doctor’s office with her.
It wasn’t as if she was having a difficult procedure, or something. But he’d insisted and now, she was kind of glad.
He put his hand out to take hers and led her outside. It was one of Seattle’s rare sunny days. Not so uncommon in the summer, but not something to be taken for granted, either.
“I’m glad I’m not alone, which makes me feel like a real wuss,” she admitted.
“You are facing the possibility of a major life change. That cannot help but be disconcerting. You are no weakling.”
She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.” Even if she hadn’t wanted it that way at first.
“I am glad to be here.”
“Do you have to go into the office today?” she asked as they settled into his Mercedes.
“No, but I did promise to have dinner with Cass and Neo tonight.”
“Oh, okay.” She pasted a bright smile on her face. “If you could just drop me at my apartment. I’ll drive to the office from there.”
Or close her shades, put in the Coco Chanel biography she’d been meaning to watch and eat that pint of triple chocolate decadence hiding in the back corner of her freezer. It wasn’t as if she had to go to work. She was her own boss. If she wanted a day off to wallow in worry, she could take it.
“Dinner isn’t until this evening, and I was hoping you would come with me.”
“Oh.”
“I have no intention of leaving you alone to dwell.”
He knew her too well. “Who said anything about dwelling?”
“We have been friends for years.”
“Are you implying that makes you a mind reader?”
“I only wish—” he smiled “—but I do know you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“So, dinner with Cass and Neo?”
“Sure.” She bit her lip and looked out the window. “You know Cass and I have never actually met.”
“I know. It is time.”
“Because I might be pregnant.”
“Because you are my close friend and so are they,” he explained.
“So we should all know each other?”
“Naturally.”
“Your arrogance is showing again,” she teased.
“But remember, you find it charming.”
“It’s a good thing for you that I do.”
“Do you need to work today?” he asked this time.
“I have a few small jobs I could work on finishing up before your project swallows all my time.” But she really didn’t want to deal with any of them.
“Is that what you want to do?”
“No.”
“Well, then?”
“There’s a pint of chocolate ice cream in my freezer with my name on it.” Piper clung on to her original plans.
“Really? I was unaware your name was triple chocolate decadence.”
“You’ve been snooping in my cold storage?” She tried to sound outraged, but only managed mildly amused.
“Business tycoons crave ice cream, too. Even Greek ones.”
“You ate my triple chocolate decadence?” The outrage came through bright and clear this time.
“Of course not. I ate the single-serving cherries jubilee buried behind the vegetarian meals you never eat but buy to make yourself feel better about your food purchasing habits.”
She ignored the jab about her sadly ignored healthier food options. “I like cherries jubilee.”
“With a healthy dose of hot fudge perhaps.”
“Okay, so, I’m a chocoholic. Is that a crime?”
“Not in Seattle, home to more chocolate-flavored coffees than most small countries.” He sounded indulgent. She loved him in this mood.
“Oooh, an iced mocha latte sounds good.” Could she have caffeine if she was pregnant? “Maybe decaffeinated.”
“We’ll go through a coffee-shop drive thru.”
“Why not stop somewhere?” she asked.
“Because I indulged your museum obsession in Athens, today is your day to indulge mine.”
“You want to go to museums?”
“I have other obsessions,” he said as he pulled up next to a coffee shack.
“You do? Other than making money, I wasn’t aware.”
“Right. You are probably the only person in the world besides Neo that knows that for the lie it is.” They both made their orders and then he gave her a significant look. “You are one of those obsessions.”
“You’re turning into quite the silver-tongued devil, you know that?”
“I have always been good with my mouth.”
“That can certainly be taken more than one way.”
“You should know.”
She felt herself blushing, despite their history together. Nevertheless, she agreed. “I do.”
The young barista cleared his throat. With a blush darker than hers burning on his cheeks, he handed Zephyr their drinks.
Zephyr pulled his car back out onto the road. “You are not my only interest, however.”
“My feelings might be hurt if you hadn’t downgraded whatever you’re going to try to talk me into from an obsession, which I am, to an interest.”
“I like fish.”
“I had noticed.” Her blue eyes queried where he was going with this. “You eat it more often than either steak or chicken.”
“Not to eat. To watch.”
“You want to go whale watching?” she guessed.
“Not today. I was thinking the aquarium.” That was so not what she expected to hear.
“You
