“Okay, I think we’re out of earshot now,” Faith said. “Tell me about last night.”
Jamie glanced at her. “Faith, it’s hopeless. I think it’s sweet, what you tried to do, but Dev and I are not meant for each other. I’ve known that all along.”
“How can you be so sure? What happened? Did you fight?”
“No. But we’re not on the same wavelength, okay?” She opened the door and immediately heard Dixie, her tone sweeter than a mint julep as she talked on the phone to the supplier. She was giving him hell, but he was probably so mesmerized by her accent that he didn’t even realize it.
Dixie’s cubby was off to the left, partitioned as was the rest of the area with portable walls that could be rearranged according to staffing needs.
If the elegant public areas of The Red Doors were Faith’s natural environment, the back room was Jamie’s. Practicality was the watchword. She’d made sure the desks, computers and telephones were reasonably priced and easy to use.
Because the business wouldn’t open for another half hour, Jamie, Dixie and Faith were the only ones there. Jason, the person Jamie needed to consult about retooling the program, would arrive at any minute.
“Come sit with me until Jason gets here so you can tell me what happened,” Faith said. She led the way past Dixie’s cubby and deposited the coffee on Dixie’s cluttered desk. Dixie waved her thanks.
Jamie obliged Faith’s request because she wanted this to be over. Faith was going to embarrass her if she continued with the matchmaking plans. “Just keep your voice down,” she said softly. “I really don’t want Dixie to know about any of this, and I’m sure she could listen to us and ream the supplier at the same time.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Faith continued past Jamie’s cubicle to her own, and to her credit, she lowered her voice. “When you didn’t call me last night I was hoping you and Dev had become so involved that you forgot everything else.”
“You have to give it up.” Jamie tossed her coat over the back of a chair in front of Faith’s desk and sat. “Trust me, I’m not the right woman for Dev.”
Faith sat across from her, took a sip of her coffee and made a face. “Cold. We’ll have to nuke these—but not now. Jason could show up anytime, and I’m dying to hear why you’d be so terrible for my big brother.”
“I’m not going to get specific.”
“His answers to the questionnaire, huh? Too far out?”
“Not me, not ever. Not by any stretch of the imagination.”
Faith rolled her eyes. “You know guys. They think they want all this fantasy stuff, but what they really want is a good woman who will love them even when they leave socks on the floor and the toilet seat up. So what if you’re not into his preferences? Use them to grab his interest. I can’t believe you’ll have to dress up like Xena the Warrior Princess very often after that.”
Jamie’s jaw dropped. She didn’t think Faith was a hacker, but the description was so on the nose, it was as if Faith had broken into Jamie’s computer and read Dev’s questionnaire.
“I guessed?” Faith laughed. “What a hoot.”
Jamie felt the heat rising to her cheeks. “I’m not saying a word—not a single word.”
“You don’t have to. One look at your face was all I needed. Oh, Jamie, he’s not really into all that. He’s just being a guy.” She eyed Jamie, her blue eyes merry. “We could organize an ensemble, you know. There’s that little leather outfit we special-ordered for the woman who changed her mind. She was about your size, and I’m positive we haven’t sent it back.”
“This is getting way too weird for me. And if you say one word to Dev, I’m in such big trouble. I promised him that everything would be anonymous, especially in his case, because he’s so paranoid about people trying to marry him off.”
Faith shook her head. “I’ve never been part of that, which I keep trying to tell him. And why would I snitch on you? It would screw up any chance you have with him, and right now the only person I’d like to see dating my brother is you. I haven’t liked anybody he’s gone out with in the past five years. No, make that ten years. Actually, make that forever.”
Jamie heard Jason’s voice as he came in with Veronica, a clerk working the morning shift in Heaven Scent. “I have to go. All this aside, we have to get the revised program up and running.”
“I know.” Faith’s expression sobered. “I went by the other store yesterday afternoon on my way home. It’s cheesy, but I saw guys walking in there, guys we should have had coming to The Red Doors.”
“I think Dixie’s idea will work. Career women are busy, too, so why wouldn’t they like a program that helps them pick out something sexy to wear for that certain man?”
“Indeed.” The twinkle returned to Faith’s eyes. “You would think that once a woman had that kind of information about a man who interests her, she’d put it to good use.” She winked at Jamie. “At least, if she’s as smart as I think she is.”
Jamie groaned. “Do you have any idea how much courage it would take for me to do something like that?”
“Do you realize how many regrets you’ll have if you fail to use the information that fate has dropped in your lap?”
Stuck for the answer, Jamie gazed at her friend. “I have to go talk with Jason.”
“I know. I have to dream up a new ad. But you’ll have a few spare moments to consider what I just said, so I hope you do think about it.”
Jamie was sure she’d think of nothing else.
DEV SPENT his entire lunch hour looking for a blue cup. Twice he walked past the skating rink and saw Jamie there, her red hair catching the noon sunlight streaming down between the buildings. He stayed within the protective coloring of the passing crowd, not wanting her to notice him and later ask what he’d been doing.
He’d hoped to accomplish this cup-buying himself, without the help of his secretary Edna, but after looking through several department stores with no luck, he returned to the office in defeat. Mostly he tried to act like a grown-up around Edna, because she was old enough to be his mother and tended to treat him as if he were a little boy.
She’d been with Sherman Investments longer than he had. Recognizing gold when he saw it, Dev had talked her into working for him when one of the senior members retired. She was more efficient than he was, looked like Tootsie, and he paid her really, really well. He hoped she wouldn’t quit until she was at least eighty.
“Edna, I’m looking for a blue cup.” He took off his trench coat and came over to stand by her desk.
Edna adjusted her glasses and swung away from her computer screen to gaze at him. “Did you lose one?”
“No, I broke one. It looked like a giant teacup, but it was heavy, like a mug and…someone served me coffee in it. I dropped it and I want to replace it, but I don’t know where to find one.” He felt about six.
“What color blue?”
“Sky-blue. Or maybe lake-blue. Something along those lines. Not pale blue and not dark blue. In between.”
“Would you like me to go buy you one?”
He gazed at her. “You’re not gonna tell me where I can get it myself, are you?”
Her smile was prim. “If I told you all my secrets, then you wouldn’t need me anymore.”
“I will need you forever. But if you would take an hour off and go buy that cup from whatever secret source you have, I will give you stock options.”
“I already have enough stock options.”
“Then take time to get yourself a double mocha espresso at The Red Bean while you’re out, and charge it to me.”
“Bingo.” Edna turned off her computer and rummaged in her bottom desk drawer for her purse.
“How much money do you need?”
She glanced up at him with that same prim smile on her face. “I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you, Edna. I will be forever in your debt.”
“That’s my plan.” Then she walked to the coat-rack, took down her red wool coat, and left the office.
Forty-five minutes later she tapped on his office door. When she came in, she placed a gift-wrapped package on his desk. The gift wrapping was a nice touch that he never would have thought of.
“I assume the cup’s in there?” he asked.
“It is.”
Although he was glad it looked so festive, it was probably Edna’s way of making sure he couldn’t see inside so he had to take her word that she’d found the right cup. Silently she handed him the bill, and he reached for his wallet.
“Thank you,” he said, giving her the money. “I love you to pieces, Edna, but you’re a real control freak.”
Behind her glasses, her eyes twinkled, as if he’d given her a compliment. “And that’s why your office runs with the precision of a Rolex watch. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot to do. Fortunately I now have enough caffeine in my system to get most of it done, despite the delay. Thank you for the espresso.”
“You’re welcome. And Edna, this cup thing…was important.”