Page 9 of Her Christmas Wish

Yep. She must be setting up guidelines that would keep them both at peace under the potentially uncomfortable situation.

Open to discuss.

His response was sent in seconds.

As was her return message.

I have an opening this morning at ten. Can you be at my office then?

A second text immediately after gave him her address. That made sense. How could he know if he could make it unless she let him know how far he’d have to travel? He glanced at his watch.

Ten. It was already a little past nine.

Less than an hour? She was setting up a business appointment with such little warning to the other party? He hadn’t even showered yet. He headed that way as he typed.

And then stopped typing when another message from her popped up.

I rescheduled another matter.

Which made him not an I’ll-squeeze-you-in-if-you-can-make-it-but-otherwise-forget-it proposition but a priority?

Looking back at his screen, he read what he’d already typed, added the period at the end and hit Send.

I’ll be there.

He’ll be here.

Oh, God.

Pacing her office, worrying that her navy skirt was too slimline, the tailored cream blouse too...she didn’t know what, her thick fourteen-karat-gold hoop earrings too bold. Sage stopped at the small mirror over the small table at one end of her maroon leather couch. Up close, she got half of her head at once. Moved around to check the whole thing.

Blond hair could be a bit less...thick and wavy. Should have cut it short.

Lipstick needed to be reapplied.

Or not.

Why would she want to draw attention to her lips? She marched back over to her desk, grabbed a tissue and wiped the color off.

And chewed her lower lip as she went back over to check the damage.

She had use of the private bath just outside her office door. Shared it with just two other partners who were both out of their offices at the moment.

The mirror she was using wasn’t meant for assessing looks. It was a piece of art, surrounded by stones and jewels, all natural. Something she’d picked up years before at an outdoor fair because she’d liked the colors. And the idea that if she could see into the center of anything, she could figure out a way to understand it.

Thinking of law issues, of course.

Not past mistakes.

Her lips looked...naked. Kissed.

Licking them, she went for her lipstick. Saw the clock on her computer screen. 9:45. She had another fifteen minutes to wait.

Glanced at the files she’d amassed the night before.

The plethora of notes she’d jotted.

She should use the quarter hour to go over it all again. Allow the possibility that other things might yet occur to her.