Free My Last Blind Date by Susan Hatler Page A

his softball league and he sounds like a Ten. If I weren’t already taken, I’d go for him myself.” Ellen sat on the small filing cabinet next to my desk, stared me straight in the eye, and softened her voice. “I think you’ll have a fun time with him. Fourth time’s a charm, Rach.”
    “Charm doesn’t last.” I sighed. It’d been a year since Jeremy and I’d broken up. After two years of trying to make it work with him, he’d started seeing my hairdresser behind my back. I’d known her special haircut/highlight price was too good to be true. Nope, love just wasn’t in the cards for me.
    The door to Noah Peterson’s office opened. Ellen and I peered over my sparsely decorated cubicle.
    Noah had been with the company for two months now. He had the best sales record of all the VPs, the friendliest personality in the software biz, and the most gorgeous blue eyes I’d ever seen.
    Yes, I’d noticed Noah. It was hard not to. He paused outside his office, leaned against the doorjamb, and scanned something in the open file he was holding.
    “Hey, Noah.” Melinda Morgan, our lead customer service rep, swept in and sidled up next to him in her tight v-neck sweater.
    Ellen and I exchanged a look. Melinda worked out two hours every day, and had the body to show for it. She’d dated two of the VPs already, and it was only a matter of time before she latched her red-painted talons into Noah.
    I marveled at Melinda’s skillfully applied make-up. In the morning, I barely had time to make coffee and throw my hair into a twist before I ran late for the office. As for the gym, forcing myself to a yoga class once a week seemed enough of a return on my monthly membership dues.
    “Happy Valentine’s Day.” Melinda told Noah in a way that breathed sex. Jealousy surged up my spine.
    “Valentine’s Day.” Noah batted the manila file against his forehead. “So, that’s what’s up with all those flower deliveries today. Here I figured we had a horticulture department I didn’t know about.”
    I choked on my laugh and Ellen coughed to cover hers. Add a sense of humor to what made Noah number one on my wish list.
    “Hmmm.” Melinda didn’t appear to get the horticulture joke and seemed perplexed as to whether or not he’d gotten the hint to ask her out. “Do you have plans for tonight?”
    He glanced down at the file for a second, then nodded. “Big plans.”
    Ouch. Those two words stabbed my heart. What big plans did he have? More importantly, who were they with? There were no photos in his office and he didn’t wear a ring, but apparently some lucky girl had snagged him. There went any chance of my fantasies becoming reality.
    Melinda smiled and leaned toward Noah’s tall well-built frame. “I have plans, too. Nothing that can’t be rescheduled though.”
    Wow. The woman attacked like a tigress on the prowl. Why couldn’t I be that forward with Noah? Oh yeah, that niggling fear he’d hurt himself laughing at the one-way crush I’d had since he’d started working at our office. Risks weren’t really my thing.
    Noah took her flirtation in stride. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
    “Met him in my building.” She made a big show of examining her nails. Probably just making it clear she didn’t have a ring on that special finger. “Stuart owns his own business, drives a BMW, and runs in A-list circles.”
    Ellen raised her eyebrows and mouthed, “Impressive.”
    And yet, even with a major hunk available to her, Melinda still wanted Noah. Couldn’t blame her. Noah really was in a league of his own. Not that I’d admitted my crush to Ellen, even though we’d been best friends for five years since battling for the last piece of cake at that company picnic. She’d won, but I’d earned her respect by snatching a chunk with my fork.
    Never get between me and carrot cake.
    I should’ve confided in Ellen, but what would be the point? It’s not like I’d have a chance with a guy like Noah. Me? Medium height.