“Where are you working that’s so cutthroat?” She took a sip of water.
“The mayor’s office.”
She started to laugh and choked on her water. He handed her his napkin with a shrug. “Chicago politics will always be Chicago politics, but I like where I am.”
“What do you do for the mayor?”
“I don’t work directly for the mayor. I’m one of the staff writers in the PR department.”
She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “I don’t see it.”
“What?”
“You working in a cubicle, being an anonymous creator.”
“It’s what I do.”
“But it goes against everything I remember about you. You always liked to be the center of attention, with everyone knowing who you are.”
He drank some water and began to think a beer was in order, especially if they were going to start dissecting his life choices. “I know the value of hard work. So does the mayor. This job is a stepping-stone. The mayor has a lot of things in the works that might give me more opportunities. I have the most seniority in my department, so it’s got to be my turn soon.”
* * *
Kathy had no idea how she’d landed here. When she left the shop today, she’d convinced herself that she could meet Kevin for dinner, talk about bachelor/bachelorette party stuff, and move on. Never in her self-talk did she envision sharing a bottle of wine and laughing with him.
She sipped on the red now as the waitress stopped by to box up the remaining pizza. “I can’t believe we ate all of that. I feel like I’m going to explode.”
“Does that mean you don’t want the leftovers?” he asked with a smirk.
Damn him. He knew she wanted that pizza. “I never turn away pizza. It’s life’s perfect food. Works for any meal or snack, day or night. I’m sure by breakfast I’ll no longer feel like exploding.”
He pushed the container to her side of the table. “Enjoy.”
She sighed. Her cheeks hurt because she’d smiled so much. “We haven’t even talked about the parties—you know, the whole reason for meeting tonight? What are you thinking about for Jimmy?”
Kevin shook his head. “Jimmy gave me a litany of don’ts for the party. Then he tried to give me a similar list to pass on to you for Moira’s party.”
“Uh-uh. The groom doesn’t get to tell me what kind of party to throw. Who does he think he is?”
“Jimmy O’Malley, boss of everyone.” Kevin drained his glass. He waved at the waitress and ordered coffee. “Would you like one too?”
Kathy shook her head. “The caffeine’ll keep me up all night. I have an early morning.”
When the waitress left, Kathy asked, “Do I even want to know what Jimmy demanded?”
He shook his head. Then he leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “Jimmy thinks the whole idea is ridiculous because the concept is outdated. The bachelor party is one last night of freedom for a guy, but Jimmy feels like he’s already had enough of running around. Moira’s it for him.”
Kathy’s heart hefted a happy sigh. Bossy Jimmy had a romantic side.
“Did Moira talk about this?”
“Nope.”
“Here’s what I’m thinking. It’s a little unorthodox, but I think they’ll enjoy it.” He leaned even closer and lowered his voice.
Kathy found herself pressing toward the table as if they were going to share a secret.
“What if we plan a lake cruise? We keep it a secret from the two of them until we’re all on board. I know a guy who can get us a good deal. We can get a private dinner cruise.”
“Are you suggesting a joint party?” Kathy’s mushy heart plunged into her stomach. Although the night had been wonderful, she wasn’t looking to spend more time with Kevin.
“Yes and no. I think we let them believe that we’re setting up the usual raunchy bachelor party. Jimmy doesn’t want that, and if the way Moira looks at him is any indication, she’s not looking for it either. The wedding and marriage thing is a formality. Their days of freedom have been over for a long time.”
Kathy sat back and thought. She hated to admit it, but he was right. They weren’t kids getting married before experiencing life. Moira had been in love with Jimmy since childhood. Having a naked dude shake his ass at her wasn’t going to do much for Moira. Kathy smiled. It might kill Jimmy, though.
“What’s that smile about?”
“I was thinking that you’ve made an excellent argument and a cruise would probably be a good time. But part of me really wants a stripper for Moira just to drive Jimmy crazy.”
Kevin chuckled. “I knew there was something about you I liked.” He tapped the table. “I got it!”
She didn’t like the look on his face and regretted voicing her opinion. “No.”
“I haven’t even told you the idea.”
The waitress deposited a cup of coffee in front of him and he immediately drank.
“Your face tells me enough.” The pizza turned to stone in her stomach as she tried to envision how Kevin would screw this up.
He suddenly raised his hands. “Whoa. I’m just talking about having fun. If we have the boat to ourselves, we can have a private room with entertainment for those people who want to enjoy a typical wild party.”
Her wariness didn’t fade, but she wanted to believe him. “That wasn’t what the evil genius look was about.”
He flashed a brilliant smile. “You think I’m a genius?”
“Did you not hear the evil part?”
His smile lessened by a fraction, but he still looked far too good. She bit her tongue before any part of that slipped past her lips. She couldn’t allow the wine to talk. Surely that was all it was.
“I had a picture in my head of taking Jimmy into a room to greet a stripper and conveniently putting him in the wrong
