Daniel nodded, unfazed by her harsh tone. Perhaps he’d heard it often enough in college to be used to it. “How did you decide you wanted to be an event planner?”
“By accident. I was interning for a horrible woman who used to pawn off her personal errands on me, everything from picking up her dry cleaning to emptying her cat’s litter box—which I firmly refused to do. But then she put me in charge of her parents’ anniversary party, and it was more fun than work. I mean, who doesn’t love a party?”
He gave her a sheepish look, silently admitting parties weren’t his favorite place to be.
But Mia had never been one to back down from a challenge. “I bet I could plan you the perfect party.” A successful event meant different things to different guests. One person’s backyard kegger was another person’s museum wine-tasting. She’d coordinated myriad events, everything from painting parties to bar mitzvahs to themed scavenger hunts.
“My birthday’s in early February,” he told her, sliding the dessert plate toward her so she could take the last piece. “It’s tempting to hire you to plan a celebration instead of going to my parents’. Breaking tradition would probably get me disowned, but...” He hitched a shoulder in a half shrug, suggesting family exile might not be the end of the world.
“My mom hosted my favorite birthday party of all time.” It was one of the few vivid memories she had of her mother. “It was for our dog, Sasha.”
He grinned. “You had birthday parties for the dog?”
“Not every year. Just that once. It had been a hot-as-hell summer, and I was antsy to start kindergarten.” She knew those details more from hearing her dad repeat the story than from her own recollections. “To help me pass the time—and probably for her own entertainment, since I had to be driving her crazy—Mom said we should have a party for the dog. She told me Sasha was turning one, but I have no idea if the dog’s birthday was even in July. Mom invited other puppies from around the neighborhood. She organized games and baked a cake for me and my friends in the shape of a giant bone. I still have the picture she snapped in the ten seconds when all the dogs were actually wearing their party hats.” Less than six months later, her mother had been killed in a car accident.
Daniel was smiling at her story. “Maybe, subconsciously, you decided then that you wanted to be a party planner.”
She tried unsuccessfully to smile back. Her face felt stiff, and her throat was tight. She was glad when the waitress interrupted, bringing their check. Mia offered to pay half, but Daniel insisted that since dinner had been his idea, he should pay.
“Besides,” he added, grabbing a couple of mints as they exited, “I owe you. This place is fantastic, and without you, I never would have known it existed.”
The restaurant was small and family-owned, on a lot so tiny that parking was several blocks away. “It’s true they don’t do much advertising.” Mia was constantly telling people about the hidden gem, doing her part to keep the place in business. “I’m not even sure they have a website. Thank goodness for repeat customers and word-of-mouth recommendations.”
“Word-of-mouth and networking must be important for your business, too. Eli said Bex met you at some friend-of-a-friend event?”
“She was actually a guest at two completely unrelated functions I handled—a baby shower for one of her former sorority sisters and a bachelor auction benefiting the hospital. We hit it off, and she asked me to do their wedding, even though it’s not my area of expertise. Theirs will bring me up to half a dozen.”
“Seems to me that opportunities for expansion are a sign of a successful company. I’m impressed you’ve managed to thrive in a customer-based field.”
Mia stopped dead on the sidewalk, narrowing her eyes. “Your surprised tone is ever so flattering.” Was the man always going to underestimate her?
“Sorry. There was meant to be a compliment in that.”
“Must have missed it,” she said.
“It’s impossible to make everyone happy, right?” He unlocked his car with the key remote as they approached. “I’ve had more than one student drop my class or complain to the department chair about a grade—although so far, he’s upheld all my decisions. In order for you to build clientele, there’s a certain amount of people-pleasing inherent in your job. But there must be times you’d rather verbally skewer someone.” He opened her door for her, his expression darkening. “Like with that jerk who grabbed you at Eli’s party.”
He was far from the first. She sighed. “Since he’ll also be a wedding guest, I suppose I could have tried to handle that with more diplomacy, but—No, screw that. He didn’t deserve tact. Getting groped in college by idiot fraternity guys who considered it flirting was bad enough. But he was a grown-ass man who should know better. Hopefully, he’ll think twice next time before making a move on some poor bartender or waitress.” Or babysitter. Mia clenched her hands, her fingernails digging into her palms as Daniel crossed to the driver’s side.
He turned the key in the ignition, his posture tense. “You got groped a lot in college?” Maybe she wasn’t the only one with anger issues; from his tone, he sounded like he wanted to go back in time and dole out some fist-based justice.
“Probably less than the average female university student.” She’d gained a reputation after pepper-spraying a guy who had trouble processing no. “I like sex.”
The car jerked unsteadily as they backed out of the parking spot.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to have it with just anyone,” she continued. “Nor am I required to defend my decision not to have it. I told Shannon earlier today that I respect men who are direct, who aren’t afraid to make their attraction known. I’ve never been mad at a man for showing interest. But when the interest isn’t mutual, it’s time to back the hell off. Too many guys willfully lie to themselves about what constitutes encouragement. A woman inhaling and exhaling is not a sign of burning lust.” And a teenager wearing a tank top and shorts on a humid, hundred-degree day was not a sign that she wanted to be pawed at by a man twice her age.
Daniel was quiet as he turned onto the street leading back to her office, and Mia realized she’d been ranting. She hadn’t meant to sound so hostile; Daniel hadn’t done anything wrong. He’s one of the good ones. She was pretty sure she’d had the situation at the bachelor party under control, but she appreciated his coming to her aid. Chivalry might be on the endangered species list, but it wasn’t extinct.
“So, what should a guy look for as real signs of interest?” he asked, changing lanes.
She eyed him, trying to decide if he was making light of her tirade.
“I just got out of a long-term relationship with a woman I’d been seeing on-and-off since middle school,” he told her.
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Our families convinced us to go to the eighth-grade formal together.”
Ugh. Mia couldn’t imagine dating anyone handpicked by her parents. No doubt they would have tried to find someone who would be a “good influence” on her.
“My flirting skills are rusty.” Daniel parked next to her car, one of the few left in the lot. “Assuming I ever had any in the first
