothing.

“Besides, I bet the makeup sex will be epic.” Morgan whistled like a construction worker.

“Just stop, will you?”

She laughed.

---