Fool for Love: Fooling Around\Nobody's Fool\Fools Rush In (3 page)

“And then what? I'm not supposed to tell him about this promotion, but for him to hear about it on Monday morning, especially if he knows I knew tonight, would be heinous.”

“I agree,” Meg said. “But you promised your boss not to tell anyone, so you have to wait until the last minute. I say give him a call on Sunday night, so he has a little time to prepare himself and yet not enough to spread it around and get you in trouble.”

“He wouldn't spread it around,” Lena said.

“Are you sure?” Brandy asked. “I thought you didn't really know him that well. And people get fired for being blabbermouths when they're not supposed to say anything.”

Lena cleared her throat. “Let's just say I've observed him for some time. He isn't the type to—”

“Observed him for some time?”
Meg's voice jumped an octave.

“You've had a crush on him!” Brandy cried out.
“And you never said! Bad Lena. Bad, bad Lena. If Meg and I had known, we could have put his name specifically in your assignment!”

Lena's head began to ache. “Well, you got him anyway! And that's not the point. The point is whether I should cancel this date on ethical grounds. I know that means I won't do the stunt this year, but I don't want to put either Andre or me in a difficult position.”

“Let's think this through,” Meg said. “Are you his boss yet?”

“Technically, no, but—”

“And you weren't his boss when you asked him out,” Brandy added. “So you weren't breaking any company rules at the time.”

“Right, but—”

“Theoretically you could have heard about this promotion on Monday,” Meg said.

“But I didn't! And now I know that everything's about to change.”

“Nothing's changed yet,” Brandy said. “The way I see things, you might even be able to grandfather this relationship right into company policy. Well, unless you have a hideous time.”

“That's what I expect,” Lena said, visualizing the belly-dancing class and shuddering. “And then working together will be a nightmare.”

“But you don't know that will happen,” Brandy continued. “And if you two get along, then on Sunday night you can call and explain the situation. I bet Dana will make an exception if you want to keep dating each other.”

Meg's cell phone crackled. “Yeah, and after Mon
day you wouldn't get away with it. So if you want to date this guy, you have to go for it now.”

“Or I could turn down the promotion.”

Both Meg and Brandy screeched in dismay.

“Ah. So you both pretty much hate that idea.”

“Of course we hate it!” Brandy said. “The April Fools do not back away from success because it might make a guy uncomfortable. How could you even think such a thing?”

“I wasn't serious.” She'd been semi-serious, though. Now that she and Andre had an actual date, and he'd seemed happy about that, she realized how much she wanted it to work out. It probably wouldn't work out, but if by some bizarre chance it did, then the promotion could really foul things up.

“This will be a blessing in disguise,” Brandy continued. “You'll find out how he feels about dating a powerhouse woman.”

“Who takes him to a belly-dancing class,” Lena said.

Meg laughed. “God, I wish I could be there. Hey, where is the class? I should have thought of that. Brandy and I could—”

“Forget about it!” Lena shuddered. “As if I don't have enough problems.”

“Relax,” Brandy said. “So you're going to make a fool of yourself. So what?”

“Do
not
try to find that belly-dancing class, either of you.”

“Whoops, gotta go,” Meg said. “My turn at the ATM.”

“And I have a call on the other line.” Brandy coughed. “Have fun, Lena! Bye!”

“Wait! You both have to promise that you won't—” She stopped speaking when she realized she was pleading with a dial tone. Come to think of it, they could easily find out about the class by looking in the phone book as she had.

Oh, well, they were probably teasing her. They wouldn't really search out the class and show up there.

Like hell they wouldn't.

Suddenly her headache got worse.

A
FTER
L
ENA ASKED
him out, Andre expected her to be friendlier at work than she'd been before. Instead she seemed deliberately to avoid him. Well, maybe she was super busy. It could happen.

Or maybe—and this would be sort of cool—maybe she was shy. He could build an entire scenario out of that. Lena had lusted after him for weeks, maybe even months, but she'd been too shy to let him know. Then, on Tuesday, she'd worked up her courage to make the first move.

All along she might have been covering her shyness and her attraction by putting on the busy professional act. He thought about that while straightening the papers on his desk late Friday afternoon. What fun it would be to use his well-honed sales techniques to put her at ease.

He'd schmooze her on the way to the restaurant, and once she'd had a glass of wine or two, they'd probably be talking away like old friends. He hoped they would be able to carry on a decent conversation about something unrelated to Thunderbird Savings. He admired her dedication to work, but if all they could do was talk shop, they wouldn't make it past a few dates. Andre enjoyed his work, but he liked to forget about it after he left the office.

Great sex was one way to forget about work, but even great sex wouldn't encourage him to hang on to Lena for more than a week or two unless they connected on a deeper level. Pure physical attraction used to be enough for him, but not anymore. His parents, veterans after marrying off his two older sisters, had predicted that he'd start thinking about stability after turning thirty. He'd laughed.

Then he'd turned thirty two months ago and sure enough, as if a switch had been thrown, he was sick of the singles routine. Here he'd had this significant birthday, and no particular woman he wanted to share it with. He'd spent the day with his family and watched his sisters with their husbands and children…and felt left out of something really cool.

He hadn't told his folks that, of course. Although he loved them to pieces, they had the potential to become the matchmaking parents from hell. He was a big boy, now, and he'd find his own serious girlfriend.

Tonight had the makings of a great step in that direction. The thought prompted him to start whistling as he tucked pending loan apps into a folder.

His buddy Jed Newman poked his head into Andre's cubby. Jed's blond hair and round face made him look cherubic. He was anything but. “You must be real happy about your date with Lena tonight,” he said.

“What makes you say that?”

Jed leaned against the door jamb. “You hardly ever get out of here by five, and you're closing up shop with ten minutes left to go.
And
you're humming Springsteen's ‘Dancing in the Dark'.”

“So I like the Boss. And it's a good song.”

“It's an I-have-a-hot-date song.”

Andre laughed. “Okay, if you insist.”

“I must admit I'm curious about how this will go. She seems a little too buttoned-down to be any fun.”

Andre had wondered about that, too, especially after the way Lena had kept out of sight the past few days. “Hey, I'm a salesman. I'm up to the challenge.”

“I'm sure you are.” Jed massaged the back of his neck. “I think I'll hit the gym after I get out of here. Too much desk time. Which reminds me—are you shooting hoops with us tomorrow afternoon?”

“Probably.” Then again, if tonight turned out well, he might ask Lena to go on a picnic. The weather was great for it. “I'll call you one way or the other in the morning.”

Jed gave him a knowing glance. “Uh-huh. I get the picture. You'll play basketball unless you come up with a better alternative.”

“Hey, cut me some slack. This is my first date in over six months.”

“Which is why you need to take it slow. Rule of thumb—don't call for three days or she'll think you're too eager.”

Andre closed his desk drawer and stood. “You know what? I
am
eager. And tired of playing games.”

“Games? These are survival skills, man. Let your guard down and you'll find yourself picking out a silver pattern before you know it.”

Andre gazed at him without speaking.

Jed shrugged and pushed away from the door
jamb. “Unless a silver pattern is what you're hankering for. See ya, stud. Have fun.” Jed left quickly, as if afraid Andre's attitude might rub off.

Andre smiled as he grabbed his cell phone and headed out of the office. Jed was only twenty-six and the idea of settling down scared the hell out of him. Andre used to be like that, so he understood Jed's panic. He just didn't share it anymore.

On the other hand, he didn't want to come across as desperate. He
wasn't
desperate. As he drove the short distance to his apartment, he mentally listed all that was right in his life. He'd found a job that suited him. When he wanted company he could call up friends or head over to his folks' place in Paradise Valley where he'd play with the family dog and eat home cooking.

It was all good, but it wasn't enough. Inside his apartment he glanced around and admitted he had a comfortable place to live. But the guppies in his fish tank didn't really care whether he'd had a good or bad day. They didn't require much attention, either. Andre felt that, with all he had to give, he wanted a different lifestyle, a shared existence.

He shouldn't put too much importance on tonight's date, but he seemed to be doing that, anyway. After a quick shower and shave, he dressed in his imported silk shirt and best gray slacks. Then he brought out every damned tie in his closet. Should he go frivolous with the dancing bears or trendy with the Jerry Garcia? A power tie in red with gray stripes seemed too corporate, the paisley too feminine.

He had a subtle gray print already knotted around his neck when he changed his mind and took it off
again. This wasn't a wedding, for crying out loud. Finally, muttering to himself, he grabbed one decorated in swirls of blue and put it on. Good thing he didn't have twice as many ties.

Maybe not the blue. He smoothed his hand down it and tried to decide if the swirls were distracting. Then the doorbell rang and he was out of options. He'd have to wear the blue unless he wanted to make her wait while he tried out the six he hadn't considered yet. Yeah, that would definitely start the evening off on the right foot.

He opened the door with a flourish while wondering whether saying
bon soir
would be laying it on too thick. As it turned out, he didn't say anything at all—just gawked at the eye candy on the other side of his apartment door.

The filmy outfit Lena wore looked so damned touchable his fingers itched to reach for her. And the scarf tied around her hips drew his attention to that part of her anatomy, and he began to get Big Ideas. He'd been thinking first date, so maybe a kiss at the door when the evening ended, if all went well. That scarf bumped his thoughts up several rungs on the seduction ladder.

She flushed. “Am I…is something wrong?”

“No…no!” He snapped out of his daze. “You look incredible, that's all. I'm used to the power suits, but this is…wonderful.”

“Thank you.” The flush on her cheeks brought out the deep blue of her eyes. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure. Definitely.” He started out the door before remembering his manners. “Uh, I mean, would you
like to come in?” He should have asked her that at least thirty seconds ago. His man-of-the-world schtick wasn't holding up under the pressure of seeing Lena in blue gauze that looked as if he could rip it right off her amazing body with no trouble at all.

“Maybe another time,” she said. “We should probably get going.”

“Right. I'll bet you made reservations.”

“Mmm.” She looked apprehensive.

Damn, she was probably reading the contents of his fevered brain simply by looking in his eyes. He'd have to cool it or risk scaring her off for good. “Does this place require a dinner jacket?” he asked, trying to establish himself as a civilized guy who thought of such things.

“No jacket required. You'll be fine.”

“All right.” This time as he started out the door, he checked to make sure he had his wallet and keys. “Then let's go.”

“Nice tie,” she said as they walked to the parking lot.

He glanced down, having completely forgotten which one he'd put on last. Then he compared the tie color with her dress and realized they matched. “Well, if that doesn't look dorky. Want me to go back and change it?”

Her laughter sounded a little nervous, but she shook her head. “I just thought it was interesting.”

“You don't care if we look like one of those sickening couples who plans stuff like this on purpose?”

“Um, it won't matter.”

“If you say so.” He noticed they were headed for a silver Lexus and was glad he hadn't worn the
teddy-bear tie. This woman had class oozing out of her pores. As she unlocked the car and he slid onto the leather bucket seat, he had a flash of how a gigolo might feel. The concept was fun to imagine, but in reality, he liked being the guy in charge, the one with the car keys and the reservations at a trendy restaurant.

Yes, she'd asked him out, and yes, he'd agreed to let her drive, but he'd be damned if he'd let her pay for five-star dining and wine at fifty bucks a bottle. And the evening was shaping up to be that kind.

As the Lexus purred to life, he cleared his throat. “Before we get to the restaurant, we need to have an understanding that I'm paying for dinner.”

She pulled the car smoothly into traffic. “I asked you.” She cleared her throat. “This…is on me.”

“But I always planned to ask you out.” Sitting here next to her and breathing her delicate floral perfume, he sincerely wished he'd taken the initiative a long time ago.

“You really did? You're not just saying that?”

“I really did. But you always seemed so…busy.”

“Unapproachable is what you mean.”

“Maybe a little bit. But you're focused on your career, and that's a good thing.”

Her cheeks turned pink again. “The truth is I was scared of you.”

Ah, so he'd been right. She was shy. “Then I must have seemed unapproachable, too.”

“Not at all! More like you had it together.”

“Which is exactly how I thought of you.”

Her blush deepened. “If you're talking about my
career, then maybe. But when it comes to…oh, never mind. Let's not get into my insecurities.”

“You show me yours and I'll show you mine.”

“There, see what I mean? You can banter. I've never been able to banter with a guy.”

He was on more solid ground, now, feeling less like a gigolo and more like a supportive friend. “Sure you can banter. You're just subtle. Instead of saying Gee, your tie matches my outfit, and I think that's really strange, you said Nice tie. Understated humor.”

“If I hadn't been so nervous when you opened the door, I would have laughed when I saw the color of your tie.”

He grinned. “Maybe choosing the same color to wear tonight shows we're on the same wavelength.”

She shot him a quick glance and gave him a tentative smile. “Maybe so.”

“Let me buy dinner, Lena. It'll be so good for my ego to treat you to a great meal.”

“No! You see, it's not exactly…anyway, I'm paying.” With that she flipped on the turn signal and pulled into the parking lot of a fast-food burger joint.

After the first jolt of surprise, Andre decided she might be one of those people who needed to have an iced tea or a soda going at all times. Maybe they had a longer drive ahead of them than he'd thought, and she wanted something to sip on. But when she parked instead of taking the drive-through lane, he was completely confused.

“Here we are.” She didn't look at him as she unhooked her seat belt and reached for the door handle.

He laughed. “You're kidding, right?”

“I've, uh, been craving a cheeseburger all day.” She didn't crack a smile. “You can have whatever you want—large fries, shake, the works.”

She had to be pulling his leg. Had to be. She drove a Lexus, so he couldn't believe this was her idea of fine dining…unless she was weird.

He decided to act on the assumption that this was a joke and play along. Climbing out of the car, he joined her on the sidewalk that ran beside an indoor play area. It sounded like at least five hundred kids were in there.

“You bet I want a large order of fries,” he said. “The fries are the best part.” He reached out and opened the door for her.

She gave him an uncertain glance before heading inside. “I'm partial to the shakes, myself.”

The interior was bedlam, crowded with families celebrating the end of the work week by taking the kids out for burgers. Two rug rats collided with Andre on their way out to the playground, and the woman ahead of them in line jiggled a screaming baby. Any minute Andre expected Lena to laugh and tell him this was all a big joke, but she moved steadily up toward the counter, as if she really intended to place an order.

Still, he couldn't believe it. When they'd nearly reached the head of the line, she turned to him, and he figured she'd come clean at last.

“The place is really full,” she said.

Okay, here came the punch line. “I noticed.” He smiled at her. “Think maybe we should try another
restaurant?” Like one that didn't serve dinner on a plastic tray?

“No, this will work, but maybe you'd better go hold down a table for us while I order. What do you want?”

He stared at her. “We're really eating here?”

“I thought we would. Don't you like it?” She looked completely sincere, and more than a little embarrassed.

And he was totally at sea, unable to figure out what was going on. Maybe she was up to her eyeballs in debt and this was all she could afford. Whatever the reason, it seemed that if he wanted to share a meal with Lena, he'd be doing it fast-food style.