“Smooth, the way you worked that in.”
“That’s why they pay me the big bucks.” Cleo placed her coffee down and rubbed her hands together with relish. “So what’s the deal? How did the date go?”
“Date?”
“Please. I know everything that goes on around here. Our own microcosm of reality, and I’m the reigning deity who sees everything.”
When Cleo got that all-knowing look in her sparkling green eyes, she spooked Zoe a little. “What? Are you reading my future again?”
Cleo had hinted once that the women in her family were highly intuitive. But the way she ran the administrative section of the medical group so smoothly was more than unnerving. No one should be that organized.
“Yes. I read your tea leaves…and your day calendar. You penciled in Gavin’s name yesterday.” She gave a wide grin. “Besides, I’m your best friend. It’s my job to know these things.”
Zoe sighed. “I tried to keep this quiet. Piper and my parents don’t know.”
“I get you not telling your mom and dad. But come on. Piper? She’s cool.”
“She’s on this relationship kick right now. It’s weird. For so long she was against marriage, and now she’s talking about joining at the hip with some guy because time is short.” She felt a familiar pang. “With my sister gone, everyone’s all shaken up.”
Cleo nodded in understanding. “I miss Aubrey too.” She gave a dramatic sigh. “Yeah. And I’m still not falling for the whole woe-is-me change of subject, woman. Tell me about Gavin. What happened last night? Did you two have sex?”
“Cleo.” Zoe’s cheeks heated as her gaze shot to the open door.
Cleo grinned, and honest to God, she totally resembled a feline in human form. Jet-black hair, green eyes, and if she’d had whiskers, they’d have been twitching.
“Well?”
In a low voice, Zoe stated, “We did not have sex.”Unfortunately.She cleared that thought right out of her head. “He took me to a place in Magnolia.”
“He lives out there? Nice.”
“No. His sister’s friends with the owner. So we’re at this house with the most amazing kitchen ever.” Zoe described it, familiar with the envious expression on Cleo’s face. She’d felt the same. “Yeah, marble countertops as far as the eye could see. And even better, they had amazing plant beds.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Zoe still couldn’t believe how fun the night had been. “Gavin bought me pink work gloves, and we played in the garden beds all night. He made me cocoa too.”And kissed the breath out of me.
“Wait. By played in the garden beds, you mean—”
“We weeded and replanted things. It was amazing.”
Cleo shook her head. “I feel so sad for you. You’re pathetic, and you don’t even realize how pathetic you are.”
Zoe flipped her off.
Cleo pretend-caught the gesture, kissed her fingers, and flipped it back to Zoe. “Now if you’d literally gotten down and dirty rolling in rose petals—”
“With all the thorns, roses would be a bad idea. But candytuft or geraniums would work if I didn’t care about crushing flowers. Which I do.”
“Hey, nerd girl. I’m trying to make a point. You had him all to yourself last night, and you pulled weeds. How is that romantic?”
“You had to be there.” Zoe frowned. “Come to think of it, he promised to take me to dinner.” Since she’d promised to keep quiet about his state of arousal at the gym. “Good thing I made that second date then. He owes me.” She grinned, pleased with herself that now she could rationalize her need to see him again. Because she missed him already. And that was too damn weird. Gah. She could feel his lips on hers as if he were still there, closing her in the warmth of his embrace.
Cleo stared at her, wide-eyed.
“What?”
“You look kind of weird. Smiley. Dopey.”
