The One For Me (Danver #8)(20)

She had opted to have a sandwich at her desk today instead of leaving the building for lunch. She took a bite of her ham and cheese while she pulled up her Twitter feed. When she looked through her feed, she almost choked on the suddenly much-too-dry bread. “I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.” Mae West. #Angel.

Oh, my God, he’d actually responded to her tweet, and with a quote from Mae West, no less. Crystal’s body felt warm all over as she pondered the meaning behind the passage he’d picked. Was he saying that he could or couldn’t resist her? Surely, he was leaning toward the latter if he was continuing to play this Twitter game with her. Heck, he’d started the whole thing. Should she answer right away? Or would it be better if she waited until tonight? How sad was it that this was the most excitement she’d had in her life in . . . maybe ever? She so desperately wanted to see him again, but she hadn’t caught even a glimpse of him around the hallways of Danvers. Shit, she couldn’t wait. Typing “Mae West quotes” into Google, she started looking for one to get his attention.

After several minutes, she had the perfect one. “An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.” Mae West. #Angel. Giggling under her breath, she closed out Twitter and forcibly turned her attention back to her work.

She was putting together a marketing packet for Lydia when there was a tap on her door. Looking up, she smiled as her sister glided into her office. That was actually how the other woman appeared to walk now. Ella was so happy with her husband and new baby that her feet didn’t seem to touch the floor anymore. If she didn’t love her sister so much, then she would be jealous that she seemed to have it all now. A hot-as-hell husband who doted on her, an adorable baby, and a beautiful home near the beach. Yet Crystal couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more.

Ella had been the preferred target of their meddling mother for years, while Crystal had been the favorite when she was married to Bill. She was embarrassed to admit that she’d actually felt special to her mother during that time. It was the only time in her life that she’d ever felt as if she wasn’t a complete disappointment. Sadly, she’d let herself be pushed into marrying Bill, and she’d stayed with him, even though she was miserable during the marriage. It had seemed easier than dealing with her mother’s disapproval. And even worse, she wasn’t sure if she would have ever had the courage to leave Bill if not for seeing Ella break away from her mother’s control and live her life the way she wanted to. Crystal would never be able to repay her sister for showing her that there could be more to life than what she’d had.

Ella dropped into a chair, giving her a wary look. “Did Mom track you down yesterday?”

Crystal held up an imaginary gun to her head. “Oh yeah, and in person no less. She let herself into my apartment and was waiting for me when I got home.”

“Crap.” Ella winced. “I hate those surprise visits. She did that to me a lot before Declan and I got married. Now he’s told me that I had better never give her a key to our home. He says he’ll be pleasant as long as she acts that way to him, but there is no way she’s walking in unannounced again.”

Crystal started snickering. “Remember when Mom walked in on you and Declan in bed together while you were dating?”

Ella shuddered. “How could I ever forget that? She almost caught us a few other times as well. She e-mailed me quotes on the evils of fornication for months after that. Declan was afraid he’d never be able to perform again, just remembering her staring at him.” Giving an impish wink, Ella added, “Trust me, his fears were completely unfounded.”

Crystal laughed, still amazed that her shy sister could talk about sex now with only a slight blush. “Thanks for sharing that. Maybe if you’d said something along those lines to our mother, she would have been too distracted with you to ambush me.”

“Was it bad?” Ella asked, even though she already knew the answer. Parental time was never pleasant for them.

“Just the usual.” Crystal shrugged. “I’m a disappointment, more than likely a slut, and I have horrible friends. I’ve ruined my life by not begging Bill to forgive me. Oh, and she’s not speaking to me again until I ask her forgiveness for being a disrespectful smart-ass.”

Wincing, Ella said, “Boy, she gave you the works. How long do you think the whole not-speaking-to-you thing will last before she shows up again?”

Clicking her tongue as if deep in thought, she finally said, “I give her a week—max. She’s too curious about where I was over the weekend. There’s no way she’ll drop that this soon.”