Free Acrobat by Mary Calmes

couldn’t help laughing. She was indignant, he was scowling, and they were both very cute. They actually complemented each other really well.
    “Guys, we’re going out tomorrow, not today,” I told them again. “What he’s doing tonight has nothing to do with me. Now let’s go.”
    “I just wanna see,” Michael said, and with that, in his suit and tie and cashmere overcoat, he dashed across the street.
    “Awesome,” Danielle said, grabbing my hand, tugging me forward toward the curb. “C’mon, Professor, now we gotta go with him.”
    “You guys need to go to bed.”
    She turned and looked at me, her black-lined eyes huge.
    “Not together, idiot.” I rolled my eyes at her. “You need to go home and go to bed. It’s a school night.”
    “Professor, I am up until midnight every night and close to two or three on the weekends. I dunno where you got the idea that teenagers go to bed at ten, but I promise you it ain’t like it is on TV, ya know?”
    I sighed deeply.
    “Oh, he’s comin’ back,” she almost squealed.
    I waited as the world’s worst spy came loping back to us.
    “And?” she asked excitedly, really into it.
    “And”—he squinted at me—“I don’t think I like that doctor, Nate.”
    “Why?”
    “He’s kissing some guy in there.”
    “That’s because it’s a date,” I assured him.
    “There’s, like, a lot of people with them. I think they’re celebrating something.”
    “Well—”
    “Nate!”
    We all turned, and there, across the street, standing on the opposite curb, was Sean Cooper. He looked both ways before he bolted across and ran up the street to reach us.
    “Oh, hey,” I greeted. “I’m sorry, I can ex—”
    “I thought you were going to the opera?”
    “We were. We did,” I told him. “We’re done already. I brought them down here for dessert, and then we’re headed home.”
    He nodded, smiling, and I heard Danielle sigh. Simple to understand—the man was very easy on the eyes.
    “Well, I saw your minion here and knew you had to be somewhere close.” He smiled, taking hold of my elbow and drawing me away from the kids. “Hold up one second, okay, guys?”
    I looked at his face, at his perfect profile and chiseled lips, as he walked me a little way down the street. The man was just gorgeous.
    “So what you said last night, about wishing me good luck for not just me but my patient too… that really made me think,” he said, rounding on me, staring into my eyes. “Because all I was doing was obsessing about me and what I wanted, not about what the surgery would mean for the girl and her family, so I wanted to tell you that and thank you.”
    “Oh, well, I… you didn’t have to.”
    “No, I know, but it was important, and I really wanted to see you and tell you that, and we’re out celebrating, and I wanted to invite you, but you said you already had plans and—”
    “It’s fine.” I smiled and nodded. “You’re allowed to go on a date, especially to celebrate something wonderful. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
    His eyes were all over my face before he reached out and took hold of my trench coat. “Are you going home now?”
    “After I get them dessert, like I said.”
    “Could I come along?”
    “You’re celebrating with your friends,” I reminded him. “And aren’t you with someone?”
    “I am,” he admitted, his hand fisting tighter. “But I really wanted to take you out tonight, and I’m afraid I’m using both my friends and my date as poor substitutes.”
    “That’s very flattering.” But it was also a little disconcerting. The idea that he would just ditch someone and abandon his friends didn’t speak that well of him. And yes, we all ditched our pals for dates, but that was normally bailing on them beforehand, not when we were already out with a hot guy and our friends.
    “I wanted to ask if I could come and see you after the opera, but I thought you might think that was weird or—”
    “No games, Sean. I