Page 24 of Friends With Benefits

He nodded and they got back in the SUV. “Did you have lunch?” he asked, pulling out into traffic.

“Um…” He was going to offer to take her for lunch, and for the first time in her life, she didn’t want to have lunch with him. Squirmy and restless, all she wanted was to get back to her studio and retreat into meditation. She was so aware of him, big and muscular in the seat beside her in the vehicle, taking up all the space and, it felt like, all the oxygen. He’d turned back the cuffs of his dress shirt to expose his strong, lean wrists, lightly covered with dark gold hair, his fingers long and firm on the steering wheel.

She swallowed. “Um, yeah, I did,” she lied. “I’d better get back.”

She sensed him glancing sideways at her, but he said nothing and drove straight back to the studio, dropping her off out front.

“Thanks for the help. I’m clueless when it comes to shit like that.”

She forced a smile. “I know, but you can’t help it. You’re a guy.”

He smiled back, his smile, too, looking a little unnatural. “So I’ll see you Friday after work.”

“Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that. Great. See you then.”

She jumped out of the SUV and waved as she ran lightly up the front steps, not waiting to watch him drive away. Once inside, she sagged against the door, but straightened immediately when a customer walked out of the waiting area.

She scurried into her office, dropped her purse on the floor and sank into her chair, burying her face in her hands.

Nothing was supposed to change. The big stupid idiot. This was all his fault. Why the hell did he have to kiss her like that and mess everything up? Now, everything had changed.

She worked herself into a good frenzy of anger against Mitch, then finally sat down in her calm oasis in the corner of the room and resumed her yogic breathing.

An hour later, she went to find Sela. She hadn’t said anything about the statue and plants and candles Kerri had put in the reception and waiting areas. Maybe she liked them.

“So have you thought any more about my ideas for the waiting room?” Kerri asked her sister.

“No. I actually forgot. But I thought I told you, it looks fine. We don’t need to spend any more money, that’s for sure.” She grimaced.

Sela had had a lot of expenses because of this move, and now she was going all out for their grand opening party.

“It wouldn’t cost a lot,” Kerri told her. “We just need a little water fountain, and I could pick up some different herbal teas that we could serve. I think a couple of lamps would help too. It would soften the light. Improve the energy flow. It will be good for business.” She had to appeal to the bottom line to get to Sela.

“Energy flow!” Sela snorted. “Come on, Kerri. Nobody cares about energy flow.”

Kerri sighed. “Youshouldcare.” She flipped her hair back. “If your customers feel the harmony, the life energy, they’ll want to come back. They’ll tell other people. It will happen, believe me.”

Sela just laughed. “Go on,” she said, not unkindly. “Go do your classes or whatever. I have to call the caterer with some last details about the food for the party.”

Kerri paused, wanting to say more, but Sela had already turned away, on some other pressing mission. Damn. She had good ideas, she knew it, and she believed in the flow of energy, harmonizing mind, body, spirit. She’d just have to concentrate on her own little world and do her best with that.

Chapter Ten

Friday afternoon was not when Mitch would have chosen to meet with Mariah Sinclair. Christie had done what she could to find another time, but Ms. Sinclair was not exactly accommodating. Not to mention, she was extremely displeased about having to come in and see her lawyer yet again about a custody agreement she thought had been settled months ago, after long and acrimonious battles in court.

“Bob is requesting that we alter the agreement. I believe it’s a one-time thing,” Mitch explained. “He knows this year is not his year to have Cassandra for her birthday or Christmas, but he’s making a special request to alter the agreement.”

She stared at him coldly. “No.”

He sighed inwardly. “I know there’s no reason that you have to do this.” He leaned forward. “But I believe he does have reasons for making the request. I’m not privy to the details, but I’ve been asked to take the request to you for consideration. I just ask that you do consider it.”

“No,” she said again. Her eyes were hard. “That asshole has no right to ask this now. After what he did. And what we went through.” She closed her eyes briefly. “I can’t believe he’s doing this, actually. He’s probably just trying to torment me. Well, it won’t work. I’m saying no, and that’s it.”

Mitch looked at her. “They’ll probably take it to court if he wants it badly enough. Do you want to go through that again?”

She returned his look. “Of course not. But you know what to do. Cassandra’s birthday is only a month away. You can easily stall things longer than that.”

Mitch’s gut tightened. He knew what she was asking him to do. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, but he nodded. “I’ll let you know the outcome of my discussion with Bob’s counsel,” he said, his voice a bit rough, and the meeting was over.

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