Jinxed!

being picked up by the company he worked for, GreenSpace Property Management-money well spent as the party was clearly a success, drawing a large, diverse group of visitors to Fairfax’s mix of retail stores. From the array of mid to high end boutiques to the cafes, there was something here for everyone, and pride filled Evan at the fact that the retail spaces were currently one hundred percent leased. Now that the renovations were completed, his goal was to see that the office spaces, currently leased at eighty percent, were also at one hundred percent by year’s end.

Paul nudged him in the ribs, then nodded across the courtyard. “Looks like Lacey Perkins is having her fortune told.”

Evan’s gaze snapped around and zeroed in on Lacey, who sat with her back to them at the fortune-teller’s table. “You know her?” he asked, a note of surprise creeping into his voice.

“Hell, yeah. You think I wouldn’t know the owner of the coffee shop nearest my office? I met her last week on my first day here, when she made me the best double shot no-foam latte I’ve ever had. She’s really nice.”

“Nice?” Evan shook his head. “That’s not the word I’d use to describe her.” No, annoying, irritating, aggravating…those words were much more accurate.

“Hmm. Maybe you’re right. Something like sizzling hot is probably better.”

Evan whipped his head around and found himself staring at Paul’s profile. His friend’s attention was riveted across the courtyard on Lacey. A fissure of something that felt exactly like jealousy but couldn’t possibly be snaked through Evan. “Hot? You think?”

“Are you kidding me?” Paul turned and shot him an incredulous look. “You manage this place. Have you never seen her?”

Oh, he’d seen her all right. More times than he cared to remember. “Of course.”

“And you don’t think the woman could set the Pacific Ocean on fire?”

The question caught Evan off guard in a way he neither understood nor liked. “Any attractiveness she might possess is completely cancelled out by the fact that she and her innuendo-laced displays and products are a major pain in my ass.”

“Yeah, well those ‘innuendo-laced products’ are absolutely delicious. I tasted her Sugar Lips crumb cake yesterday and…wow. The things that woman can whip up in the kitchen could make a grown man weep.” Paul grinned. “I’m hoping next week’s cookie is named something like Wild Sweaty Sex in the Backseat. Would love to get me some of that-with her.”

Something cramped Evan’s insides-and apparently his facial muscles as well-because Paul blinked, held up his hands and said, “Whoa, sorry. Didn’t realize I was stepping on your toes.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That laser-beam death stare you just sizzled at me. You never mentioned having a thing for her.”

Evan wiped his face clean of expression, irked to realize he’d been scowling. “No doubt because I don’t.” Really. He didn’t. That steaming heat she inspired? Nothing more than severe annoyance.

“Uh-huh. Then why haven’t you been able to stop staring at her? Not that I blame you-Lacey is certainly something to look at.”

“If I was staring, it’s only because I was trying to figure out what she’s going to do next. She’s always bending the rules.”

“Ah. So she challenges you.”

“No, she annoys me.”

“She’s not the sort of woman you usually go for.”

Evan shook his head and looked skyward. “I’m not ‘going for’ her. In fact, I’d like her to move out of Fairfax when her lease is up. But instead, she’s talking about expanding. Wants me to let her know if the storefront on either side of her comes up for lease.”

Paul studied him for several long seconds, the scrutiny making Evan feel as if he were a germ under a microscope. Then Paul grinned. “Oh, you’ve got it bad, man. And what’s so funny, is that you-Mr. 4.0, MBA, top-of- his-class smart guy-don’t realize it. Gotta say, I’m torn-half of me is glad that you’re finally showing an interest in a woman who’s not the uptight, high-maintenance, boring type you’ve been wasting your time on, but damn, I wish I’d seen Lacey first. She is fine.” His grin flashed wider. “Maybe she has a sister.”

“You’re welcome to her,” Evan said, pissed-and alarmed-that he actually had to force out the words.

“If I thought for even a nanosecond that you meant that, believe me, I’d go for it.”

“And I don’t usually go for uptight, high-maintenance, boring types.” A frown pulled down his eyebrows. Did he?

“Maybe not recently, but only because you’ve been living like a freakin’ monk. Before that? Nearly every woman I’ve seen you with for the past two years has been a carbon copy of the other-and they’ve all been uptight, high- maintenance and boring.”

Was Paul right? Surely not. He’d have to think on that. But later. “Lacey Perkins is certainly a high-maintenance tenant.”

“That doesn’t mean she’s a high-maintenance woman. And she sure as hell doesn’t strike me as uptight or boring. But just a warning-I think you have your work cut out for you. Since I didn’t know you’d already staked a claim, I flirted with her every morning this past week. And while she’s been friendly, that’s all she’s been. She definitely throws out a strong ‘hands off’ vibe. Probably has a boyfriend.”

The profound sense of relief Evan experienced that Lacey hadn’t caught any of the flirtatious balls Paul had tossed her way utterly confused him, as did the cramping at the thought of her having a serious boyfriend. What the hell did he care if she flirted with Paul or anyone else? Who gave a rat’s ass if she had a boyfriend or even a husband? Not him. In fact, he hoped she did have a boyfriend-one on the verge of being transferred to another state, who’d take her with him when he moved.

“C’mon, let’s go get your fortune read,” Paul said. “See if it’s in the cards for you and Lacey to-”

“I assure you it’s not.”

“Okay, then maybe the fortune-teller can tell you if you’re gonna get lucky with anyone anytime soon.”

“Why don’t you have your fortune read and she can tell you if you’re going to get lucky anytime soon?”

“I already know.” Paul gave a wolfish grin. “I have a date tonight with this babe named Melinda, who I met yesterday at the supermarket. We bonded over broccoli.”

“You don’t like broccoli.”

“True. But I really liked the steaming-hot woman who was picking some out, so it was well worth the three bucks I spent on the gross stuff.”

“Seems like you’re with a different woman every week.”

“I am. And you know why? Because I actually go out. To places where women are. Women who want to meet men. It’s called dating. You should try it sometime.”

“I date.” Although admittedly not very much lately. And the last series of dates he’d gone on? All empty evenings spent with women he’d found physically attractive, but who had proven ultimately uninteresting-usually after less than two hours in their company.

“Don’t you ever get…” Evan hesitated, not sure how to express the perplexing discontent he’d been feeling the past few months “…tired? Of going to clubs? Of awkward first dates? Of trying to find a woman you can actually talk to?”

“Talk to?” Paul shook his head. “You sound more like ninety-two than thirty-two. I knew you’d buried yourself in your work lately, but I hadn’t realized the situation was this dire. When’s the last time you got laid?”

Too long ago. Yet even the last two times, which had satisfied him physically, had still felt somehow…empty. In a way he didn’t understand himself, and definitely had no intention of trying to explain to Paul. “I’m not having this conversation.”

A flicker of concern flashed in Paul’s eyes. “Ever since you and Heather split up you’ve turned into a work- obsessed maniac. It’s been six months-time for you to come out of mourning over a relationship with a woman who was all wrong for you.”

“I’m not in mourning. I’m just busy. Overseeing the Fairfax renovations has taken an enormous amount of time.”