“Sounds nice. What sort of work do you do?”

“I’m an attorney. In addition to Shreveport, my firm also has offices in Baton Rouge, Houston and Phoenix.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“It is. I’m a multilicensed attorney in several states, so I travel quite a bit handling various court cases. What about you? From your business card I see you’re in real estate.”

“Yes, and one of the things I intend to do is be multilicensed so I can sell property in several states. That’s the reason for the classes I’m taking. I take my exam next month. The instructor is covering a lot of material and I hope I will be able to remember it all.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that you will.”

“Thanks.”

For the next thirty minutes he told her about various cases he’d handled and trips abroad he’d taken. She told him about her parents’ café and how she spent her leisure time reading. Her life definitely seemed boring compared to his. He also told her his parents were deceased and his sister was his only relative.

She glanced at her watch. “I need to get going if I want to make it to class on time. I enjoyed sharing coffee with you, Jeremy.”

“And I with you. How about if we do it again sometime?”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

He smiled, as well. “Good. How about if I call you in two weeks? I’ll be back in this area then.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

His smile widened. “Great. It sounds like a good plan to me, too.”

* * *

“TELL ME ABOUT the dress you bought for the charity ball.”

Bryce chuckled. I can do better,” she said, pulling her phone out of her purse. “I took a picture of it.”

She pulled it up on her phone and showed it to Vashti. “It’s gorgeous, Bryce. I love it.”

Vashti had invited Bryce to join her for lunch at Shelby by the Sea. It was a beautiful day and the breeze from the ocean felt divine. They were enjoying apple cider and grilled turkey sandwiches on the gazebo. “Thanks. I knew I wanted it when I walked into that store in New Orleans.”

“And you’re still not bringing a date?”

“No.”

“Why didn’t you invite that guy you’ve met for coffee? He sounds nice and I would love to meet him.”

“We’ve only met for coffee that one time, although we’re supposed to meet again when he comes back through in a couple of weeks. Jeremy is nice but I’m not ready to take our relationship beyond the occasional coffee meeting.”

“Oh.”

What she hadn’t told Vashti was that although Jeremy was handsome, intelligent and a good conversationalist, he hadn’t done anything for her. She had felt nothing. Not even a twinge of an attraction.

Bryce glanced over at Vashti. “I ran into Marcel this week while in New Orleans.”

Vashti lifted an eyebrow. “The one who dumped you for his ex?”