get to work with David?”
“No! I get to work with Pete.”
“Ah, he is cute, isn’t he?”
“You’ve met him?” Susan asked in surprise.
“Yes, Jim and I worked at the company today to find the spy.”
“Oh, that’s right. The spy was fired and that’s why they had an opening. I’m so glad you found her, because it got me out of that awful dress shop Mom loves.”
“I know. She and my mom go there all the time.”
“Yeah. They haven’t changed their style in twenty years. Do you think we’ll ever be like that?”
Alex chuckled. “I don’t know. If not that, we’ll probably have other faults that will drive our kids crazy. If we have kids.”
“What’s wrong?” Susan asked, picking up on Alex’s depressed state. They’d been in the same grade in school from kindergarten on and had shared a lot of things. She knew her cousin well.
“Nothing,” Alex said, not wanting to talk about breaking up with Neil just yet.
“Maybe I can talk Pete into taking me out to dinner and you and Neil could come with us!” Susan immediately suggested. “I’d love to meet him.”
“Maybe David can double-date with you.”
“Why not you and Neil?”
“I’m not going to be seeing him anymore.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Alex, I didn’t know.”
“It just happened tonight. I discovered that’s he a control freak. He doesn’t want me to make any decisions.”
“Like Mom?”
“Worse. And he seemed to know about the income I get from the company, too. He wanted to live off it someday.”
“Oh, that’s horrible.”
“Yeah. So maybe you can get Pete to take you out to celebrate your getting the new job.”
“I’m having second thoughts. I mean, Pete’s my boss. I guess I’ll ask David. He’ll probably tell me I shouldn’t date him if he’s my boss.”
“It is something to think about, Suse. I mean, I was blinded by the fact that Neil had a higher rank than me.”
“I will think about it. But I’m excited about the job. It’s a new start for me.”
“Yes, it is. I’m proud of you.”
DAVID WAS WORKING at home. He had a condo near the office and worked most evenings. After all, he didn’t have a social life.
He’d tried dating, and he’d discovered women liked to date wealthy men. He had a nice car, a nice home, had the title of president of his company. But they didn’t like dating a workaholic. After his last girlfriend had complained about how boring he was, he’d given up dating.
He answered his phone after it rang, expecting it to be his mother. “Hello?”
“David, it’s Susan. I just wanted to thank you again for my new job. I really enjoyed myself today.”
“I’m glad, honey, but don’t decide too quickly. Give yourself time to be sure.”
“I will. Oh, and I like Pete, too.”
“I’m glad.”
Apparently Susan still had something to say, but she wasn’t saying it. But she wasn’t hanging up, either.
“Was there something you had a question about?”
“Um, yes. What is your policy about dating?”
It didn’t take David long to figure out what his sister wanted to know. “You mean Pete?”
“Is he seeing someone right now?”
“No, I don’t think so, but…well, you know Mom’s kind of a snob, don’t you?”
“You mean because she slobbers all over Jerry and his family because they’ve been members of the country club for generations? Yeah, I know. So?”
“Do you remember Pete’s last name?”
“Dansky? What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing as far as I’m concerned. But his father came over from Eastern Europe when Pete was a little boy. He’s a U.S. citizen now, but he wasn’t born here.”
“I don’t care.”
“But Mom would. I just wanted to point that out. Anyway, is Pete interested in you?”
“I don’t know. I hope so. I thought you and I could go out and celebrate my new job and…and you could ask Pete to come.”
“Were you going to ask Mom?”
“No, I just meant you and me and maybe Alex.”
“Alex would probably have a date with that cop.” David wasn’t happy about that.
“I don’t think so,” Susan said.
That got David’s attention. But Susan didn’t elaborate, and he wasn’t about to ask. Alex’s love life was none of his business, was it?
Chapter Four
“Alex? I’m sorry to call so late but….”
“It’s okay, David. I hadn’t gone to bed.”
“I need to talk to you about Susan. And I need to ask you for a favor. Can you spare me a night this week? I mean, without canceling a date with that cop?”
Alex drew a deep breath of relief. At first when David started his request, she feared Susan had told him about her breaking up with Neil. “Yes, I suppose I could save a night for you, if it’s necessary.”
“According to Susan, it is. She wants me to suggest we go out to celebrate her new job…and ask Pete to go with us to even out the numbers.”
“Even out the numbers?”
“Ah, you see the problem. Susan and I are two, an even number. That’s why we need you. That would make the numbers uneven and give us a reason to ask Pete to join us. Susan’s kind of interested in him, but doesn’t want to seem too forward at such an early stage.”
“Why don’t you ask one of your dates?”
“I’ve given up dating.”
Alex frowned. “Why?”
“One
