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I clear my throat. "For appearances, of course. I feel like this whole thing is going to blow up in my face any minute."

"Marin said you vetted a few other women, and none of them were right for you."

"Not after you."

Why is she so easy to talk to?

"Look, I need to make dinner and eat. I'm famished. Do you think we could meet for lunch tomorrow to iron things out? Would you be willing to work with me? You're still my top choice."

"Is that because you miss looking into my baby blues?" she teases.

I close my eyes and lean my head against the wall. "Your eyes aren't baby blue, Josie. They're the color of deep sapphires." I exhale slowly, trying to calm my racing heart.

She laughs softly. "I can't tomorrow. I normally work with Renna until noon on Saturdays. What about right now? I can meet you somewhere for dinner."

"It's Friday. Aren't most places busy right now?" I haven't been out for dinner in ages. Marin always picks things up for me.

"Not this late, Florence." Her laughter is warm, teasing. "The bars will start getting busy soon, but we can find someplace quiet for dinner. My treat. What are you in the mood for?"

"Food." I sigh. "I honestly don't care. But I just got home from work. I'm not dressed to go out," I argue.

"Change into something comfortable. I'm wearing jeans. I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."

I open my mouth to protest, but she's already hung up on me.When did she take charge?

Twenty minutes later, I climb into her well-worn silver Mercedes.

"Sorry," she says, shifting into gear. "I forgot traffic this way is worse on Friday nights."

"How old is this baby?" I run my fingers over the worn leather seat, both impressed and amused. It's old, but it's in excellent condition.

"Sixteen years old," she says proudly. "I got her when I finished undergrad. Mom and Dad bought her as a graduation gift. That was almost fourteen years ago."

"You've taken good care of her." I glance at her, dressed casually in jeans and a simple lavender blouse. "Where are you taking me?"

She glances over, taking in my sundress and sandals. "What do you think of pizza? Please tell me you like pizza."

"Yes, I like pizza." It's a rare treat, especially since Marin does most of my meal prep and tries to keep it healthy. "As long as we skip the onions."

"Already in the plans, Boss." She grins.

I raise an eyebrow. "What else is in these plans of yours?"

"After we eat, we go back to your place and talk details." Her tone is casual. "Then I think I'll kiss you, just to get that out of the way. We should get comfortable with each other. It'll make acting in public easier. For some reason, I think you'd be pretty awkward about it if the first time you kiss me is in public."

She plans to kiss me.

My stomach growls. "You're not going to get up in the middle of dinner and walk away from me this time?" I ask her as she pulls into the parking lot of Trattoria's.

She shakes her head. "Not in public. But if you treat the staff here the way you treated Marin the other night, you'll have to answer to me."

"I would never treat service people like that."

She comes around to open my door, offering me a hand. She leans in close, her breath close against my ear. "You shouldn't treat her that way, either," she whispers, pulling back before I can respond.

I inhale slowly, trying to control my breathing. Even if I were interested in her, she's not available. She's hooked on her best friend.

What the hell am I thinking?