thought she wanted coffee,” Ian said, staring out the window as Jack turned the car around and headed back down the driveway.
“She has psychological problems. Sorry about that.” I looked around the room again. “This is a very nice place, Ian.”
“Thanks,” he said, opening a cupboard. Inside looked like a Pottery Barn display—rows of neatly arranged mugs, all the same color and style, unlike my own motley collection, which ranged from the thick and uneven mug Josephine made me in preschool to an antique porcelain cup my gran had used each day for tea. Nope, Ian had only a row of mugs, six in all, pale green, very pleasing. Glasses, all the same model, six of each size, three sizes in all, stood like obedient soldiers.
The same thought that had been niggling away at me all week popped into my brain. “I heard you and Fleur had coffee the other day,” I said.
He looked up. “Who’s Fleur?”
Say no more, Ian. Question answered. “Um … my coworker? Tony Blair’s mommy? The one who took you on the hike?”
“Right. I think I saw her in town.” He returned his attention to measuring the coffee.
“Can I look around a little?” I asked.
“Sure.” He may have sighed.
I wandered into the great room. On the walls were three large prints, all the same size, all matted in white and framed in black, a series of photographs of leaves … maple, fern, oak, close-up studies in sharp detail.
“Did you take these?” I asked. “They’re really nice.”
“Yes. Thank you,” he said in that formal way of his. It was starting to grow on me. The coffeepot gurgled.
So Ian McFarland had an artistic streak. That was kind of nice. Quite nice, really.
The bookcase held mostly science-related tomes … here was a page-turner—Flynn’s Parasites of Laboratory Animals. Blick! Small Animal Medical Differential Diagnosis. Along with the textbooks were scattered a few manly novels … Call of the Wild, The Old Man and the Sea. And aw! He had All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, the charming story of the English vet.
“I loved this book when I was little!” I exclaimed, taking it out.
He looked up and almost smiled. “Me, too.”
I replaced the book and continued my perusal, coming to a picture of Ian, an older woman … attractive, lean, very blue eyes … and a gorgeous man. Hello! Might this be Alejandro? Lord, I got a little turned-on just thinking his name. “Your family?” I asked, picking up the photo.
“Yes.”
“Is your brother married?”
“Yes.”
Figured. There was another picture of his mother … with a face I quite recognized. “Is this Bono?” I yelped, snatching the photo off the shelf.
“Yes,” Ian said, smiling. “They met at a fundraiser in Africa … Nigeria, I think.”
“Wow. I always thought we’d end up together, Bono and I.”
“He’s also married,” Ian said.
“Rub it in,” I said. A few of the books were not in English. “So you speak Spanish?” I asked, wandering back over to the kitchen area.
Ian reached into another cabinet, which showed the same ruthless organization as the first. He took out a small pitcher in the same shade as the mugs, as well as a matching sugar bowl.
“Yes,” he answered. “I moved to Latin America when I was eight, spent a few years there, a couple in Chile, three in Africa. I speak passable French, too. I knew a little Swahili, but I’ve forgotten most of it.”
“That is so cool!” I exclaimed. He didn’t answer. “Or not,” I added. He gave a grudging smile, then got out some spoons. I was beginning to feel like I was at a Japanese tea ceremony … everything so precise. I had some cute pitchers and sugar bowls, too, though they were of the “high on a shelf, covered in dust” variety. My own formalities usually ended at sniffing the half-and-half to make sure it wasn’t sour. Ian opened the fridge— Good Lord, it was as anal retentive as the rest of the house, neatly wrapped foil packages lined up in a row. “Do you like to cook, Ian?” I asked.
“I don’t really have the time,” he answered. “I get most of my meals from Kitty’s Catering.”
“I’m having you over for a home-cooked meal, then. One of these days.”
He made a noncommittal sound, glancing up at me, almost meeting my eyes.
“So did you like moving around, living in so many parts of the world?” I asked.
The coffeepot beeped, and Ian seemed glad to have something to do while he answered. “I appreciate it now,” he said carefully. “It was a little hard back then.” He handed me a mug and took a sip of his own coffee. I noted that he took his coffee black. All that cream and sugar prep, just for me. It was rather flattering.
“Thanks, Ian. Sorry about intruding like this.”
“It’s fine. It’s nice to have company,” he replied.
“I think you’re lying.” I smiled as I said it.
“Only a little,” he answered, and my smile grew. Ian McFarland, making a joke! Angie seemed to approve, because she chuffed softly next to him. “Have a seat,” he said, and we moved to the living room area. Ian sat in a sleek white chair (white? With an Irish setter? Clearly she wasn’t the leg-humping, lap-sitting variety of dog, like my own beloved fur ball). I chose the couch, which was pale green, taking care not to slosh any coffee.
Outside, a chickadee sang repeatedly. Angie lay down next to Ian’s chair and put her head on his foot.
“You should have a party here,” I observed. “Have you had your staff over?”
“No,” Ian answered.
“You should. Dr. Kumar used to. And your staff is so great. I’ve known Earl and Carmella for ages.” No comment from my host. “My own boss has us over every now and again. It would be part of your warm and fuzzy campaign.” I smiled and took a sip of the joe, which was dark and nutty. Maybe his mom sent it from Colombia or something.
Ian set his cup down. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, Callie,” he said slowly, not looking at me, “but I’m not exactly warm and fuzzy.” He straightened the coaster so it was exactly aligned with the edge of the coffee table.
“Well, sure, I’ve noticed, Ian,” I answered. “You’re kind of … formal. But that’s okay. We’re not trying to lie. Just make people like you more.”
“I don’t really care if people like me more, Callie. I just want to maintain my customer base.” His jaw was getting a little clenched.
“Which you can do by being a little warmer
