Page 59 of Family Jewels

“So she’s going to be okay?” Neely Kate asked, perching on the edge of my desk.

“She has to take an anti-inflammatory, but other than that, he says she just needs some rest.”

“Okay,” she said, her face lighting up again. “Now get to the good stuff.”

Bruce Wayne looked confused, but she waved him off and gave me her full attention.

I sat in my chair, then spun to face her. “Did you know that women have been buying and adopting pets for the sole purpose of meeting Dr. Romano?”

Bruce Wayne’s jaw dropped, and he studied me with renewed interest, ignoring his now-ringing phone for a few beats before he answered it.

“And why does this surprise you?” Neely Kate asked. “Think of all the women who brought Mason baked goods back when he was in the running for most eligible bachelor.” Her eyes filled with horror as soon as she realized what she’d said. We had an unspoken rule between us—both of us tried to avoid saying the name of the other’s ex. “Oh, Rose. I’m sorry.”

Shaking my head, I gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay. It happened. It’s true.”

She cast a glance to Bruce Wayne to make sure he was engrossed in his call before she lowered her voice. “Do you still miss him?”

“Mason?” I paused, trying to come up with the right words. “I think I still love him, but I’m used to him being gone.” I tilted my head. “Does that make any sense?”

“I think it makes perfect sense.”

I wondered if she felt the same way about Ronnie, but on the rare occasions when she did talk about him, she insisted that while she’d loved Ronnie, she hadn’t been in love with him. Maybe it was different for her.

“Now tell me what happened,” she said. “That pink dress does wonderful things for your complexion, and he was sure to notice.”

“You didn’t tell me that before I left,” I said with a frown.

“That’s because I knew you’d change. What happened?”

My face flushed. “He flirted with me.”

“Of course he did. He’s not blind. What else happened?”

I decided to make her wait for it. “I had a vision.”

“Of what?”

“One of Dr. Romano’s patients. Actually, the patient’s owner. She only adopted a cat so she’d have an excuse to come see him. Then she started unbuttoning her dress in the exam room.”

“What?” Neely Kate said, her brows shooting up. “What did you blurt out?”

“That a woman was going to show him her crystal-covered bra.”

I realized Bruce Wayne had ended his call, and judging from his red-tipped ears, he’d heard my last words loud and clear.

She put a hand on her chest. “Oh, no.”

“Then the receptionist walked in and told him his next appointment had arrived.”

“So that was it?” she asked, sounding disappointed.

“No,” I said, reaching over to switch on my computer. “He asked me out to dinner tonight.”

“Please tell me you accepted,” she begged.

I looked up at her. “He’s picking me up here at six.”

Neely Kate let out an ear-piercing squeal.

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