Free Kiss From a Rose by Michel Prince

Chapter One
    October 3rd
    “Jenna?” A deep male voice interrupted her lunch. “Are you Jenna?”
    “Yes? And you would be?”
    “Marcus Peterson. Kurt’s friend. He told me to meet you here.”
    “It would have been nice if Kurt told me I was meeting someone.”
    Jenna set down her sketchpad and took in the clean-shaven man with liquid mocha skin coloring. He was smartly dressed with a tight cable knit sweater clinging a little too nicely to his chest and arms. There was no way her brother actually sent her a hot and sexy guy.
    “I guess his idea of blind date is more of a blindsided date,” Marcus said with a smile that caused his coffee colored eyes to sparkle.
    “You wouldn’t mind if I gave him a quick ring would you? Just to make sure you aren’t a stalker who knows my lunch patterns.”
    “I insist.”
    Jenna quickly dialed her brother, only to get no answer. His avoidance only confirmed he was setting her up. Of course he’d ignore her call when he sent a guy to try to pick her up.
    “It’s a public park. You might as well sit down instead of hovering over me,” Jenna insisted as she covered the patty she’d gotten from the Jamaican food truck a few minutes ago.
    “No answer huh?”
    “No, so how long has old Kurt been planning this?”
    “I don’t know, but he thought we’d get along. You eat here every day?”
    “Mostly. The food trucks rotate through here so I can get a pretty good variety without venturing into downtown.”
    “As a cop I have to warn you against doing that—as a stalker I appreciate your OCD.”
    “You’re a cop. Figures.”
    “Why? You have a men in uniform fetish I should know about?”
    “Kurt’s over-protective of me.”
    “And yet he threw you to the wolves today without warning.”
    “How long have you known Kurt?”
    “A few years.”
    “Has he ever made sense?”
    “I guess not,” Marcus laughed.
    Damn, even though Marcus had an amazing smile, she could feel the familiar twitch of guilt for not using the time for work.
    “Did I interrupt something?” he asked.
    “I’m an architect, I was just sketching up an idea.”
    “You still do that? I thought it was all done on computers.”
    “Mostly, but well…” She wrapped her fingers tighter around her sketchpad. “There’s something about the way that leaf is lying.”
    “A leaf?” he asked with an arched brow.
    “I know it’s crazy but…” She opened her sketchpad and showed him the design she’d started with the arched sides. “The lines in nature are symmetric and I’ve always thought about someday designing a building without hard edges. Not that I’m the first, but—”
    “No, that’s actually really cool. It’s inviting and not foreboding. I could see it for a children’s hospital or school.”
    “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. I was just looking at the general lines. I hadn’t gotten to the usage yet.” Jenna smiled up at Marcus, then back at her design.
    The leaf got caught up by a gust of wind that had them both squinting to avoid bits of dust in the air. When she looked back, the heart shaped poplar leaf had bounced down the sidewalk and disappeared. The vision of its position on the ground, thankfully, was permanently etched in her sketchpad, and Marcus’ suggestions of uses already had her mapping out floor plans.
    “So, what did Kurt tell you to do? Or…expect?”
    “I was going to buy you lunch, but you’ve already acquired one.”
    “Yes, sorry.”
    “Not a problem. What kind of trucks are here today?”
    “I went for the Jamaican over there.” Jenna pointed to the west side of the one-block park. “But over there, that’s Manny’s. He’s got tacos and other Mexican food. And it looks like the sandwich wrap truck is back.”
    “This is a popular place.”
    Golden Mill Park at the edge of downtown Minneapolis was popular at lunch. Between the actors from the Guthrie, the locals who had lofts, and people like Jenna whose office filled the