Free Speaking of Love (Perfect Kisses) by Ophelia London Page B

“Not really. I’m just through eating and don’t want to stare at my food. No rush.”
    “Oh,” Rick said, lowering his fork, “it’s Friday.”
    “So what if it’s Friday?” Brandy said. “What’s the hurry?”
    Rick pointed his fork across the table at Mac. “She volunteers on Friday afternoons. An animal shelter, right?”
    “Eww.” Brandy curled her lip. “Do you have to clean the cages?”
    Mac laughed. “Of course. It’s not a big deal that I’m missing today. I’m already planning on going an extra evening next week.”
    “Aww,” Brandy said, making a pretty good impression of a frowning angel. “I’m sorry you’re missing, Kinz. Listen.” She leaned her folded arms on the table. “You can go there tonight. It’s okay.”
    “And leave you alone?” Mac said, closing the lid to her leftovers. “You just got here.”
    “Well…” Brandy looked down at her plate. “Maybe I can find someone else to take me off your hands.” When she lifted her eyes, they fell on Rick’s.
    He knew what was happening, and he’d be ungallant if he didn’t jump in. “Absolutely,” he said, reaching for his drink. “I’d be happy to. Dinner?”
    Brandy sat up straight and beamed. “Love to!”
    “Why don’t we go, too?” Jeremy suggested.
    Rick watched Mac turn to her date. His arm was draped across the back of her chair.
    “Jeremy.” She was speaking slowly. “I’m going to the shelter. That’s what we were just talking about.”
    Jeremy leaned over to her. “Come on, babe,” he said softly.
    Rick didn’t like it. He didn’t know who this Jeremy guy was, or why he was pawing at Mac in broad daylight. Mac had told him she and Jeremy were “old friends,” but it didn’t seem like it from here, even though Rick did notice how Mac—not too subtlety—had pushed Jeremy’s arm off the back of her chair.
    And had he actually just called her babe ?
    “What about tomorrow, then?” Jeremy asked. “We can go to a movie.”
    Suddenly, Jeremy grunted, his face showing pain, and he sat up straight. Mac put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she whispered through her fingers. “Did my foot slip?”
    “That wasn’t a foot ,” Jeremy said. “It was a stiletto heel.” He glanced under the table. “What are you wearing?”
    “I can’t tomorrow, anyway,” Mac continued to Jeremy, sitting back in her chair. “I’ve got a…a thing.”
    She looked directly at Rick. “Remember,” she added, her blue eyes steady. “I was telling you the other day about that thing .”
    Rick knew she was lying, but he didn’t know why. So he thought it best to play along. That kick to Jeremy under the table had not gone unnoticed. After this morning’s hockey game, he didn’t need any more slap shots.
    He and Mac had a “code” they used sometimes at one of their functions. If the word “thing” was emphasized in conversation with another party, that was the other’s cue to agree with whatever the other was saying.
    “Right,” Rick said, looking directly at Mac. “That thing .”
    Mac lifted a lightning-quick smile at him. “Yeah, sorry,” she said to Jeremy. “Maybe some other time.”
    “ I’m free,” Brandy said, beaming. “Completely free all weekend.” She smiled at Rick.
    Rick couldn’t help but smile back at her enthusiasm. The attention felt nice after getting into the whole Lincoln Park thing with Mac earlier. Sometimes she could be exhausting and stubborn, and that temper…
    But not today. There was something different about Mac. Maybe it was seeing her with another guy. Or maybe it was that he was with another woman. Now that he no longer had to be constantly on guard with his attraction toward Mac, the pressure was off.
    Or it should have been.
    When Brandy reached for the salt, she kind of pressed herself against Rick’s side. Rick felt a little warm, but instead of looking at Brandy, he couldn’t look away from Mac.

Chapter Eight
    Mac was tapping a pencil on the top of