Page 31 of Good at Being Bad (Rock Canyon, Idaho 8)

“I think you’re reading a lot into someone you hardly know.”

“It’s after your business hours, which she knows. Just let it go to voicemail.”

“She could be into me, too,” Mike said, pausing. “Come on, she was hot.”

“All the more reason not to answer. Are you forgetting my whole thing about playing hard to get?” When he still seemed skeptical, she threw up her hands. “Fine, don’t listen to me. You go out with her, but don’t come crying to me when she introduces you to her mother over the phone.”

Ignoring her, Mike slid his thumb over the screen before she could stop him and answered. “Hello.”

Ellie could hear a high-pitched voice and drew closer so she could hear. Mike moved away from her. “No, it’s fine. I’m glad you called.”

Ellie wanted to gag and when he looked her way, she crossed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks as if she was trying not to puke. He glared at her. “Sure, I can come by the space tomorrow. How is one? I’ll bring lunch.”

Did he not hear a single thing she’d said? He had completely lost control of the situation.

“Sure, I’ll pick you up. Just text me your address. Yeah. Me, too. Bye.”

Mike hung up. “Well, that was easy. See, you’re already helping.”

“Except you took my advice and tossed it out the window. What happened to taking control? You just made yourself so available, you might as well have written your name and number on a bathroom wall.”

“It’s a business meeting—”

“You just offered to bring your boss lunch.”

“Okay, I see your point, but I can do all that other stuff you said, and besides, I still need you to come over and give me a fabulous makeover.”

She rolled her eyes at his mocking falsetto tone. She wanted to be irritated, but he was so damn charming. “You are such a dork.”

“That’s what they tell me.”

Chapter Ten

The next day, Mike placed a shallow plate of puppy gruel in Smalls’s playpen, a wire circle he’d asked Gracie to pick up for him. The little piglet rushed the food, making slurping sounds as he ate.

Mike laughed as he grabbed his keys off the desk. “Okay, little dude. I’m going to a lunch meeting and will be back in an hour. Eat, sleep, and if you need to use the puddle pads, that’s cool. Try not to get too messy.”

The puppy lifted his head, licking his mouth where a gruel beard adorned his face, and Mike laughed.

“I guess it’s too late for that, huh?”

Smalls dived back into his meal and Mike pulled the blinds. After he grabbed his helmet, he snuck out the door quietly and locked it. Hopefully, Smalls wouldn’t start squealing when he realized Mike was gone. The puppy became apprehensive whenever Mike left his sight. When he’d put him in his crate last night, the pup had howled until Mike gave in and let him sleep on the bed with him.

Of course, he’d regretted that decision when he woke up to see Smalls peeing on his feet, but it had been a long time since he had a puppy. There was a relearning process.

He put on his helmet and straddled his motorcycle. His heart kicked up into high gear as he took off toward Wendy’s internet café site. She had called him this morning and told him she’d meet him there with lunch, since she was the boss. He hadn’t argued, but it had been hard not to. He wasn’t used to letting women pay, even for work expenses.

Mike pulled around and parked in front of the building, directly across from The Local Bean, Gracie’s coffee shop and bakery. He got out, noticing the silver sports car in the parking lot next door.

He removed his helmet, pushed the door open, and found Wendy sitting in the middle of the empty space at a little folding table and chairs. Two foam containers and drinks were placed in front of her on the tabletop and as she stood, smoothing her hand over the front of her tight blue dress, Mike couldn’t help scanning her body.

“Hello, Mike. Good to see you.” She held out her hand, which he took, but the way she squeezed it was anything but professional. “Do you want to eat first or go over the space?”

“We can do both.”

They sat at the table, and he flipped open his container, grinning at the Jensen’s bacon burger inside.

Hello, my friend.

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