Page 56 of Courting Gossip (Courting)
‘Enough for today.’
He traced the pattern of the bedspread. ‘Show me what you’re good at. Tell me how you read people.’
She curled the laptop into her arms. ‘I don’t know how I do it. I just do.’
‘What did you think of Gunderson when you first met him?’
‘I can’t tell you that. It’s confidential.’
‘OK, what about his assistant with the bowtie? He’s not a client. Is he?’
‘You know I can’t say.’ She nibbled her lip. ‘But he’s a good guy. He likes Indian food, his favourite colour is neon green, and he’s big into bicycling. He’d attend the Kennedy Center free shows every night of the week if he could, but he suffers through sports bars instead because he likes jocks.’
‘So he’s gay.’
‘If you didn’t know that, then you’re really bad at this.’
Brody smirked. ‘I picked it up, but where did you get the green? Did he tell you?’
‘You have to pay attention to people, Brody, not just what they do. All his office supplies are neon green. So is his bike helmet. Have you not seen the bowtie?’
‘Can’t say that I have.’
‘Things like that are important to people.’
What was important to her? She valued her friends, he knew that. She was impulsive, and she dived in when trying new things. She was sharp, in brains and in personality. He looked at her nails. She despised the nine-to-five, but those were little things. He wanted to know more.
‘What about Megan?’ he asked.
‘Well, first off her name is Maggie. She’s a homebody who’s still a bit overwhelmed by DC. She’s got a strong sense of right and wrong, with not much middle ground. She doesn’t like spicy food, and she’s very close with her family.’
‘Who would you pair her up with?’
‘Samuel.’
Brody’s head snapped back. ‘Seriously?’
‘Huge case of puppy love.’
Well, he knew Gunderson didn’t see the woman other than as his Girl Friday. Thank goodness for that, although a romance with an office staffer was something that could be explained away more easily.
Than an escort…
‘OK, too easy.’ He shifted to face her and propped an elbow on the headboard. ‘What about me?’
Her green eyes danced. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Hit me.’
She put the laptop on the nightstand and scooted around to face him. The pillow at her side plumped up her breasts and made them impossible to ignore in the top she was wearing.
‘Well, you’re a breast man,’ she said casually.
His gaze snapped up to her face. From the press of her nipples against that thin fabric, she liked that about him.
She grinned, not the least bit self-conscious. ‘Actually, you’re tough to read. You want everyone to think you’re a badass. You pretend you don’t have feelings, but I’ve begun to suspect you do. It’s a still-waters-run-deep kind of thing.’
He nodded.
