I was saved from the need to make more conversation by his phone. It rang, and he looked at the screen with a frown.

“Got to take this. Have a nice day.”

For a Monday, it turned out to be excellent. I’d figured out a new perfume formula with my head chemist, which always gave me a sense of satisfaction. I relied a lot on my colleagues, because while I was great at formulas and mixes, I wasn’t a “nose,” as perfumers were often called. My sense of smell wasn’t refined enough for me to make a perfume on my own, though once we decided on the base notes, I loved playing with middle and top notes. I was also happy that I hadn’t heard from Beauty SkinEssence. Granted, it had only been a few weeks, but from experience I knew that the more time passed, the higher was the chance of them dropping this.

“You’re out already, boss?” Anne asked when I passed her desk late in the afternoon.

“Yep. See you tomorrow.”

I was getting real good at this work-life balance thing. I even had time to do the yoga routine I’d skipped in the morning... but I decided to go shopping instead.

As I sipped my coffee the next morning at Walter’s, my gaze was glued to my Kindle. I sat at the same table as yesterday, which had three empty seats around it. I was holding my Kindle for everyone to see, which I hoped would send busy vibes to everyone. Soon, I was lost in the pages, and wished I was drinking ice-cold water instead of a hot coffee. Okay, so maybe reading a sexy romance first thing in the morning was not the best idea, because now I was all hot and bothered. But I’d reached a really great part last night and couldn’t wait to pick it up again this morning.

“Is this chair free?”

I looked up to my left. Carter was standing next to me, his hand on the backrest of the chair in question.

“Sure.”

“I just got a few minutes. My partner, Zachary, and I are meeting a new client this morning.”

He motioned to a guy in a suit who was standing in line. I made the mistake of laying my Kindle on the table. The movement caught Carter’s eye, and then his gaze locked on the tiny screen. Belatedly I remembered that I used an extra-large font and that I hadn’t turned off the device. I rectified my mistake the very next second. Carter was still standing, as if he’d forgotten what he was about to do.

“What are you reading?”

“Just a book.”

“I saw the word clitoris. It’s what caught my attention.”