Well Suited (Red Lipstick Coalition #4)(27)

“No. I only have half an hour, remember?”

“Ah, as the illustrious Eagan reminded you.”

I glanced down to gauge her reaction and was pleased to find her scowling.

“He’s the worst.”

I huffed a laugh, surprised by her generalization.

“I mean it. He’s the actual worst. He’s constantly trying to piss me off. Effectively, I might add. We can’t stand each other.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think Eagan has a little crush on you.”

Her head swiveled to glare at me. “That’s ludicrous.”

I gave her a look right back. “It’s not at all. I’d be willing to bet you’re the hottest librarian in the public library system.”

Her cheeks flushed—whether it was from the compliment or fury, I couldn’t know. Maybe both.

“That…well, that makes no sense,” she sputtered, snapping her eyes back to the path. “He’s horrible. Rude. Constantly making my life difficult.”

“Playground rules. Boys who pull your pigtails like you.”

“Boys who pull my pigtails get black eyes.”

Laughter spilled out of me. “Why, Kate, I never expected you’d resort to violence.”

“When it comes to Eagan, always. He’s the exception to my every rule.”

For a split second, I envied him that.

We reached the fountain, but the chairs and tables were all taken. I worried she’d balk at eating anywhere else, but without a word, she hopped up on the ledge of the fountain and demurely crossed her ankles.

She was a vision in black and red, the city stretching up behind her, the fountain bubbling sweetly at her back. Her lips, so red and inviting, curled up at the very edges, a smile rare and generally hard won. But she offered it to me without my having to do a thing.

I took that feather and stuck it proudly in my metaphorical cap.

I sat next to her, putting the cooler between us. Preventative measures and all that.

“Is there an occasion today that has you dressed up?”

“Only this.”

I glanced over to find her smiling still, something unspoken behind her alluring irises. It was unlike her to keep anything close to the vest.

But by my grand powers of deduction, there was no other meaning to take.

She’d dressed up for me.

“Thank you for meeting me for lunch like this, Theodore. I know it’s not very long.”

I unpacked the containers one by one. “Like I said, Kate—any way I can get you.” I didn’t wait for a response, just popped the lid off her lunch and handed it over.

She took it curiously, peering inside.

“Marinated grilled chicken, lime rice, and a kale and spinach salad with edamame, shredded carrots, and sesame-soy dressing. It’s beige—with the exception of the salad—and it has your staple rice and plenty of protein. The salad is high in folic acid.”

Katherine glanced up, her expression closed but for the inquisitive look in her eyes.

“It’s good for the baby’s brain development.”

“It is. I’ve added spinach to my beige diet for that reason.” She glanced back at her lunch, her cheeks flushed again. “What a thoughtful meal. I can’t believe you cooked all this for me.”

I shrugged, busying myself with bottles of water and cutlery to avoid her eyes. “It was nothing really. I enjoy cooking. I made enough to feed Ma, too. I used to cook for Tommy, but now Amelia’s taken over my gig. Although I almost always cook the four of us dinner.”

“I’ve never quite understood it,” she admitted. “Cooking, even eating sometimes, feels like a chore. Filling my body with fuel. It’s a necessity, not a pleasure.”

“Well, now I have a new goal in life.”

Her head tilted.

“To turn your refueling into a pleasure.”

She chuckled, forking a bite of salad. Her face was down, her lips smiling. She seemed almost shy.

It was incredibly attractive.

And the sight gave me bravado I should have ignored. But I didn’t.

“How about our next meeting?” I asked. “Dinner at my place?”

She paused, fork mid-motion. A spinach leaf fell off the prongs and back into her dish. “I’d like that.”

I smiled, taking another bite.

Externally, I was calm and contained, eating lunch with a pretty girl in the park. Internally, I was in the middle of a touchdown dance in the end zone.

But there was a flag on the play. Nothing was certain.

I had no idea what the hell had changed since last week, but whatever the catalyst was, it struck a match of hope in my chest. We were going to have dinner in the privacy of my apartment. And today, she’d dressed up just for me. She’d painted her lips crimson even though I had a feeling lipstick probably bothered her. She’d worn heels, one of which had fallen off the back of her foot and dangled by her toes. She didn’t even seem to notice.

This version of her was an in-between—not quite Katherine, not quite Kate, but a hybrid of the two. And she’d agreed to come over for dinner. It’d be good practice. I’d have to keep my hands to myself when she moved in. Better to start building up my immunity now. Otherwise, I’d never be able to keep my promise.

She hummed her approval as she chewed. “I have to admit,” she said when she’d swallowed, “I wasn’t sure about the salad. Kale offends my senses on almost every level.”