“Where? At the grocery store?”
“No. At work.”
Sara leaned forward, her own sex woes temporarily forgotten. “Who?”
“You’ll see at the fundraising dinner in a couple of weeks. I invited him. Speaking of, who are you taking?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it.”
Which showed her level of distraction about Brad. She always made sure she had a date long in advance of these shindigs. They tended to be tedious, but they were part of her role at the sanctuary and she never shirked her responsibility.
Who could she ask this close to the event? Her little pink book held a few prospects. None worthy of excitement though. Or even mild anticipation.
“What about Dr. Mikey?”
Sara laughed at Kim’s moniker for one of the other zoologists. Though he was pushing forty, Dr. Michael Eastwick looked closer to twenty. His baby face made him quite popular among the ladies, especially the well-to-do matrons who frequented the fundraisers and showed their appreciation for him through their checkbooks.
“He’s practically engaged.”
“Ah, that barely counts.” Kim tapped her glossy pink nails against her mouth. “What about Steve?”
“What about him?”
“He’s single. I think.”
Sara shook her head, thinking about the security guard who flirted with her—and every other woman within shouting distance—every morning. “No, thanks. Think I’ll be going to this one solo.”
“No way. I have a much better idea.”
Something about Kim’s sparkling grin made Sara’s skin tingle with nerves. “I get scared when you get ideas.”
“As well you should.” Her grin turned sly. “What about Brad?”
Chapter 2
Sara cleared her throat and crossed her ankles. She couldn’t be more casual if she tried. “What about Brad?”
“You know he’d go. He loves the sanctuary. I brought him last year and he donated a bunch of stuff for the annual auction. Free oil changes, that sort of thing.”
“So you take him and I’ll take your date,” Sara replied. No one would be able to tell she was the least bit vexed by this conversation, she was sure of it. Butter smooth, that was her.
Kim laughed. “Don’t think you and Greg would be a good fit. You and Brad on the other hand—” she wiggled her eyebrows, “—would make the perfect couple.”
Hmm, did she know a Greg? She was terrible about connecting faces with names. Besides, thinking about who Greg might be was way better than considering Brad as her date. Or her potential lover. “Don’t think so.” Sara’s breathing quickened, but she did her best to stay relaxed.
If relaxed meant gripping the arms of her chaise as if the chair was all that stood between her and certain death.
“You’re being stubborn. Want me to ask him? He even owns a tux. Cleans up pretty well too.”
Brad and a tux were a recipe for disaster. Naked disaster. “Thanks, but I’m sure I can—”
To her surprise, Kim frowned and waved a hand, cutting her off. “Are you fighting with him? Is that why he’s not here?”
“Of course not. Why would we fight? We have nothing to fight about.” Even Sara thought her laughter sounded forced. Okay, I give in. Wave temptation in a tux in my face. I can take it. “Fine. I’ll ask Brad. He might be busy, but I’ll ask.”
“Good. And I bet he’ll be happy to come.”
Her mind shot into a bad place at that particular statement. She popped to her feet before Kim noticed her constricted expression. A red-blooded woman could only disguise so much.