“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Harper said. “What are you looking for?”
“Well, that’s why I came to you,” Liza admitted. “My mom was in the shop the other day and overheard Adam talking to you about some bra-and-panty set.” She shrugged. “I figured if he liked it enough to request it by name, then it must be pretty sexy. And I need all the sexy I can get.”
It was an odd statement for someone who carried herself as though she had it all figured out. A woman couldn’t get trendier or more put together than Liza. She dressed for world domination, moved with purpose, and yet she was nervous about what kind of panties to buy. Nervous enough to ask Harper.
Or maybe, like Liza, Harper carried herself differently than she thought. Perhaps the way she perceived herself and how other people saw her didn’t match.
Or maybe, she thought with a secret smile, she carried herself differently since Adam. She felt different. Lighter, edgier, more relaxed.
Whatever the reason, it felt good. Liberating.
Sexy.
“It’s called Honeysuckle,” Harper said, thinking of what her grandmother would say. “It’s elegant without being uptight. Sophisticated without being stuffy. I think it will look lovely with your complexion and will help with your inner goddess.”
“Thank you,” Liza said, the words sounding a little rusty from lack of use. “For the advice and . . . well . . .” And there went the fidgeting again. “If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t be going on a date at all.”
“Why is that?”
“His son is in Brooklyn’s art class,” Liza said, and Harper got a really bad feeling in her gut. “I’ve noticed him looking at me for a few weeks now, but he never approached me. Then the other day after class he asked me to dinner, told me about how you encouraged him to get back out there, make some time for himself.” She waggled a brow. “Cute, sweet, and a doctor to boot.”
Harper felt sucker punched in the gut. She would have let loose a grunt from the pain, except her smile was so tightly frozen her lips couldn’t move.
“Are you talking about Clay?”
“If you mean Dr. Walker, then yes.”
“My Dr. Walker?” Harper asked, her voice a little shrill.
“He’s lots of people’s doctor,” Liza said, then seemed to realize that wasn’t what Harper had meant. Her eyes narrowed, taking all the warm fuzzies in the room with her. “We’re meeting at the Cork’d N Dipped at seven for wine and a chocolate tasting.”
Okay, so Clay wasn’t Harper’s anything. But she felt as if he were. Even if she hadn’t felt the tingles.
Harper had noticed him first, before he’d lost the dazed failed-marriage look, the outdated goatee, and twenty extra pounds. She’d been there when he’d needed a friend, talked to him at the same wine bar, babysat his son so he could recapture some much-needed alone time. Well, she’d babysat Tommy because she loved that kid, but also because she wanted to help Clay.
And now Clay was ready to carve out a little time for himself—just like she’d encouraged him to do. Only he wasn’t interested in sharing it with Harper. She was just his fill-in friend.
Adam had gone into the new week with a mission: win friends and influence people. Not with his easygoing smile and charm, but through hard work and exemplary behavior—a real nose-to-the-grindstone mentality that spoke past his fast-and-loose reputation and more toward a respected lieutenant-in-training.
It was only Wednesday, and already it had become clear that there was a conspiracy to screw with his mission.
“A condom vending machine?” Adam slammed the request form on the kitchen table in front of McGuire. “Want to explain how this ended up on Cap’s desk?”
McGuire looked up from his bowl of cereal, his expression one of pure confusion. “You told me to fill out a request form for a new helmet, and when I saw your form floating around I thought I’d do you a favor and submit it for you.”
Adam couldn’t tell if the guy was being serious, or if he was really that narrow sighted. “What was it about the phrases condom vending machine and hose safety that made you say, ‘Yeah, Cap really needs to see this completely legit request’?”
“The Wrap Before You Tap It safety campaign did seem odd,” McGuire admitted. “But I figured that whether it was a joke or a real request, Cap would think it was funny.”
“He did when I showed it to him as an April Fool’s joke. Off duty. But when you submitted it officially, it somehow bypassed Roman’s desk and went straight up the line,” Adam said.