Page 70 of Nothing to This

He narrowed one eye.“Is that code for a girl?”

“No, but, oh,” she said and pushed her shoulders back.“I know a girl in my old department who is nice.We could nudge them together.”

“Matchmaking?Is that really what we’re doing now?”

She popped one of her almonds between his lips.“He’s your friend, JD.He should be part of the family too.He better come to the kids’ birthday party in the park next weekend.”

“I’ll remind him.”

From his smirk, she wasn’t sure he’d ever invited him, or if he had that Greg had been receptive.

“Want me to call Nichelle?”she asked.“Your mom will come over and watch the kids.You could pay for dinner somewhere fancy, help Greg impress her.”

“Will that impress you?”he asked, angling closer.

She laid a hand on his shoulder.“All you’ve got to do to impress me is take out the trash… and do your share of bedtimes.”

“You’re an easy woman to please.I’ll set it up,” he said.“Monday?”She nodded.“Greg and I have never been on a double date before; this should be interesting.”

“Don’t be talking work all night,” she said, feeding him the last nut and taking his hand.“Remember the goal is to get him laid.”

“That’s his goal,” JD said, looping his arms around her to move her body in front of his.“We set the scene.He has to close the deal.My goal for the evening will be very different.”

“Yeah?”she asked over her shoulder as they made their way toward the living room wrapped in each other.“What will your goal be?”

“A whole evening without even a hint of Disney.”

If his mom was watching the kids, she’d be subjected to the cartoons, maybe giving them a reprieve.

“Wow,” she said, laying her head against his upper arm as they ascended the stairs.“Now I get why the press calls you ambitious.”

Brenna and Marjorie were seated on the couch with the kids on the floor setting up a game on the coffee table.

“Daddy, you be my team,” Sky said, lining up the pieces.

“No, Daddy, be my team!”Kye demanded.“Boys and girls.”

“How about we each go on our own team?”she said, extricating herself to go sit by Brenna.

It was unlikely they’d finish the game.The twins would lose interest, so it didn’t really matter who played with who.

The kids didn’t look happy until JD sat on the floor between them.“That’s the best plan, you know why?”he said, righting a piece that had fallen.“Because the winner gets a cookie.And I am not sharing my cookie with either of you when I win.”

Both kids laughed and jostled him.JD settled the raucous by asking them to explain the game.Didn’t matter that he understood it already.Asking them to explain would help them get the rules clear for themselves.

Watching him play mediator and ask questions like he was clueless was funny.JD kept surprising her.Every time she thought she had him figured out, he’d do something that took her breath away.

Even now, while talking to the kids, he took the time to glance up and wink at her.They were a team, and that team was getting stronger every day.

TWENTY-FIVE

Hanging up the phone, she did her best to remain composed.Others might not see it, sure, but she couldn’t hide her discomfort from herself.

Answering a querying call from an assistant assigned to pick up JD’s line wasn’t unusual.They handled most questions and demands.Just in case of any issues or uncertainty, she tried to be as available as possible.

Something she regretted, given what she’d just heard.

Certain types of appointments were made provisionally by the assistants.While they denied most requests, those in the gray area got emailed to her for approval or rejection.