She’d really like to boot her from her team, instead of trying to soothe ruffled feathers. She looked at the clock. Ah heck, it was four o’clock in the morning. She needed to get to sleep. She’d ask Eden about this tomorrow; she worked with diplomats, maybe she’d have some advice.
3
“I don’t care about your work problem, I want to hear more about the date,” Eden grinned. She twirled more Fettuccine Alfredo onto her fork and took a big bite.
“What more is there to tell? It was an unmitigated disaster. It was worse than a disaster. It was a sinkhole. It was a tornado. It was a mudslide.”
Eden swallowed and laughed. “Hun, hate to tell you, but those are all disasters, you’re being repetitious.”
Sam sighed and took a bite of her pumpkin ravioli.
“You look tired. Are you sure you didn’t take him home with you?” Eden raised her eyebrow.
“Yeah I’m sure. I’m not going to hop into bed with that loser after my one and only relationship was with my cheating-almost-husband. That is not who I want as number two.” She speared her ravioli so hard that marinara sauce splattered on her shirt. “Dagnabbit!”
Eden’s giggles turned into loud laughter.
“Come on, have a heart and stop laughing at me,” Samantha begged. “You’re supposed to be my best friend.” Sam dabbed at the sauce on her T-shirt with some of the water from her glass. It wasn’t working, she’d have to use a stain remover later.
“I am your best friend, and you’re being a wonderful friend in return by providing me one of the best dinners and a show I’ve had in a long time.”
“That’s it, you’re not getting dessert, and there was chocolate involved,” Samantha told her with a glint in her eye.
Eden gave her a considering stare. “You’re lying. You still need my help on the work thingy, and I have information you might want.”
Samantha felt her heart skip a beat. “There is no information that you could have that I would want. But I do want your help. So, you get dessert.”
“Even if I told you it comes in a six-foot-two, all-muscle package with a head of hair I would kill for?”
Samantha’s head jerked up. “Ezio Stark?”
“That’d be the one.”
“What about him?”
“While you were having fun on your date, I was over at Kane and A.J.’s at a fun party and mentioned to Ezio that you’d moved here five months ago. You would have thought I’d given a mountain lion catnip.”
“Do mountain lions like catnip? And anyway, shouldn’t you be using a seal analogy?”
“Quit trying to change the subject. Ezio was all over it when I said that you were living here now. Didn’t you ever tell him? And if not, why not?”
It took all of Sam’s willpower not to squirm in her seat.
“Do you want dessert?” she asked Eden.
“No, I want to know why you didn’t inform Ezio you’d moved here. I saw the way you two cuddled up to one another at my party seven months ago. Why didn’t you call him? Text him? Hell, you even snuck away halfway through the party. What gives?”
“We just had coffee,” Sam protested.
“And the next day you were all moony-eyed. Don’t lie to me, I’m like the sister you shoulda had. So, spill it.”
“I have chocolate lava cake batter in my refrigerator, with two lonely ramekins waiting to be filled. There’s also some raspberry sauce that I made myself from fresh raspberries.” Samantha stood up from the couch and Eden grabbed her arm and pulled her back down again.
“No changing the subject, Chica. Spill.”
“Fine. We did talk a few times after I went home to Boise, but it fizzled. I sent the last text, but I got a short answer, then nothing more. I was kind of butt-hurt. So, I figured he wasn’t interested.”
“Well, I don’t know what the deal was then, but trust me, the man is definitely interested.”
“Then why didn’t he text or call?”
“Maybe because you lived a continent away? Maybe because he has one of the most stressful jobs in the world, and has to leave the country at the drop of the hat? Who knows? All I can tell you is, he had a whole hell of a lot of questions about you, Missy.”
“Like what?” Sam couldn’t help but ask.
“He wanted to know about your social life here in Virginia, if you were happy and settling in. He also wanted to know if that dick of an almost-husband was pestering you.”
“How would Ezio know that?” Samantha wanted to know. “I was stunned when Kevin called me and wanted to come out and visit. It was freakin surreal.”
“He did? And you didn’t tell me?” Eden’s expression was hysterical.
“Yes, he did. Last week. But how did Ezio know?” Samantha asked again.
“I’m telling you, Ezio has a thing for you. But how dare you not tell me the moment Kevin called. That’s what friends do; they call immediately when slimy cheating ex-fiancés call. Don’t you know the rules?”
“I didn’t know that rule.”
“Now tell me why Kevie Wevie is calling. Seriously, that fucking asshole had the nerve to call you? This I gotta hear.”
“Let me put the cakes in the oven, then I’ll tell you.”
Samantha took their dishes into the kitchen and busied herself with the batter while Eden made a phone call. Ten to one it was to Asher. By the time she was done, Eden was looking over her drafting board.
“I like the color scheme, this is really good.”
“Thanks. That’s part of my problem.”
“Nope,” Eden said as she plopped down
