Page 57 of Partner Pursuit
“Yes. You’re telling me. I’m still shattered from being up last night dealing with thethrow-upcrisis. I was just about to go tobed.”
“How is everybody?”
“All good by the morning. Just up all night. We allslept in.”
She grabbed two beers from her refrigerator and the tinfoil. She came back down and put the tinfoil over the nozzle, reinforcing it with a rubberband.
He suggested they drink the beers in the garden. A frisson of anticipation zipped through her. They walked outside and settled into the two lounge chairs. Biscuit followed and climbed onto the bottom of Jake’s chair to rest athisfeet.
“It’s a pity we can’t see any stars,” he said. The night sky was cloudy.
“Just the lights of other lives in the windows—far more interesting than stars.”
“Spoken like a true New Yorker,” he said. “Looking up at stars with the right person is good too, though.”
“How do you know you’ve met the right person?”
“I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out. I do have my top five questions.”
“Really? What are those?” she asked, turning her head to look at him. He was shadowed inthedusk.
“Do you want to know all mysecrets?”
“Only the good ones,” she said. The lights of thenext-doorapartment came on, casting a warm glow over their chairs, illuminating their faces.
“Well, what if you wanted to get to know someone and you only had five questions—what wouldyouask?”
She bit her lip. “Difficult. Top five favorite books?”
“Yes. Here’s another: five favorite countries to travel to or what five countries would you like to travel to?”
“You asked me that one.” A zip of hope buoyed her.Was Jake vettingher?
“So I did. I also have to ask about musical taste and pets, because those could bedeal-breakersfor me. And then the fifth question is, what is your perfectday?”
“If they’re from New York, I always ask what high school they went to, but I don’t want that to be one of mytopfive.”
“All right, you’ve three more questions—what would you ask?”he asked.
“Children—but I’d never straight up ask.” An apartment lightwentout.
“Yes, it’s easier for me to ask if she likes dogs, because I can sleuth it out when I bring up Biscuit. And I can sleuth out kids when she meets my sister’s kids.” He petted Biscuit.
Her pulse quickened. Had there been an ulterior motive behind thedrop-offdate? “Does your sister know you’re using her kidsasbait?”
“She suggested it. She’d be pissed at me if I didn’t have kids and dogs as deal breakers. You havetwomore.”
“I’m stealing yours: perfect day.” The night air was invigorating, heightening her senses. Off in the distance, the slight hum of nighttime traffic buzzed. “And then my fifth is tell me about yourfriends.”
“Good one. I’m still keeping musical taste. I’ll probably meet herfriends.”
“I thought you’d borrow their iPhone to check out their music, as you did at my apartment.”
“As I did indeed.” He smiled. Their glancesmet.
“And did Ipass?”
“You passed, but we can expand your repertoire from dance parties. But the main thing is nottofail.”
