He came out with a tray loaded with cartons and plates. At least he’d buttoned his shirt, she noted. She wished she didn’t like his looks quite so much. She’d be able to get a handle on her emotional response if she didn’t find him so physically attractive.

Or vice versa.

“I figured I’d eat this with ESPN and some paperwork. This is better.” He put a place setting in front of her, opened cartons. “Rehearsal tonight, right?” He sat and began to take samples from every carton. “How’d it go?”

“Fine, I imagine. They didn’t need me, so I did some prep for the weekend.”

“I’ll be at the commitment ceremony Sunday,” he told her. “I went to college with Mitchell, and I wrote up their partnership contract.” He ate while she sat, sipping her beer. “So what’s the cake?”

“Chocolate butter cake, with white chocolate mousse filling, frosted in broad strokes with fudge frosting.”

“Triple threat.”

“They like chocolate.All that’s offset with alternate layers of red geranium blossoms on flower foam trays. Emma’s making interlocking geranium hearts for the topper. Now should I ask about your day?”

“No need to be bitchy”

She sighed because he was right. “You stole my shoes,” she pointed out, and gave in to the scent of the food.

“Stole is a strong word.”

“They’re mine, you took them without permission.” She bit into a pot sticker. God, she did have a weakness.

“How much are they worth to you?”

“They’re just shoes, Del.”

“Please.” He made a dismissive noise as he waved one hand. “I have a sister. I know the value you people put on footwear.”

“Okay, okay, what do you want? Money? Baked goods? Household chores?”

“All viable options. But this is nice for a start. You should try the sweet-and-sour.”

“What, this is nice? This?” She nearly choked on the beer. “Like this is some kind of a date?”

“Two people, food, drink, pretty evening. It has datelike elements.”

“It’s a drop-in. It’s a ransom drop. It’s . . .” She stopped herself because the jitters were back. “All right, let’s clear the air. I feel I started something. Something or ...”

“Other?” he suggested.

“Okay, something or other. Because I was in a mood, and I acted impulsively, which caused you to reciprocate the impulse. And I see now, I certainly see knowing you, that the ‘we’re even’ remark was a gauntlet thrown.You couldn’t leave that alone, so you took my damn shoes. And now there’s Chinese and beer and the whole dusk falling light show, when we both know perfectly well you’ve never thought about me this way.”

He considered for a moment. “That’s not accurate. An accurate statement would be I’ve tried not to think about you this way.”

More than a little stunned she sat back. “How’d you do with that?”