“Uh huh?”
“When I’m with you I don’t feel like a nobody. I want you to be safe, Sarah, no matter what. I promise to teach you a few things that will bring any man to his knees.” A grin curled up the side of his lips. “That came out a little differently than it sounded in my head. I meant ‘teach you self-defense moves,’ of course.”
I nodded a little too quickly and despite the chill in the air, felt my cheeks warm. “Of course.
Self-defense. Kung fu and all that. I totally understood what you meant.”
“Good.”
I nodded again. “Okay, I guess I’ll see you soon, Quinn.”
He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it, sending a hot tingle coursing all the way through my body.
“You can count on it,” he said. Then he turned, and walked away.
I sat down heavily in the backseat of the cab thinking that I just might be in deep, deep trouble.
Thierry called,” George announced as I got back to the house. “You left your cell phone here.”
“What?” I said, too distracted and flustered by seeing Quinn and by the rest of my afternoon to focus.
George was sprawled on the sofa. Barkley was sprawled out next to him. They were both watching
What Not to Wear . “He says to meet him at the club at six-thirty. Oh, and your insurance agent called,
too. I wrote her number down somewhere.”
“Theclub ?” I frowned. That’s where Thierry wanted to meet for our date? I was hoping for something a little less familiar.
He eyed my shopping bags. “So, did you buy anything for me?”
I dropped my bags by the front door. “No. Sorry. But I did buy a great black dress for my date with
Thierry.”
“That’s why you’re meeting him at the club? For a date?” George eyed me with bland curiosity.
“So?”
He glanced back at the TV screen for a second. The makeover candidate was crying over her shortened hair as if the world was ending. “I’m sorry, but don’t you have way more important things to worry about right now than that?”
I blinked at him. “Can you be more specific? I have so many things to worry about I think I’m forgetting to worry.”
He blinked back at me. “I mean attending to me. Hanging out with me. I am morbidly depressed about my lacking love life, remember?”
I almost laughed at that. Not quite, but almost. “Of course. I’m so sorry. I guess I got so distracted with my apartment getting blown to smithereens, thus throwing my life into a state of confusion and uncertainty, that I forgot about how lonely your Saturday night was going to be.”
“I forgive you. But I’m free tomorrow night if you want to do something.” He shifted position on the sofa so he could see me better. “So is Quinn available?”
“Pardon me?”
“I would go out with him sometime if he was interested.”
“Quinn’s not gay.”
He gave me a knowing smile. “Just give me time.”
I nodded. “And this conversation is now at an end.”
“Not that I could wedge myself between the two of you. Seriously, honey, it’s just not fair for the rest of us when you monopolize two hot men.”
“Excuse me?”
“The way you draped yourself over the poor boy last night just to make Thierry jealous. Shameless.” He shook his head. “I totally and completely approve.”
I felt my cheeks flush. “I wasn’t trying to make him jealous.”
“Uh huh. Right. Well, when you end up breaking poor Quinn’s heart—again— I will certainly be there to help him pick up whatever pieces he wants me to handle with care.”
I frowned deeply. I wasn’t trying to make Thierry jealous last night. I wasn’t. That was ridiculous.
Or was it?
Time to change the subject.
“Amy told me today that she thinks that Barry’s cheating on her.”
George’s back straightened and he twisted to look at me. “You don’t say.”
“I do say. But I’m sure it’s not true. Maybe if I clear the guy’s name he won’t hate me so much. I’m going to investigate the situation tomorrow. Can you believe it?”
He nodded slowly. “Of course I can. Barry is undeniably charismatic.”
I scrunched my nose. “Seriously?”
“Not as charismatic as Thierry, but I suppose you already know that. Even though I was surprised he wasn’t here when I got up this morning.”
I shuffled my feet. “He had to leave.”
“Obviously.”
“I’ve known him for two months and I feel like I don’t know anything about him. That’s part of the reason for the date tonight. I want to know everything I can about him.”
George grabbed the TV guide and flipped through it. “He’s very private about his past, you know.”
“I know. But —”