“Rylee? I’ve only spoken to her by phone. You already met her?” Jasper asked.
“Never,” Dakota said. “I think we’ve crossed paths three times this week; this might be number four.” He stood to the side and let Veer slide down the booth seat.
“Seems significant,” Veer said, adjusting herself into the curve of Kumar’s arm. “Maybe your guardian angel is trying his best, but you’re not cooperating.”
“Either that,” Kumar said, “orherguardian angel keeps seeing Dakota and is steering her in the other direction.”
“In that case, you should probably leave the poor girl alone,” Veer said.
“Three times? Where was this?” Jasper asked.
“First time at that charity race on Sunday. She was at the finish line. The second time, she was the woman I handed my flowers to when she got in a cab. Third time, I passed her running out of the WorldCares Operations offices.”
“The woman in the taxi could have been anyone, right?” Jasper asked. “A doppelganger?”
“I don’t think so.” No, Dakota was absolutely sure it was the same woman for no other reason than how his body reacted when she was around.
“Wait,” Kumar leaned forward, “You thrust a bunch of flowers at a strange woman?”
“She didn’t deck you and run away screaming?” Veer asked.
“It’s not like that,” Dakota told Veer. “I had just bought some flowers. Then Jasper rerouted me, and I was suddenly heading to the airport. I had the flowers in my hand. She looked stressed out. I didn’t really think about it. It all just happened.” Dakota beat “She got into the cab, I gave her the flowers, shut the door, the taxi drove off. So yeah, that’s about how it went down.”
“And you know her name because?” Jasper asked.
“When we went to WorldCares, I first saw her coming out of the building. Then I saw the bouquet on the desk in the office next to Neesa’s. When I asked whose office it was, Erica said it was the co-director, Rylee Jones’s, office. It was Sherlock Holmes 101.”
“Must have been a very distinctive bouquet,” Kumar said.
“It was.”
“So, no room for a mistake?” Jasper asked, taking off his coat and draping it on the back of his chair. He seemed to be slow-rolling, settling in his seat, perhaps to give Neesa time to see him and come over.
And maybe that was why Dakota was standing there, too. “I’d say not, especially with Neesa sitting right next to her at the bar right up the street from their office.”
“Look at Jasper grinning away. I do believe our Jasper is smitten.” Veer grinned up at him. “Both of them,” she told Kumar, “are smitten kittens.”
“Go invite them over, Jasper,” Kumar said, “for your sake, but also so Dakota can finally meet his future wife.”
“Stop.” Dakota pulled out a chair and forced himself into it.
Jasper turned and looked Neesa’s way. “Yeah, I’ll be right back.” As he started toward the front of the bar, Neesa took a step his way. Jasper raised his arm and flagged her over.
The crowd was growing thicker as people left work and came for a drink to unwind.
Neesa was making her way over, but much to Dakota’s disappointment, Rylee stayed at the bar. Dakota smiled, stood, and gestured for her to take his seat. “Neesa, good to see you outside of the office.”
Neesa’s face pinked. “Yes, it’s a nice little place here, very convenient to my work, and, I guess, yours too.”
Jasper introduced her to Veer and Kumar.
“Should we invite your friend over?” Veer asked, sending an evil grin in Dakota’s direction.
Neesa turned to look Rylee’s way. “She’s waiting for Erica to get here.”
As Dakota went to a nearby table to ask if they could spare one of their chairs, Jasper’s phone pinged.
Focusing on the screen, Jasper said, “Hey, Benny’s out of surgery. All’s good.”
