Страница 4

Now the future was blank, its shapes and possibilities lost or unknown. It was the undrawn portion of the map where the monsters lurked, and he had lost his navigator.

Kevin popped his head in the open doorway. "Hey, can I have your housekeeper's phone number?"

"You want someone to clean your house?"

"I want to ask her out." Kevin entered the office. "Do you think she'd say yes? She implied I'm not a bad catch."

"I don't want you dating my housekeeper." It was a knee-jerk reaction, something inside him rejecting the notion of Kevin laying his hands on Emma Mayson.

"Why not?"

Russ tried to think of a rational reason. "She's going to be going through my private stuff," he said, making it up as he went along. "It's not as if she signed a confidentiality agreement."

"You're afraid she'll spill secrets about you? Like what, that you leave towels on the bathroom floor? You don't have any secrets. Come on, give me her number."

"I'd rather you didn't get involved with her."

Kevin stared at him, and then his eyes widened. "Oh ho ho! You want her yourself1."

Russ scowled. "No, I don't."

"I don't blame you: she's hot. And bubbly. Who'd pass up hot and bubbly?"

"She's not a meat pie. And / would pass her up. Did you see that car of hers?" Russ said, trying to scare Kevin off. "Are you sure you could handle a woman who drove a car built for street racing? She's probably got bigger balls than either of us. Not exactly the take-home-to-Mama type."

A flicker of doubt passed over Kevin's face. "She seemed nice."

"She probably has a boyfriend in prison and three kids at home."

Kevin stared at him; then his natural ebullience resurfaced. "Yeah, right! Just give me her number and I'll ask her."

"Kevin. She's my employee, and she must be ten years younger than either of us. Leave her alone."

"I wouldn't mind playing sugar daddy."

Russ laughed. "I can't quite see you in that role."

"I can be a jerk if I try hard enough. And I'm sick of losing women to assholes."

Well, hell, Kevin would have better luck if he stopped getting involved with women recovering from breakups with assholes. They used his kind-hearted friend for sympathy and confidence-building; then when they felt strong again they went back to the jerks.

Maybe someone as seemingly normal as Emma would be good for Kevin, despite Russ's gut rejection of the idea. "I wouldn't feel right giving out Emma's number without her permission. I'll ask her if I can give it to you. How's that?"

"As good as I'll get, apparently. You'll ask her today?"

Russ raised an exasperated brow. "Don't push me."

"Just didn't want you waiting until next year. The sooner you do it, the sooner I'll stop asking you about it."

"Tell me again why I keep you working for me."

"Because I'm the only one not afraid of your sour temper."

"Get out of here," Russ said without heat.

" ''Emma, my lovely Emma …' " Kevin sang as he left the room.

His sour temper. Russ grimaced. Was that how people saw him now, as a grouch?

Was that what Emma Mayson had seen? He mentally reviewed their tour through the house, remembering how brusquely he had answered her small-talk remarks. She'd been lobbing him conversational softballs and he'd swatted them to the ground one after the other until she gave up. She'd probably thought him a grumpy tight-ass, instead of what he really was: a geeky guy who'd never learned to relax around an attractive woman.

Emma Mayson was young and beautiful and socially at ease, and completely out of his range. She probably went to nightclubs and… and… whatever people her age and type did with their free time. He'd never moved in socially active crowds. Social activists, yes. But no dance-till-dawn club hoppers. Emma and he probably didn't have a thing in common.

He pulled her business card out of his wallet, absently ru

The imaginary conversation flowed through his head. Him, awkward and embarrassed to be playing high school go-between. Her, uncomfortable being put on the spot, forced to decide whether or not to reject a man she'd met for only a moment, and not sure if her decision would impact her job at Russ's house.

He tossed the card on his desk; he couldn't think about it now.