Page 49 of Token

Aurora tapped her French-manicure-tipped finger twice on her desk. “He’s coming here. They won’t allow him in the offices while he’s on suspension. I’m pretty sure he’s available tomorrow, so just let me know what your schedule looks like and I’ll slot him in. If not tomorrow, we can arrange it for later this week.”

“No, I can see him tomorrow.” Kennedy didn’t have anything on her schedule that afternoon. She’d actually hoped to duck out early, but alas, that wasn’t going to happen.

“By the way, how did your date with my brother go?” Aurora asked, as Kennedy turned to go. “I thought I’d get a call Sunday.”

Kennedy deliberately made her tone light and breezy. “He picked up the tab and made sure I got home safely, so things went as well as they could.” Nothing except ex-lovers having dinner, one intent on digging up the past, and stirring up everything else in the process.

“I doubt it’ll makePage Sixbut we’ll see how things go. Although, I have noticed a tone change in how they’re covering the lawsuit since the picture of us together was published. And, as far as I know, there hasn’t been another article insinuating that my appearance at the press conference was staged.” Hail the almighty power of a nine-year-old photo with his arm around her. If only world peace could be achieved that easily.

“When are you going out again?”

Kennedy lifted her shoulder and let it drop. “I have no idea. We’re playing it by ear.”

The food had been delicious, the karaoke better than a few of the concerts she’d attended, and after the initial stumble, conversation between them had been surprisingly effortless. They’d stayed until ten before calling it a night. Nate hadn’t had to wrestle her into his car to take her home. Her consent had been grudging, but she’d gone willingly. When they’d arrived at her apartment, she’d quickly exited his car, taking a good-night kiss off the table. The goodbyes were conducted with him behind the wheel, double-parked on her narrow street. When they’d see each other again wasn’t discussed.

Aurora nodded. “Are we still hooking up with Sahara next weekend?”

“We’re going out even if she has to bail,” Kennedy assured her, before going back to her office.

These days, the singer-actress spent most of her time in LA. Whenever she was back in the city, they always made a point to get together, even if it was them grabbing a quick cup of joe at her favorite coffee shop.

At the ding of her cell phone, Kennedy hurriedly checked the new message.

Eager much?

Nate: Are you free for dinner this weekend?

Kennedy had no idea why she stood there grinning like an idiot, and why her stomach fluttered like a schoolgirl whose crush just invited her to the junior prom. She was a grown-ass woman who knew this thing with Nate wasn’t real and would never lead to anything except perhaps another roll in the hay if she allowed herself to go there.

Taking a seat behind her desk, she texted him back, giggling to herself at her response.

Kennedy: On less than a week’s notice? I think not!

She delighted at the inclusion of the exclamation mark. It conveyed just the right amount of faux indignation. Animated bubbles formed on her screen. She watched them avidly as she awaited his reply, only to be startled into almost dropping her phone when it vibrated in her hand.

“I have to give you a week’s notice?” Nate lamented, before she could get out so much as ahello, when we’re doing this cutesy text messaging, you’re not supposed to call.

When it came to personal messaging etiquette, men’s intuitive abilities were pretty dismal. They ranked a notch higher than understanding that when a woman said she wasfine, she was exactly the opposite.

Kennedy made a sound of mock affront. “Who do I look like to you, last-minute Molly?”

“Seven days isn’t exactly last-minute,” he said, sharing the lightheartedness of her tone.

“I’m a working woman. My busy schedule means I require due notice.”

“Due notice?” he asked, thela-di-daunspoken in his laugh. “You must be a hoot when it comes to spontaneity.”

Kennedy made a face and stuck her tongue out at the phone. “There are a lot of other ways to be spontaneous.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me.”

For the rest of the day, Kennedy would marvel at how, with a mere drop in pitch, he could make those four words sound so dirty. She would also wonder why the low growliness of his voice always did it for her inthat way. She literally had to treat her nipples like troops on the front line primed for battle and order them to stand down.

“Like surprise parties and marriage proposals.” The second the words came out of her mouth, she wanted nothing more than to snatch them back.

“Been surprised by many birthday parties and marriage proposals, have you?”

Kennedy didn’t know what to make of his tone, which on the surface sounded cavalier but carried a rough edge.

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