“Have you thought about it?” Robin asked, while she waited for her coffee.
Micky felt self-conscious standing behind the counter, with Josephine only a few feet away. She rubbed her hands on her apron. Was she really going to do this? A flare of last-minute doubts shot through her, but then she caught Robin’s gaze and it was one of those looks that felt aimed at her and her alone, and made Micky feel like she was the most important woman on the planet.
“My answer is yes,” she said, keeping the tremor that reverberated through her muscles out of her voice successfully. She also wanted some time alone with Robin to ask her how she had known that Micky would even be interested in going on a date with another woman. What had given her away? The magazine she’d been reading and her level of being engrossed in it? Or the simple fact that she worked at The Pink Bean and was therefore gay by association?
“Terrific.” Robin looked like she’d just closed a big, long-awaited deal—the kind of smug Micky had a strange soft spot for. “Are you free this weekend?”
“Er, no.” Micky had anticipated this question, and while she had no problem going to dinner at Kristin and Sheryl’s during a weekend the kids were with her, she couldn’t possibly go on a date with a stranger. What would she say to them? While I was working at The Pink Bean a woman asked me out? “I’m not actually.”
“You keep intriguing me, Micky.” Robin’s tone became flirty. “When are you free?”
“Not before next Wednesday.” Wednesday was switch-over day. Micky picked Olivia and Christopher up after school every other week so they wouldn’t have to take the bus with their stuff, even though they had two sets of all essentials by now.
Robin chuckled. “Not tonight either?”
“Tonight?” Micky exclaimed in panic. She was free that night, but it wouldn’t give her any time to mentally prepare. Maybe that was how she needed this to go, however. Given the opportunity to wait a week, and think this date to death before it had even happened, would most likely make her back out. Why not tonight? The kids were only coming back tomorrow. It would save her another lonely evening watching television. “Yes, I’m free tonight.”
“Excellent. I’ll make a reservation at Fabio’s just down the block. Shall we meet for drinks at Barrio first? Around seven thirty?”
Drinks at seven thirty? When on earth would they have dinner? Now that she worked and got up at five thirty every morning, Micky liked to be in bed by ten. But this was no time to consider sleep. Sacrifices had to be made here.
“Sounds good.”
“Okay.” Robin dug a hand in her blazer pocket and handed Micky a card. “Here’s my number in case you need to reach me.” She shot Micky another million-dollar smile.
Micky stared at the card in her hands, then back at Robin. She didn’t have a business card of her own to hand out.
“I need to get to the office now. Looks like I’ll be knocking off early tonight.” She winked at Micky. She retrieved her takeaway coffee from the counter, turned, and left.
“Did I hear that correctly?” Josephine whispered. “Are you going out with the alpha?”
The alpha? Micky couldn’t think of a better description herself. “Looks like I am.”
“Good on ya, Micky.” Josephine nodded approvingly. “Truth be told, I didn’t even know you were batting for our team, but I guess working here and all, it makes sense now.”
Micky didn’t reply. Her brain was busy dealing with the consequences of being rocked out of her post-divorce lull and trying to process she was going on a date with Robin. She looked at the card in her hand. Robin Mortimer. Regional Diversity Manager for Asia Pacific, it said. Obviously she worked for Goodwin Stark, one of the big banks. Thank goodness not NPBC, where Darren worked. What did a diversity manager even do? She would have ample opportunity to find out tonight.
Shit. Tonight.
CHAPTER SIX
Micky had hesitated between going to yoga and getting a pep talk from Amber or taking a much-needed afternoon nap, what with the prospect of staying up past her bedtime that night. She’d opted for the nap, only to find herself tossing and turning, her mind unable to relax, her heart beating in her throat with nerves. Was she really doing this? Or was she simply losing her mind?
The afternoon passed painfully slowly, but then, when the time came to get ready, she didn’t know where it had gone. She could have used another few days to get herself—and her mindset—ready for this. What had she said to Amber the other day? I do hope I have the good fortune of going on my very first same-sex date with someone a bit nicer. And here she was. Deciding what to wear to meet Robin Mortimer. The whole thing was ludicrous.