Clarice preferred the whole milk drinks, but always ordered skinny around Veronica because she felt so fat and flabby by comparison. “Thank you!” she said in astonishment, hanging her coat and slinging her purse over her chair. “It’s perfect! That’s so kind of you!”
Veronica waved off her thanks. “You do so much. It’s the least I could do. Did Bruno Martin come back for the Oak place?”
“Beech,” Clarice said before she could stop herself from correcting Veronica. The last thing she wanted to do was spoil Veronica’s good mood. “He hasn’t been back in. Or called. Or emailed. I checked.” Would Veronica scold her for not following up? Clarice didn’t want to seem pushy.
“He seemed quite taken with you,” Veronica purred, to Clarice’s mixed delight and alarm. She was glad that she hadn’t completely imagined his interest, but embarrassed that Veronica might think she was being unprofessional.
“I— oh, he was very nice, I suppose.” Clarice knew that she was blushing. “He’s probably still shoppingaround.” She didn’t really mean property. “How did you get his last name?” Bruno hadn’t filled out any of the paperwork for them yet.
“I know people, darling,” Veronica said easily. She did, too. She had friends at every bank and financial institute in Nickel City, and had all of the city council in her contacts. “Which reminds me, I have extra charity concert tickets for the Nickel City orchestra this weekend. I already have plans for Friday night, but you should take someone! Dinner and a show!”
“Oh, I couldn’t. How much—?” Sometimes Veronica framed something as a gift that she later expected payment for.
“Consider it a holiday bonus,” Veronica said. “A pre-closing perk for the Beech property.”
“It might not close,” Clarice cautioned, taking a tiny sip of her mocha after checking the fit of her lid. She had been “good-naturedly” pranked that way before and she didn’t have a clean sweater to change into. “We can’t count eggs before they’re hatched.”
“You do sometimes have troubleclosingthe deals,” Veronica said thoughtfully. “But I’m sure you’ll get better! You’ve come so far under my tutelage.”
“Thank you,” Clarice wasn’t sure what she was thanking her for, but Veronica clearly expected it.
“Let me get you those tickets before I forget,” Veronica said. “And then I’ve got some phone calls to make.”
Clarice was still nursing the very last dregs of her mocha, staring at the tickets, when she saw a familiar figure through the front windows. She swiftly checked her mouth for chocolate with her phone camera and resettled one of her barrettes, probably only making it worse.
The door chimed Bruno’s entrance and he stompedsnow off of his boots as he came in. He didn’t have a folder or any paperwork with him, and Clarice’s heart wasn’t sure whether to fall or hammer in excitement. He’d probably decided against the house. Veronica’s appreciation was going to be short-lived after all.
14
BRUNO
Clarice got to her feet when Bruno came in, then looked like she wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. “Hi!” she said. “How can I help you? How’d it go with the bank? Can I get you a coffee? Oh, I haven’t made any yet, sorry…”
Bruno wondered if he was smiling as foolishly as she was. “No coffee, thanks. I’ve had my quota for the day. I’ve decided to wait on the house. I’m still building my credit, and if I get it up just fifty points, I’ll get much, much better terms. My practice hasn’t been around that long, and although business is steady now, it wasn’t when I started. I’ve got some college debt I can get paid off in a few months and I’ll be in a stronger bargaining position. The house will either be on the market then and meant to be, or I’ll look for something else then.”
“That’s very sensible,” Clarice agreed. “I don’t want to say don’t buy now!—that’s not how you close a deal, of course, but it can make a big difference to do things in the right order.” She cocked her head to the side. “You said,your practice. Are you a doctor, then?”
Bruno hesitated. “I’m a psychiatrist.”
Clarice gave one of her uncertain laughs, undoubtedly thinking back over everything she’d told him in a new light. “You’re a shrink?”
Ashiftershrink, Bruno wanted to assure her, but of course, that was a whole new can of worms that didn’t need unpacking. Yet. “I promise not to diagnose you with anything on a date,” he said with a hopeful chuckle. “And since I’m not your client now, I can actually ask you out on one.”
Clarice froze, eyes wide as she realized what he was saying. “I wouldn’t promise that,” she told him frankly. “You have no idea what a headcase I might be.” She flushed. “I mean…none of it is a surprise. Self esteem issues, a tiny bit of OCD. Some run of the mill anxiety. I’m pretty much the sweater-wearing geek that I am on the tin. Oh no, I’ve said too much and now you’re reconsidering asking me out and wondering about offering me a business card instead. You’re thinking, ‘She might be an okay date, but she’d be agoldminein professional fees.’”
Bruno had to laugh. “I am not thinking that at all.”
Clarice grinned. “Oh, good, because I can’t afford therapy. I spend all of my money on my ungrateful cat. Transference of childhood trauma spent trying to get my parents to love me, probably. Tell me that I’m still being funny and I haven’t crossed a line?”
“You’re still funny,” Bruno assured her. And she was. It had annoyed him when Tracy tried to joke about his job, but that was because he knew she didn’t respect him. Clarice was still looking at him like he’d hung the moon, and she was careful to check in with him about her humor. It was probably just the honeymoon period, he told himself. Most relationships devolved over time.
She’s not scary, his armadillo said thoughtfully.No danger.
“I happen to have tickets to a charity concert tomorrow,” Clarice offered. She glanced towards Veronica’s closed door with an adorable confused crinkle of her brow.
“Oh,” Bruno said regretfully. “Gil has swim lessons Friday nights.”
Clarice’s face didn’t quite fall, just sort of settled into a careful neutral expression. She was expecting it not to work out, and for a blistering moment, Bruno hated whoever had instilled that in her. “I can’t do Friday, but how about Saturday night? I could take you out to dinner.”
